"Is that one of those Yorkies?"

[Carolinasmom]

While on my daily walk today, that is what a woman in the park asked me. (Humph!) I told her no, she's a cairn. She replied that she doesn't know the difference between them all. I told her a cairn is like Toto. Whenever I use that line, people ALWAYS know what I mean. I think we need another famous movie starring a cairn so more people know about them!

[Anna_525]

What about this - Alfie's former owner insisted that she bought two cairns, one was Alfie -- but when we visited last weekend, I had a second look at the other "cairn" and it was all white...very, very white like a Westie.....or are there white cairns???

And yes, I always have to say Alfie's a Toto dog.

[Guest Darcy's Mom]

I don't think white is acceptable in the Cairn breed. Any color but white, so she must have been a Westie or had Westie in her. I also run into the "Oh how cute, what kind of dog is that?" I just look very defeated and tell them it is a Toto dog from the Wizard of Oz. I swear I am gonna start wearing a sign that says "I am a Toto dog".

[savannahsmom35]

LOL We were walking the other night and one of the neighbors came over to see Savannah. She actually said "She looks like a blonde Toto." I wanted to say, Duh lady! They are an actual breed. Toto wasn't just bred to do the Wizard of Oz and then the entire breed was wiped off the face of the earth! Why are people so surprised when we say they are Toto dogs???

My DH didn't know Savannah was the same breed as Toto until a month or so after we brought her home. I said HONEY how did you NOT know when our breeder even joked that in order for her to surrender our pup to us, we each had to sing "Somewhere over the rainbow". He says, "OH, i wondered why she said that". DUH!

[hallswel]

Well, I went into walmart the other day and I had a Cairn shirt on and it had CAIRN TERRIER across the front and this lady said oh how cute a shirt with my babies picture on it....I have a littlie yorkie weighs 4 lbs. I said No this was a Cairn Terrier and she said no it looked just like her baby.

I just went on about my business it was obvious she was not changing her mind. I don't think they look that much alike. geez 4lbs I would worry I would step on it

[Guest Guest]

Heck. I just immediately tell people its a toto-dog. People just dont know dogs! I used to have a red doberman. One day while walking him, a lady, who thought it was a Weimeraner (duh, those are silver, right?) squealed: "Is THAT a Weeniewiner? I just LOVE Weeniewiners! Heh heh, I said, Yes! It is a Weenie-Whiner, cuz that dog was the biggest baby ever, a big chicken. I smiled and walked away.

I like having dogs nobody else has on my block! Everybody ELSE has poodles and Shi-Tsus and Bichons.....We are the lucky ones with Cairns!

[TheScotts]

Oops, That Was me with the story about the Weeniewiner dog!

D Scott

[Anna_525]

I just remembered this - after I sent a photo of Alfie to my friend, complete with "Alfie is a cairn terrier, you know, like Toto" -- she sent back this response: "Are you sure he is not a Schnauzer?" If I could just reach out through the monitor and slap her....

[Carolinasmom]

I think I've had 2 people say they thought Toto was a Scottie! Ummm.....no.....

I suppose they think that b/c Toto was black and Scotties are too.

[Eliz222]

I was walking my two several months ago and a lady pulled up to the stop sign (we were walking on the sidewalk) and stated, "I guess Toto is not in Kansas anymore"....and drove off!!!!!!! I just stared with my jaw open and then walked home...some people! At least she knew it was a "Toto" dog!

[pjoes_girl]

I was walking in the park, and a kid no older than six said... TOTO! i was surprised he even knew the movie...

[Guest Darcy's Mom]

Well, when you stop and think about it, we are the lucky ones to have Cairns. I check the want ads every once in a while and very rarely do I see ads for Cairns. We're just "special" and I bet if everybody knew what great little dogs they were the demand would go up. It's a well-kept secret I guess.

[Guest girliejr]

I'm glad to know that it isn't just in Texas! I thought it was just the people in the South that didn't know what a Cairn was (actually, I must admit, I didn't know what they were either before I got Jack!). I assumed the breed must be more popular up north. I guess it is pretty universal, they are just a well kept secret!

I also have to say "like Toto" frequently when explaining Jack's breed. I agree, we need another famous Cairn! We need a big hit show with a Cairn as the pet (like Eddie did for the Jack Russell on Frasier)! Anyone know any TV producers?

[bradl]

Eeek! The downside of a popular breed character (especially a current one) is the upswing in casually (if not criminally) bred, popularity-chasing, mill dogs. Look out below, Rescue. Related, I don't follow PRT/JRT boards but I'd be willing to bet there are thousands of PRT owners out there wondering just what the HECK they got themselves into when they got "Eddie" home. Heaven protect us from a modern Toto.

Just my O, of course

[Guest Darcy's Mom]

I can speak from experience on this one. We have Molly, part Scottie,part Jack Russel. She is a bundle of energy from the time she wakes until she finally conks out at night. But she is also the happiest dog I have ever seen. Also, very, very smart. The down side to her though would have to be her abundant supply of energy. She will go out back and run the length of the yard and make a loop around the fenceline and just keep running. It's like she has to run all this pent up energy out. But she is a sweet and loving dog too. Needless to say, Darcy pretty much just follows along as best she can. She's so short legged and not near as big but she tries, she's all heart. We love them both.

[Pepandfriend's mom]

My two (1 Cairn, 1 Westie) have been called (together) Scotties and Westies. At least one person got it half right!

Pam

[Guest mrskti]

We were at Ft Wilderness this weekend, and I was amazed at the people that knew what kind of dogs I had!!! I've gotten into the habit of just saying "they're cairns...you know, like Toto...." It was nice to see some people that knew what the heck they were. Especially since they look so different from each other.

[wheezie23]

Brad, I completely agree with you. After working with cairn rescue and seeing the results of puppy mills, I secretly hope I never see a cairn terrier win the big dog shows. Look at all the dalmatians that ended up in shelters after the movie "101 Dalmatians" came out? I like having the best-kept secret among dog breeds!

As for people asking about my dogs, it never fails that when I'm walking them or out with them, people will stop and ask what breed Scruffy is. I tell them "He's a cairn terrier, like Toto from the Wizard of Oz." and they'll say "oh, yeah!" Then they'll look at Tucker and say, "Now what breed is he?" Duuurr!

thela

[Anna_525]

I just came across this....

Someone thought Toto was a Scottie

[bradl]

I read somewhere that in the film they started out looking for a Scottie but when a famous trainer brought in Terry she won the job with her great acting chops

Ah, google my friend found this, courtesy of the Wizard of Oz - Frequently Asked Questions page:

5.11. What breed of dog is Toto?

It depends on your source. In The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Baum describes him as "a little black dog, with long, silky hair and small black eyes that twinkled merrily on either side of his funny, wee nose." He never said what breed he was, but Denslow drew him as looking somewhat like a Cairn terrier or a Scottie. When Toto next appears in an Oz book, John R. Neill drew him as a Boston terrier or French bulldog (Neill had a French bulldog himself at the time), even though he was well aware of Denslow's depiction. 

<...snip...>

For The Movie, Scotties were initially looked at, but when Carl Spitz brought in Terry, a Cairn terrier, she got the job, and Toto became a Cairn to many. In other movies, and some newer illustrated editions of The Wizard of Oz, Toto has been depicted as other breeds.

A French Bulldog!

[magadog]

There were a zillion movies in the 1930s and 1940s that had Cairn terriers, but they also come in different colors, and I believe that this and their appealing shaggy mutt-like appearance has been their salvation!

Cairns in the Movies

I do not wish them to get too popular. Then they will become even more of a "cash crop" for unscrupulous so-called breeders. Cairn terriers need to live with people who are willing to manage the breed's smart-- though not always obedient--character.

Mine have been called Schnauzers, Norwiches (especially after one took Westminster), Scotties, and even "dirty Westies."

Best,

Jill

"Keep Away"

[Guest sandy's mom]

When walking our cairn the other day (Sandy is a light brindle) a woman shouted "What a cute Westie!". I just smiled "thanks" and kept walking. A brindle Westie is no Westie! But then, what do I know???

[toomanypaws]

I somehow missed this post. I was asked once while holding Hannah in Pet Supermarket if she was a yorkie, but I think it's because she is small. I was holding her another time at dd's school and this dad walked up to me w/ his little girl and said, "look, a Scottie puppy!" What can I say, I'm in a small town where cairns aren't very common. I do think Yorkies are cute when they're puppies.

[Anna_525]

Yesterday, at the dog run we met a guy who liked rattling off the breeds of the dogs as they were coming. When we came, he simply said "a terrier." Then about 30 minutes later, he came back and said, "Toto!" I admit, I'm not a dog breed expert myself, but the attempts made by other people are just amusing.