Cairn Terriers shed little and don't require much grooming. Daily brushing alternating ordinary and wire brushes should suffice. Once a year the terrier should be hand stripped to encourage the healthy growth of both coats. To strip a Cairn, grasp the hair in one hand using the fingers to hold the skin in place. Give a quick pull with the other hand aand the old dead hair will come out.

AThe ears are one of its most expressive feature. Fortunately, grooming the ears for proper appearance is a pretty easy thing to do. The best way is to use your fingertips to pull the long hair off the top third only of both ears on both the font and back. The hair is pulled very short but not down to the skin. Any rough edges can be then trimmed with scissors.

A Cairn's tail should be trimmed to a cone shape. The tail should be pulled to maintain its proper shape. Clipping the tail only makes it get thinner over time and will not maintain the shape.

The hair on the forehead should not droop down and cover the eyes or be so short that the eyes appear to be too protruding. The best length is a length that curves forward some, but doesn't droop. The hair on the muzzle and between the eyes should be trimmed.

The properly groomed foot has the hair trimmed short. This can be done with scissors or stripping knife. The hair on the bottom of the foot that grows between the pads should be trimmed with fine scissors.

The Cairn's claws should be clipped very short if the dog is not walked on pavement. Smoothwith a file to complete the process.

For the teeth a soft toothbrush or piece of gauze wrapped about a finger will work as a toothbrush. Begin gradually brushing the front teeth, working your way to the back. Always remember to only use toothpaste that is designed specifically for dogs.