Читать книгу Cairn Terrier - Robert Jamieson - Страница 5

The Cairn Terrier is the plucky little dog that hails from the rugged Scottish Highlands. Although this is a game dog with an all-terrier disposition, he is also a loving companion whether he lives in an apartment in the city or in a large house in the country.

This book will give you the history, description and the standard of the Cairn Terrier. You will also learn about puppy care, training and the health of the breed. With the color photographs, you will see that this terrier is cute as a button and a wonderful companion.

The Cairn’s instinctive keenness is well displayed by Dhoran, seen here with Miss Margaret Warner, granddaughter of Lord Borwick who was so influential in the development of the Cairn Terrier.

This may not be the dog for everyone as terriers are active, busy dogs and this breed is no exception. However, if you like a lively dog, one who will be a devoted family member, this may be the dog for you. And, as is true with most other breeds, once you give your heart and home to a Cairn Terrier, you will remain a devotee to the breed for a lifetime.

HISTORY OF THE BREED

In the history of the dog world, the Cairn Terrier is a fairly ancient breed. However, its official beginnings with The Kennel Club of England, dating back to the early 1900s, places it as one of the more recently recognized terrier breeds. The Cairn Terrier belongs to the group of dogs described as terriers, from the Latin word terra, meaning earth. The terrier is a dog that has been bred to work beneath the ground to drive out small and large rodents and other animals that can be a nuisance to country living.

All of the dogs in the Terrier Group originated in the British Isles with the exception of the Miniature Schnauzer, whose origins, of course, trace to Germany. Many of the terrier breeds were derived from a similar ancestor. As recently as the mid-1800s, the terriers fell roughly into two basic categories: the rough-coated, short-legged dogs of Scotland and the longer legged, smooth-coated dogs of England.

The family of Scotch Terriers—those bred in Scotland—divide themselves into the modern Scottish Terrier, the West Highland White Terrier, the Cairn Terrier and the Skye Terrier. In the early 1800s, dogs referred to as Scotch Terriers could be any one of these breeds. Interbreeding was common among these breeds, and it was not unusual during the 1800s that all of these breeds could come from one litter with color being the deciding factor as to how a particular pup should be classified. J. W. Benyon wrote in his book The Cairn Terrier, “The Cairn, the West Highland White and the Scottish Terrier were so similar in the early days that the three were inbred with impunity. Early pedigrees of these breeds would show all three breeds in the lineage of a single dog and the three breeds often came from the same litter, sold according to what the buyer wanted.” As breeders started exhibiting at dog shows, it was realized that there must be more uniformity within the breed, i.e., all pups in a litter should look alike as well as being of the same type as their sire and dam.

The West Highland White Terrier arguably derived from the Cairn Terrier, originally varying only in color.

WHAT’S IN A NAME

What is a cairn? Webster’s Dictionary defines cairn as a “heap of stone piled up as a memorial or as a landmark.” Piles of stones in the Highlands marked the graves of the ancient Roman soldiers. In time, brambles, bushes and brush over-grew the rocks and the cairns became ideal places where vermin could make their homes, unseen by man. This was the terrain where the little dog, which was eventually called the Cairn Terrier, plied his skill and earned his name.

The Cairn was probably developed on the Isle of Skye, as was another Scotch Terrier, the Skye Terrier. The Skye is distinctive for his large geometric head and long caterpillar-like body.

Much of the early history of the Cairn centers on the Isle of Skye. Take a look at your map of the British Isles and note the remoteness of Skye. It is located to the west of the Highlands and it is part of the Inner Hebrides, a land noted for its rugged typography and tough Scotsmen, where a fearless and tough dog was required to keep the vermin under control. The Cairn, with his large heart and a larger amount of courage, fit the bill for cleaning out vermin in the houses and stables and for clearing the fields and surrounding areas of badgers and foxes. The Cairn history may be a bit convoluted, as the history of many canine breeds is, but it is thought that the oldest strain came from Captain Mac Leod of Drynock on the Isle of Skye.

In the early years the Cairn was called the Short-haired Skye Terrier and on the mainland he was often called the Tod-hunter. In addition to the Mac Leods, who preferred the dogs of silver-gray color, other strains of the Cairn were bred by the Mac Donalds of Watermist, who bred dogs of gray and brindle color, and the Mac Kinnons of Kilbride, who bred the cream, red and dark brindle dogs. All three of these strains form the basis for our present-day Cairn.

The other breed on the Isle of Skye was the Skye Terrier, the long-backed, heavy-bodied dog with the flowing coat. The Skye Terrier breeders did not like it that the newcomer should be called the Short-haired Skye Terrier! An early pioneer and ardent supporter of the breed was Mrs. Alastair Campbell, founder of the Brocaire Kennels, who had made frequent trips to the Isle of Skye where she purchased her original dogs. She was the first to enter the breed in a dog show. In 1907, she registered Calla Mhor and Cuillean Bhan as Prick-eared Skye Terriers and entered them in a dog show. Later she registered Rog Mhor, who became the sire of one of the first winners of Challenge Certificates (CC), the “tickets” required to gain a championship in the UK. By 1910, The Kennel Club moved the breed to the classification at dog shows of “Any other breed or variety” and 24 dogs were registered. The breed was rapidly gaining in popularity even though it still did not have an official name and there was still confusion about which class the dogs should be entered in at dog shows.

The Scottish Terrier, one of the four modern-day breeds that derived from the Scotch Terrier family, is a blood relative of the Cairn.

One of England’s most popular ladies in the 1920s was Miss Joyce Pilkington. She owned a red Cairn known as Mickie that went wherever Miss Pilkington went.

In the meantime, the Skye Terrier fancy was still disturbed by the name “Short-haired Skye Terriers” and protested to The Kennel Club. It was suggested that the breed be called the “Cairn Terrier of Skye,” which eventually was shortened to Cairn Terrier. Through the efforts of Mrs. Campbell, who worked prodigiously on the background of the breed and its breeders, The Kennel Club transferred all Short-haired Skyes to the new registry of Cairn Terriers. In the meantime, in October 1911, an official standard was drawn up for the Cairn at the Scottish Kennel Club show in Edinburgh as breeders realized that there must be uniformity within the breed. By May 29, 1912, the Cairn Terrier had finally obtained his official status with The Kennel Club and Challenge Certificates were now offered at specific shows.

THE COURAGEOUS CAIRN

The late Dr. Dieter Fleig in his book History of Fighting Dogs wrote, “Specialists for rat killing in England naturally were dogs with terrier blood in their veins. For this purpose you needed not only a brave dog, which did not shy away from rat bites, but one of truly great speed.”

In addition to the backing of Mrs. Campbell, the breed received early support from Lord Hawke and his sisters Mary and Betty, who had imported terriers from Skye from the Watermist strain. Their dogs, Bridget, Bride and Bruin were “road markers” in the breed’s early history. The first Cairn champion was Gesto, owned by Mrs. Campbell.

When World War I started, dog breeding and showing in England basically came to a halt. However, as soon as the war was over, the Cairn’s popularity immediately began to rise. New exhibitors joined Mrs. Campbell, and by 1923 over 1,000 Cairns were registered.

THE INTERESTING CAIRN

Robert Leighton judged the Skye Terriers at Crufts in 1909. He discovered additional classes under the name of “Short-haired Skyes.” He later wrote, “Properly speaking, they were not Skye Terriers…but they were certainly interesting. Small, active, game and very hard in appearance, they were strongly though slimly built…and the more I handled them the more I admired them.”

Many members of the Royal Family were dog lovers and possessed several excellent examples of pure-bred dogs. Jaggers was among the two Cairns. The sketch is by Ernest H. Mills.

Harviestoun Raider, whelped in 1919 and owned by J. E. Kerr, became the first great sire of the breed, producing 11 champions, which was a record for the time. Raider stamped his progeny with his wonderful substance, which was sometimes too much for the judges, and passed along all of his best attributes. At the time, Raider was in the background of two-thirds of all Cairn pedigrees.

By the mid-1920s, Mrs. N. Fleming of Out of the West Kennels was an active breeder and remained so well into the 1930s. Her Fisherman Out of the West and his sire, Doughall Out of the West, were also two important sires throughout the 1920s. In 1933 the great Ch. Splinter of Twobees was whelped. The winner of eight Challenge Certificates, he made his mark not in the show ring but with his influence as a sire with his ability to stamp his type and quality onto his get and their next generations. Over 100 champions in England can trace their pedigrees back to him. In addition, he is in the background of many American champions.

In the mid-1930s, Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal had a favorite Cairn named Peggy, which was frequently seen in her company.

Again, with the advent of World War II, dog breeding came to a halt in Great Britain. Many kennels were disbanded when breeders found that there was not enough food to keep a kennel running. Some hardy souls did manage to keep a few dogs and, when the war ended, breeding and dog showing resumed as it had after World War I.

In 1943 Splinter produced a son by the name of Sport of Zellah. With approval of The Kennel Club, the new owner changed his name to Bonfire of Twobees and he was bred in 1948 to Redletter My Choice, owned by Walter Bradshaw. Attention must be given to the Redletter Kennels of Mr. Bradshaw because of the huge influence, throughout Great Britain and North America that the kennel had on the Cairn Terrier. Through the decades, the kennel established a phenomenal record of show wins and top producers.

THE MORE THINGS CHANGE

The Cairn Terrier, as depicted in paintings from the late 1800s, looks very much like the present-day Cairn. From Mrs. Campbell’s Calla Mhor to Ch. Splinter of Twobees to Ch. Cairnwoods Quince, the Cairn Terrier has remained the same in size, structure and coat. This is somewhat unusual, as in many breeds the dog may become significantly larger, or smaller, and there will often be major changes in coat and trimming styles.

Mr. Bradshaw started in dogs in the 1920s, raising Flat-coated Retrievers. Shortly before World War II, he became interested in the Cairn Terrier. The breeding of Redletter My Choice to Bonfire Twobees produced Redletter Mc Joe, who became a champion before the age of two years. He was campaigned in the ring for three years and produced nine champions. His son Ch. Redletter Mc Murran won 26 Challenge Certificates and was the first Cairn to win an all-breed Best in Show at a Championship Show (1956). His daughter, Ch. Redletter Elford Mhorag won 18 CCs. Mc Murran and Mhorag, half-siblings, won both the dog and bitch CCs at five Championship Shows. Ch. Redletter Mc Bryan won 17 CCs and sired 13 champions. Ch. Redletter Twinlaw Seaspirit, who was the second Cairn to win a Best in Show at a Championship Show, was later purchased by Betty Hyslop of Cairndainia Kennels in Canada. Ch. Redletter Marcel won 16 CCs in a single year. Mr. Bradshaw died in 1982 at the age of 86, having made up 42 English champions and having had a major impact on the Cairn Terrier world that may not be repeated any time soon.

Kim, the favorite Cairn of Miss Violet Petrie, daughter of Blanche, Lady Petrie (a famed aristocrat of the 1920s), is here seen with her owner.

This historical photo from the 1920s was captioned as follows: “The selling of puppies in the street is a sight of London. Here every pocket may contain a puppy or something of doggie interest. The salesmen are often fanciers and are allowed to ‘tell the tale’.”

Other kennels that have made considerable contributions to the Cairn have been: Mrs. E. H. Drummond’s Blencathra Kennels, producer of 25 English champions; the Toptwig Kennels of Mrs. Gladys Marsh, which exported dogs to the United States and Sweden, making an impact in both countries; Mrs. H. L. Manley of Lofthouse Kennels, producing 10 English champions and exporting winning dogs to the US; Oudenarde Kennels, which finished many champions including Am. and Can. Ch. Oudenarde Sea Hark, exported to Betty Hyslop; Uniquecottage Kennels of Mrs. J. G. Parker-Tucker, which produced over 30 English champions who have won many CCs. There have been an exceptional number of dedicated Cairn breeders in the British Isles whose dogs have been well known not only in their own country but also throughout North America.

Cairns of 1835. Here possibly is the ancestor of both the present Cairn and Scottish Terriers, seen at work among the rocks after an otter that is attempting to escape. The hand-written inscription reads, “Scotch terriers at work on a Cairn in the West Highlands.”

THE CAIRN TERRIER IN NORTH AMERICA

The Cairn Terrier’s history in America followed the history of the breed in Great Britain by only a few years. In 1913 the first Cairns were imported to the United States by Mrs. Henry Price of California from Mrs. Fleming’s Out of the West Kennels. Sandy Peter Out of the West was the first and only Cairn registered with the American Kennel Club (AKC) in 1913.

By 1917 there were 32 registrations and, by December of that year, the Cairn Terrier Club of America made it as the ninth in the Terrier Group to become a member of the AKC. Mrs. Price became an active breeder and exhibitor through the early 1940s. She had a life-long interest in the breed and served on the board of the national club. Mrs. Byron Rogers, a Cairn and Sealyham fancier and also a board member, imported many Cairns from England and wrote the first book on the breed. Mrs. C. Groverman Ellis of Killybracken Kennels added Cairns to her kennel of Irish Wolfhounds in the 1930s. She produced nearly 40 champions in addition to putting obedience degrees on many of her Cairns. Ch. Tam Glen of Killybracken may still be one of the only Cairns with a tracking degree. The owners usually showed their own dogs and purchased few outside dogs, relying upon their homebreds.

BREED RECOGNITION

Mrs. Campbell, when she was struggling to see the breed recognized, wrote in a letter, “It seems a pity that this breed, of which so many people are fond, should be allowed to die out. There is nothing like showing a dog to keep up the characteristics of the breed. I propose to endeavour to have them recognised as ‘Old Breed’ or ‘Sporting Skye Terrier’.”

Between 1913 and 1930, imports from Great Britain accounted for two-thirds of the American champions. The Cairn continued its successful and winning ways in America throughout the 1930s and 1940s in spite of the Great Depression and World War II.

Shagbark Kennel of Helen Hunt in Connecticut began in the 1930s and had over 30 champions. In the 1950s Miss Hunt had five generations of homebreds in her kennel. Mrs. R. T. Allen owned the Craigdhu Kennels in Illinois; they were breeders of top Cairns for 45 years. Mrs. Betty Stone’s Caithness Kennels imported several dogs from England and bred Ch. Caithness Rufus, who won the Cairn Terrier Club of America national specialty show in 1964 from the Puppy Class. Rufus sired more than 25 champions and was retired from the show ring to make way for his son, Ch. Cairnwoods Golden Boy. Mrs. Stone died in the mid-1970s.

A distinguished pair, Mousie and Victory, seen with the Hon. Lady Morrison Bell and her daughter, Miss Shelagh Morrison Bell, from the famed family of the 1920s.

Joe and Betty Marcum’s, Cairmar Kennels of Mississippi have been very successful, producing Group winners and Best in Show dogs. Two of their dogs, who came from Mrs. Stone’s Caithness Kennels, were Ch. Caithness Barnabas, sire of 31 champions, and Caithness Captie Periwinkle, dam of 7 champions. The Marcums have built their kennel on the strength of their bitches, which proves that “good-producing bitches make a good kennel.” Mrs. Marcum is still an active figure in the breed and has written an excellent book on the Cairn Terrier.

THE CAIRN AND THE WESTIE

The Cairn Terrier and the West Highland White Terrier closely resemble each other. The early Cairn breeders were very careful not to keep Cairn puppies that had any white in their coats; any puppies that did have white were culled at birth. On the other hand, the breeders of the white terriers made certain that their dogs were completely white. Interbreeding of the two breeds continued until 1917 when the American Kennel Club stated that no Cairn could be registered if there was a Westie cross within the first three generations. The Kennel Club of England followed suit shortly after.

The Wolfpit Kennels, started in the 1930s by Mr. and Mrs. Taylor Coleman and their daughter Lydia Coleman Hutchinson, have produced over 115 champions. Their top winner was Ch. Cairnwood’s Quince (Ch. Cairnwoods Golden Boy ex Caithness Gracenote) who won numerous Groups, an all-breed Best in Show and the national specialty in 1971, 1972, 1973 and again in 1980 at the age of 12. He was a top-producing sire of the breed, producing over 50 champions. Ch. Caithness Rufus was the key dog in his pedigree. Another top stud dog is Ch. Caledonian Berry of Wolfpit, winner of many specialty shows, 5 all-breed Bests in Show and sire of over 30 champions. Mrs. Coleman is a well-known terrier judge in the United States.

One breeder who should be considered a North American breeder rather than a Canadian breeder was Mrs. Betty Hyslop of Cairndania Kennels in Ontario, Canada. Mrs. Hyslop’s influence throughout North America lasted well over sixty years until her death in the late 1990s. She was a well-known figure at dog shows in both the US and Canada, and the Cairndania dogs were campaigned throughout both countries.

She purchased her first Cairn in 1928 from England and imported and bred dogs through the years, often showing them herself to the top spot. She thrice won the Terrier Group at the Westminster Kennel Club show, America’s most prestigious dog show. Every decade has seen great dogs from out of this kennel. Ch. Redletter Mc Ruffie won the national specialty 3 times and sired 25 champions. All-breed Bests in Show were won in the 1960s by Ch. Cairndania Mc Brigand’s Holbris, Ch. Uniquecottage Mr. Bradshaw and Ch. Cairndania Mc Brigand’s Brigery, sire of 27 champions. Ch. Redletter Miss Splinters, imported by Mrs. Hyslop, was shown 60 times and defeated in the breed only once. The number of Best in Show winners and champions has been considerable, and the North American Cairn fancy was fortunate to have had such a supporter of the breed—one who bred and imported great dogs for so many decades.

A special drawing by Vere Temple, which was entitled “Cairn Companions,” came with the following caption: “These jolly fellows hailing from the North make happy subjects for the artist’s pen…and Miss Temple’s pen is always skillful.”

In the 1960s Cairns were exported to Japan, France, Sweden, Finland, Australia, Denmark and South Africa. Australia and Sweden have been breeding excellent Cairns for many years. The Cairn Terrier, in around 100 years, has become a very beloved breed. It continues to be in good hands with excellent breeders in America and around the world, and the future of the breed is indeed bright.