Hunting with a Cairn

[Guest posting as: derecskey]

Has anyone taken their Cairn hunting or known someone who has? I've heard of other terriers like an Airedale being used for Squirrel hunting, and heard of one Cairn being used. It seems like they would be perfect, seeing as how that's why this breed exists today!

I'm really just curious here, I don't think I'd ever take mine hunting, just looking for some stories or insights into how well they do.

[bradl]

I do know several people who have hunted with Cairns. I can't speak for them, though. My own experience is very very limited.

I once brought my male along with our neighbor's three dachshunds to work some old abandoned farm buildings (with permission). It was interesting being in the field. I learned that once a dachshund has a dead field mouse in its mouth you are NOT going to take it out - not if you want to keep all five fingers. My Cairn worked very nicely with the dachsies and together they located and worked a possum hunkered down in a pile of rubble in one barn. It was fascinating to see them (the dogs) laying on their sides and digging their way through hard dirt and fallen timbers to clear a path to the possum. Very determined workers, all. My boy is very loud Once they reached the possum and one of the smaller dachshunds was able to paw the tail, we called them all off and left the possum unharmed. We never did find any rats, but the dogs had a ball investigating brush piles and old buildings and flushing the occasional rabbit.

We have a fair number of earthdog titles, but ED is a somewhat abstract simulation of certain aspects of hunting more than an actual hunt. The closest and most fun is the Master test where the dogs are tested in a brace, off lead, on a long walk-up to the test area. You have to direct your dog to investigate an emtpy den and your dog has to clearly indicate the 'live' den entrance, as well as navigate some obstacles and do some work. Real hunters are quick to point out all the ways ED is not really hunting. Still, its a lot of fun for the dogs!

[Guest Joyce Moore]

In response to your post on hunting with your Cairns. In the past (not so much in the past 4 or 5 years), I have hunted quite a bit with my cairns. I live in Colorado and our quarry (vermin) are not as desirable as what is found on the East Coast and in some parts of the Midwest. Primarily, here, we have marmot, raccoons, badger, fox and you may find rats in old barns and outbuildings. You should have some knowledge of hunting before taking your Cairns out on an actual hunt. For example, you NEVER let two dogs enter a den at once. Should a formidable quarry such as a badger be in the den, the first dog in may be blocked and put in harms way due to not being able to exit, if attacked. You should also know about transmitter collar equipment; this is to allow you to know where your dog is underground at all times in case you have to dig to him to save his life. I would further suggest that if you are new at hunting that you go with an experienced hunter until you learn the ropes. In fact, you should always hunt with a "buddy" and one of you should have some background in the sport.

A book I would recommend is JoAnn Frier-Murza's Earthdog Ins and Outs. I believe you can find it on Amazon.com. If you do a search for "hunting with terriers" you will also find a variety of other books on this topic, not necessarily about hunting with Cairns but nevertheless pertinent to the subject.

I may have given you more information than you desired. If you're just going for a "walk in the woods" with your Cairn, then he will always be hunting with his nose and eyes and will pursue any critters that he runs across. This is a fun exercise and we don't necessarily need any special knowledge to enjoy it. But, for the above, more serious, hunting, we do need to know what we're doing in order to provide the highest level of safety for our little companions.