Simon Cowell's Cairn Terrier

Simon Cowell has cairn terrier, Buster, featured in a recent PDSA fundraising calendar (pic). Love the blue collar on black coat.

Note PDSA has good resources on site too.

Can any little dog breed act Toto?

Rochester Democrat and Chronicle (NY) newspaper features story of tryouts for a local children's theater production of "Wizard of Oz". Includes photo of Snowball the Maltese hoping for the role (pic by Jay Capers/staff photographer). Snowball bolted from basket, and cairn wanted nothing to do with it. Here's 1-minute video of Toto Auditions from online article.

Attention cairn terriers: don't lose the Toto role (although certain mine wouldn't cooperate in basket on stage either).

Cairn Wolf

Watching Amazing Race and teams having trouble making donkeys move. So I googled how to do it .... and ran into this info about companion animals in taking care of donkeys:

"One big exception is dogs; keep them away from donkeys as dogs tend to scare them (dogs are too similar to wolves). "

Similar to wolves? My cairn terrier is like a cat, mountain goat, snake, rooster, and any number of other animals ... but would a donkey think a cairn is similar to wolf (pic)? Other breeds, yes ... cairn .. maybe not?

OMG - Cairnoodle

Was wondering if there was a cairnadoodle, like labradoodle ... and learned on Google the correct term is cairnoodle ... cairn terrier / poodle hybrid/mix. Today's new word.

Pic here from this site also has cairnoodle looking more like cairn.

Traveling without your Cairn Terrier

It's lonely to travel without a cairn terrier. Once discussed missing Baxter during business meeting, and a woman pulled small figurine of cairn (pic) out of her purse saying made it happier on the road.

Other ideas:

1. Make cairn your laptop screen saver;

2. Carry picture;

3. Exercise in t-shirt that says "got cairn?" - someone might ask, or talk about;

4. Icebreaker: so what breed of dog does everyone here have?

Recently heard some hotels have "canine ambassadors" - can walk, etc. I completely understand why someone would want to do that.

Cairn Terrier Halloween Hell

Three things my cairn terrier doesn't like about Halloween:

1. Ringing doorbells - more than 100 times;

2. Costumes;

3. The door opening and closing without being able to investigate.

Anyone found a solution to barkers on Halloween?

Liza Minelli's Cairn Terrier

Singer/Actress/Entertainer Liza Minelli once owned a cairn terrier, Lily. Makes sense because of Toto connection. Below is a quote from 2000, given to Interview magazine. Cairns are something to be grateful for. Liza also cited to Slate she left David Gest because among other reasons, he wasn't nice to her cairn.

Lily passed away a few years ago. Apparently she now owns another breed; so if I ever meet Liza, I'm asking why.
=====

SN: What are you grateful for?
LM: I am grateful when I wake up in the morning. I'm grateful that I've made my iced coffee and it's in the refrigerator. I am grateful that Lily's there. [Lily is a Calm terrier] I am grateful for my sobriety.

It's not a toy ... It's a dog

New York Post reports Ellen's ratings were up nearly 10% the two days following her emotional plea to return Iggy (pic), the dog removed from the home of the family she gave it to (without consent of rescue agency). Ellen's quote: "And unfortunately, Ruby, the little girl, doesn't want another dog, she wants Iggy. It's not a toy that's broken that you can replace. It's a dog."

That's why more people are tuning in to "Ellen": Dog owners understand the pain she showed; and that dogs can't just be replaced. [pic-Baltimore Sun online]

Dogs with a Cause - Planet Dog Foundation

Local Planet Dog store held a Woofminster event to raise funds to train local service dogs. Competitions included costume contest, talent, look-alike contest, howling, dancing and wagging competitions. Local entry: dachshund named Manny Ramirez (pic - Maine Sunday Telegram 10/28/07), dressed like his namesake - the Red Sox player. Planet Dog Foundation assisted on behalf of My Wonderful Dog non-profit. Raised $10,000. In case you're looking for interesting way to raise funds .... or a good cause ... these dogs are helping dogs help people.

No, he's not a Westie

Most common response when walking my cairn: No, he's not a Westie. My additional follow up for public who can't tell difference - Westies (pic) are white, and usually have fuller face.

Westies definitely have advantage in terrier-related items. Friend gave me Westie christmas ornament with my dog's name on it one year. Thought it "close enough". Hmmmm.

Today's dog trivia (from West Highland White Terrier Club of America) - why Westies bred to be so white: "Originally, their coat colors ranged from black to red to cream or white. Colonel Edward Donald Malcolm, of Poltalloch, Argyllshire, Scotland, is generally credited with breeding the white dogs true, although he took none of the credit unto himself. He had kept a pack of light colored working terriers for hunting. As the legend goes, a reddish dog of his, emerging from cover, was mistakenly shot for a fox. Malcolm is said to have decided on the spot to breed only for white dogs that could be readily identified in the field."

Coat of many colors

These little cairns look European to me. Check out the cairn terrier coat colors posted like swatches or paint colors. Very visually descriptive.

Cairn hunt on Westminster Dog Show

Glued to Westminster Kennel Club dog show each year, mainly for 3 minutes where hunt down cairn appearance. They clearly can't give each breed notable television time; but there is online video of dogs in Best of Breed competitions. Here's video with cairn contenders.

The 2007 Best of Breed cairn winner (pic) and details:

Name: Ch Dogwood Love Affair

AKC: RN 07332701

Date of Birth: February 14, 2005

Breeder: Owner

Sire: Ch Kyleakin Scotsman Invasion

Dam: Ch Dogwood Love In A Mist

Owner: Pamela Davis

Hand stripping for better coat

I know stripping the cairn's coat makes it shinier. I can't do it. Freaks me out. Pulled out one hair and Baxter flinched. No way entire coat would go. Did find these excellent instructions for "novice strippers" explaining how to hand strip, including color-coded diagram (pic from site with instructions).

Best Song Lyrics Ever - Terriers

These lyrics from mockumentary movie "Best in Show" are truly best dog song lyrics ever ... Written by Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy ... "God Loves a Terrier" ...

"God loves a terrier

yes he does

God loves a terrier

that's because

brown sturdy bright and true

they give their hearts to you

God didn't miss a stitch

be it dog or be it bitch

when he made the Norwich merrier

with his cute little 'derrier'

yes God loves a terrier!"

... Here's the clip on YouTube.

Mesmerized by the ordinary

I love YouTube for many reasons ... including the fact that people post videos of their puppies and dogs doing entirely ordinary things. Having a dog means being completely mesmerized by how cute they are doing the most ordinary things; or watching others in same breed behave same way as your dog.

Here are a few cairns posted on YouTube ... highly cute ...

Gus - running around the house, barking

Fraggle - playing in snow for first time

Dexter - learning to sit and lay down at 9 weeks

Johnny - sniffing and eating treats

Cairn Puppies at 5 weeks - getting in each other's way, nuisances

Weatherwax Family Joins Hall of Fame

The International Association of Canine Professionals (IACP) selected the Weatherwax Family to join their Hall of Fame. They trained many famous movie dogs including Asta, Lassie, Daisy, Old Yeller ... and worked with Terry's (aka Toto) trainer for "Wizard of Oz".

The IACP web site has very helpful info including how to hire a dog walker, links for information about therapy dogs, recommended reading for groomers, and much more.

Also found site saying favorite dog of Weatherwax Family was cairn terrier named Rommy (pic).

Toto caused need for adventure

Thinking about the Wizard of Oz, Toto (pic) started the chain of events. He had to keep digging. If you're a cairn owner you understand this. Real message of the movie: Get a cairn, get adventure.

If you want a friend, get a dog

Life changed in December 2003 with addition of Baxter (pic), our male cairn terrier puppy. We did not get him from a breeder. Tried that route with Norwich Terrier, but they wanted an agreement could come take him anytime if we did any number of things. No can do. Stopped at puppy store to look at breeds, without intending to purchase. But fell in love. Sleeping under a dachshund was a little cairn - and the rest is history. Won't get to do AKC or Cairn Terrier Club of America, but agree that can't continue bloodline - so no pups for my pup. Has a tattoo to prove it - the male symbol.

The saying is right ... if you want a friend, get a dog.