Well – how did it begin with me and the Cairns? I had always been crazy about animals. When, after my Abitur (German high-school diploma) I had to make a decision as to what career I should chose, relatives sent me from England the magazine “Our Dogs” with many ads from training schools for kennel maids and job ads.

I was intrigued, my father thought it was quite an odd idea but he said, that this way I would at least learn English very well. So, this is how I arrived on the beautiful coast of South-Wales near Tenby to work as a trainer in a small terrier kennel. There, they had Fox Terriers, Scotties, Westies and Cairns. Never before had I heard of this breed.

Since they were the favourites of the then Prince of Wales and later King, they quickly gained great popularity in those years. And already there, in Wales, I lost my heart to those little gnomes, with whom I undertook long walks over the broom-covered hills or with whom I could romp around in the sand and water down by the coast. But, for the time, being, Airdales were my preferred breed. Therefore, I subscribed in Ardross-Training-School. There, Molly Harbutt, later Mrs. Harmsworth (Bengal), was head kennelmaid.

She recommended me to “Aislaby”-Hayes. I was granted the great privilege to be received in their house for 6 months. Here, I learned everything about raising terriers and about shows. I was trained by George Barthley, the Manager of the world-famous Crackley-Foxterrier-Kennel, who had also taken over the handling of the Aislaby-Airdales.

I accompanied Aislaby Aethling on all his triumphs and I raised Champ. Aislaby Aethelstan. Eventually, I had to return to Germany, because at that time it was already forbidden to send money abroad. Nevertheless, I managed to take three Cairn terries home, from leading kennels, which nowadays unfortunately are no longer existing. They were Mrs. Rudlands Trashurst-Cairns and Capt. Townleys Carysfort Cairns.

Here, in Germany, I came just in time for the first world championship show in Frankfurt, where I met Erich Braeckow, who took this inexperienced young girl under his wings. My first show in Germany was the “Grüne Woche” in Berlin, and Dr. Prinzing was the first judge to award a price to my Cairns. I stayed in Berlin for professional training, then. Always, my Cairns accompanied me.

An whilst other people complained about their landladies, I had no reason to do so, because I was allowed to raise dogs even in bedsit rooms and my landladies even looked after my puppies, while I passed an exam or travelled. Through my mother we were friends with Dr. Lutz Heck, the director of the Berlin Zoo. This is how it happened that my Cairn bitch Morag of Sandsland once had her babies in the quarantine house of the zoo between a leopard and a boa constrictor. Then came the war, with it all its sorrows and nights of bombing in the big city of Berlin.

Although dogs were not allowed in bomb shelters, my Cairns were always with us, and nobody in the house protested. For the first time they had to take second place when I met my husband, but they understood very soon, that they could win his heart, too, and they distributed their love on both of us.

Later on, all of a sudden a squealing little bundle arrived. In the first instance, they didn’t like this at all, but when we came to West Germany after a severe bomb raid, they fiercely defended the laundry basket with its romping inhabitant against all strangers.

After the currency reform I could start again seriously to raise dogs. I obtained fresh blood from England, Redletter o`the Braes and Uniquecottage. Soon, I had an adequately large basis for my breed. Tesso ò the Braes and her son Allerleirauh Orion became world champions in Dortmund in 1956, so did Allerleirauh Alberich in 1973, also in Dortmund. And though in the meantime I was at last able to raise and show Airdales (it is a much greater sportive challenge to trim and show this big, elegant terrier), my heart belongs to the Cairns, these highly intelligent, undemanding dogs, who so happily romp around outdoors and never disturb you or intrude on you indoors.

Who share all your moods and feelings, who can comfort us or share our happiness, who can be saucy and aggressive or soft and affectionate. Every Cairn has his own personality, he will do everything for his master spontaneously, but he is reluctant to learn tricks, although each one can think of his own little tricks. Many of them can really laugh and even speak, if one can understand the modulation of a dog’s voice, and all of them can read thoughts.

To take walks, hunting and riding in a car is what they love most. A new litter being born is always a miracle to me. When all puppies are healthy and viable, I watch them grow every day, attended and guarded by their mother, and eventually the question comes up, which one will be the best of the litter and if there is a future champion among them.

All of them must find a good new home. In this respect, it is my greatest gratification that there are families who have a third or fourth generation Allerleirauh Cairn living with them.

Always when a loved little companion went to dog’s heaven, a successor had to replace him...

May this breed survive with all its originality and naturalness, unspoilt little daredevils and no fashion dogs!

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