Nikki Higgins | Nicairn Cairn Terriers

Interview with Nikki Higgins, Breeder of Nicairn Cairn Terriers

1. Please tell us a little bit about yourself. Where do you live? How many years in dogs? How many years as a breeder? What is your kennel name?
2. What are the hallmarks of your breed and why are they important for maintaining breed type?
3. In your opinion, are there enough puppy homes to support breeding a litter this year?
4. How have you implemented new technologies in science and communications as a breeder?
5. In your community, have you noticed a change in the public’s perception of purebred dogs?
6. Have you noticed any trends in the sport? Anything to be concerned about?
7. What are some of the positive changes you’ve seen in the sport in recent years?

Nikki Higgins

1. My name is Niki Higgins, and I live in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. I’ve owned a Cairn Terrier since 2000 and became active in Conformation at the end of 2012 with my foundation bitch, and co-bred my first litter in 2014. My kennel name is Nicairn.

2. The Hallmarks of the Cairn Terrier:

• Terrier of the short-legged class with a rectangular silhouette – ratio 1:1.5 and 50:50 leg-to-body ratio. The Cairn must be of balanced proportion and moderate. The Cairn Terrier in the 1820s was the farmer’s choice of working terrier; the Cairn would protect chickens and livestock from foxes and badgers, and rid a barn of vermin, plus go to ground and flush out the nuisance! They must be rectangular but balanced in order to turn around in a tight space.
• Cairns are immediately recognizable from the rectangular silhouette, with a strong level topline and erect tail. The tail should be carrot-shaped and strong so that the farmers could pull a dog out of a hole when it got stuck! The tail is not docked, and the tip should be at about the same height as the ear tips when the Cairn is standing up and ready to work!
• Cairns have a pronounced stop, broad skull, and powerful jaw in order to kill quickly, with small, dark, almond-shaped eyes. The ratio is 4:5 – 4 from tip of nose to stop and 5 from the stop to the occiput.
• The Cairn is double-coated, with a wiry topcoat, and should be able to work in the hills all day in the rain without getting cold. The undercoat is soft, and the wiry topcoat must be hand-stripped.

The Cairn is an active, alert, and fun-loving dog that makes an exceptional family pet.

3. Yes, there are enough puppy homes.

4. I Embark test all my puppies and teach my new puppy owners how to groom over Facetime/WhatsApp or Zoom.

5. Yes, and no. Doodles seem to be the dog of convenience. Many people in my area don’t know what a Cairn Terrier is.

6. French Bulldogs are trending, I think, because of no grooming needed.

7. One of the positive changes I’ve seen is more owner-handlers helping other owner-handlers.