Cairn Terriers have a high hair growth rate and if the hair is not cut and trimmed, you can have a hairy albeit lovable pet in your hands! So it is absolutely necessary that you trim the matted hair and dead coat very carefully and regularly.

For a grooming session, you will need nail clippers, scissors, slicker brush, comb, and a bristle brush. If your dog has mats, you are going to need a tangle splitter and/or a good de-tangle shampoo made especially for dogs. Your Cairn will need grooming a couple times a week with baths less frequently. If you are bathing your dog also, you will need a quality dog shampoo, preferably one that contains a skin conditioner.

Cairn terrier grooming is a thing you need to do very carefully. Many Cairn terrier lovers suggest delicately pulling out the dead hair right from the skin as this promotes the growth of new skin and hair. This is called hand stripping and what you pull out is dead hair. This is not painful for the dog for a professional job a handy tip is using thinning shears instead of the blade of clippers. Clip with the grain of the coat and trim the hairs around the feet, ears, and eyes at a rounded angle. These basic points should keep your Cairn terrier's skin and coat healthy if done regularly. With proper grooming, many skin and coat related problems can be avoided which can save owners time and money in the future.

Important reason for hair trimming is for maintaining the health of the dog's skin otherwise it may develop fungal or bacterial problems. This can be avoided by regular trimming which lets the skin breathe. Also regular sprinkling of anti-fungal powder can help. You may not need to bath them frequently. Bathing them three or four times a year is good enough provided you comb their coat regularly, in fact every week. Use a nice brush that reaches the roots and untangles disentangles matted hair the areas that require special care are the arm pits and the hair around the genitals. While trimming these areas you should be careful, since these areas are very delicate, but must be trimmed for hygiene as they are most liable to infections.