Cairn Terriers Are Just So WICKED!

Mary Simpson
by Mary Simpson

Resurgence of everything "Oz" has us remembering a four-legged heroine who stole our hearts.

(photo credit: Ksenia Raykova / shutterstock.com)

With Wicked – an inventive remake of that all-time classic, The Wizard of Oz - earning top kudos for its stars not to mention the Broadway musical of the same name drawing in the crowds, it’s hard not to think back to the original 1939 movie that starred a youthful Judy Garland and of course, Terry.


Huh? Terry? Yes, if the name doesn’t twig, it’s because her name in the original film was Toto. Now, for dog lovers of a certain age, lines like “Run Toto, run!” are forever etched in our memory as we watched that wee Cairn Terrier escape, and then strike out on her own in search of help for Dorothy. Who didn’t want a Toto in their life?


Fast forward, and I wonder why this plucky, determined, and cute-as-a-button little breed has not been seen out in public more. I mean, celebrities love to showcase their mini mutts and social media is all over feisty little dogs that seem to enter into film-worthy adventures on a daily basis. Certainly, a Cairn terrier ticks both boxes.


Well, I did a little digging (pun intended because the breed is highly skilled at vermin hunting) and sure enough this wiry little canine has set up home in some fairly famous abodes. Consider terrier Ratso who shared space with the newly minted Dustin Hoffman in the 1960s. Going back further, Prince Edward and Wallis Simpson kept company with multiple Cairns following his abdication. Then there’s J. Edgar Hoover of FBI renown… who, oddly enough, came up with the playful moniker Spee-De-Bozo for his little fur-kid. Who knew he had a whimsical side? And naturally Garland offspring Liza Minelli has co-habited with this pint-sized native of Scotland and even went head-to-head with Swedish officials when they threatened to deport her furry companion named Lilly due to improper documentation. More recently, Neil Patrick Harris of How I Met Your Mother enjoyed the companionship of a Cairn he named Fred.


Now, while not as viral on social media channels as those oodles of Doodles we see popping up on phone screens at all hours, the American Kennel Club (AKC) thinks very highly of this spunky little dog, claiming, “For owners who cherish the terrier qualities of gameness, independent thinking, and true-blue loyalty, no other breed will do.”


They’re also handy if you’re captured by a wicked witch, held in a castle, and need your three best buddies to come and rescue you!


While the Wicked remake offers just a brief cameo appearance of this four-legged hero, we all know who truly captured our hearts so many years ago. And still does today.


Mary Simpson
Mary Simpson

Sharing space with three seriously judgy Schnoodles and 2 felines who prefers to be left alone. #LivingMyBestLife

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