What Was The Cairn Before The Show Ring Changed It?
And Can Real Cairns Still Be Found?
The question is, does generations of breeding for only the silhouette it makes (one definition of breed "type" the thing dogs are judged for at dog shows) improve the breed from its original type? I say no. So do all dog breeders interested in preserving breeds in their unspoiled state (we are called "preservation breeders") - and we are very few in number. The lure of the show ring is a siren song far too many dash their breed against.
Before you buy a cairn, or if you are a novice cairn fancier yearning to learn more about the breed's true appearance and character, you should check this page out. Here I will present pictures of the original cairn and discuss its character and grooming in the early days of recognition. Of course, the cairn was an old breed long before the English Kennel Club decided to grant them registered status, but like many working breeds it was only after recognition that photos became common. So, it's important to find pictures as close to the time the breed was original - not yet bred to show ring fads.
A word about breed names; this is important to understand. Before Kennel Club (KC) registration, the cairn was an indigenous dog found on the Island of Skye, surrounding isles and in the highlands of Scotland. No one knows exactly how long these terriers existed there, but in the 1700's they were certainly an already established breed as shown by this picture of "Kellach", a cairn living in 1799. This is a clear picture of the original hunting dog that eventually was named the "cairn terrier".
Before you buy a cairn, or if you are a novice cairn fancier yearning to learn more about the breed's true appearance and character, you should check this page out. Here I will present pictures of the original cairn and discuss its character and grooming in the early days of recognition. Of course, the cairn was an old breed long before the English Kennel Club decided to grant them registered status, but like many working breeds it was only after recognition that photos became common. So, it's important to find pictures as close to the time the breed was original - not yet bred to show ring fads.
A word about breed names; this is important to understand. Before Kennel Club (KC) registration, the cairn was an indigenous dog found on the Island of Skye, surrounding isles and in the highlands of Scotland. No one knows exactly how long these terriers existed there, but in the 1700's they were certainly an already established breed as shown by this picture of "Kellach", a cairn living in 1799. This is a clear picture of the original hunting dog that eventually was named the "cairn terrier".
The Isle of Skye off Scotland's coast. Swept constantly by cold rains and wind it is a bare and rocky land.
By 1799 the breed was absolutely recognizable.This is "Kellach" (pretty girl in Gaelic). The artist was a French emigrant who, while in exile, is said to have resided with Charles X at Holyrood Palace. The original picture shows Lord George Henty Scott (who was born at Dalkeith House in 1798) in his cradle guarded by Kellach. His Grace the late Duke of Buccleuch who owned this picture said of it "According to my grandfather, the dog was a sandy colored Skye terrier of a rare breed, the property of the Countess of Home.
When researching cairn terrier history it is absolutely necessary to understand that the original terrier found in Scotland was known by different names depending on the area, the people and the traditions. Researching early cairns, you will find them commonly referred to as "Scotch", "Skye", "Short-haired Skye terrier", "Highland terrier" and "Skye otter dogs". Unlike some breeds who were kept either by royalty or by the common man, the working terrier of Scotland was kept by both classes. Every "laird" had a pack of hunting terriers and probably just about every crofter (small landowner) had his vermin hunting dogs. Every description, clear back to the 1600's indicates these were "hard bitten", serious dogs tough enough to survive the climate, little in the way of pampering and their combat with larger otters and badgers. In 1774 Oliver Goldsmith described them thus "The terrier is a small kind of hound, with rough hair, made use of to force the fox or the badger out of their holes; or rather to give notice by their barking, in what part of their kennel the fox or badger resides, when the sportsmen intend to dig them out".
As dog shows became a thing in the later 1800's, fanciers began to breed away from original type of many breeds, exaggerating specific features. The cairn is no different, and here are the exhibition breeds developed from the cairn:
* Skye terrier - first registered by the KC in 1873, had been very popular with Queen Victory in the 1840. Result of a cross with a foreign dog and bred to have extreme length of back, to be larger, ears either erect or dropped, coat long and flowing and soft. * Scottish terrier - first registered by the KC in 1880. Bred to have very short legs, a very long head and a stout body worthless for working in dens and tunnels.
* West Highland White terrier - separated from cairn terriers in 1907 by the KC. Before that could be born in the same litter. Today bred for a silky, abundant coat (though the standard says it should be hard!) Characterized by bizarre shaping of head hair into a "chrysanthemum" shape.
As dog shows became a thing in the later 1800's, fanciers began to breed away from original type of many breeds, exaggerating specific features. The cairn is no different, and here are the exhibition breeds developed from the cairn:
* Skye terrier - first registered by the KC in 1873, had been very popular with Queen Victory in the 1840. Result of a cross with a foreign dog and bred to have extreme length of back, to be larger, ears either erect or dropped, coat long and flowing and soft. * Scottish terrier - first registered by the KC in 1880. Bred to have very short legs, a very long head and a stout body worthless for working in dens and tunnels.
* West Highland White terrier - separated from cairn terriers in 1907 by the KC. Before that could be born in the same litter. Today bred for a silky, abundant coat (though the standard says it should be hard!) Characterized by bizarre shaping of head hair into a "chrysanthemum" shape.
Gallery of True Cairn Terriers From History
One Captain McDonald (see picture below) was, according to author Florence Ross, "one of the keenest sportsmen that ever trod the heather, from the time he was able to carry a gun till his death in 1905, and when at home, which was nearly the whole year round, he never left the house without a gun in his hand and a pack of terriers at heel. He used to remain (with his dogs) from 12 noon until next morning, without a bite of food, to get an otter. He had upwards of 80 otter skins at one time and killed 51 otters and 32 foxes in two seasons." He probably knew the true working cairn better than anyone who has ever owned the breed and was the first president of the Cairn Terrier Club (UK) in 1909. If you want to know the cairn listen to him! Here are the points he gave for the "true type" of cairn in 1876. "Coat should be thick and wiry, and 1 1/2 inches long, prevailing color dark brown, dark grey and black. Heights of male about 9.5 inches; female 7.5 inches; Length of jawbone about 4.5 inches, girth around head, male 12.5 inch; female 11 inch; girth of neck, male 10.5 inch; female 9.5 inch. Length between eyes to the root of tail, male about 22 inches, female 20 inches. Weight male 16 pounds; female 12 pounds. Length of ear between 2.5 and 3 inches." Captain G. W. Macquarie, of Mull, Scotland, who, along with Captain Macdonald introduced the cairn into the South of Ireland in the 1850s describes them thus: "The description of the Skye otter terrier, according to my humble view: color, reddish, dark grey, and brindled mixture; short, thick, wire coat of hair, long body, short legs, straight tail..."
When viewing the dogs below, please note their completely NATURAL coats (stripping, plucking, trimming NOT done at that time) the hard hair on their legs and length of back. Please note that many of these are champion dogs, pictured at their best - just "tidied" for the show ring as required by the standard at that time.
When viewing the dogs below, please note their completely NATURAL coats (stripping, plucking, trimming NOT done at that time) the hard hair on their legs and length of back. Please note that many of these are champion dogs, pictured at their best - just "tidied" for the show ring as required by the standard at that time.
The type which became the "Skye terriers" split quite early, being the result of a cross which gave the breed a long, soft coat, extreme length of back and ears which can be up or down. This is Queen Victoria's skye terrier painted by Landseer below (circa 1840)
Captain Allan MacDonald and his pack of "Skye Otter Terriers" (cairns) and a dead otter. Mid 1800's.
Highland Terriers (1858). Cairns and Westies were born in the same litter. Later show folks separated them by color into 2 breeds.
Puffin Hunting (circa 1830) on an island in the Hebrides. Cairns were the hunting dog for small game in Scotland.
The inscription reads: Scotch terriers at work on a cairn in the West Highlands.
Notice that the very typical cairn terrier is referred to as a "Scotch" terrier, this was very common at the time.
Dogs of Scotland (1887) featuring a very typical cairn on the cover.
From CAIRN AND SEALYHAM TERRIERS by Mrs. Bryon Rogers (1922)Cairn fanciers are fortunate in having a dog that can be put down in the ring as Nature made him. He requires no artificial trimming nor white chalk to make him look as his standard says he should look; it behooves us all to keep him unspoiled in this respect. The idea that a working-dog must be trimmed, plucked, powdered, and so on, is abhorrent to the minds of most sport loving people and should be universally condemned. The test of the worker is to take him out of the earth, brush him, tidy him up, and put him into the ring. If he can win then, he deserves to do it; for the dog himself is there to be judged as he is, not as man, by months of toil and unnatural treatment, has made him.
A cairn should be able to stand pat on his four legs without any help. He should be able to stand naturally on his own merits, or else be put out of the show ring. If he is not good enough to win as Nature made him, then he should take a back seat, for his species must not degenerate into a "manufactured" breed or he will lose every bit of his character and also his birthright as the working terrier of the Scottish Highlands.
A cairn should be able to stand pat on his four legs without any help. He should be able to stand naturally on his own merits, or else be put out of the show ring. If he is not good enough to win as Nature made him, then he should take a back seat, for his species must not degenerate into a "manufactured" breed or he will lose every bit of his character and also his birthright as the working terrier of the Scottish Highlands.
Ch. Firring Frolic
Ch. Mearach
Ch. Brocaire Hamish of Gesto and Brocaire Jura
H.R.H. The Duke of Windsor's Dochfour Molly
Ch. Brocaire Donan of Gesto
Ch. Dochfour Vuiach Vorchad
Ch. Gillie of Hyver
Ch. Cheek
Ch. Carngowan Manus
Ch. Shinnel Simon
Offley Caber Feidh
Offley Skirl
More Descriptions of The Original Cairn Terrier
Cairn and Sealyham Terriers by Mrs. Byron Rogers (1922): "Finally in 1909, at Cruft's Show in London, one or two shaggy little fellows, entered as "Short-haired Skye Terriers", appeared in the ring. The judge, Mr. R. Leighton, tells us in his most interesting book that several exhibitors of other breeds objected to the newcomers, claiming that they were "mongrels", and that as such they should never have been accepted by the Committee. But Mr. Leighton, as he himself says, 'recognized them as the original, unspoiled working terrier of the Highlands' and insisted upon his right to jjudge them."
"...this quality spoils what may be an otherwise good cairn by making him look soft. Silky hair destroys that almost indescribable cairn "outlook" which is an essential characteristic."
" I think it well to remind my readers, that, above all else we want a working terrier and therefore we should not lay too much stress on such minor points as tail carriage and size of ears."
"In coming to the body of the cairn we come to the most important part of his anatomy as far as his work is concerned. That this body must be compact is reasonable and that his back should be of "medium length" is sound. A short back gives a dog a stiff look, and althought it may be pretty, it is far better for a working dog to be of a medium length."
"No cairn wearing an open [one which parts] coat should have a chance to win, for he would not have a chance to keep dry in a Highland storm, nor should a cairn be shown without the profuse coat, which gives the shaggy look desired. The dogs which are shown in scanty jacket should be penalized much more keenly than heretofore by judges for they are not in right condition."
Dogs And All About Them by Robert Leighton (1910): There is among judges, I find - with all respect I say it - an undue regard fr weight and what is called strength, also for grooming, which means brushing or plucking out all the long hairs to gratify the judge."
"I therefore earnestly hope that no fancy will arise about these dogs which will make them less hardy, less wise, less companionable, less active, or less desperate fighters underground than they are at present. A young dog that I gave to a keeper got its stomach torn open in a fight. It came out of the cairn to its master to be helped. He put the entrails back to the best of his ability, and then the dog slipped out of his hands to finish the fight and forced the fox out into the open! That is the spirit of the breed; but alas, that cannot be exhibited on the show bench. There should be feather to a fair degree on the tail, but if experts will not allow it, putrosin on your hands and pull the hair out - and the rosin will win your prize."
"...this quality spoils what may be an otherwise good cairn by making him look soft. Silky hair destroys that almost indescribable cairn "outlook" which is an essential characteristic."
" I think it well to remind my readers, that, above all else we want a working terrier and therefore we should not lay too much stress on such minor points as tail carriage and size of ears."
"In coming to the body of the cairn we come to the most important part of his anatomy as far as his work is concerned. That this body must be compact is reasonable and that his back should be of "medium length" is sound. A short back gives a dog a stiff look, and althought it may be pretty, it is far better for a working dog to be of a medium length."
"No cairn wearing an open [one which parts] coat should have a chance to win, for he would not have a chance to keep dry in a Highland storm, nor should a cairn be shown without the profuse coat, which gives the shaggy look desired. The dogs which are shown in scanty jacket should be penalized much more keenly than heretofore by judges for they are not in right condition."
Dogs And All About Them by Robert Leighton (1910): There is among judges, I find - with all respect I say it - an undue regard fr weight and what is called strength, also for grooming, which means brushing or plucking out all the long hairs to gratify the judge."
"I therefore earnestly hope that no fancy will arise about these dogs which will make them less hardy, less wise, less companionable, less active, or less desperate fighters underground than they are at present. A young dog that I gave to a keeper got its stomach torn open in a fight. It came out of the cairn to its master to be helped. He put the entrails back to the best of his ability, and then the dog slipped out of his hands to finish the fight and forced the fox out into the open! That is the spirit of the breed; but alas, that cannot be exhibited on the show bench. There should be feather to a fair degree on the tail, but if experts will not allow it, putrosin on your hands and pull the hair out - and the rosin will win your prize."
Our Friend The Cairn by Rowland Jones (1933): "It is essential to bear in mind that the cairn has been a 'working terrier' for centuries. He might, by scientific breeding, be made into a handsomer dog, to adorn my lady's boudoir with more gracefulness of form and greater silkiness of coat, but when that dog arrives the cairn departs. It is best to think of him as a dog who can face a badger in the uttermost depths of his lair and keep 'old Brock' at bay until the hunters dig him out."
"The cairn is a 'cave-dog' - an innate barbarian, truculent, fearless."
Cairn Terriers Hector F. Whitehead (1959): From the forward by Major Ian Ewing, "To my mind, the old working cairns were longerin the back and much ore active than the 'cut-and-dried' modern type. There is a danger, I fear, of the present representatives of the breed becoming stiff movers with poor hindquarters, andloss of agility. No longer being required to work, there is the risl if their becoming different from what they were originally intended. It lies with all cairn lovers to see that this does not happen."
"Few thought the cairn would last, least of all that he would get to the top in some thirty years, but by sheer merit he made his way, without grooming or polishing - he walks straight into your heart."
"What should come in to the show ring that will attract the judge at once? A shaggy dog with a widge-shaped head, smalll sharp pointed ears without hairy edges, big strong teeth when examined, a friendly, mischievous eye and black nose on a lithe neck, medium coat and tail to balance his medium level back.
"The cairn is a 'cave-dog' - an innate barbarian, truculent, fearless."
Cairn Terriers Hector F. Whitehead (1959): From the forward by Major Ian Ewing, "To my mind, the old working cairns were longerin the back and much ore active than the 'cut-and-dried' modern type. There is a danger, I fear, of the present representatives of the breed becoming stiff movers with poor hindquarters, andloss of agility. No longer being required to work, there is the risl if their becoming different from what they were originally intended. It lies with all cairn lovers to see that this does not happen."
"Few thought the cairn would last, least of all that he would get to the top in some thirty years, but by sheer merit he made his way, without grooming or polishing - he walks straight into your heart."
"What should come in to the show ring that will attract the judge at once? A shaggy dog with a widge-shaped head, smalll sharp pointed ears without hairy edges, big strong teeth when examined, a friendly, mischievous eye and black nose on a lithe neck, medium coat and tail to balance his medium level back.