⌛ Cairn terriers

Hi,
Daughter loves ToTo, wants a ToTo dog. I have seen many, many dogs running around that resemble him, but a wondering if there are any Cairn Terrier breeders that anyone knows of?
Thanks!!

 

I've seen what (I think) you're looking for. It's on the same street that runs behind Lee Plaza. If you were facing the entrance to the parking garage, turn left and go to the next corner, cross the street, and right there you will often see small dogs in cages for sale.

 

I certainly hope not. I owned and showed Cairn Terriers for more than 30 years and they are without doubt my favourite dog. There are two types - the wheat, which can be more of a ginger/cream/red colour, and the Brindle which is the Toto lookalike. I always had the Brindle. They are fantastically loyal and faithful creatures, the b*tch even more so than the dog. My last one was a brindle b*tch called Basil, the runt from a litter of six, who was with me from 9 weeks old until she passed on at 16 years of age, and I couldn't bring myself to replace her. They have two coats, a course outer coat which is virtually weather proof, and a soft undercoat, usually much lighter in colour. They need careful daily grooming and the outer coat needs to be cut by an expert using dog shears and not scissors. One of their peculiarities is that they are usually left-handed in that the left paw is the principal one used. As with most terriers, they like to dig for real or imagined prey, seem to have boundless energy and are superb ratters.

BUT, and there is always a but, Cairns are working dogs, and thrive in a cold or temperate climate. Originally from the Cairngorm mountains of north-east Scotland, they were used to flush out prey from the cairns (which are rock piles) and are still used as working dogs today because of their agility and fleet of foot. I always had their coats cut back to the undercoat for the duration of the British summer, but even on a moderate day they would get distressed with heat and seek out shade or damp areas to stay cool.

Please think of the welfare of the dog as the primary concern; the desires of an offspring to own a trophy dog should be secondary. In a climate such as northern Europe or similar, the dog will thrive, but the oppressive heat of the Philippines is definitely no place for a Cairn Terrier without it suffering.

 

Roger, I concur about the heat affect here on dogs. I had two Yorkshire Terriers in Makati and they hated the heat and stayed by the aircon 24/7. They required a proper lamb-only dog food diet and daily grooming and weekly pro groomer. And they wanted attention all the time. They were expensive to keep. Your experience with Cairns should be helpful for the OP. Good post.

 

Hi Broadside, Totally agree, this was the major Factor for Rejecting my Export of my Iberian Lynx to PI last year.

@ permes, perhaps you could look at a Japanese Spitz or even a Jack Russell, The Spitz I am told, can come small, the origional Jack is small (My two are Giants) Both the Spitz and Jack's are good and loyal, trained right are good with kids. Very protective.



Jack P.

 

Permres, fyi, I got my Miniature Pinscher with papers from a local breeder here. Not sure how they are with kids but seem to be ok in the heat for a litttle bit. Problem: first 5 mos. they like to bite your fingers when they play... Now 6 mos old he is turning out to be a fantastic watch dog (big ears).

 

Oh, ABSOUTELY

I agree!! I had no idea they were a cool climate dog!! I would NEVER want to own a dog here that does not tolerate heat...that is why I really don't want a german shepherd, either, can't stand to see them suffer with their long coats (my daughter had wanted one of those, too). I would much prefer a chihuahua, mini pinscher, boston terrier, dachsund, something of that sort, but in the small/med range only. I really want a chihuahua, if you know of any breeders.....
Thanks!!

 

japanese spitz

I see alot of the japanese spitz running around, but I have to lean towards a shorter coat animal...the spitz's have too much fur and I think the heat here would be a bother to them, also....I know they are at least white, that helps, but still lots of hair, gotta be miserable. Plus, I really don't want a dog that requires alot of grooming, either. Thanks for the idea....a jack russell would be nice, a little hyper, but I like those, too!!

 

permres. Can I suggest you look at the Parsons Russell and the Manchester Terrier. There's plenty already written to recommend the former, but the latter is worthy of some consideration. The Manchester is exceptionally loyal, good with children, will make all the necessary noises as a gutsy watch dog, is a compact size and is always keen to please its' master. Of course, you need to bear in mind that dogs are pack animals, and your dog has to acknowledge from the start that you are the leader of the pack. Crucially, this is done with kindness not cruelty. However, the Russel and the Manchester are both short hair which is an important consideration for a dog in this climate.