Bentley and Color Genetics

Color genetics have always intrigued me in horses. I owned a grullo gelding with the brindle gene. In horses, the brindle gene is so rare, there aren't enough horses in existence to trace the genetic marker. My favorite color is the grullo, a mousy color that is genetically a black horse with dun factor (dorsal stripe, leg barring, wither bar, tipped ears). They are of course the rarest color and very difficult to find. This intrigue about color genetics carries over to the Cairn, since color is the biggest unknown factor in the breed. From my own experience, I understand the brindle gene in the breed and they either have it or they don't. The brindle can vary from a very light color with only a few stripes in the undercoat, to a very dark color with lots of stripes and a very dark top coat. Bentley however, is a mystery. He is the only Cairn known to be his color of mahogany red with black points. He has not changed in color other than he's getting a few gray hairs with age. He produces about 97% brindle puppies, so he must have the brindle gene even though he does not have apparent striping in the undercoat. This is probably because his undercoat is too dark to see the striping. Canine color genetics is not yet fully developed, but they are working on the fawn & brindle genes as seen in the boxer breed. They can currently test for the black mask and I believe they can test for the brindle gene in the Cairn Terrier. Bentley is going to participate as a research dog and they will evaluate his color genetics. They may not have testing currently available to assess what he truly is genetically, but I hope he can be of value to their research. Isn't that just the coolest thing!!!?? :)

Human Allergies

We know that some breeds are considered hypoallergenic but I didn't understand fully what the terminology meant. I ran across this description with a list of breeds and I was amazed. There is quite a list of breeds! The Cairn Terrier is listed, however I didn't see the Norwich Terrier listed. They have the same type of hard coat, so I was surprised. I have severe environmental allergies and react with hives on my arms from our Doberman. But I do not react to the Cairn or Norwich. As this website states, no breed is 100% hypoallergenic. I also found it interesting that poodle crosses are not necessary hypoallergenic. So just crossing a poodle with a random breed does not mean the offspring are going to have the hypoallergenic characteristic, which is a reason some breeders may do these crosses. I always recommend to families that if you have allergies in the family, visit a breed in person before purchasing. There is nothing worse than having to give up a family pet after you've become attached when a member of the family can't tolerate them due to allergies.

The Good and the Bad of the Cairn Terrier

I found this article online and found it helpful information. "Cairn Terriers What's Good About 'Em, What's Bad About 'Em" Not all Cairns fit the quick-to-bark, scrappy, and difficult personality description. However, as this article states, when you purchase a puppy it is not known what their personality may become. We can not see true personality at 8-9 weeks of age. So when shopping for a new addition, a family needs to take these characteristics into account when deciding on the Cairn Terrier. In general, my Cairns have been great with my young children, less barky, loving, and rarely scrappy. But some puppies we've produced have been that personality. The advantage of adopting an adult, is you that you already know their personality. So if you want to be more sure of the personality you will get, consider adopting an older puppy or adult.

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.

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!!!

The Cairn Terrier Ear

Someone inquired that they had a Cairn Terrier who's ears did not stand up, and wondered if they were supposed to be cropped. I tried responding and my email was rejected, so I decided to post it here. Cairn Terrier's ears are dropped as puppies and they stand up on their own between 5 and ?12wks, depending on the individual. I was once told that they stand upon the molars coming in, but since they can stand on their own as early as 4 1/2-5wks I would say that is innaccurate. Ear sets can vary in size and at Crooked Creek Cairn Terriers, we breed for a small ear set with correct placement on the head. The AKC breed standards says Ears - Small, pointed, well carried erectly, set wide apart on the side of the head. Free from long hairs.

Cairn Terrier ears are never dropped and are never cropped. If someone has a Cairn with drop ears it is either a mix or an extremely poor quality Cairn, as I have never seen a full Cairn with drop ears. As the puppy's ears are starting to stand, they look quite commical with 1 ear up, 1 ear down, and it may change for a few days as they try to stand on their own. Nothing cuter than this awkward ear stage! LOL This is Daisie at 9 weeks, with 1 ear up and 1 ear down.

Brindle Cairn Terrier Color

The brindle gene causes a striping pattern in the coat. Cairn Terriers are often mislabeled in color, because with a long coat it's difficult to tell if a dog is a wheaten with black hairs in their coat, or a light brindle. A light brindle has black striping that goes all the way through the undercoat and has a lot of light colored hair in their coat. A dark brindle has the same striping in the coat but may have much more dark than light. A true brindle can not lose the brindle gene, even though Cairns do change color over time and from season to season. You can have a very dark puppy that appears to be a brindle because of the dark color. But if it does not have the tiger striping, it is not a brindle. I only know about the brindle gene because I owned a horse with the brindle gene and was so intrigued. In horses, the brindle gene is so rare there are not enough brindle horses in existence to trace the genetic marker!!! Shai was quite a rare Quarter Horse!!!!! Attached is a photo of his left side, where the tiger striping is very obvious. This is how the striping appears in the Cairn Terrier at birth and as the coat grows longer, the striping looks more mixed throughout the coat and they can be from a dark color to a light color. Also attached is a photo of Hailie from the side, showing her striping of silver, wheaten, and streaks of red. The black goes all the way through the undercoat and she is genetically a brindle even though she is very light in total color.

The Ugly Stage! LOL

Maggie 1yr






Maggie 12wks

Cairn puppies are all very round puppy fluffs at 6wks of age. By 8wks of age, some have a more fluffy coat, some a little smoother coat. I didn't know the difference in coat other than I've observed that some of the smoother coated puppies have a little harder coat upon maturity. I just wanted to point out that they go through a rather awkward stage at 3-5mo of age. Their puppy coat is growing out to be long scraggly hair, their new hard coat is coming in underneath. (The first strip can be done when the long hairs come out easily at 3-4mo - pull it ALL out!) Depending on the puppy, some have gigantic ears, long legs, and grow into them about about 6 months. Others grow in proportion and suddenly look like a Cairn at 6 mo of age. I just wanted to prepare buyers that looking for quality at 8wks sometimes looks very different than looking for quality at 12wks. In general, it's very difficult to see quality until 5-6mo of age. This is why show breeders keep their puppies longer, and price the puppies according to quality (pet, breeding, and show quality). Because we cater to pet homes, we send our puppies home at 8-9wks of age and they are all priced for pet homes or occassionally to a show/breeding home.

I remember bringing Maggie home at about 12wks and being very excited about her! Rick looked at her and bursted my bubble when he said "But....she's kind of ugly." Like so many, he was unable to see her potential! She could have developed into something I didn't like, it's sometimes hard to tell. But I saw her potential and was so pleased when she suddenly became a little perfect Cairn at 6mo! And as a side note, the Cairn generally gains most of their growth by 6 mo of age.

What's the Difference?

Puppy A
Puppy BI once had a gentleman call and ask "Why are your puppies so much more expensive than this one in MO that I found?" "What's the difference?" He had found a $300 puppy in MO and he thought there must be a catch, but couldn't figure out what it was. After doing a lot of education over the phone about puppy mills, back yard breeders, quality, ethical breeding, etc, I told him to keep shopping and he'll figure out the difference. I told him to send me some pictures and information about a puppy that he was looking at, and I would give him my opinion and help him find something. He agreed and called me back in a few days to ask my opinion on a puppy he found. It was a gorgeous little brindle male that was show quality and very well priced for his quality at $650ish? I asked what the story was on the puppy, the pedigree, and it all sounded legitimate. The breeder was ill with cancer and her friend was selling her puppies for her here in IL. He said "Boy, I know what you mean. It's like a night and day difference between this guy and the $300 puppy!" I told him to give the breeder my name, I really liked their lines.

I didn't hear anything for probably a year and had forgotten about the breeder and puppy. I then got an email that the breeder was ready to sell all her Cairns, she was very sick with Cancer, and they wondered if I would be interested. As I looked at the pedigrees, I noticed the name Aquarius. I said "Who is Aquarius? My original lines dating back 17yrs ago have the kennel name Aquarius in them!?" She replied "That's Linda!" I'm not superstitious, don't necessarily believe in fate. But what a small world! Linda died before I had the opportunity to meet her and it made me sad for the family who had to arrange to get me the dogs all the way from TN. Those dogs were Keagan, Bridget, Thea, and their puppies including Cooper. The above photo in burgundy is that little show quality male's full sister, Bailie (our future breeding female).

I don't want to hurt anyone's feelings that may be breeding a puppy that appears as the other photo above. But I think it's apparent what the difference in quality is. If it were me, I would much rather pay a few more dollars for a cute Cairn appearing puppy with the expression of a Cairn. In the end, you're probably going to get a more healthy, long lived puppy. By only purchasing from reputable ethical breeders, you're also narrowing the market for puppy mills and bad breeders. Let economics and supply and demand, help us improve the lives of pets!

AKC Registration Only

AKC (American Kennel Club) is a registry for purebred dogs. Although there are various other registries such as CKC, APRI, etc, I always felt that they were not as quality but I didn't understand exactly until more recently.

AKC has the strictest guidelines for registry. They are also the only registry that does spontaneous breeder inspections. AKC inspectors come to a breeder's facility and they go through documentation of litters, check identification records against the dogs in person (they scan microchips and/or check tatoos), they pull up records on puppies sold and who they went to. They go through a breeder's records in detail to check that breeding and whelping dates match, etc. They will also do DNA checks on present puppies, and check parentage. They view the facilities and make notes on kennel conditions, cleanliness, and the conditions of the dogs.

Inspections are completed on breeders who breed 7 or more litters a year. My first kennel inspection was in 2006 and I was scared to death of this "big mean AKC inspector" that was coming to "investigate" me and my dogs. I was literally shaking as he drove into the drive. Having learned all the documentation on my own and having AKC be less than helpful in the process, I was just sure he was going make me cry! I was pleasantly surprised to meet a gentle man, and when I asked for any information or guidance that would help me become a better breeder, he offered tips and advice along the way. After carefuly going through all my paperwork he even told me how impressed he was, that I passed with flying colors and did much better than most on a first inspection. I was proud to have a little "AKC Compliance Report" that proved I was in fact a "real breeder" with a great big "In Compliance" and a whole lot of "acceptables" on it! Of course it's still stressful to know they can come unannounced at any time from that point forward. In the mornings, when there's poop in the kennel runs and I have puppies who've gone home with their paperwork all in a pile waiting to be filed and organized, I get a panic feeling of "What if they showed up right now. I would just die!!!" I'm sure they've seen much worse, but it takes a lot of work to look good and have everything ready for scrutiny at any moment's notice.

Now AKC isn't perfect to work with. I've had more errors in my records with my records mixed up with people I've never heard of. I've had them lose paperwork, later to be found in their system that just got separated from the rest, they've sent me pedigrees for dogs and breeds I've never heard of. Sometimes I wonder why I would ever put up with so much. But I do like the fact that they give the breeder the right to say what puppies are to be spayed/nuetered and live life as a pet, and what puppies are either quality or are going to the correct environment for showing and breeding.

A breeder can give full or limited registration. Full registration means that the animal can be shown in AKC licensed events for confirmation, to prove it's quality as a breeding animal. They can also be bred and their offspring registered through AKC. Limited registration means that they are an AKC registered dog themselves, but are to be spayed/neutered and can not be shown or bred. This gives the breeder control in a couple ways. For puppies that aren't up to the standards for breeding, they can ensure that the puppy is not used for breeding. But they also don't want their puppies ending up in a back yard breeder, bad breeder, or puppy mill environment, so by giving limited AKC registration, this enforces that the puppy go to an appropriate pet home. For ethical breeder's, it's a device used for quality control.

What I didn't know is that some registries accept a registered dog regardless of full or limited registration and they allow all dogs to be bred. So when you purchase a CKC or APRI dog, you have no idea if the animals were all breeding quality. A dishonest person can purchase a pet puppy, register it with a different registry and produce puppies to make money. I didn't want to give the secret away to any dishonest people that might read this blog, but then I figured dishonest people probably already know about this. If we want to promote healthy puppies and quality puppies, lets just buy AKC and the people making money off of various other registries won't have a market! When you breed pet quality dogs over and over again, guess what happens to the offspring? You get pet quality, health disorders, and some day you get dogs that don't even resemble the breed standard. People say they don't care about show quality, they just want a pet. But don't you want a cute Cairn that actually looks like a Cairn? And don't you want a pet that is healthy and doesn't die at 9mo of age of liver failure!? (happened to a customer of mine that bought a pet store puppy from unknown origin) Ethical breeders and quality control is how you maintain production to resemble the breed standard and have the healthiest puppies possible.

Another story recently was that a guy had a dog that resembled a Great Pyranese. It wasn't of registered stock, but looked like one. So he sent photos of him to a registry, they said "Yep, looks like a Great Pyranese" and sent him papers for him!! What kind of registry sends you papers for your mutt!? It's against all reasons for having documented pedigrees and known heritage in the first place!

Here's a new one, The American Hybrid Club. Lets take our breeds, mix them up, create mutts and register them as "Designer Dogs". Now I will admit, that there is purpose to some designer breeds such as labradoodles which create a hypoallergenic service dog. In some cases outcrossing to a different breed expands the gene pool on a breed that is overbred and is ridden with health problems. But just creating mixes to make money is unethical. My own brother in law heard my piece of mind when he failed to spay his beagle and the neighbor's schnauzer bred her. She had 9 healthy beagle schnauzers and I jokingly made up a sign for him to sell his lovely "Schneagles" just to see his hair turn more fiery orange and his face turn red. Come on, spay & neuter and don't become part of the problem of pet overpopulation! It's not fair to these 9 little puppies who may or may not find quality homes. Nothing makes me more angry and I'm not afraid to make family members mad by saying so!

Facilities

Our facilites at Crooked Creek Cairn Terriers are pictured on my website. Due to a hurtful criticism by a not so nice breeder recently, I'll offer a description and explanation of our facilites and care we provide to our Cairns.

You will see that we have a puppy house, which houses my grooming, storage, and puppy areas. I raised 1 litter in my laundry room years ago, and I will tell you now, I will NEVER do it again. The first 3 1/2-4wks of life are no issue. Our Cairn Moms frequently keep their puppies in our home, particularly in the winter time when I'm fearful a pilot light will go out in the middle of the night and get too cold for newborns. They require 80-90 temps for the first couple of weeks, and a stable temperature with no drafts. But when puppies are 4-5wks old, and they start on solids, the mother stops cleaning up after them. This equates to lots of puppy poop! I watched puppies at 4wks who could barely walk, wake up from their naps, leave their bedded area, go potty, and return to their bedded area. This proved to me first hand, the instinct that puppies naturally posess. It's a den instinct. Having 6 puppies in a single room, not knowing where the poop area is, is a disaster. They pooped all over, played with potty pads, and smeared the disaster even when cleaned up 5-6 times a day! They were difficult to potty train and to this day, my friend has a female from that litter that will make potty accidents upstairs in her home! At this point, I called Daddy to come to IL and build me a doggie door'ed puppy house! At 4-5wks of age, when the puppies start on solids, we leave a pile of Mama's poop outside. Sometimes the puppies need assisted through the doggie door the first time, but as soon as they realize where the 'poopy spot' is, they go potty outdoors! It's amazing to watch nature at work!!!! If some puppies don't understand the system, we put the divider in to close the space down inside, and this pushes them to go outside with only enough room inside for their "bed area" and the potty area is outside. It's no fail, and customers report puppies who potty train much more easily!!! The only problem with the puppy house is my realization that without 2x4 construction, it's impossible to correctly insulate and finish the inside as I had planned. So within the next year, we are making plans for a new facility with the same type of set up, but fully insulated and finished with separate adult quarters that mimic the current puppy house.

The criticism that I received revolved around my dogs having an outdoor kennel. Now if I lived in a northern state, this would not be appropriate for the Cairn Terrier. However, in our southern IL climate, we have mild winters and summers and it's quite conducive to the breed. Dogs, horses, and various animals prepare with the seasons by building a thicker winter coat and their bodies are prepared for weather conditions. Dogs that are kept inside year round, don't build an appropriate natural coat, aren't acclimated beyond potty breaks mid-winter, and they do need a sweater or coat to protect them from the temps. But dogs that are used to the exterior temperatures and have an appropriate coat do quite well in our climate. I do want to point out that they do have adequate housing. An appropriate sized dog box surrounds the dogs with their own body heat and keeps them warm. We do bring them inside the puppy house at night for the coldest weeks of the year, but most days are warm enough I hose the kennel out with water and it's above freezing.

The comment that was so incredibly hurtful was, that she couldn't imagine the isolated life my dogs must live in our back yard. (a breed bred for hunting who loves the outdoors?) I was kind of a smart elic by showing her the above photo of poor Bentley being "isolated" in our back yard. (I kept myself from sending many more photos) It made me chuckle when I think of my 3 boys who beg to play with the puppies and bring the dogs to the back yard to play. Our poor dogs have to play with kids and run around in a yard! Can you believe it!? LOL Now, this breeder thought I should have all my dogs in the house full time. I can't imagine such a situation when males and females mark their territory, and both Rainey & Carmie (females!) even hike their leg on my bushes! Can you imagine a house filled with 10 dogs hiking their legs on furniture, marking their territory.....with 3 boys under the age of 6, and litters of puppies pooping and pulling their potty pads around smearing such a wonderful mess for me to clean up? Hmmmm......as a nurse and someone who is almost freakish about germs and sanitation, it sounds like a nurse's horror flick!

Now I realize, that a full time indoor home sounds wonderful and I want that for my dogs. That's the purpose of a very expensive indoor facility for all my dogs in the near future. With tile floor and indoor play space, my dogs will enjoy air conditioning and constant temps indoors. But there is one more element involved in an ethical breeder's home. An ethical breeder requires that the goal of breeding be to "Improve the breed". I'm here to tell you that the production of a couple bitches (appropriate for a full time indoor home) will in no way "improve a breed". It requires the production and management of several litters a year, to accurately monitor and maintain a quality breeding program. So if I had to pick a sanitary, ethical, loving environment for my Cairn Terriers vs back yard breeding or having 10 dogs in my household full time? I choose a sanitary, safe environment and knowing that when my Cairns are finished with their breeding career, they're rewarded with an indoor forever home where they are pampered.

For now, I assure you that an insulated dog box lined with water resistent beds, more than adequate kennel space, planned exercise, socialization and mental stimulation, chew toys and treats, a sanitary clean environment, and fresh water and food accessible at all times, is very appropriate for the Cairn Terrier. I assure you that I adore our Cairns and that they are very much our family pets and adored by my children and family. At some point in time, we have to gain some common sense and realize that there are different views in life. And as long as the views provide a safe loving environment for animals, there is always a polite way to treat others. There is never an excuse to be rude or treat others badly.

Cairn Terrier Characteristics

Cairn Terriers are a hardy breed. This makes them a good breed for families with children, who might otherwise "break" a toy breed. Children should be supervised closely with any dog, but with obedience and appropriate dominance training, the Cairn is a great family pet.

Cairns were bred to hunt vermin and these instincts still hold very strongly in the breed. They enjoy the outdoors, tracking scents and chasing squirrels! They must have a safe fenced yard due to their strong instincts to hunt, regardless of how well trained they are. If there is a squirrel across a highway, they WILL chase it and this leaves them vulnerable to injury and death. Therefore, a family interested in the Cairn must be prepared to keep them on a leash or within a fenced yard at all times.

I've been caught off guard myself when I trusted Maisie to stay with me in the front yard. Now you have to understand that Maisie is my shadow and is deeply attached to me. Regardless of what I'm doing, she's at my feet or nearby watching me or sleeping. Contrary to many Cairn personalities, she's extremely laid back and quiet!!! Well one afternoon, she took off running at full speed from me, yipping at the top of her voice in excitement. I look up to see the neighbor's cat, Tess, high tailing it across our yard, hopped the creek ditch between our yards, and across their yard they go.....towards a main busy highway!!!! I'm here to tell you "You can not trust them off the leash, regardless of how well trained they are!"

Pronunciation of "Cairn"

Have you ever wondered how Cairn is really pronounced? The correct pronunciation is [kairn] meaning a heap of stones set up as a landmark, monument, tombstone, etc. In the US, it is not pronounced "Karen" or "Karn" which are both common mispronunciations.

How to Choose A Dog Breed and find an Ethical Breeder

So you’ve decided to pursue adding a canine family member, but how do you find the right breeder? The first questions you need to ask, are what breed will fit my lifestyle? Am I prepared to offer a lifetime commitment, which for most breeds is 10-15yrs? Am I financially stable and able to afford premium food and care to my new addition?

The first step in a successful lifetime commitment to a dog is ensuring that you’ve chosen a breed that fits your lifestyle. There are more to breeds than looks. Each breed has its own set of characteristics that guide its instincts, behavior, temperament, training needs and care. Consider your lifestyle in the size, activity level, grooming needs, healthcare needs, trainability, etc. Some breeds have a large number of health problems that require extra medical attention and cost. Do they require professional grooming? Consider all aspects of upkeep and care rather than the purchase price of a puppy. Visit http://www.akc.org/ and read about breed groups, and breeds that you think may fit your needs. After narrowing down to a few breeds, contact breeders and discuss with them what you are looking for in a companion. Ask for more information and guidance about their breed. Are you able to be home with a puppy, or let them out mid day, or would an adult fit your needs better? Ethical breeders retire adults to loving forever homes, and this may be a way to avoid the negative aspects of puppy-hood.

The next step in acquiring a new addition is understanding where to look for a puppy and what an ethical breeder is about. Puppy mills flourish on uneducated buyers and those that believe they are rescuing a puppy from undesirable conditions or pet stores. The fact is, continuing to purchase from non-ethical breeders and pet stores supports the puppy mill market. Dogs in puppy mills live a horrific life, producing as many puppies as possible in their breeding career, only to suffer emotional and physical abuse, and then be euthanized. Purchasing puppies from non-ethical breeders or back yard breeders (those that breed their pets) supports ongoing ignorance, poor quality pets, and as a result, pets with ongoing health problems that could be reduced or eliminated with ethical breeding methods.

An ethical breeder abides by a code of ethics. They maintain a quality breeding program, and provide clean and healthy conditions with emotionally healthy environments for their puppies and breeding adults. They have goals to improve the breed rather than to make money by breeding. Ethical breeders seek to educate the public and place their puppies in the best of homes. When searching for an ethical breeder, understand what the code of ethics is, and have a check list in hand:
1. Puppies are born on premises
2. Breeder does not sell to brokers or retails shops
3. Facilities are clean and well kept
4. Puppies have been handled, and introduced to children & other dogs
5. Breeder interviews you and offers information on the breed to ensure a good match
6. Puppy comes with limited registration and is to be spayed/neutered
7. Breeder promises to take the dog back (not return your money) if you can’t keep it
8. Breeder provides a 3 day money back guarantee, and a 1-2yr health guarantee by contract
9. Breeder raises no more than 2-3 breeds, it’s difficult to be competent in more breeds
10. Breeder’s primary concern is finding a good home for the puppy rather than making a sale
11. Breeder was happy to answer questions and makes you feel comfortable asking for advice
12. Breeder is familiar with and abides by breeder’s Code of Ethics

The internet is a great source to find an ethical breeder, but it may take a lot of searching to sift through an array of back yard breeder’s advertisements and even scammers. The websites that are free classified advertising have been abused by scammers by posting fake ads. They steal photos from reputable breeders and pose as a seller. They are easy to recognize if they push the sale of the puppy, require wired money, and don’t offer additional information about the dog such as pedigrees. Most recently I had my name, phone number, and website posted in multiple ads for various breeds, but they used a different email. They were hoping people would email, never realizing they weren’t communicating with an ethical breeder. If you have any question, call. If a Cairn Terrier breeder has a “pug for sale”, you know something is wrong! Check a breeder’s website. It should be thorough and offer information about the breed and their breeding program at a glance. Visit http://www.crookedcreekcairnterriers.com/ for more information.

If you find a bargain puppy, know that it is no bargain. Back yard breeders or puppy mills may sell a $350 puppy, when market value is generally $800, but if you consider the quality and health problems with the puppy, it’s not a bargain! Nothing is more heartbreaking than to adopt a puppy that dies at a few months of age of liver failure. Bad things happen to good breeders, but it’s not as likely when the puppies come from careful breeding programs. Visit websites that are paid advertising for breeders rather than classifieds. http://www.breeders.net/ promotes ethical breeding and you can search for a breeder by zip code. http://www.puppydogweb.com/ is also a paid advertising site, where the ads are posted by the webmaster. It would be more difficult for a scammer to use these sites.

When you’ve found an ethical breeder, be prepared to wait for a puppy. It’s a good sign if they have a waiting list and don’t readily have puppies available at all times. If they don’t have what you are looking for, ask if they know of other ethical breeders that you may contact. They should be happy to assist you in finding a good match rather than making a sale.

It’s a great idea to visit the breeder in person. However, don’t be surprised if the breeder doesn’t allow casual visits. Closed kennels don’t allow dogs or frequent visitors for risk of communicable disease being brought into their facilities. Many breeders don’t allow visits until after puppies have had their 1st vaccine, and there is a contract on file. Not only do I personally have so many inquiries that I can not entertain a visit with all of them, but I’m fearful for my safety, opening my home to the public. Breeders have been murdered by casual visitors, and their children kidnapped. Understand the breeder’s need to keep themselves and their families safe from the general public. Check a breeder’s references and offer references and/or photos of your home in return. They want to know that you are an honest forever home for a puppy that they have a lot invested in emotionally.

Purchasing a Puppy

Bringing a pet into your home is a lifetime commitment to the pet. For Cairn Terriers, you should consider it a commitment of 12-15yrs but up to 18yrs in some cases. You should consider your lifestyle over the time period, and consider all characteristics of a breed. Different breeds were brought about for different reasons and therefore have vastly different characteristics, from energy level, intelligence, disposition, instincts, health, grooming needs, etc. Take all characteristics into account before choosing a breed. For example if you want a lap dog that will snuggle and sleep most of the time, a Cairn Terrier or similar breed is NOT what you are looking for! If you are looking for an energetic companion that may be independent at times, but highly intelligent, loving, and a big dog in a little body, a Cairn Terrier may fit your needs precisely.

When you think you know what breed you would like, contact reputable ethical breeders and let them know who you are, about your family, and what you are looking for in a companion. They can offer advice and expertise about the breed, and help you ensure that it is in fact, a good choice.

For more information about what an ethical reputable breeder is, refer to my web page. A reputable breeder is concerned about the placement of their puppy because they are responsible to that life for it's entirety. They want it to be a forever home and if circumstances in your life change where you can't keep it for it's lifetime, they will assist you in placing it in a new home. If you ever have questions, concerns, or difficulties with your puppy they will be available to help you manage it. Many behavior issues that may eventually cause a family to give up a dog, can be corrected if managed appropriately early.

This is why it's inappropriate for backyard breeders to breed. A backyard breeder is not an expert in the breed, they can't track health disorders beyond random occurance, and they don't have the goal of improving the breed. I've talked to numerous backyard breeders who not only didn't know the health disorders within the breed, they have an overall lack of knowledge. This lack of knowledge continues through the puppies they produce when buyers have a pet and no one to turn to for good information. The continuance of ignorance results in families having no where to turn when they need a new home for their dog and the animals end up in shelters or being abused.

Large unethical breeders and puppy mills are also a cause of pet overpopulation due to selling large numbers of puppies with no attention to appropriate homes. If a breeder pushes a sale instead of placing the puppy in a forever home, they're the wrong breeder for you. If they aren't in touch with the puppies over a period of time, they probably aren't tracking health disorders and therefore aren't improving the breed. Only through staying in touch with my buyers and having an open line of communication, am I notified if a dog develops a hereditary health disorder. By selling mass numbers of dogs and not being in touch with them, when buyers have issues with the animal, what do they do? They surrender them to shelters and rescues, furthering our issues of pet overpopulation.

Reputable ethical breeders never sell puppies at auction. They don't donate puppies to auction, they don't sell them online in auctions. They may advertise puppies that are available, but then one should expect an interview process to be able to purchase the available puppy. Expect to provide references or photos of your home if asked. Breeders want the best home for their puppies and want to know that it's a forever placement in quality care. Be forthcoming and give good communication, and expect good communication in return. If you can't talk with your breeder, they don't answer emails or phone calls, you know they aren't going to be available when you have a 1 yr old dog with health or behavior problems.

We want to ensure all dogs have forever homes. Spay and neuter at 5-6 months of age. Only purchase a puppy from a reputable ethical breeder. Stay in contact with your breeder with behavior problems, questions, concerns, and most importantly cute pictures and updates! If you need to find a new home for your dog, NEVER surrender to a shelter or rescue. Notify your breeder first and they will assist you in placing the animal, or take them for foster care if the situation is urgent. As the buyer you are just as responsible to that animal for the rest of it's life, as the breeder is.

Children and Cairn Terriers

Cairn Terriers are one small breed that has an affinity for children. They are often forgiving when children unintentionally step on, or hurt them. However it's very important for parents to closely supervise the interaction and teach both the Cairn and the child proper interaction. A Cairn that is mistreated is eventually going to protect itself and may develop negative behaviors such as nipping, snapping, or running from a child that is inappropriate. You can't blame any dog for human mistakes! I have raised Cairns with my children, but I would caution a family from adopting a dog until the youngest child is at least 4-5 yrs old, or older. Rescues often won't adopt to a family with children younger than 7yrs. Small Cairn puppies have sharp teeth, razor sharp nails, and it's twice as much work to monitor all interactions and assure the safety and proper interaction of a young dog and child. Children tend to show body language that to a dog is aggression. For large breeds, the height of a child's eyes and the level of the dog's eyes is similar. So in dog language, a child that runs up to them making direct eye contact at their level, is a sign of aggression. This is a leading cause for children getting bitten. Also related to the height, when a dog does snap, the child is often bitten in the face. Children don't know not to "ride" dogs and my own German Shorthair once snapped when a little boy tried to climb on! My own children have been the worst at running up to our dogs and putting their face in the dog's face as a way to greet them. Of course to the dog, this is aggression and I'm so surprised that we haven't had a nipped face. Our Cairns have been very forgiving and some of them offer a warning growl type vocalization as communication that has never meant aggression, but it alerts me that the kids are doing something they shouldn't. I have taken the opportunity to take my dogs and puppies to PreK and Kindergarten class to talk about dog safety and it's important to talk about this with your children. Never pet a dog you don't know, never run up to a dog, and never put your face in a dog's face.

Breed Standard and Type

The Cairn Terrier breed standard is a guide for breeders and judges. It is an agreed upon description of what the breed is supposed to look like. It has changed over time to fit the direction the breed has gone. It is a description, but is also open to interpretation. Different breeders and judges may like a slight variance within the breed, but should still fit within the published guildelines set forth in the standard. Also within the breed are Types, describing the overall look of the dog, not just a different shape of head or size of ears. The breed was originally bred for it's hunting instinct and not the physical characteristics. As a result, breeders developed Types that they preferred. You will hear of the European type which is a longer bodied, shorter legged, heavier boned dog. The American type is a smaller, shorter backed, smaller ear set, and generally shorter muzzle. One type is not right or wrong, but different breeders have a preference for one type or another. Therefore it's important when shopping for a breeder, to find one that breeds for the type that you like. Read more about breed standard on the official AKC website. The conclusion is that regardless of Type, a Cairn Terrier should still look like a Cairn Terrier and not a Jack Russell or a Collie.

Cairn Breed Health

The Cairn Terrier is relatively healthy as a breed, in comparison to other dog breeds. With a life span of about 12- 18yrs, they can offer many years of companionship. The associated health problems in the breed include: Allergies, Cataracts, Craniomandibular Osteopathy (CMO or Lion Jaw), Cryptorchidism (undescended testicles), Globoid Cell Leukodystrophy (GCL), Heart Defects, Hypothyroidism, Legg-Perthes, Luxated Patellae, Ocular Melanosis, Portal Shunt, Progressive Retinal Atrophy, Seizures and Epilepsy, and Von Willebrands. To read more about these disorders click here. Don't be too alarmed when reading this list. ALL breeds have inherent health disorders. In fact you won't find a living being that doesn't have some type of hereditary disorder. Ethical responsible breeders make educated decisions in their breeding program to reduce or rid the breed of these health problems. The goals are to screen breeding dogs and bitches, so that affected animals are not used in breeding programs which would propetuate the characteristics in their offspring. This is another reason that it is so important to buy a puppy from a reputable breeder and never from a pet store, puppy mill, or irresponsible breeder. The biggest control of the market is demand. If buyers are only buying from responsible ethical breeders, the market will be gone for those that are not responsible and ethical, putting them out of business and improving the life and conditions of Cairn Terriers as a whole.

Personalities in the Breed

Personalities in the Cairn Terrier breed range from somewhat reserved, to extremely outgoing and energetic. The reserved Cairn is not shy but is quiet, not vocal, enjoys laying with you on the couch, and may stay at your side watching everything you do. The extremely outgoing Cairn has lots of energy, is driven to explore, hunt, and approaches everything with fearless energy. They're looking to play a game, and enjoy companionship with their human but may want a good petting and then go about their business. You may read about a range of "personality tests" used to choose the perfect family pet from a litter of puppies. At Crooked Creek Cairn Terriers, we see a consistency among our puppies that isn't always predicting on their adult personality. For example, I had a 7 week old puppy that seemed reserved. She was quiet, and would sit on your lap while the other puppies ran and played. She enjoyed attention, and although active and playful, was not the energetic extreme. By 6 months of age, she was the energetic extreme and she still is at 2yrs of age! So I tell families that although we look for indicators of personality, at 5 to 6 weeks of age more of what you see in the puppies is based on development rather than personality. Personality and behavior tests are used for puppies after 8 weeks of age and are particularly important in testing an adult from an unknown history (rescue dogs to test their compatability with being a good family pet). MOST of our 8 week puppies are the same outgoing, energetic, fearless little characters that are looking for mischief. Some calm down upon maturity, others don't. We still choose puppies at 5-6 weeks of age because we do see such consistency in the puppies and no one wants to wait until 3-6 months of age to choose their puppy! The Cairn is very true to the breed characteristics, so be sure to choose the breed first. Then any puppy you choose will develop to be the perfect family pet with appropriate socialization and training. Of course, as the breeder, I do offer my observations about the puppies and their temperment and personality. I am just pointing out that they could change depending on their enviornment, training, and inherent personality development. The most important point I will make is that you get back what you put into it. So it's very important to do early obedience training and put lots of time into the development of your Cairn Terrier puppy. Set limits, establish and maintain your dominance in the relationship, and practice obedience in your daily life with your Cairn. You'll reep the benefits with a well behaved, appropriately socializaed, and valuable addition to your family.