Sixteen years ago I got a phone call from my brother Terry.  He was looking for a dog and had concerns about his son-in;law’s allergy.  After checking different breeds he decided a Cairn Terrier was a perfect fit.  Terry did not know anything about the show ring so a rescue dog would be fine.  He checked in Northern California but could not find any available so  he contacted Karen Smith of CTCSC Rescue and she came through.  That was when I got the phone call.  There were three dogs available in a kennel in Garden Grove, could I go check them out and let him know.  I had not knowledge of Cairns, I had a Pomeranian.  I looked at the prospects and called back and my first question was “do you really want one of these funny looking dogs?”   I selected a 6 month old puppy named Kisses…. that would change in very short order.

Riley got his real name and moved to Pleasanton where he set up his fiefdom.  Riley was an old style Cairn with a long snout and big ears but he was all Cairn, all terrier; .  Hard headed, loving and eager to please and he started a long progression of events..  After getting Riley, Terry and Sue got involved with the Northern Calif Cairn Club and added a second Cairn Murphy to be followed later on by Declan.  As they did more with the club, they started to home and evaluate prospective rescue Cairns.   In time Terry became the CTCNC Rescue Coordinator and there has been a continual stream of dogs since then.  This is where Riley’s Rescue gene really showed.   Riley was always the Top Dog with his own little clan and with all of the rescue dogs.  In all of that time he never bit one of the new dogs, he just explained the rules in terms they understood.  There were probably one or two female rescues that snickered at him behind their paws but no one really challenged him.  Riley’s rules applied to all and they understood.  Dogs came in from all kinds of situations, some with no house manners or virtually no training of any kind.  He worked them all through it.  Riley paid back the Rescue program that had saved him many times over.

Okay, he owned and hoarded all the bones that ever showed up and buffaloed Murphy and Declan but those are dog things and above all he was a dog.  He did not care to give up his warm bed in the house for his crate in the garage at night.  In fact he would bare his teeth and look ready to do serious damage.  He never did, it was all fake bravado.  Every night on the way to the garage he would always, always, glance into the bedroom to let Mama Sue know he was being good.   If you accidently step on a dog, most will move away out of harms way  Not the Riley-gator.  He would look you straight in the eye and growl and snarl.  This was your fault, not the dog’s, and you better not do it again.  Riley could act fearsome but he was usually up for a good full b0dy skritch..to a point  Then he was off the couch looking for his dog bed.

He also made forays into the Earthdog world.  Riley was fearless at home but those holes were a problem.  He was very cautious and proceeded slowly but whenever Terry set him in front of the hole he would go in.  The Boss would direct him in and in he would go.  While Riley was plodding down the tunnels, his kennel mate, Declan, would start Ed and pass him on the way to his own Master Earthdog title.  Riley did not care, titles are for people.  But one day he did make it to the rats in time for his first qualifying leg.  And then he did it again earning his Junior Earthdog title (not dry eye in the house).

Riley started it all.  Between Terry and I , he lead us to seven more Cairns, a couple Master Earthdogs, Junior Earthdogs, Conformation Champions, Club office positions,Earthdog judging and several worlds of friends we would have never met.  This was all due to the “funny looking dog” looking for a rescue home.
Riley De Cairn, a rescue dog in all senses of the word,   Adieu old friend.