Longer muzzle and tail.

[Posey]

We just returned from vacation with Nicky our Cairn. His muzzle and tail is longer then my daughters Cairn. How does this come about and is it

a terrible weakness in the breed?

Posey

[eastern lobster]

hi, I got my cairn at a pet store, he was 5 months old when we bought him, I notice his tail was longer and his ears was bigger than the female that we had bought 12 years ago, who had pass away from cancer.Also when I tried to take a goodie away from him he definedly wanted to bite me. I hope he grows out of that because I have falled in love with this little hope you fine your answer from someone who might know why the drifferce in these breeds. :angel:

[Posey]

Dear Eastern Lobster, I really didn't notice the difference in Nicky our Cairn til we were visiting our daughter in LA. She has a Cairn too. You couldn't help but notice Nick's tail and muzzle was longer. And maybe the ears a little bigger. Don't know the reason why. I mean in all other ways, Nicky is 100 percent Cairn from what I have read. I don't know if the muzzle and tail thing in him is due from faulty breeding or what. I mean it isn't long like a Collie but its noticabley longer then my daughters' dog. As far as your puppy getting defensive over his food/toy, I wouldn't let that bother me, they are very protective of what they feel is theirs.

The muzzle and tail is suppose to be in proportion to each other. Is your Cairn's muzzle a little longer too?

Posey

[bradl]

Here is a quote from an informative piece on the web called "You be the judge" by Robert Cole. It gives a nice word picture of the head of a good Cairn (and includes some nice drawings as well):

His head is broad in proportion to length, full furnishings giving a general impression of roundness viewed face-on. His dark hazel eyes are medium in size, slightly sunk and placed well apart under shaggy eyebrows. There is a definite stop, the muzzle is shorter than skull in a ratio of 4 to 5 (American Education Committee), and he has a scissor bite. His small pointed ears are carried erect but not too close.

I'm not sure I would say muzzle length is a 'terrible weakness in the breed' but it is probably a characteristic that is easy to lose in casually bred Cairns. (I don't have the kind of experience to make that kind of judgement.) I do know by direct observation that conscientious breeders also struggle to mainain proper dentition with all premolars, incisors, big teeth and a good scissors bite. They struggle to keep medium bone without drifting over to heavy coarsness, or light, weedy bone. Maintaining, or even achieving, a proportionate length of upper arm to give the shoulders the kind of layback that lets a Cairn really reach out and cover ground effortlessly is a constant struggle.

A breeder near me who processes most of the rescue dogs in our area says that the rescues she sees frequently show the longer muzzle (and bigger ears). I defer to her experience and analysis. Many Cairns seem to have big ears as puppies and eventually grow into them. When mature, though, they should be smallish in proportion. Likewise the tip of the tail ideally lies level with the tip of the ears, although the ears should not grow really tall to catch up to a long tail