History of Cairn Terriers 

   The Cairn terrier originated over two hundred  years 
   ago in the Highlands of Scotland and on the Isle of 
   Skye. No one has been able to discover the breed's 
   exact origin. Even so, the Cairn is one of the oldest, 
   if not the oldest, pure British terrier breed.

   Because these earlier terriers were used in hunting 
   foxes, badgers and other vermin which were found 
   the rocky crevices, or cairns, they were named 
   Cairn terriers. The name terrier comes from the 
   Latin "terra" meaning earth.

   Description:

   The Cairn terrier may be any color, except pure 
   white. The most common colors are wheaten gray, 
   red, or the same colors with brindle shadings and 
   mostly with black points. The size of the Cairn 
   must be of balanced proportions, neither leggy nor 
   too low on ground, neither too short or too long. 
   The ideal weight for dogs should be 14 pounds; for 
   females, 13 pounds. These are just standard guide- 
   lines; dogs do differ in size and weight, just like 
   humans.

   Personality:

    The Cairn is a little dog that loves people. They 
   can' t stand being alone and away from their human 
   pack members. Cairn's are gentle and loving and 
   have an intense desire to please their masters. The 
   Cairn is a born digger and if there is a juicy scent of 
   some little pest, even in the middle of a sacred 
   garden or vegetable bed, be aware, he will often take 
   to the ground and dig to his heart's content. They are 
   intelligent, full of spirit, but not high-strung. They 
   are excellent watch dogs; alerting the master at even 
   the slightest unusual noise. It has often been said 
   that if you have a Cairn terrier in your home for a 
   year, you will have one for the rest of your life. A 
   famous Cairn terrier that everyone will know, is 
   Toto, Dorothy's dog in the Wizard of OZ .

   Source--How to Raise and Train
   a Cairn Terrier, by Erliss McCormack