AKC Inspection

AKC (The American Kennel Club) inspects all breeders who breed more than 7 litters a year. They review documentation to ensure accurate record keeping, facilities to ensure they are appropriate, how many dogs are present, how they are identified, and the dog's physical conditions. I experienced my first inspection at Crooked Creek Cairn Terriers about 1 1/2yrs ago. I was so nervous but I got compliments from the inspector and that felt really good. It took a couple hours and I was amazed at how in depth it was. He even checked my breeding dates with whelping dates to ensure they were accurate. Thankfully I passed with ease.

I had my next inpsection on Tuesday. I knew what to expect, but it still makes me so nervous. It's like the "doggie police" coming to "inspect". That word just sounds scary! Thankfully we had some warm weather and I was able to bathe and groom everyone without chilling them. I scrubbed dog boxes, the kennel, and the puppy house to ensure everything was clean and smelled good. My documentation was already organized, but I double checked everything just to be sure. I was surprised that this inspection was pretty quick and easy.

As a breeder, I whole heartedly support inspection of breeders. AKC holds the highest standards and it's through these standards and inspections that breeders are held accountable. Mistakes happen to some breeders and I understand that. But I like knowing that if there are breeders with dogs that aren't in good physical condition, facilities aren't appropriate, and documentation isn't accurate, that someone will know about it and ensure it's corrected. AKC isn't perfect and I've had my records mixed up, received documentation for dogs and breeds I don't own, and I wonder how they keep anything straight. Some of the rules aren't as strict as I think they should be when it comes to DNA requirements. It leaves a lot of room for error or dishonesty. But in general, AKC stands for quality and I'm glad to be a member. The inspections weren't really anything to worry about for someone that follows the rules (and they aren't hard to follow). Sure they make you nervous, but when the inspector leaves I wonder why I was nervous. That was easy! :)

Male or Female?

Male or Female Cairn Terrier? What sex should we get? The negatives associated with males vs females are usually associated with intact animals. Intact females bleed with cycles, they mark their territory (some even hike their leg on things), and they can have 'attitudes' (they are called a bitch for a reason! LOL). With hormonal changes, they will blow their coat which is like shedding, and sometimes is so severe they will have balding. Intact males mark their territory by hiking their leg on anything and everything. Although they can be housetrained, if a bitch is in season they will mark in the house. I can't bring my males in the house without my cabinets being marked. Their urine smell is pungent and they just don't make good house pets.

So we will spay/neuter to avoid all the negatives associated with intact Cairn Terriers. But is there a difference in altered males & females? You will read that spayed females are more independent and neutered males are more loving. I have both males and females with independent natures and loving natures. I attribute this to personality and not the sex. Altered males and females can make equally good pets. Their tendency towards being more calm and loving, or more energetic and independent will depend on their personality.

We have a Terrier in our home. Should we get the same sex or opposite sex? In general, it is recommended that you get the opposite sex for the best compatability. But it depends on the personality of the Terrier that you already have. Since we can't always see true personality in a puppy at 6-9 weeks of age, consider the personality of your adult Terrier. Are they dominating or alpha personality? Are they grouchy with other dogs? For dogs with this dominating type personality, it would be best to adopt a puppy of the opposite sex for the best compatability. If your Terrier easily accepts other dogs, shows submission, and is loving and really good natured, you will probably be ok with another dog of the same sex as long as they are altered before maturity.

Testimonial Email

I wanted to share an email I received from a sweet customer that waited for a litter from Crooked Creek Cairn Terriers. When a puppy didn't come available, I recommended my friend Tami at Breezyhollow Farm and she was able to get a male Cairn from her. Most of Tami's lines are either similar or came from Crooked Creek Cairn Terriers.

"Good morning ladies...I have a story that I wanted to share with you. The other night I was in a little local pet store near my home. As always I was drawn toward the puppies just to see what they had. They were all so cute and I notice this one little guy and only when I looked at the tag on the cage did I realize he was a Cairn! I was very surprised for 2 reasons, first I NEVER see Cairns in pet stores around here and secondly and more disturbing he really didn't look like a cairn. Now I am in no way any kind of expert but at 17 weeks old this puppy was almost twice the size of my Reilly at 4 1/2 months, his snout was much longer and both of his ears were totally flopped and showed no signs that they were going to stand up any time soon. His coloring was Cairn-like but if I had to guess I would say he had Schnauzer in him; at least that's what his face looked like to me. It made me very sad to think that this little guy could have very likely started out as a puppy mill puppy.Well the reason I am telling you this is because seeing him (priced at$1200) makes me really appreciate you guys and how much care you take as breeders. Thank you! My Reilly is perfect, stubborn but perfect (at least to me he is)
Micky"

The sad thing is, that this puppy either came from a bad breeder or puppy mill because it ended up in a pet store. The quality is evident and apparently you don't always get what you pay for. It's probably the quality of a $400 puppy but they are asking $1200. Our lines at Crooked Creek Cairn Terriers have some of the top show names in the pedigrees and several were $1200-1500 puppies. We maintain a price range that we attempt to cover costs with, but make it affordable to families. Our current pricing is $800-850 for pet puppies.

Breeder Check List

Here is a checklist to keep in mind when shopping for a good breeder.

• Puppies are born on premises
• Breeder does not sell to brokers or retail shops
• Facilities are clean and well kept
• Puppies have been handled, and introduced to children and other dogs
• Breeder interviews you and offers information on the breed to ensure a good match
• Puppy comes with limited registration as a pet, and is to be spayed/neutered
• Breeder promises to take the dog back (not return your money) if you can't keep it
• Breeder provides a 3 day money back guarantee, and a 1-2yr health guarantee by contract
• Breeder raises no more than 2-3 breeds, it's difficult to be competent in more breeds
• Breeder's primary concern is finding a good home for the puppy or dog rather than making a sale
• Breeder was happy to answer questions and makes you feel comfortable asking for advice
• Breeder is familiar with and abides by breeder's Code of Ethics

Feedback Wanted

I get a lot of feedback from the public that my website is a wealth of information. For others, I have to refer them back to the site for information they missed or they didn't read. I purchased educational folders from AKC, for puppy owner's. Some of the information is great, and other information that I feel is important is either vague or missing. I'm trying to decide, if I load up a folder with great puppy information, breed specific information, and training, would families really read it? Or is it something that people take home and never refer to again? Because this is an added cost to me, I would like to get some feedback. Here is a list of items included:

• Why Register with AKC
• Canine Good Citizen Program
• Should I breed my dog? - explains the difference between "pure-bred" and "Well-bred" is the product of responsible breeders
• Keeping Your Dog Fit & Trim
• Canine Travel Tips
• List of Dangerous Food/products
• Tips on basic care for your dog
• In case of emergency
• AKC Events in a brief packet
• Puppy Owner Checklist

I also found a DVD with initial training information produced by Midwest, that shows initial crate training and obedience training with your puppy. I found this helpful since owners have a few weeks with their puppy before starting obedience classes.

The feedback that I want to hear: Although I review much of the information verbally upon a puppy going home, would informational packets be helpful? If you've already bought a puppy from us at Crooked Creek Cairn Terriers, is there anything that you wish you had upon taking your puppy home? What can I do to improve or assist in a smooth transition of bringing a puppy into your home? Email me at crookedcreekcairns@verizon.net THANKS!!!

Holidays and Crooked Creek Cairn update

I hope everyone enjoyed the holiday. We enjoyed our family and although we enjoyed the holidays themselves, we did encounter the flu all week! It sounds as if a lot of people have been sick with various illness.

Bridget's puppies are doing well. The male is very large for his age, and the female very small for her age. Since all other aspects of their development have been normal, we're just monitoring their intake and health. Cairn Terrier puppies do vary quite a bit in size and bone structure. For some reason this litter has the extremes in the same litter. But they are both happy go lucky adorable puppies who wag their tails and are just adorable.

We haven't had any breedings so we're now waiting for Spring litters for puppy availability. I apologize to those waiting, but this is part of the unpredictability of nature. I'm going to enjoy a little break in the meantime. It'll give us some time for maintenance projects and it'll be nice just to spend time with my Cairns.