About

Barry the Brave is my first Cairn Terrier. I chose the breed because I wanted an active outdoor dog with real character - not a lap dog. I had owned dogs before, but nothing prepared me for a Cairn.

These are not easy dogs.

About the Breed

Cairn Terriers were bred in the Scottish Highlands to hunt vermin among rocks and cairns. They are small working terriers with a strong prey drive, independent minds, and a lot of energy. Leave a puppy Cairn alone in the garden for 15 minutes, and you may come back to find your flower beds completely rearranged. They dig with purpose. They will chase anything that moves - birds, cats, bicycles, other dogs - and once they lock on, they become deaf to your recall. They are not “highly active” in a polite way. Without enough exercise, training and mental work, they may choose to become self-employed, and you probably won’t like the results.

Dog Training

Barry did all of the above. He dug under fences, swallowed a whole sock (whoa!), scavenged constantly on walks, and bolted after anything interesting. Teaching him not to dig, not to pick things up, not to react, and not to jump on people took consistent work and balanced dog training. Barry was a nightmare, but now he is as Good as Gold. If I could teach my Cairn, so can you!

Dog Shows

Taking him to dog shows was another steep learning curve, as I started from zero. I would attend shows to watch experienced handlers, then try showing Barry myself, make mistakes, and gradually improve.

Along the way, I also taught myself hand-stripping and the finer points of handling, choosing to do every part of the preparation and presentation myself. Seeing the results in the prizes he has won has been rewarding.

We firmly believe that anyone who wants to show their dog, can do so (provided the basic rules are followed). Hand-stripping and grooming are skills that anyone can learn. So if you’ve always dreamed of showing your dog but never dared to try, this website might help you.

Hand-Stripping and Grooming

Handstripping his coat was particularly hard. Almost nobody knows the hand-stripping technique for Cairn Terriers, even though it is important for their health (their weather-resistant coat requires hand stripping). Most groomers just clip or shave the coat. Not to mention that almost nobody teaches how to do hand-stripping for the dog show.

Whether you want to learn to show your dog or just have him properly groomed, good information is hard to find. I was lucky to have one session with the professional groomer who also used to show her Cairn Terriers - and I’m grateful to her for showing the technique. But the rest I had to learn by trial and error. On this website, you will find a practical guide for hand stripping, a recorded session that will help you to learn the technique yourself.