The Cairn Terrier Breed Standard
BREED STANDARD (Revised).
GENERAL APPEARANCE: Agile, alert, of workmanlike, natural appearance. Standing
well forward on forepaws. Strong quarters. Deep in rib, very free in movement. Weather-
resistant coat.
CHARACTERISTICS: Should impress as being active, game and hardy.
TEMPERAMENT: Fearless and gay disposition, assertive but not aggressive.
HEAD AND SKULL: Head small, but in proportion to body. Skull broad; a decided
indentation between the eyes with a definite stop. Muzzle powerful, jaw strong but not
long or heavy. Nose black. Head well furnished.
EYES: Wide apart, medium in size, dark hazel. Slightly sunk with shaggy eyebrows.
EARS: Small, pointed, well carried and erect, not too closely set nor heavily coated.
MOUTH: Large teeth. Jaws strong with perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, ie
upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws.
NECK: Well set on, not short.
FOREQUARTERS: Sloping shoulders, medium length of leg good, but not too heavy,
bone. Forelegs never out at elbow. Legs covered with harsh hair.
BODY: Back level, medium length. Well sprung deep ribs; strong supple loin.
HINDQUARTERS: Very strong muscular thighs. Good, but not excessive, bend of stifle.
Hocks well let down inclining neither in nor out when viewed from the rear.
FEET: Forefeet larger than hind, may be slightly turned out. Pads thick and strong. Thin,
narrow or spreading feet and long nails objectionable.
TAIL: Short, balanced, well furnished with hair but not feathery. Neither high nor low
set, carried gaily but not turned down towards back.
GAIT/MOVEMENT: Very free flowing stride. Forelegs reaching well forward. Hind
legs giving strong propulsion. Hocks neither too close nor too wide.
COAT: Very important. Weather resistant. Must be double-coated, with profuse, harsh,
but not coarse, outer coat; undercoat short, soft and close. Open coats objectionable.
Slight wave permissible.
COLOUR: Cream, wheaten, red, grey or nearly black. Brindling in all these colours
acceptable. Not solid black, or white, or black and tan. Dark points, such as ears and
muzzle, very typical.
WEIGHT AND SIZE: Approximately 28 to 31 cm (11 to 12 ins) at withers, but in
proportion to weight - ideally 6 to 7.5 kgs (14 to 16 lbs).
FAULTS: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the
seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its
degree.
NOTE: Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
Interpretation of the Standard
(Then and Now)
NICTC Year Book Article 2005
In "The Cairn Terrier" by Beynon and Fisher the chapter about points and character contains Mr Fisher's comments on the Standard. I felt it would be interesting to compare his commentary and the interpretation of today's judges. I approached six experienced championship show judges and asked each of them to let me have his or her ideas regarding two or three of the Standard's headings. The contributing judges are :- Miss Sybil Churchill, Mrs Linda Firth, Mr Jim Jeffrey, Mr Jim Pollock, Mrs Mary Towers and Mrs Ann Waugh. I am very grateful to each of them. (Editor).
General Appearance
Agile, alert , of workmanlike natural appearance
A dog with a well balanced body enabling it to work in confined conditions , not too short in the leg nor in length of back. No hint of a stocky, stuffy looking animal.
A dog of a lively and happy looking disposition, not dull and disinterested in what is happening around him.
Not an over trimmed animal but trimmed just enough as not to impede it to do its work. Long coats gather mud . Ideal length 1.5 to 2 inches. ( For the showring the coat may be slightly shorter on the neck, fore chest and tail, and also on the underside of the dog.) A sculptured Cairn coat is to be avoided as it departs from the natural appearance of the dog.
Standing well forward on forepaws
The conformation of the dog can be seen here. There will be a slight crest to the neck and the presence of a fore chest will be seen as the forelegs will be slightly behind the fore chest. The back legs will show a moderate turn of stifle and the back line of the hocks will be seen positioned just behind the buttocks.
Strong quarters
Well developed thighs ,hard and muscular
Deep in rib
The ribs should extend as far as the elbows.
Very free in movement
The dog should be capable of extension in front and have a driving rear action with a good push. When viewed from the side the dog's action should be smooth with no exaggeration.
There is no mention made in the Cairn Standard on the actual footfall. It is generally understood that the footfall should be parallel with the hind feet following in the track of the front feet. This away and back movement cannot inform the onlooker whether or not the dog is well constructed. It merely shows how the muscles are interacting with each other e.g. loose elbows and dishing or pinning are evident here.
Personally I feel that the side action is far more important. One can see whether the dog is carrying its topline well, whether it is moving with strong propulsion, or showing if its back legs are too far under its body actually preventing it from being able to move with the desired strong driving action.
Weather resistant coat
A Cairn has a double coat. " a hard, outer coat and a softer, shorter closer undercoat".
In order to be weather resistant the dog must have a profuse coat. The outer coat must be thick enough to prevent too much penetration by the elements (rain, snow , wind)
A good thick undercoat is not always seen nowadays.
Characteristics
Should impress with being active, game and hardy.
On first impression, this to me implies that is lively, not a timid, cringing creature with its tail between its legs. An animal ready for anything robust in body, coat and mind
Temperament.
Fearless and gay disposition, assertive but not aggressive
This means to me a dog that is confident in all situations " in the show ring, qot walking and on meeting other dogs.
The emphasis is on confidence. A dog that is confident will meet other dogs in a positive manner and not be ready to start a confrontation.
Head and Skull
Head small, but in proportion to body. Skull broad ; a decided indentation between the eyes with a definite stop. Muzzle powerful, jaw strong but not long or heavy. Nose black. Head well furnished.
Few thoughts on the description of the head and skull. The head should be smallish , but always in correct proportion to the size of the body of the exhibit. There should be a decided indentation between the eyes. Also there should be a definite stop . The Standard is very clear and complete and really requires little explanation.
Eyes
Wide apart, medium in size, dark hazel. Slightly sunk with shaggy eyebrows.
Eyes should be set wide apart. They should be of medium size and be dark hazel in colour. They should not be black or light coloured. Black or light coloured eyes take away from the true Cairn expression. Eyes should be slightly sunken and should have noticeable eyebrows. The eyes are slightly sunk to protect them against injury.
Ears
Small, pointed, well carried and erect, not too closely set nor heavily coated.
This is one point where the standard is self- explanatory and leaves little more to be said.
Mouth
Large teeth. Jaws strong, with perfect regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws.
Ideally a Cairn should have large teeth and a scissor bite. This means the front teeth overlapping the lower teeth very closely. The number of teeth in the front of the mouth is important. There should be six incisors between the canine teeth. While it is desirable to have the correct number of molars and pre-molars as well, many judges do not regard some of these missing as important.
Neck
Well set on, not short
Forequarters
Sloping shoulders, medium length of leg, good but not too heavy bone. Forelegs never out at elbow. Legs covered with harsh hair.
Body
Back level, medium length. Well sprung deep ribs, strong supple loin.
JUDGING FRONTS At least seventy % of judging is by eye. By that I mean the judge studies the dogs as they come into the ring and in the initial "walk round". An impression is formed. The judge will have mentally picked out some dogs as being in contention. The next step is to find the initial impression confirmed on the table.
My method is to give the exhibitor time to pose the dog on the table to their satisfaction before beginning my examination. I find that much can be learnt from taking a long look at the dog from the side before getting to the hands on part. For example, a dog viewed from the side that appears short in neck and back, with a very deep chest, a bit overweight, might be wide in front. If the dog appears extra long in neck with a longish body looks lacking in bone he might be tight in front. Viewed on the table from the front, extreme examples of both conditions are easy to spot. If you think the exhibitor has posed the dog a little too well in order to hide a front defect, lift him up and gently replace him on the table and allow him to find his natural stance. When going over the shoulders I slide my hands down the legs to the elbows. Do they stick out or are they tight to the body? I put my hand between the dogs legs and move it from side to side, if I don't find enough room to move my hand, this is another clue that he may well be tight in front. If I can move my hand with plenty of space to spare, I would suspect a wide front. Not scientific I agree, but can be surprisingly effective. It is easier to spot a dog with a wide front, than the dog who may be tight but comes at you "true".
On gait, the standard is brief and gives few clues as to interpretation. Perhaps that is why the actual movement of the dog is somewhat subjective. We can all recognise the front that could accommodate a bus, or the dog that pins in very badly, But between the extremes?. At a recent show a very smart dog caught my eye and I moved to a better position to see him move .Though a very nice dog, I thought he was a little heavy in shoulder and slightly wide in front. The judges critique said he moved well. At the next show I asked another Ch. Show judge who thought he moved o.k., just. A third who had judged the dog said he was heavy in shoulder and wide in front. So there you have it. Four judges, all with slightly different opinions. Perhaps we all need to attend seminars, but who teaches the teachers?
Hindquarters
Very strong muscular thighs. Good, but not excessive, bend of stifle. Hocks well let down inclining neither in nor out when viewed from the rear.
The pelvic girdle carries the hindquarters, which are the power house for the free flowing movement. This can only be achieved with very firm well developed muscles in both upper and lower thighs, a good angle (approximately 90 degrees) at the stifle joint and consequent low set hocks, which should fall perpendicular to the ground.
Cow Hocks, when the joint turn inwards, or the converse bow or sickle hocks result in unbalanced or restricted movement.
Feet
Forefeet larger than hind, may be slightly turned out. Pads thick and strong. Thin, narrow or spreading feet and long nails objectionable.
For a digging breed the front feet are well adapted being larger than the hind. The Standard allows front feet to be slightly turned out, another plus for a digger. This helps the dog to deflect the disturbed earth sideways rather than under its body. However there must be no tendency for the wrist joints to be displaced, the pasterns must be strong and the foot must have thick close set pads. This enables the dog to stand well up and forward on the front feet. The nails should be strong and short.
Tail
Short, balanced, well furnished with hair but not feathery. Neither high nor low set, carried gaily but not turned down towards back
The correct set-on of the tail is vital. It should be level with the topline. For good overall balance the length of the tail should not exceed the height of the ears when all are in the "alert" position.
The angle at which the tail is carried can vary between 6 and 90 degrees but should never curl over the back.
Careful trimming, when necessary, with finger and thumb " never scissors" must aim for the shape of an inverted carrot.
Gait/Movement
Very free-flowing stride. Forelegs reaching well forward. Hind legs giving strong propulsion. Hocks neither too close nor too wide.
There is nothing nicer than seeing a Cairn moving well in the ring. So many Cairns today do not move correctly. In my opinion the one reason always put forward "It won't move right if it's not made right is far from true in all cases. Sometimes there is a compensating "error" which cancels out the first construction fault. The judge should have found the 2 faults on prior examination, however.
The next couple of reasons which are sometimes overlooked are
that the Cairn probably doesn't get enough or in a few cases may have had too much exercise and/or the muscles are weak for whatever reason and/or the Cairn is too heavy
From the rear the hindquarters should move in parallel with the front legs and should fall in a straight line from the rump, there should be no sideways movements of the rear quarters, neither cow hocked or open hocked but with space between the legs. The pads should be seen but not thrown backwards in an exaggerated movement.
From the side the Cairn should move with ease and agility. The topline should stay level and the feet should stay close to the ground. The forelegs should reach well forward, but no goosestep, and the rear legs provide plenty of propulsion. Short steps, front and rear, are inefficient and energy consuming. Any suggestion that the back feet touch the front feet, resulting in crabbing would be a serious fault. As in rear quarters no sideways movement of the front quarters.
When moving towards you the forelegs should be straight with no slackness at the elbow, the ankle joint should flex on the move. No pinning, plaiting or flapping.
I don't think that many exhibitors stand back and look at their own dog's movement; it can be an eye opener!
Coat
Very important. weather-resistant. Must be double-coated with profuse, harsh but not coarse, outer coat, undercoat short, soft and close. Open coats objectionable, slight wave permissible.
The Breed Standard of 1911 awarded 30 points out of 100 for general appearance, size and coat. To me this means that even in those days the coat of a Cairn was considered to be very important.
This is highlighted again today because not only does "Coat" have a separate category but the coat is mentioned again under "General Appearance". It says; "Weather-resistant coat".
So the phrase "weather resistant" is emphasised. What does it mean? I believe it refers to the texture of the outer coat, it should be of such a texture that rain does not soak into it. Why? Because the Cairn was (and is) a working terrier, out in inclement weather, it needs a coat which will protect it from the elements and also the undergrowth, brambles etc.
The short, soft, close undercoat is also there for a purpose, to stop the weather and bushes, twigs etc. from reaching the skin and causing damage and to preserve warmth.
Some of you may say that today's Cairn does not do all this so why shouldn't we dispense with some of this and have the coat looking groomed, neat and tidy and why is the texture so important? Why shouldn't we use products on the coat to make it feel and look better?
In my opinion we should always be aiming to preserve the working part of the Cairn's history and one way of doing this is to make sure that the coat is as close to the description in the standard as possible. Furthermore if a Cairn has the correct textured coat it will not need products and what's more it is in contravention of Kennel Club rules to use anything but water.
We should not be over trimming and using scissors (except around the feet). Scissors will make the coat soft, a stripping knife will make it curly. We should not be tidying our Cairns so much that they look overdone. What does it matter if a hair or two is out of place? Now don't get me wrong, I don't like to see a Cairn in the ring, untrimmed and looking a mess. All I am saying is that there is a happy medium, "rugged but not ragged" is the phrase one often hears. The Cairn is a natural breed and should be presented that way.
Trimming a Cairn for the ring takes years of experience to do it properly. Everyone makes mistakes and takes off too much or too little at times, but eventually with perseverance you will be happy with the finished product.
The acceptable colours of the coat vary tremendously, however, there are certain colours and markings that are not acceptable, black, white or black and tan. Dark points on the muzzle and tail are very typical
Colour
Cream, wheaten red grey or nearly black. Brindling in all these colours acceptable. Not solid black, or white, or black and tan. Dark Points, such as ears and muzzle, very typical.
As stated in the standard the coat is very important, a cairn should be double coated with a profuse weather resistant outer coat of reasonable length and a furry dense undercoat. In my opinion too many cairns are shown in coats which are far too short and it takes away the rugged appearance which the standard asks for. A cairn should be shown in a well groomed coat of good length and without any artificial help to the coat, which make them different from most of the other terriers. Good coats are in the breeding and are not to be found in a can or bottle. With regard to colour, as the standard states, a cairn should be not all black or white, but can be red, cream, wheaten, grey and brindle in any of these colours. It think it is very nice to have a cairn with black ears and muzzle, but it should not distract one from a good cairn without them. It must also be borne in mind that a cairn often changes colour as it gets older and a light red brindle youngster can often end up as almost black.
Weight and Size
Approximately 28 to 31 cms (11 to 12 Inches) at withers, but in proportion to weight ideally 6 to 7 .5 Kgs (14 to 16 Lbs)
Size of a cairn has been a subject which has been debated since the breed was recognised in 1910 and will be talked about for years to come. I definitely think that over the last 30-40 years cairns have become bigger and I put this down to modern feeding. In my opinion as long as they are of good breed type and the overall balance is right (that is the length of body to length of leg) it does not matter whether they are slightly on the big or small size. As for weight the standard asks for 6 to 7.5 kgs (14 / 16lbs) but I think that most present day cairns are heavier than that.
Faults
Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.
This is a very difficult subject to make comment about as the breed standard states that any departure for the standard are faults. In my opinion anything that detracts for the true breed type should be penalised. A cairn must have a head and expression which is typical of the breed. Also it must be medium in all departments with free flowing action. Some judges will put more emphasis on some faults than others do, but one shouldn't be dazzled by one part or another but should judge the Cairn as a complete part and judge on virtues.