Cairn Terrier Dog Grooming Tips

Grooming your dog is not just for show. Grooming involves all the things that a dog needs to keep it healthy. Grooming includes, but is not limited to, nail clipping, teeth cleaning, minimizing skin disease, bathing and brushing. A regular grooming should keep your dog healthy, as well as looking great.

  1. Nail Clipping

    • Since cairn terriers are house dogs their nails do not get worn down. This allows the nails to grow long, forcing the dog to walk more on its heels over time. Walking as such stretches the Achilles tendon and causes pain. If left unattended the result of long nails leads to the dog's inability to walk. Use a canine nail clipper to clip the nails. Clip all the nails evenly and to the same length. You can tell you achieved the required shortness when you are unable to hear the dog's nails hitting a hard wood floor when walking.

    Bathing

    • Avoid bathing your cairn if at all possible. Bathing ruins hair and promotes oil buildup. Brush the dog regularly. Apply some rubbing alcohol on the cairn's coat and rub it down with a towel for a quick clean-up.

    Teeth Cleaning

    • A cairn's teeth can get plaque buildup just like yours. It is important to check your dog's mouth monthly for swollen gums, black teeth or bad breath (worse than normal doggy breath). If any of these conditions occur, bring your dog to a vet. You should also try brushing your dog's teeth on a monthly basis to keep its mouth healthy.

    Trimming

    • Trimming your cairn's coat is an art and takes practice. If you are unsure about how to use a stripping knife, take your terrier to a professional groomer. If you are adventurous, start the grooming process by stripping the dog's mouth up to the eyes, inner thigh, and Achilles heel down to the skin. Three to four weeks later strip the rest of the face up to the ears. Wait another three weeks to strip the sides of the neck and the under cage. Never trim the dog's rear or the tip of the tail.