Ivy has been to the groomer

[sanford]

Ivy, Bonnie, Dayvo's pooch... and now Ruffy! I was so inspired, seeing all these well-groomed cairns, that I decided to give Ruffy a trim as well.

Although he ended up looking a bit rough around the edges, as you can see from the attached pix, it didn't prevent Ruffy from catching the eye and attention of a flirty Beagle mix. (Can't blame her)! 

Edited September 4, 2016 by sanford

[hheldorfer]

Ruffy looks great!  It's no wonder the Beagle is interested in him.  Who wouldn't be interested in a handsome city boy like Ruffy?  

Why am I picturing Ruffy walking down the street with the theme to "Saturday Night Fever" playing in the background? 

[Sam I Am]

Ruffy  I would follow that cute waggle also....

[Hillscreek]

So many good looking cairns  so well groomed!

Interested in what whits and terrierlover say re coat. I wonder if coats were different long ago. It is hard to tell from pics but Angus's coat seems different from many I see today. It is never the cute yak coat, it never mats. I only stripped him once because it took months  for his coat to grow back. I pull long dead hairs now and then. His undercoat is very fine and soft and yet quite thick. His outer coat is maybe 3+ inches long but it lays close along his body so it doesn't look so long. There is less hair on his legs.

I lived quite a few years on the Northumberland /Scottish border and have been to Scotland quite often. The climate on the west coast and islands and western highlands (cairn land) is warmed by the Gulf Stream and generally ranges between 40 and 70 F. It is damp and misty. A coat like Angus has is perfect for that weather. Needs little grooming. Keeps his body warm and dry.

On the other, eastern, side of Scotland (Scottie land) in Aberdeen and areas north and south a wild cold wind blows off the North Sea. Perhaps a different coat evolved there. I seem to recall in the early days of showing - the Mrs Campbell era, her dogs were western dogs from Isle of Skye. There were different looking cairns from the east coast who were not favored.

Here's a pic of cairns from early days - 1897 by Fanny Moody. Angus reminds me of them re coat, foxy face, set of ears. However no matter what they look like, cairn temperament, intelligence, independence and love of fun and games remains the same!

Edited September 4, 2016 by Hillscreek
date and title

[Sam I Am]

Love love this picture!  I wonder given the age of this picture if they were show dogs? Were Cairns shown in the ring at that time?  And if they were, was their coat stripped? Would be interesting to see what a non show Cairn looked like in the earlier years or have they been bred in more modern times for a different coat?

Edited September 4, 2016 by Terrier lover

[Hillscreek]

Fanny Moody (1861-1948) was famous for her paintings of dogs. Google images for her paintings. Dozens maybe hundreds of sketches and painting of dogs and some other animals too. She catches the spirit of the dog she is panting or sketching very well. She was almost completely self taught. Guessing this painting is not show dogs.

First showing of a cairn terrier was in 1909 in UK I believe. I do have description somewhere about preparing dogs for the ring in the early years. If I come across it I will post. Seem to recall very minimal - basically washing and brushing - some even suggest skipping the washing. I don't know when stripping started. Maybe Brad or someone might know.

However it happened it seems to me that modern cairns are bigger, heavier, squarer and have more coat than in the earlier days - or even than the standard calls for. Back when I was young and living in UK. I remember dogs much smaller. I was quite surprised when I started out looking for a pup a few years ago. Indeed Angus is different from his three wheaten brothers. Ancient genes surfacing I like to think!

Edited September 4, 2016 by Hillscreek

[_whits_]

I can speak to the size differences. Nutrition and healthcare is so much better than when most of the early AKC standards were set, that all dogs are generally larger than AKC standards. Indeed, breeds that still specify certain heights and weights from that era for the show ring have to purposely breed them to make them smaller (I assume they aren't depriving them of food and healthcare, although after seeing what the show ring has done to German Shepards, English bulldogs, and Bull Terriers, I wouldn't put it past some). Of course individual dogs will have some variation (even within their breed), but overall, dogs are eating more well-rounded diets and receiving more comprehensive care, and therefore growing larger. 

It's the same phenomenon in humans. Over the last 150 years, the average Western industrialized human has grown 4 inches. And if you look at North and South Korea (where genetic similarity should result in similar heights), men born during the 1990s in North Korea (a time of particularly harsh famine) are on average close to 5 inches shorter than their South Korean counterparts born at the same time. Scientists have narrowed down the reasoning for average height increases to healthcare (particularly in childhood) and nutrition. http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/why-are-we-getting-taller/

Hillscreek, like you, I've only ever stripped Addie (if you can call it that) once. The only yak-ish parts she gets are her that her ear floofs can get really out of control, and the hair on her legs tends to get tangled (but never matted). The rest of her stays pretty much the same length. It does however seem to increase in volume. I only pull hair out when it comes out when I'm brushing her, or if there's a particularly tempting section of dead hairs. I did try to strip an area around her neck earlier this Spring because she seemed to be getting quite hot there and her hair was very thick, I overdid the stripping and it STILL hasn't grown back (probably close to 7 months now). I've mostly left Addie alone for over 5 years now except for regular brushing with a pin brush and she's never reached full yak. 

[_whits_]

As for east v west coast of Scotland, I can believe the temperature differences. When I was in St Andrews in April and September 2004 the wind was horrendous and it was freezing. But when I moved to Northern Ireland (basically same latitude, different seas) for a few years it was pleasant and 40-60 degrees year-round, if consistently misty (which I loved). That Gulf Stream keeps Ireland and Northern Ireland lovely year round. I was shocked with the difference between that and the east coast of Scotland on the North Sea, which I personally found unbearably windy and cold, although beautiful!

[josie&holly]

Interesting comments about stripping and history.  Yesterday took Ivy to a little local fun dog show where we did not stay for long as it rained!  However we met a couple with a wheaton Cairn who when I chatted to them said the only grooming she got was round the legs to keep them tidy but apart from brushing and combing she had never stripped or clipped her - Daisy was five and looked as if she had a lovely coat and looked like one in picture.  Unfortunately could not get near her to see it properly as when on lead she is aggressive to other dogs due to been attacked a couple of years ago.  Apparently the breeder told them that she not strip a wheaton!  So am not sure about that.  Ivy's coat when had her stripped was not long but thick.  I feel that it is good to keep them tidy but obviously;y opinions will vary on that.

[kjwarnold]

That wheaten Cairn in the pic could be Kirby!  He's a bit fluffier right now because he was swimming, but his cost will flatten out in a day or so.  I did strip him periodically but not a lot.