Cairn Terrier
Learn about the temperament and personality of the Cairn Terrier. Discover what he's like to live with, his traits and characteristics and how he generally behaves. And look at lots of Cairn Terrier photos.
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Cairn Terrier Temperament
Everybody loves Toto, right? What a trooper that dog was, keeping up on the Yellow Brick Road! Like him, Cairn Terriers are independent little bundles of energy. They are alert and active with the trademark terrier temperament: inquisitive, bossy, feisty, and fearless. They are intelligent and can be a bit mischievous. Warn your flowers -- many Cairns love to dig! Obedience training is very important with this breed. They will try to test your limits, and are born assertive (but not aggressive). They are not usually problem barkers, but will bark if bored or lonely. They love their families and need attention and affection from their humans. They are protective of their families, and will defend their territory with courage and devotion, but they are also people-oriented and are friendly with everyone they meet. They love gentle children but will not tolerate mistreatment from anyone. They need regular exercise, but need to be kept on a leash or in a fenced-in area, as their prey drive is strong and they will chase small animals. They have been known to harass, and sometimes hurt, cats. They generally do well with other dogs, but will stand their ground if challenged. They love long walks and like to play ball, or simply tear around the backyard with the kids. They excel at obedience, agility, and tracking trials. They remain active and playful well into their teen years. They are companionable, loyal and loving. They make great listeners, perky playmates, and good foot warmers. They've been called "the best little pal in the world." And they are always a work in progress.
Cairn Terrier Training
The Cairn Terrier is intelligent and quite easy to train. He learns new commands quickly at an above average rate.
Cairn Terrier Shedding
The Cairn Terrier sheds practically no hair at all. You'll virtually never find a hair in your home!
Cairn Terrier Grooming
Pet coat (less work): Cut his coat short every few months and then it only needs to be brushed every so often.
Show coat (more work): Strip his coat every six months and brush it daily.
Adopt a Cairn Terrier
Cairn Terrier Photos
Rating: Ease of training
Tells you how easy or difficult a breed is to train.
A higher rating means the breed is easier to train, a lower rating means the breed is harder to train.
An easy to train breed require less time and patience to train.
Rating: Intelligence
Tells you how intelligent a breed is in terms of how quickly it can learn commands from humans. A higher rating means the breed will learn your commands faster (and is therefore generally considered to be more intelligent), while a lower rating means the breed will learn your commands more slowly (and is therefore generally considered to be less intelligent).
Keep in mind that this is only one way to measure a dog's intelligence and a low rating might still mean the breed is highly intelligent in other ways.
Rating: Shedding
Tells you how much hair the breed sheds. The higher the rating the more hair the breed sheds.
Rating: Watchdog
Tells you how good the breed is at being a watchdog and raising the alarm when a stranger approaches. A higher rating means the breed will bark vigorously to warn you of a stranger's presence on your property. A low rating means the breed probably won't bark much if a stranger enters your property.
Rating: Guard dog
Tells you how good the breed is at being a guard dog due to the appearance, size, and strength of the breed. A breed with a high guard dog rating will make an intruder think twice before stepping foot on your property.
Rating: Popularity
Tells you how popular the breed is in terms of ownership. A higher rating means that more people own the breed. The more popular a breed is the easier it is to find and purchase one because there are more breeders breeding it.
Rating: Size
Tells you how large or small the breed is. A lower rating means the breed is smaller and a higher rating means the breed is larger. It gives you a quick idea of how physically large or small the breed is compared with all the other breeds.
Rating: Agility
Tells you how agile the breed is. A higher rating means the breed is fast and nimble on its feet while a lower rating means the breed is heavier and slower on its feet.
Rating: Good with kids
Tells you how good the breed is with children. A higher rating means the breed is good with children. Note: all breeds are generally good with kids when they're raised with them.
