Cairns v. Borders

[Guest T.C.]

Hi:

Newcomer to the forum. We are trying to decide on which type of dog will best suit our family. Previously owned large/medium dogs (Golden Retriever, Dalmatians, Rottweiler) still have our German Shepherd and are adding a working Maremma to our farm next year. Now we would like to add a smaller companion dog to the mix. Done quite a bit of research and narrowed it down to Cairns and Borders. We are leaning towards the Cairns and would like some input from those who own them. If you have had both Cairns and Borders - what did you like most/least about each one and how are they similar and/or different.

Thank you!

[bradl]

There is a member of our local earthdog club who has both a Border and a Cairn. If you register or provide an email address I would be happy to shoot you her email address (she has given her permission).

[Guest T.C.]

Perfect! My email addy is eklecticm00se@yahoo.com. If we decide Cairns are the perfect dogs for us, I will definately registter - if we go with a Border...well, maybe I'd be personna non grata

[Guest Kathryn]

Hi -- our dog Allie is a cairn, and her "best friend" is Walter, a border collie. I hope my experiences with both (Walter stays with us often as his retired owner travels to see family and grandchildren a lot) are helpful.

If you want a really high energy, really fun dog, either will do. Allie and Walter are both fast-paced dogs who like a really long walk twice a day and even another hour or so chasing balls at the dog park. Walter in particular is a little edgy without his exercise. (The vet says he's never seen a dog so well conditioned, and his heart rate is the slow beat of an athlete...). Both like the snow, which is important because we're in Minnesota and we walk outside year-round here. Both can be content lying on the floor night with their "chewies" if they have had their exercise earlier in the day. They are best friends, and they are always with us and with each other.

Walter, though, lives to obey our commands, and Allie will fight us to her dying day to avoid them (we do insist, though...). Walt only breaks from a stay or sit when he's SO excited about what is going to happen (take a walk, ride in the car, etc.) that he pops up a little. He is completely reliable off a leash, even in the city, and will heel even when other dogs, scary cats or squirrels show up. Allie will never be reliable off leash and, even on leash, can catch us unawares when she takes off after a squirrel (or even just a robin). Walt is cuddly -- he'd crawl into our laps if he could. Allie will do so only during a thunderstorm. Both, incidentally, are terrified of firecrackers...so the Fourth of July is doggie hell in our household. Both LOVE water. Walt takes regular dips in the Mississippi going after sticks. Allie (who is on leash even there) will paddle out along the shore.

Walt barks when he thinks his people are threatened, and when the doorbell rings. Allie barks at anything and everything including, apparently, dust falling. Walt has an amazing vocabulary and will pick up toys according to their names (for instance, get me "chicken" or get me "skunk"). Allie wouldn't bring it to us anyway, even if she did know the word for it, and she doesn't. (We've had other cairns before, and this particular one is not the brightest bulb in the cairn sky...our last had much better problem-solving skills and was much easier to train...also less dominant than this one).

Both Allie and Walt need occasional grooming because they are active, outside dogs. Usually this means brushing/stripping (we have Allie stripped by a local cairn breeder). But neither has any kind of "doggie" smell. Walt sheds a lot more than Allie does, but not as much as our long-haired cat!

GOOD LUCK on your decision. Personally, I would suggest you get both a cairn and a border collie. They complement each other so well! Just be sure to get one female and one male. By having two, you'll be sure to stay active nd fit -- because they will demand it!

[Guest Guest]

That info is great Kathryn right now we have a german shepherd who is just as active as a Border collie -- but I think there was a little miscommunication - I was asking about Border terriers, not Border collies

I just love scruffy little expressive faces! Hubby likes scotties and cairns are built somewhat similarly. I'm somewhat prejudiced against scotties as a neighbor when I was small had one that cordially loathed me (and all children) - the feeling became mutual. We also thought about Norwich/Norfolk terriers, but they are just too hard to find and cairns are better.