About to become a first time Cairn mommy!

[evesta]

Hello everyone. My name is Eve. Tomorrow I become a first time Cairn mommy and am very excited! I am adopting a rescue puppy whose mom was saved from a Missouri puppy mill. There are two boys to choose from but believe from pics and desription from their foster mom I will be getting the wheaten.

My search for a new pup didn't begin with a search for a Cairn but a Westie after loosing my 11 year old Westie boy, Pete. Pete was a force of nature to say the least. He was my first terrier and was a "typical" terrier, whatever that is;) He was smart and stubborn. He could literally smile showing his front teeth. Pete was always the center of attention in any room and was energetic till the end. He was friendly to strangers but protective at times, if he would sense I was anxious. He was alpha in his puppy "harem" that consisted of his girl Inky, a mild mannered Scottish Terrier(as long as you aren't vermin) and Luna, a pudgy black and white chihuahua with typical chihuahua attitude.

Pete left a big hole in our pack. Both the humans and animals were sad. Despite having two small kids, two dogs and two cats the house was too quiet!! No one barking or howling at sirens and doorbells. None of the other dogs are interested in playing with my son or kissing the baby but Pete. Even the cats missed the chase that Pete always started. I started looking for rescue Westies and googling Westies. I started noticing Cairn terriers would always pop up when I looked for westies. We were looking for a puppy or young dog but I wanted to adopt a rescue pup. Pete had been a product of a Missouri puppy mill and was a rescue of sorts. I found him in a pet shop, an older puppy in a tiny cage and his whole litter had been sold. He was on sale. Pete picked me, he smiled and despite never planning to buy a dog from a pet store I did just to get that poor, big eared pup out of that cage.

When I saw a baby Cairn terrier for adoption in my area I started doing research and found that the desciption of the breed sounded familiar. I feared I wouldn't pass the strict background check of the rescue because of my small children but I did, which they said is a rare occurence.

Just wanted to introduce myself because I'm sure I'll have lots of questions in the near future. I'll post pics after I get my new baby. I look forward to learning about Cairns and how they are the same and different from Scotties and Westies. I have already read they tend to be very healthy and don't shed much which is great! I have a feeling this little guy will fit right in:)

[Lynn in TN]

Hello and Welcome to the forum. I am sure your little Cairn will fit in great with your family.

I Love mine so much. Her name is Kelly and she will be 15 weeks tomorrow. Typical Terrier to me means extremely smart, stubborn,and very prey driven.

I love this breed so much I want another one.

Good Luck with yours and Pictures are a must. Keep us posted.

Well be waiting on the edge of our seats waiting for him to be home. So excited for you.

[Newman]

Hello everyone. My name is Eve. Tomorrow I become a first time Cairn mommy and am very excited! I am adopting a rescue puppy whose mom was saved from a Missouri puppy mill. There are two boys to choose from but believe from pics and desription from their foster mom I will be getting the wheaten.

My search for a new pup didn't begin with a search for a Cairn but a Westie after loosing my 11 year old Westie boy, Pete. Pete was a force of nature to say the least. He was my first terrier and was a "typical" terrier, whatever that is;) He was smart and stubborn. He could literally smile showing his front teeth. Pete was always the center of attention in any room and was energetic till the end. He was friendly to strangers but protective at times, if he would sense I was anxious. He was alpha in his puppy "harem" that consisted of his girl Inky, a mild mannered Scottish Terrier(as long as you aren't vermin) and Luna, a pudgy black and white chihuahua with typical chihuahua attitude.

Pete left a big hole in our pack. Both the humans and animals were sad. Despite having two small kids, two dogs and two cats the house was too quiet!! No one barking or howling at sirens and doorbells. None of the other dogs are interested in playing with my son or kissing the baby but Pete. Even the cats missed the chase that Pete always started. I started looking for rescue Westies and googling Westies. I started noticing Cairn terriers would always pop up when I looked for westies. We were looking for a puppy or young dog but I wanted to adopt a rescue pup. Pete had been a product of a Missouri puppy mill and was a rescue of sorts. I found him in a pet shop, an older puppy in a tiny cage and his whole litter had been sold. He was on sale. Pete picked me, he smiled and despite never planning to buy a dog from a pet store I did just to get that poor, big eared pup out of that cage.

When I saw a baby Cairn terrier for adoption in my area I started doing research and found that the desciption of the breed sounded familiar. I feared I wouldn't pass the strict background check of the rescue because of my small children but I did, which they said is a rare occurence.

Just wanted to introduce myself because I'm sure I'll have lots of questions in the near future. I'll post pics after I get my new baby. I look forward to learning about Cairns and how they are the same and different from Scotties and Westies. I have already read they tend to be very healthy and don't shed much which is great! I have a feeling this little guy will fit right in:)

New Cairn Definition:

A Dog that will change there owners life, physically and mentally in a good way!

You will love the dog have fun post pics here!!

[Dempsy's Mom]

Hi Eve! Welcome! Sorry about Pete. Happy that your search led you to a Cairn. I am happy that you are adopting and am anxious to see your new baby. You are in for a real treat with a Cairn. Keep us posted!!

[hheldorfer]

Congratulations and welcome! We can't wait for pics and puppy stories.

[Sam I Am]

Welcome! Cairns and Scotties... the best terriers in the whole world

[pindrop]

Welcome Eve - so glad you found our site - you will not be disappointed with all the help/advice/family that you have discovered here with us. I too am sorry about your loss as I also had a Westie who passed away just over a year ago. Having been down that road, I felt I wanted something close to that breed and found our little Layla who is now just over 10 months old. Each puppy has their own distinct personality and we couldn't be happier with her. You must be very excited getting your new family member today and we will all enjoy seeing pictures and hearing about your new adventures. Can't wait to see what he looks like. Good luck and drive carefully.

[Hawkeye]

Welcome Eve, I am also sorry about the loss of your Pete. I recently lost our westie as well. I think you will find the cairn is very similar to the westie. We look forward to hearing about the homecoming and of course some pictures.

[janis]

Hi Eve! I didn't get my Forum fix yesterday (work just interferes with my life!) so today must be your Happy Adoption Day! Congratulations! As they others have said puppy pictures, older dog pictures, any cairn pictures are my favorite way to start or end the day! Can't wait to see your little one!

[_whits_]

Eve! I think we adopted from the same foster mom and group of rescues! And I also believe I met your little man Boo when I picked up my Addie. He was a sweetheart (when he, Addie, and the other puppies weren't tackling each other to the ground repeatedly in the cutest way).

[hheldorfer]

Is your new baby home yet? We're all a bunch of anxious aunts and uncles!

[Newman]

Yeah I am very anxious please post pics asap!!

[evesta]

Ok, sorry this is taken so long to post. I will post more pics once I get a day off, have been really busy:)

Here is Eddie. He is 12 weeks old.

And yes, his name was Boo and I heard about wild Addie heading home to Colorado. I'm trying to imagine a wilder puppy than Eddie! lol He has adjusted remarkably well I think because he had such a great foster home. He sleeps all night in his crate without a peep! I wish my baby did that;)

[Hawkeye]

ahh...welcome Eddie! He is beautiful.

[pindrop]

oh my goodness what a little cutie he is - he looks like he will turn out to be a real trooper. So glad he is sleeping through the night - now the real fun will begin. Thanks so remembering us as we were all waiting for an update. Love the name Eddie and look forward to hearing and seeing more of him as a puppy.

[BetsyNoodle]

Cairngratulations, Eve, and WELCOME little Eddie. He is simply precious!

Looking forward to hearing all about him!

[Lynn in TN]

He is so cute! I am so excited for you, and glad he is fitting in so well. I can't wait for more stories and more pictures of him.

[_whits_]

And yes, his name was Boo and I heard about wild Addie heading home to Colorado. I'm trying to imagine a wilder puppy than Eddie! lol He has adjusted remarkably well I think because he had such a great foster home. He sleeps all night in his crate without a peep! I wish my baby did that;)

The very moment I first laid eyes on Addie she was tumbling on to the porch in a heap of Eddie and her brother Ajax. Literally. No exaggeration needed. The three of them were like insane Musketeers. I liked the spunk.

And I do think their foster mom was amazing. Addie's been sleeping through the night in her crate since the day I brought her home. And all the puppies knew how to sit! Even our two!

I hope Eddie proves to be as much as a joy to you as Addie is to me.

[hheldorfer]

Welcome home, Eddie! You're an adorable boy and I can see you have that devilish Cairn twinkle in your eyes.

[beccadiane374]

Welcome, Eve & Eddie!! Sorry to hear about the loss of your Pete. Eddie looks like a real charmer...such a cutie! Congratulations!

[gt_mustang_gal]

Welcome! Eddie looks adorable. I'm so sorry to hear about Pete. I can totally relate to your story. I lost my 6 year old Westie, Toot, to kidney failure at the young age of 6. A few months after losing Toot, I realized that I needed to get another furbaby. Like you (and many others here), I went with a Cairn instead of another Westie. Cracker is 15 weeks old and I got him at 8 weeks. I can tell you that the Westie and Cairn have MANY of the exact same traits. However, Cracker is much more stubborn and aggressive than Toot was. I actually just found myself crying about 30 minutes ago because I miss Toot. I'm going through a really difficult time with Cracker, but LOVE HIM to death. Keep us posted on Eddie and feel free to ask questions.

[evesta]

Thanks for the welcome everyone! Yes, Eddie is a pistol. He is barking at the cat at the moment. He just got the cone of shame off yesterday so he has been extra wild. Although the cone didn't slow him down too much. We caught him humping the cat with the cone on his head....I wish I had got it on tape!

Addie sounds just like Eddie, he slept through the night and could sit since the day we got him. He also walks very well on his leash. Addie is adorable! So was she born mid April or the end of April? Are they siblings? Now if I could just get him and my chihuahua to get along. They are both alpha and Luna was enjoying being the top dog since we lost Pete, so she is having a hard time with such a head strong pup. She doesn't attack him but starts yelping like Eddie hurt her even though he didn't even touch her. She is quiet the actress! My sweet Scottie tries to keep the peace and will get in the middle if a fight starts.

I almost cried today missing my westie today too! I was watching Eddie and he was nudging some inanimate object with his nose, barking and bobbing from side to side just like Pete always did. I can already tell they are very similar in attitude and mannerism but I think Eddie is going to be even more stubborn than Pete. Pete could smile though and did this wiggle dance I really miss. He was more cuddly then Eddie too but Eddie likes to be scratched and have his tummy rubbed. And when he is tired he wants to be held, just like my human kids:) An extra perk of being Eddie's mom is that it helps me to think of the good times with Pete since the last few months with were so rough. I also keep using Pete's "voice" when for a second I forget he is gone:( That always gets me too.

[sanford]

Little Eddie looks completely irresistible!

Like you, I've experienced the sadness and loss of a wonderful dog, so I know that you'll always miss Pete, but the zest for life and the hilarious antics of Eddie will help you heal in the best way! Please send photos as Eddie grows up.

[Idaho Cairns]

Thanks for the welcome everyone! Yes, Eddie is a pistol. He is barking at the cat at the moment. He just got the cone of shame off yesterday so he has been extra wild. Although the cone didn't slow him down too much. We caught him humping the cat with the cone on his head....I wish I had got it on tape!

Addie sounds just like Eddie, he slept through the night and could sit since the day we got him. He also walks very well on his leash. Addie is adorable! So was she born mid April or the end of April? Are they siblings? Now if I could just get him and my chihuahua to get along. They are both alpha and Luna was enjoying being the top dog since we lost Pete, so she is having a hard time with such a head strong pup. She doesn't attack him but starts yelping like Eddie hurt her even though he didn't even touch her. She is quiet the actress! My sweet Scottie tries to keep the peace and will get in the middle if a fight starts.

I almost cried today missing my westie today too! I was watching Eddie and he was nudging some inanimate object with his nose, barking and bobbing from side to side just like Pete always did. I can already tell they are very similar in attitude and mannerism but I think Eddie is going to be even more stubborn than Pete. Pete could smile though and did this wiggle dance I really miss. He was more cuddly then Eddie too but Eddie likes to be scratched and have his tummy rubbed. And when he is tired he wants to be held, just like my human kids:) An extra perk of being Eddie's mom is that it helps me to think of the good times with Pete since the last few months with were so rough. I also keep using Pete's "voice" when for a second I forget he is gone:( That always gets me too.

Tho it may be a consolation you are too raw with grief to experience or understand right now, I am of the opinion that the souls of our lost dogs, in whole or in part come back to inhabit the new dogs we acquire. It does need you opening up your heart to see however and you surely will. Our old friends can be subtle in how they reveal themselves to us, it can be a behavior, a sigh, or, most strikingly, a look, just an expression that crosses the face of the new comer that shows clearly our departed pet remains in the aura of our lives.

So, be patient and you will be, as I have, beguiled with how "right" loving these old friends so much helps us open the door to our new pets.

While I never verbalize much about these "visitations", when the moments come, my heart and mind says "Good to see you Toots, glad you're still around and close." I know your Pete is close to you--nature designed dogs to linger in our lives.

[dinib]

Tho it may be a consolation you are too raw with grief to experience or understand right now, I am of the opinion that the souls of our lost dogs, in whole or in part come back to inhabit the new dogs we acquire. It does need you opening up your heart to see however and you surely will. Our old friends can be subtle in how they reveal themselves to us, it can be a behavior, a sigh, or, most strikingly, a look, just an expression that crosses the face of the new comer that shows clearly our departed pet remains in the aura of our lives.

So, be patient and you will be, as I have, beguiled with how "right" loving these old friends so much helps us open the door to our new pets.

While I never verbalize much about these "visitations", when the moments come, my heart and mind says "Good to see you Toots, glad you're still around and close." I know your Pete is close to you--nature designed dogs to linger in our lives.

Idaho - have you read Art of Racing in the Rain?