Their intelligence makes them curious and extremely quick to learn. They are surprisingly sensitive, and harsh punishment is not necessary or desirable. However, a Cairn must know from the first that someone else is in charge. If he has any question about that, he'll do his best to run the house himself. Firm, loving and consistent discipline is the key to a good relationship with your Cairn Terrier.
Without training, he will be bored and destructive, barking to help relieve the tedium. There is very little a Cairn cannot learn if his owner takes the time to teach him. Because Cairns are highly intelligent, training sessions should be fun and challenging, not overly repetitious. They do love to dig, and flower beds are hard to resist; don't tempt your puppy by leaving him alone in a manicured yard.
Cairns are not suited to living outside. They are far more rewarding pets when they live in close contact with the family. Being left "tied out" in an unfenced yard can be dangerous to the Cairn as he is vulnerable to any attack that he might invite from larger dogs. The safest arrangement is a securely fenced yard and supervision when he is in it. If there is no fenced yard, the Cairn MUST be exercised on a leash, as it is impossible to train a Cairn to resist the urge to chase squirrels, cats, rabbits, other dogs, etc. (remember, Cairns were bred to hunt!)
Walking is excellent exercise for Cairns and their owners. A brisk walk daily, on leash, is ideal. From the Cairn's point of view, the longer the walk the better. Encourage your puppy's natural ball playing talents, and you'll have the perfect indoor exercise when the weather prohibits walking.
