The New Owner's Guide to Cairn Terriers

Rating:
Summary: A Little Disappointing
Review: Considering the status of the author's kennel, I found the book to be a let-down. It honestly seemed like a generic book on dogs used as a template with only an added Cairn-specific paragraph or two at most per chapter. In the majority of the text it looks like the words "the dog" were just replaced with "the Cairn Terrier".

I was looking for much more from this author. For example in the chapter covering health issues, the advice on routine care for a Cairn's ears is "ask your veterinarian". Gee thanks! Isn't there any advice you could print to educate me as well? My vet isn't a Cairn breeder or owner, he really doesn't know a lot of breed-specific issues and that's what I'd hoped this book could provide. The same with grooming. The book just says that the Cairn is the "lazy man's terrier" as far as coat. Very little is given about the unique care and maintenance a Cairn's coat requires except a discussion of a name brand of stripping knife.

The photographs are lovely and abundant. The text is well written, and good basic information, it's just not deep with Cairn detail. There are a few spots where the author's love and knowledge of the breed shines out, for example in the discussion of obedience that says a Cairn's response to obedience commands ranges from "no" to "make me" to "make it worth my while".

All in all, a book worth having on my shelf but if I was using it to evaluate whether a Cairn was the dog for me or as my only reference for behavior and care issues, I'd feel I didn't have enough material.

Rating:
Summary: great book!
Review: this book is really good. i loved the variety in pictures (and so did my friends). it has the right amount of information and is organized well. i got this book one day before i bought my cairn terrier which i'd been considering getting and the information here really confirmed that this was the right dog for me. i am also going to get a training book but for those wanting to know about this breed this is a complete book. i highly recommend this !!