Talbot vs Cairland Terrier - Breed Comparison | Petzlover

The Cairland Terrier is a cross between the Cairn Terrier and the West Highland White Terrier. It simply means that if you own a Cairland, you’re going to get a little bit of each dog in him.

This hybrid is a new breed which means you’re not going to get too much documented history on the dog. A tough little hunter of fox and otter, the Cairnland is thought to hail from Scotland.

Known as the Talbot Hound, nobody really seems to have accurate records as to the origins of the Talbot dog breed but it seems to have originated in France.

It is believed that the Talbot, with his excellent nose, was a hunting dog, but he is now extinct.

It is thought that the dog descends from the beagle and the bloodhound. It came to England in 1066 and vanished towards the end of the 18th century.

The Cairland Terrier is a small dog standing anything between 20 and 35cm in height and weighing in at roughly 4 to 10kg. He has short legs, a compact little body, while being muscled and strong. He has small erect ears with a shortish upright tail.

The color of the medium length coat can be fairly varied which means brown, black, cream, fawn, brindle or even white from the Westie. The dog has two coats with the topcoat being fairly harsh, coarse and straight to slightly wavy while the undercoat is soft.

When it comes to temperament, the Cairland Terrier is social and feisty with a high self-esteem. He has a strong personality and can be somewhat stubborn but he is a great friend of children in the home. He just loves to take part in all their games.

With training and socialization which he undergoes easily, he will get on well with other pets too, although he can become aggressive with other dogs in his territory.

The Talbot hound was a large, white purebred dog. He stood at roughly 58 to 69cm and weighed between 36 and 50kg.

He had a large head and a short, smooth, coarse pure white coat. He has a long tail which he held upright and fairly long floppy ears. He was a slow but efficient scenthound.

Temperament:

It is believed that this strong, hard working dog was gentle, loving and loyal and that he would have made an excellent family pet.

They were the kind of dogs that needed lots of social interaction with his human family. His amicable nature would have meant him getting on well with children and other dogs.

Slow, it’s a dog that had low intelligence and he may have taken a long time to learn any simple tricks or commands. If he were around today he wouldn’t have been suited to city living as he was a vocal breed – having quite a selection of barks and howls to voice his opinion.

Terriers are dogs that are full of character and self-confidence, and your Cairland Terrier is no different. These small dogs in the Terrier group don’t actively look for a fight with other dogs, but if they are provoked, they aren’t intimidated and will give bigger dogs a piece of their mind. They make splendid pets and will always be ready for a game.

Make sure that your Cairland Terrier remains the feisty little character he is by making sure he gets well looked after. Dogs aren’t known as man’s best friend for nothing, and in exchange for the care you give your Terrier, you’ll be rewarded by a loyal and devoted friend.

The Talbot is extinct, but he was no doubt a docile, calm kind of dog that would have made a great family pet.

He would have been an ideal dog for first time dog owners too as he was a gentle, affectionate dog.They were tough, protective, stubborn but loving and loyal, and more’s the pity that this dog has disappeared.

Your Cairland is a tough, feisty little dog and you’re not going to find yourself constantly having to take him to the vet. However even healthy dogs can be affected by ill health, and we look at a couple of illness you want to watch for with your Terrier.

Diarrhoea:

This can be brought on by a change in diet. Usually you can keep food away from your pet for 24 hours, allowing the stomach to empty and to settle. However, if there is blood in the diarrhoea or your dog is vomiting, then veterinary advice must be sought.

Hay Fever:

Just like humans, a dog can have an allergy to pollen where you see watering of the eyes as well as sneezing. This is because of inflammation of the mucous membranes in the nose. Your vet can ease the problem for your pet.

Nobody can say what the health status of the Talbot dog was, but being a hunting dog, out in the open and getting plenty of exercise, he was no doubt a healthy dog. But all dogs can fall ill at some time or another with any one of the many dog illnesses there are -

Ear Infections:

Ear infections in dogs are quite common, but more so with dogs that have floppy ears.

You’ll see your pet scratching and pawing at his ears and shaking his head. There will in all likelihood be redness in your pets ears and you may even detect an abnormal odor.

There are quite a few things that can cause these ear infections in dogs such as ear mites, an excess of dirt and wax and bacteria.

Don’t allow your pet to suffer – get him to the vet. Your veterinarian will also show you how you can clean the ear for future times with a gentle cleanser. You have to be so careful not to rupture the ear drum, and some people prefer to get their vet to do this or professional groomers.

Ectropion - eyelid abnormalities:

The Talbot could have suffered with ectropion – when the lower lids are turned out. Ectropion disrupts the function of the lower lid so that it can't protect the eye, and there is abrasion of the surface of the eye.

This condition can also bring on conjunctivitis. Get your pet to the vet for treatment and relief.

The lifespan of the Talbot was anything from 9 to 12 years of age, and one or two other health problems that could have shortened his life were dermatitis, cancer, hip dysplasia and eye infections.

Grooming:

Because the Cairland Terrier is a hybrid breed, the coat can be wiry or soft, but it’s a low maintenance coat. He will need to be brushed twice a week. Some people take their Cairland to have the coat professionally trimmed while others buy a special stripping tool and they strip the hair a couple of times a year.

Dental Care:

Small dogs are prone to dental disease, so you will need to brush your Cairland’s teeth at least two or three times a week. Dental disease is a serious problem with dogs and it won’t only affect the teeth and gums but it can result in infection which can contribute to organ failure. Periodontal disease is always a big problem with little dogs. If you’re not sure how to go about looking after your dog’s teeth, you can always take your dog to the vet for dental check-ups and cleaning.

Grooming:

The Talbot with his short hair would have been looked upon as a low maintenance breed and would have required a brush now and again.

Because of the floppy ears, they would have needed to be checked inside for infection.

Diet:

The Talbot was a strong, hard-working kind of dog so if commercially manufactured dog food was available in that time, you would have ensured a good quality one for strong, energetic dogs.

At that time, Talbot dog owners tossed their dogs bits of raw meat. Home-made food like boiled chicken, brown rice, spinach, carrots and sweet potatoes without any exotic flavorings would have been an excellent diet.

Any dog will need a constant supply of fresh, cool water to drink.