Another pup? Am I mad?

[JRM]

Hi guys,

We're thinking of getting another pup, currently we have Molly who is 13 months.

Can you tell me if having a fully trained pup makes the house training any easier with the 2nd dog?

Can you guys give me some pros and cons on getting a second?

I've been swithering for a few months now and I'm almost ready to bite the Cairn bullet.

Thanks guys

John

[Eliz222]

John, we added another Cairn to our family when Scout was 2yrs old. It turned out to be a great addition! Scout and Finch play with each other constantly! They are best buddies and Scout plays much, much more than she use to....not that she is an old lady! LOL! Scout is 2.5 and Finch is 6 months old now. I don't think it made training Finch any easier, but I don't think it was harder either. Having a puppy is soooo much work, but seeing them together every day makes it easier to deal with. I feel that we have given both of the dogs the gift of friendship and it gives us a little more peace....

[toomanypaws]

Hi John,

If you think you're mad contemplating another pup, I must be crazy I have 3 cairns and I honestly love it. It is definitely work at times but I wouldn't change a thing. Right now I can hear my daughter (dd) playing w/ the "girls" in the other room. Our oldest cairn, Kiara was 2 1/2 when we got Abbey for my dd. When Abbey was 6 mths old, I had an opportunity to get another cairn and I couldn't say no, so 6 wks later baby Hannah joined our family.

As far as having a fully trained cairn making house training easier for the 2nd, I'd have to say that it didn't make a bit of a difference. Kiara was fully trained and I made the biggest mistake of listening to someone tell me about how great those wee-wee pads were and started Abbey on those. Abbey was excellent using them but looking back, I wish I had crate trained her like I did Kiara. I'm not sure what I was thinking, it was winter time and cold outside, plus Abbey would curl up in bed w/ Kiara and sleep all night. When Hannah came home, I kept her separate from Kiara and Abbey and crate trained her. Tho it was tiring getting up w/ Hannah, she trained much easier than Abbey, who I had to retrain to go outside. My girls are now almost 3 1/2, almost 11 1/2 mths and 5 mths old. I can't say having a fully trained cairn really made a difference in house training Abbey or Hannah, each were so different.

Now for the pros and cons. I'll give you the cons first.

Cons: Trimming nails IS NOT a fun experience If one barks, they all bark. Kiara always has a different schedule when it comes to having to go out. You can't just buy one toy, you have to buy 3 (in your case it will be 2).

Pros: You will have double the love, in my case it's tripple. I have a supporting husband and daughter who love these cairns as much as I do. I tease them that now we each have a cairn. It is pure enjoyment to watch the 3 of them run and play in the yard. My cairns all love to be next to us on the recliner, Hannah still wants to be held. There's nothing more enjoyable than snuggling up w/ 3 cairns to watch a movie. We have a double recliner that fits dh, dd and our 3 girls. My girls know that when their eyes meet mine, my heart has been won. I now can't imagine life w/o them.

[grillywarren]

Too Many Paws~

What a beautiful response! It almost

made me cry! Very lovely! It makes me

want 2 more Cairns! Sounds like

a wonderful family!

be well

Ellie

[kayharley]

Not only was your post touching, toomanypaws, it was so true. Cairns can melt your heart and make whatever is wrong in the world seem so much better when you walk through your door.

I find myself thinking about them when I'm in the supermarket, driving my schoolbus, first thing in the morning....

I have 2 females, Winnie is 11 and Madison is just 1 year. On the 23rd I'm getting a male, 8 weeks. When I told my vet he was getting another "patient", he told me I'd be able to get a discount. I kind of got excited thinking I'll be saving money but then he said "a discount for the psychiatrist down the street"

Winnie has always been an exceptional dog...will let me do anything to her as far as grooming, was awesome when she injured her eye and had surgery, never had accidents unless she was sick. Only thing with her is she likes to bark at any and everything. Winnie let me dress her up in her Halloween costume the other day. Madison ate hers.... Fights me tooth and nail to brush or comb her, will have submissive urination at times when she's excited, torments the squirrels and chipmunks in our backyard but is just the most cuddly, affectionate, sensitive, funny and entertaining dog. The both of them make a very nice pair.

I paper trained Madison along with crate training and it also was in the middle of winter....3:00 in the morning, -10 degrees, standing outside in my bathrobe saying "Business, PLEASE do business". She was a little difficult but one day she just got the message and now she's excellent (at least in that department )

Elliott, the pup will be crated trained to go outside. No papers no mixed message that it's okay to do "business" in the house. I have a metal corral that will house his crate and give room for toys so he won't have full reign of the house unless I'm watching him constantly.

As far as having 3 of them, it's going to be a circus that I don't want to miss a minute of. Having one Cairn is fun, having two is exciting, three is going to be the highlight of my life.

P.S. Everyone remember that when I post how exhausted I am.

[EmmeAndCharley]

I have 2 dogs!! When I got Emme, she was only 6.5 weeks old. A few months shy of Emme's 2nd birthday, I got Charley.

When I first got Charley, I had questioned the wisdom of getting another dog! heheh! It just took some getting used to. Now I wouldn't have it any other way! It is a pure joy to have more than one dog. And they are the best form of exercise for each other. They keep each other company while I am at work. And I seriously doubt that anyone would try to burglarize my home when I'm not there! They make a FABULOUS alarm system! LOL

You have heard of the Band, "Three Dog Night?" Well, from what I understand, the term "Three Dog Night" represents a very COLD night in the northern hemisphere; meaning that when you go to bed, you will bring 3 dogs into your bed to help you keep warm! LOL Thus, another advantage to having more than one dog... they make the cold of winter more bearable!!!

Good luck in your decision!

Emme

[EmmeAndCharley]

Ooops... forgot to add: I have heard that having one fully trained dog CAN make another dog easier to train... but that came from my sister, who took each of her dogs to obedience school and really worked hard to train them... and kept up with it. As far as in my house goes? All dogs are spoiled rotten there! LOL

My personal experience is (including experience with fosters -- 2 of them) that each dog is different than the others. You will not know how training is going to go in advance for each dog. But it is a joy discovering what works and what doesn't work.