Page 330 - ShowSight - January 2020

Cairn Terrier Q & A
“HE’S ADAPTABLE, LOVING, BRAVE, INTELLIGENT, ATTRACTIVE, EASY TO MAINTAIN, GOOD WITH KIDS AND THE DISABLED, LONG LIVED, AND ABOVE ALL JUST A WELL-ROUNDED GOOD DOG.”
Lynne Nabors continued
nearest one, and while I was once a member, it seemed awkward being unable to attend meetings or get to know the other members. My goal for the Cairn Terrier? I would like to see the Cairn recognized for the great little family dog that he is. He’s adaptable, loving, brave, intelligent, attractive, easy to maintain, good with kids and the disabled, long lived, and above all just a well-rounded good dog. I never want him to be the #1 dog, as he’s not the dog for
everyone, but I want to see him respected for all that he is.
My favorite dog show memory? In 57 years of dog shows, there are a LOT of favorites! The first one that comes to mind is recent: taking my 6 month and 1-day old puppy to a National Roving last March, just for a lark...she was bought as a companion. She’s a live wire, though, and to my shock (literally, I was stunned) she won that large 6-9-month class three times in a row! I was thrilled and especially touched when so many of the exhibitors welcomed me
back to the ring after a long absence.
In closing, I’d like to say that my involvement with Cairn Ter-
riers has shaped and influenced my life in ways that I could have never foreseen all those years ago when we bought that first little Cairn. They are the best little pals in the world, and I’ve loved them all. Every name, every face, is engraved on my heart.
MARY ANN & ANDREW ROBERTSON
Mary Ann and Andy Rob- ertson have been showing and breeding Cairn Terriers for 20+ years.
We live on Long Island in West Sayville, New York. It is a very suburban, residential area, a neighborhood. There is a dog park in our town. It is also a very walkable area for taking our Cairns on a stroll. Side-
walks everywhere and a cute, dog friendly downtown.
Do I hope the breed’s popularity will change or am I comfort- able with the placement? We are comfortable with the placement. Those breeds at the top of the list, the most popular breeds, tend to become overbred. There are not that many reputable Cairn breeders in this country but that has more to do with an aging population of Cairn conformation show people and breeders. It’s not a sport that younger people are getting into, therefore there are fewer repu- table breeders. By “reputable breeders” we mean those breeders that follow the health testing recommendations from the Cairn Terrier Club of America. We also screen our potential puppy buyers for their knowledge of the Cairn breed, future plans for the puppy, ability to provide proper health care for the life of the dog. They also need to demonstrate that all of the members in the family are
on board for bringing a Cairn puppy into their home.
What qualities in the field also come in handy around the house? Cairns are certainly great watchdogs and they patrol the house and environs for vermin. A mouse has no chance of moving in with a
Cairn around.
What about the breed makes them an ideal companion? Cairns
are happy, healthy little dogs. They love people and with the right introduction, they get along with other animals. They are not always lap dogs, but they still love to be scratched and cuddled by
their people. They like a job to do so getting them involved in activ- ities helps get that energy out. People should take them to classes for agility, scent work, earthdog, barn hunt, or some other doggie activ- ity. They need to be kept well socialized with people and other dogs.
What special challenges do Cairn Terrier breeders face in our current economic and social climate? There are very few reputable Cairn breeders. Reputable Cairn breeders do much health testing on the parents and puppies so this brings the expense of the pup- pies up to a level that some families would not be able to obtain a puppy. So a lot of people get their Cairns off the internet from unscrupulous breeders who do not follow the Cairn Terrier Club of America breeder guidelines for health testing. So they just slap two Cairns together and breed them and sell their puppies to anyone with a credit card or to puppy pet stores where those puppies are sold without any screening. Many of those Cairns eventually end up in rescue organizations.
At what age do I start to see definite signs of show-worthiness? We do a basic evaluation of the litter at eight weeks old, but it’s not until they get their second teeth, about 16 weeks old, that you know whether they are eligible for the show ring. Of course they also need to have the show attitude, harsh coat and structural requirements for the breed ring. By six months of age you should know whether they will make it in the show ring, but they aren’t really mature until they are about two years old.
The most important thing about the breed for a new judge to keep in mind?Look at the reach and drive as the Cairns walks around the ring. That should tell what they need to know structur- ally. The Cairn should be well balanced with an even topline that does not bounce as they move around the ring. They should have a good amount of bone, good scissor bite with full large dentition, harsh coat with undercoat, good tail set, large head with proper ear set and proper eye color and shape, angulation in the rear when stacked, but not over angulation, fat pads on the feet, decent amount of prosternum. And a very important thing for judges to remember is to look at the dog, not the person on the other end of the lead. They should be judging the dog and know the standard.
The best way to attract newcomers to my breed and to the sport? This is a difficult question. Certainly the Meet The Breeds is a great way for newcomers to see all the dogs and meet the dogs in person and talk to breeders. But Meet The Breeds generally only happens in a few cities around the country. As to attracting newcomers to the sport—I leave this squarely on the shoulders of the judges. We cannot actually encourage anyone to get into this sport of Confor- mations because it is so costly and the judging is frequently unfair. So many judges just look at the Professional Handler and choose them instead of the dog at the the other end of the leash. This tells me that most judges either don’t care about the breed that they are judging or they don’t know the standard. It is so blatant.
My ultimate goal for the breed? To continue to produce happy, healthy Cairns that meet the breed standards.
My favorite dog show memory? Breeding and showing the Number 1 Cairn Terrier in the country for the year 2018. Nathan is still in the top Cairns for 2019 with limited showing.
I’d also like to share that Cairns are a fun breed. They truly are little clowns with a zest for life! Strong willed, but sweet just the same. They also have longevity in the breed. We are still competing with our 15 1/2 year old Cairn. Olive just titled in two scent work trials this December. She is so amazing. And our Nathan, four year old, is a once in a lifetime Conformation Cairn.
322 • ShowSight Magazine, January 2020