Cairn lovers, it is wonderful to greet the spring and summer months with all of you aboard. This is a time for new beginnings - for ourselves, and for our cairns.

To start, we remind you of the Cairnfest in Chicagoland - it's right around the corner, so mark your calendars for May 18th! Next, we follow up with our January 2024 Adopt Me star, "Lulu". She is now the star of her very own Happy Ending - "Love for Lulu". "Radar" is also celebrating his very own happy ending with the Watson family of Indiana, and greets every new day with joyful enthusiasm. Lulu and Radar come from very different backgrounds but each has joined a family who was looking just for them.

Following, we address two areas which are sometimes challenging for cairns and their people: first, helping your dog to weather a summer storm, and second, ensuring the safety of our cairns as they learn the joys of swimming in the "good old summer time." Last, our article on "Birthday Fundraisers for CRUSA on Facebook" will help you set up a Facebook fundraiser when your next birthday comes around.

We frequently ask for foster homes, and we are grateful to those of you who take time out of your busy lives to provide a loving and safe temporary home for a cairn in need until he or she is ready to be adopted. Today, we recognize an Illinois family who has fostered more than 25 dogs for CRUSA - the Liska Family (Colette and daughter Cora are pictured above). Check out this previous issue of Carin' for Cairns HERE and read the CRUSA Star article about Colette, her human family, AND the cairns and other dogs they have helped through fostering. A resounding thank you from all the happy adopting families and the lucky dogs who made a safe landing thanks to the Liska foster home.

Readers, we truly appreciate each of you who joins the volunteer ranks of Cairn Rescue USA. Your support through your fostering and transporting, your generous donations towards the vetting of new intakes, your willingness to make shelter visits, AND so much more, are just a few of the reasons that Cairn Rescue USA can continue helping cairns in need. With our deepest gratitude, we thank you friends!

Brenda Jo Isaacs (BJ)

President, Cairn Rescue USA

WHERE: Winnetka, Illinois

DATE: Saturday May 18th, 2024

TIME: 10:45 am, ending between 3-4 pm (CT)

RSVP: Kimberlee Herold at ksherold@comcast.net by Monday, May 13. Include your name, address, phone number, and number of people and dogs in your party.

All are welcome, dogs AND people! CRUSA Cairns, non-CRUSA Cairns, and any other companion dogs who are part of your families are invited. Human families and friends are welcome too!

Celebrate CRUSA and all the rescued Cairns throughout the years by attending CairnFest 2024 on Saturday, May 18th at Kimberlee Herold’s home in Winnetka, Illinois (in the Chicagoland area). This will be a wonderful way to connect in person with fellow Cairn lovers in the CRUSA network throughout the country dedicated to all things Cairn. Kimberlee will provide the food, water, soda and lemonade. Please bring your own libations if you prefer beer or wine.

Arrive any time after 10:45 a.m. (CT). The festivities will wind down between 3 and 4. Contact Kimberlee HERE if you plan to attend. She will provide her home address and more details to all who RSVP. No need to contact her again if you have already responded unless your plans have changed.

For those traveling from afar, Kimberlee can provide you with a short list of hotels close to her home which are located in the Wilmette, Skokie and Northbrook, Illinois areas. Those on her list are advertised to be pet friendly, but please check reviews online and call the hotel if you have any questions before making reservations. And, here is a useful website for anyone traveling with pets anywhere in the country: https://www.bringfido.com/

On behalf of Cairn Rescue USA, we thank Kimberlee and all previous hosts and attendees of the Cairnfests which have been held in both the southeast and midwest in past years. We have some amazing volunteers who have made these great Cairnfests a reality! Thank you to all.

(Pictured are attendees at a past Cairnfest). 

Radar was one of seven puppies surrendered to CRUSA’s BJ Isaacs by a breeder. Martha and Tom Watson of Indiana adopted him in December of 2023, and Martha tells us how her history with dogs led her to Radar. (Pictured above is Radar coming home with Martha).

It started with a schnauzer, purchased by her parents from a pet store, who only lived to age 8. Chelsea, the cocker spaniel, and Tiffany, the opinionated Yorkshire terrier, came next. When she and Tom married, they started fostering and later adopting cairns from CRUSA. One of those was Lilly, and then Oliver, who purportedly came with some baggage. But he was a perfect foster for the Watsons, and soon became a Watson foster failure. When Oliver passed in December of 2023, Martha and Tom had one CRUSA cairn still with them, Tom's heart dog Skylar, whom they had adopted in May of 2023.

Oliver’s loss was very hard on Martha. “I had a special connection to Oliver and was heartbroken when he went to the Bridge. BJ called to say she still had one pup left from the West Virginia rescue - the one I had named Radar during a naming fundraiser.” It seemed that Radar and Martha were meant to be together.

Radar was initially skittish with Tom and Martha's brother, who lives with them. Soon, however, Radar's skittishness was behind him and he now acts as though he owns the place. He is definitely Martha's "boy". He graduated from a PetSmart Puppy Class, but more training is in the future for this smart little guy - his “Puppy ADD” needs some work! As Martha watches Radar acclimate to her family, she sees bits of Oliver shining through: “It was as though Oliver paw picked Radar for me.”

We asked Martha what has changed most since Radar arrived. She says, “When we first adopted Skylar, she had no one to play with, as Oliver was no longer interested in play." Now, Skylar and Radar have cairn wrestling matches and chase each other everywhere. It has been a joy for the Watsons to watch this relationship develop.

Martha sums it up: “When I talked to BJ about adopting Radar, BJ said that Radar would help to heal my broken heart. While no one can ever replace my precious Oliver, Radar is making his own special place in my heart, and he brings me joy each time I look at his sweet little face and his tail that wags nonstop.”

(Click HERE for more pictures of Radar and Skylar).

One of Carin' for Cairns' writers tell us her experience with her cairn during a summer storm, and shares some tips for others who have storm-phobic dogs.

"We arrived home one stormy summer day to find one of our dogs missing. Abbie, our cairn terrier, wasn’t in the backyard, or on any of her preferred napping spots. We walked the perimeter of our yard to check for a gap in our fenced fortress. There was none. Of course we called her, but she never was good at responding.

"I went into one of the bathrooms to find she had jumped into the tub with an assist from the adjacent dog bed. But she couldn’t jump out of her slippery shelter. The bathroom was in the center of the house and had no windows. It was where I would take all the dogs for safety whenever storm warnings became particularly scary. Sometimes if I couldn’t stay with her, I would close her in that bathroom with her bed and a radio playing fairly loud and on the classical music station.

"We had adopted Abbie as a young adult, so we don’t know how she picked up her fear of storms and fireworks. She would start vibrating in fear before the storms would even become visible or audible. She hated the 4th of July. Abbie weathered storms and fireworks in her own way. She shied away from cuddles, preferring to vibrate and pant from the floor, always staring at us as if to say, “You’re the humans. Make it stop!”

"It’s hard to watch your dog going through such a state. A friend has a young, storm-phobic dog. She’s started laying on the floor with him in a closet during noisy squalls. She’s tried the thunder shirt but to no avail. Cesar Millan has some very helpful insights for ways to prepare your dog for storms and fireworks.

"There is one thing that all online recommendations emphasize, and that is exercise. I’ve always found that a tired dog is a good dog. Exercise is one of the first tips on a list of ways to calm your dog before a storm (or before fireworks) from Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.

Dogs Naturally, a site created by holistic veterinarians, offers 13 ways to deal with fireworks anxiety in dogs:

1. Stay home with your dog (or get a sitter) after dark on big firework holidays like July 4th.

2. Give him plenty of exercise earlier in the day, so he’s as relaxed as possible.

3. Get him out to pee and poop before the fireworks start.

4. Feed him earlier too. Lots of dogs aren’t interested in food when they’re scared. And he may get sleepier after a meal.

5. Keep your dog indoors, preferably in a basement or interior room.

6. Close your curtains or shades to muffle sound and block out firework flashes.

7. Play calming music (you can find a lot on YouTube) or keep the TV on.

8. White noise like the air conditioning or a fan can help.

9. Try pressure wraps, like a Thundershirt, Anxiety Wrap or T-Touch Wrap. Even a tight t-shirt can help.

10. Encourage your dog to settle where he feels safest – his crate, favorite bed, or on the sofa with you!

11. Try distracting him with games, favorite toys, a delicious raw bone or other treats.

12. Don’t be afraid to pet, massage or snuggle with your dog. Some people claim this reinforces the fear, but usually it just helps your dog feel safer and fall asleep.

13. If he needs to go out, take him out on a leash … don’t let him loose in your yard where he might panic and escape.

URL link details:

1. Dogs Naturally: https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/fireworks-calm-scared-dogs/
2. Cesar Millan’s advice Youtube URL:(https://youtu.be/dlClqgGE64E?t=810)
3. Thunder Shirt official site: https://thundershirt.com/
4. Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine: https://www.vet.cornell.edu/departments/riney-canine-health-center/canine-health-information/fear-fireworks-and-thunderstorms

Are Cairn terriers natural swimmers? While the Cairn Terrier Club of America lists "dock diving" as a great activity for cairns, the online source consensus is more accurately, "it depends." Just like humans, some dogs are natural swimmers, some are not; some like the water, some do not. Yet, cairns, like any other dog, can learn to swim and have fun in the water.

Here are some things to keep in mind if you think your dog may enjoy swimming:

1. Dog life jackets allow dogs to float and remain visible in the water. Some life jackets even have a handle on the back, making it easy to retrieve your pup from a body of water if needed. Look for styles that help keep their head up out of the water. For new canine swimmers, life jackets help them feel safe when the "ground" disappears beneath them as the water gets deeper, and help keep their body level in the water so all four paws can paddle.

2. Encourage your pup to enter the water on their own. Try to coax them into the water using a favorite toy or ball or invite a swimming canine friend to join. Avoid pushing/pulling your dog into the water. Begin in shallow water and remain close to your dog, and as they show they are happy and confident, encourage them into deeper water gradually. Be sure to use lots of praise and even treats! Do not forget to show your dog where and how to leave the water.

3. Importance of water temperature. In general, if the water feels too cold for you to stand or wade in, it's likely too cold for your dog. One rule of thumb is to make sure “the water temperature plus the air temperature equals at least 100 degrees Fahrenheit” before letting a dog swim. Water temperatures that are too cold could cause “cold tail” (also known as limber tail or swimmer's tail) that causes the tail to droop and no longer wag. Dogs are also prone to hypothermia just like humans.

4. Consider water consumption as well as potential toxicity. If dogs swallow too much water while swimming, they may vomit and become ill afterward. Keep swimming times short, up to 10 minutes.

5. Be aware of potential dangers. In natural bodies of water, dangers may include snapping turtles, fishhooks with bait, and freshwater and saltwater alligators. Pool owners should exercise care during storage or in the winter months. A Cairn trying to walk across a flimsy pool cover could become entangled or sink. Consider getting a Loop-Loc or similar device (https://www.looploc.com).

6. Always be sure your pup has access to adequate shade in warmer months when in the water. 

7. If you believe your Cairn is unwell after swimming, be sure to seek veterinary attention. 



8. Be vigilant. Just like children, pups should always be supervised while in the water.

Sources: 

• https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/teach-dog-to-swim/
• https://www.cairnterrier.org/about-the-cairn-terrier/cairn-terrier-articles/diving-and-cairns-dock-diving-is-a-splash

Are you on Facebook? Do you know that you can raise money for CRUSA by asking your Facebook friends to donate to your chosen cause in lieu of giving you a gift? It's easy!

First, go to https://www.facebook.com/fundraisers.

Choose "Raise Money for a Nonprofit". Then click "Select Nonprofit".

If you have liked the Cairn Rescue USA Facebook page, Facebook may suggest Cairn Rescue USA to you. If not, search for Cairn Rescue USA when the search box appears. Once you choose Cairn Rescue USA, Facebook will guide you through the next steps and provide you with a statement of why you want to raise the money, which you can easily edit if you want. 

Most people choose $200 as their goal but you can choose a higher amount if you want and/or you have many Facebook friends who love Cairns. You will also be asked to choose an end date for your fundraiser. You can choose the date of your birthday or you may want to leave the fundraiser open for a week past your birthday. If your target amount is exceeded, Facebook will continue to collect monies until your fundraiser officially ends. Some people have set $200 as their target and have collected $300 instead!

It's a win-win for everyone!

QUICK LINKS:

WEBSITE

DONATE HERE

FACEBOOK AUCTION GROUP

FACEBOOK PAGE

FACEBOOK GROUP PAGE

ADOPTION APPLICATION

FOSTER APPLICATION

VOLUNTEER APPLICATION

SHOP FOR CAIRNS

EVENTS AND DATES TO REMEMBER:

• Midwest Cairnfest 2024 - Saturday May 18th, 2024: 10:45 am to 4 pm CT in the Chicago area: Please email HERE if you are coming to the event or need more information.

WRITERS AND CONTRIBUTORS:

Lisa Bernstein, Delonna Darsow, Bob Shire, Donna Smith, Jean Starr, Violetta Argueta, Shell Lewis, BJ Isaacs, Linda Savage

Marilyn Royle, Editor in Chief

Are you a creative or journalistic writer? Join our editing staff! Email us at eNews@CairnRescueUSA.com.

Cairn Rescue USA is a national 501(c)(3) Dog Rescue for Cairn Terriers and "mostly Cairn" mixes of all ages and backgrounds. Visit www.CairnRescueUSA.com and our Facebook Page for more information.

Contact Us:

General Rescue Inquiries info@CairnRescueUSA.com 

Newsletter Inquiries or Sign Up to Receive the Newsletter: eNews@CairnRescueUSA.com