The major expense of caring for a Cairn is its food and preventive medical care. Some Cairns are sensitive to wheat, corn, or beef and need a special diet, such as lamb and rice. This type of food can be found in most pet supply stores, but not in grocery stores. Cairns may also develop common canine diseases such as rabies, distemper, kennel cough, or worms just through contact with other dogs or the fecal matter of other dogs. Also, during warm weather, dogs are susceptible to heartworms that develop from being bitten by mosquitoes in some parts of the country. Appropriate vaccinations and medication can prevent all of these problems. Cairns should also be hand stripped to maintain the health of their skin and coat, so if you do not plan to do this yourself, you should add a groomers fee to your expenses.  But clipping is also acceptable, based on the need of the owner and the dog. Of course, you will want to have the proper leash and collar and toys to keep your Cairn out of trouble. Yes, toys will keep him out of trouble as they give him something to do (and chew) that will prevent unwanted attention to your best shoes or rug. After a Cairn is properly housebroken, he will need some type of bed if he does not sleep on yours or in his crate. The costs for normal care of a healthy dog run about $30-50 a month. If you travel and your Cairn does not go with you, you will also need to figure in some type of care for him while you are gone. We would like to remind you that a dog of any breed may develop diseases same as humans such as cancer, heart problems, arthritis, diabetes, incontinence, etc. These diseases are not transmittable to humans. We bring this issue up only to make you aware that you might want to consider how you would handle the situation if your dog develops problems due to age or illness.