MyDogBreeds
Cairn Terrier is originated from United Kingdom but Black Russian Terrier is originated from Russia. Cairn Terrier may grow 43 cm / 16 inches shorter than Black Russian Terrier. Cairn Terrier may weigh 52 kg / 114 pounds lesser than Black Russian Terrier. Both Cairn Terrier and Black Russian Terrier has almost same life span. Both Cairn Terrier and Black Russian Terrier has almost same litter size. Cairn Terrier requires Low maintenance. But Black Russian Terrier requires High maintenance
The Cairn Terrier originates in the Scottish Highlands. This feisty little dog was given the name Cairn, as he used to hunt prey between the Scottish cairns. At first the dog was grouped as a ‘Skye Terrier’way back in the 1900s with the Scottish and West Highland White Terrier. Then the different breeds began to be bred separately.
The name Cairn Terrier didn’t appear in print till 1887. It was in 1912 that the Kennel Club of the United Kingdom recognized the Cairn Terrier.
During the cold war, the Soviet Union developed the Black Russian Terrier as a working military dog. During the early 1950’s, the Red Star Kennel developed this breed and in 2004 by the American Kennel Club. The Black Russian Terrier is not really a terrier at all, but a mid-sized working dog used for hunting and guarding or as a pet. The Red Star Kennel is thought to have developed the BRT using a wide variety of breeds – as many as seventeen – including breeds like the Newfoundland, the Rottweiler, the Caucasian Shepard Dog and a Giant Shepard and an Airedale. So, you can see the wide variety and several more breeds were added. The Red Star Kennel in Moscow was owned by the state and they developed the BRT for specific working conditions and not for appearance. They did not really care how it looked except that it had to be black. In 1957 the state allowed a few puppies to be sold to non-military breeders. These breeders began to breed the Black Russian Terrier for appearance as well as function.
As these breeders worked with the dogs, they spread the breed throughout Russia and into Finland, Poland, Hungary, Germany, Czechoslovakia and Germany. From there they spread to Australia, Canada and the United States. The breed standard was developed in 1958 and by 1996 an updated version of the standard was developed to reflect the dog we see today. In 1996 the United Kingdom also got their first introduction to the breed. They are still rare outside of Russian or previous Soviet Union states.
The small sturdily built working Terrier is intelligent and courageous. Bright-eyed, he is small and active and he just loves to work- and party hard with his human family. You’ll see if you’ve got a ball you want to throw for him, his tail is quivering in anticipation and his ears are erect and alert to any noise. He is smart, independent and courageous.
The Cairn Terrier has a tough, weather-resistant coat that can be any color but not white. He has a waterproof double coat – the outer one being wiry while the undercoat is soft. You’ll find the coat in man colours such as grey, black, red and brindle with dark points on the ears and muzzle.
The interesting thing with a Cairn is that when you get a puppy, you can’t be sure what color he will end up being as it changes over the years. The ears are fox-like, small and erect, and the natural medium-to-short tail is held straight out.
A little larger than a mid-sized dog, the Black Russian Terrier is strong, powerful, stable and alert. His head is block shaped and has a broad skull. The muzzle is square with a beard and mustache. A black, large nose and full black lips are matched with powerful and large jaws. He has a scissor bite and his ears should be triangles with rounded apexes. They have very large paws that are bear-like in appearance with thick black pads. They are also covered with hair. Their legs are muscular, powerful and strong. They have a cropped tail.
The Cairn Terrier is a fearless, jaunty little dog, known for his courageous spirit and inquisitive nature. He may be small, but he is stubborn. He will respond well to training and socialization which will turn him into the most awesome pet for families. He can make a wonderful friend and playmate for children too. Socialization and training ensures he gets on well with other pets in the household too.
He is small and energetic, and therefore not the kind of dog you can ignore in terms of exercise. He’ll need a good walk every day and he just loves to chase a ball as it takes him back to the days when he was used to chasing- and catching mice.
He isn’t your typical lap-dog at all and with the right care he becomes a devoted, loyal and loving companion.
The Black Russian Terrier is a working dog and he is confident, calm, self-assured and confident. He is responsive and intelligent, protective and fearless, loyal and aloof. He is not welcoming to strangers. If socialized well, he is enough of an independent thinker to be able to decide on his own who or what poses a threat to his family and what doesn’t. They get bored quickly because they are so smart. Keep him stimulated. These are strong, athletic dogs who will love to run with you, jog along side your bike, hike the mountain or just walk with you. Whatever your form of exercise is, the Black Russian Terrier can adapt to it. They also have a strong prey drive so don’t trust them with animals they do not know. They are ok with cats and dogs that they grow up with. They love to play with kids but be careful they don’t unintentionally knock the little ones down.
The Black Russian Terrier matures later than other dogs. Treat the puppy the way you want the adult dog to be. If you don’t want a large dog on your bed don’t let the puppy sleep on the bed. He will soon be a large, powerful and strong dog with a mind of his own and you will not be able to keep him off the bed.
The Cairn Terrier is a robust little dog, and with good care can reach 14 years of age and even older. However, with every dog breed there are some health concerns particular to that breed. With your Cairn Terrier look out for a disease known as Globoid cell leukodystrophy (GCL).
Known also as Krabbe Disease, Globoid cell leukodystrophy (GLD) is a rare but fatal disease. It is caused by a mutation on the dog’s DNA. There is abnormal processing of an enzyme needed for the production of myelin, a substance that protects the nerves in the brain and spinal cord. The dog is weak, it has tremors and isn’t co-ordinated. The Cairn Terrier is a breed of dog more susceptible to GCL.
Your Cairn Terrier may well suffer with joint diseases. These diseases, such as luxating patella which is about loose knee joints, and hip dysplasia which is a degenerative hip disease, can cause plenty of pain and discomfort for your pet.
Glaucoma is an eye disease where there is pressure on the eye, causing inadequate fluid drainage. Without treatment, there can be damage to the optic nerve which can lead to blindness.
This is a healthy breed who faces some of the same issues other large dogs face such as dysplasia in the elbows and hips. Then they also face their own hereditary diseases such as Juvenile laryngeal paralysis, hyperuricosuria and polyneuropathy. They are also susceptible to heart disease, eye diseases, allergies, Panosteitis and hypertropic osteodystrophy. Let’s look at the major hereditary disease that are not so common.
This occurs when the larynx arytenoid cartilages stop working and don’t operate so then the adjoining muscles don’t work either and the dog cannot swallow without the possible damage to the airway and the cannot breathe properly during exercise or while panting.
This is a condition that can occur in people and animals. This condition can lead to kidney or bladder stones as there is too much uric acid in their urine.
Like any form of neuropathy, in this disease many different nerves are damaged, and this can cause weak reflexes and tremors. There are effective treatments however.
The Cairn Terrier sheds very little and the coat is easy to groom. Give him a thorough brushing twice a week to rid him of loose hairs. Some trimming will be needed as the coat can become shaggy and unruly.
Brush his teeth at least 2 or 3 times a week to prevent tartar build up that can lead to bacteria, gum disease and possible tooth loss.
The Cairn Terrier is small but he is an active dog and therefore needs to be on a high-quality dog food. If you feed him a commercially manufactured food, make sure its appropriate to his age, size and activity levels.
He is a small dog so you want to be careful about not letting him become overweight. Try and alternate his commercially manufactured food with some home-made rice, vegetables and meat and also include some raw meat in from time to time. This is of particular importance as chronic skin allergies are common in all terrier breeds. Make sure that there is always a clean bowl of fresh water available to him day and night.
This is a large, working dog that needs healthy nutrition. Feed once or twice a day but do not overfeed. Don’t let your Black Russian Terrier get overweight. Proper nutrition for puppies is critical given the nutrionally based diseases discussed below.
This is a high energy dog that needs to work. He doesn’t just want to work, he needs to work. So, find him a job and one that includes a lot of exercise. He needs consistent and firm training but will respond well and excel in Obedience Trials. They are good at Schutzhund and agility. They need plenty of exercise and will be unhappy and destructive without enough and a job. He needs to burn off that energy.