I just love all the years I have been breeding my healthy, stubborn, feisty Cairns. I loved the beautiful hard (wire) coated sturdy little dogs from Oz.   As I have gotten older the hand stripping has become difficult.  I have tried to breed both Cairns and Pugs but find I need to concentrate on only one breed and because of the difficult grooming of a Cairn I have decided it will be my healthy, happy, friendly lad dogs, Pugs. .  so at this time I am only breeding the Pugs. 

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​My name is Liz Hallsworth and I started Cairns Terriers, these dogs have become more than just pets for my husband and I, they have become family members that we love sharing with the world.  I have been breeding Cairns since 2005 and no longer plan to bred them at this time. I plan to concentrate on breeding my Pugs and had my first litter in 2020. I take the greatest joy in watching my puppies grow in families full of love. I got my first Cairn, Rebel, and fell head over heels in love with the breed and began my adventures down the yellow brick road.  My first pug was Hammurabi and he lived together for years with all the Cairns until I decided to get a girl Pug to show, Pippa.  Pugs are quite different from the Cairns.  The Cairns are very independent content to hunt, and they are not good at all with the word "come!"  The Pugs are very dependent always wanting to be with you. My hone is in Loganville, north of Atlanta GA. 

 

History of Pugs

After myt success with my Cairns, I decided I would try another breed and since my husband loves Pugs and we owned the best Pug ever named Hammurabi I decided to venture into Pug which I did in late 2016. My foundation girl is Pippa who I co-own with Vallarie Cuttie of Peachtree Pugs.  Pippa is a beautiful example of the breed.  My foundation male is a fabulous boy I call Paxton who is a Shep's Pug and bred by long time breeder, owner handler, Pat Shepherd. I placed Paxton and recently in a wonderful home and got Lordsett Jackpot aka Ace from Poland as my in house stud.  

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I  added Puddin' to my grumble of Pugs.  She is a beautiful black girl, and I cannot wait until she can have her day in the show ring!

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I am a currently a member of the Greater Atlanta Pug Club and the Pug Dog Club of America.  My first of Pug litter was in 2019.  

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I kept a puppy from my last litter, Moon Pi and she is a beautiful girl.  Her first show appearance she won BIS Puppy.  At the Tunica MS show at the age of 6 months she earned her first major win.  

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History of Cairns which I no longer Breed

My foundation Cairns come from the Brigadoon (Pauline Hardy) line in California and Coralrocks (Jamie Abhalter) line down in Florida. I was lucky enough to get Chase from Sue Angelo in Colorado and add Redwood into my beautiful kids in 2012. I also enjoy the dog show fancy, and have been showing my line for several years and have earned championships on several of my Cairns and their offspring. 

 

I was a member of the Cairn Terrier Club of America, the Central Florida Cairn Terrier Club and still am an active member of the Lawrenceville Kennel Club All breed club.  If you have never owned a Cairn Terrier I suggest you visit your local breeder and see what the adults are like.  Very seldom is "Recall" something a Cairn will do so they always need to be on a leash or in a fenced yard. They love to dig, chase critters  and as puppies love to chew.    I strongly believe all puppies need a training class around six months of age so the new owner can be  trained.

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On June 7, 2005 Brigadoon's Dixie Crystal "Sugar" was born. On June 2006 Coralrock's Jamie Got A Harley O'McCormick was born. These two beautiful girls were to be my the foundation of McCormick Cairns. Both Sugar and Harley are outstanding female Cairns both with qualities I love. I believe blending the lines will produce some healthy even tempered good looking Cairns. My foundation stud is Brigadoon's McCormick Dirty Harry. I try my best to bred to the current AKC standard for Cairns.

 

A little about how I came up with McCormick Cairns. I had a wonderful Grandmother who was so full of life, a little stubborn and just a joy to be with. She loved dogs and always loved her grandchildren no matter what they did. I figured a Cairn Kennel named after her would be very fitting. I want my Cairns to be full of life, a little stubborn and bring joy to all that meet them! Hence, McCormick Cairn. . I will be working closely with Brigadoon, Podauri (Nanette Cowgill), and Coralrock(Jamie and Karen Abhalter) Cairn Terriers to develop McCormick Cairns.

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When I began showing Pugs I decided I wanted a different kennel name.  I decided on Alcovy Pugs. 

 

Please feel free to contact me in regards to when  I expect to have litters available or to share your Cairn stories with me.  I typically have one litter a year at the most.  I will post when I have puppies available. 

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When looking for your puppy please consider the following.

• The breeder should be truly knowledgeable about the breed. The breeder should know all the standards of the breed, the temperament of the breed, and should patiently answer all your questions.

• They may ask you several questions about yourself, your lifestyle, and your family situation. The breeder may ask to meet your entire family. Good breeders want to make sure their animals are placed in loving, responsible homes. They will go to great lengths to ensure this.

• A good breeder will be concerned about the animal for a lifetime. They may ask you to sign a contract, specifying your responsibility in taking good care of your new dog. Expect a good breeder to follow up on how the animal is doing, even after you've taken the pet home.  They will answer questions, even after you've taken the pet home.

• They keep puppies until they're at least 10 weeks old. (Actually, 10 to 12 weeks is preferable.)

• They will provide references. A good breeder will provide as many references as you ask for, willingly. They should also be able to provide a veterinary reference, too.

• They will provide lots of information. They should provide all the needed information to register your dog with a breed club like the American Kennel Club or local kennel clubs. Plus, they should provide information about raising, training, feeding and proper veterinary care.

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Here's what you should ask.

• What is the breeder's history and experience? You want to know how long the breeder has been breeding this particular breed. And is the breeder a member of a breed club?

• Health history of the puppies and parents.  The breeder should be able to rattle off the typical characteristics of the breed, what type of family situation is best for this breed, whether the breed is good with small children, the elderly, etc.  What shots the puppies will have when they leave to go to your family.  Some states require health certificates, make sure they will do that.  Can you go to the vet visits?  Are they microchipped?

• Contracts. Most breeders do some type of contract so ask about the contract and price up front.  They will also want you to take the puppy to your vet typically within the first week of being in your home. 

• Can you visit and pick out the puppy?  Most breeders will let you visit but usually not the first couple of weeks of birth.  They will also meet you and decide which puppy is best for you and your family.  You are buying a new puppy and you should purchase from a breeder you like.