Cairn vs others.

[alvintran1998]

I am just interested to know the cairns' energy level compared to other dog breeds, especially large breeds like labs and goldens.

If you currently have, or have had another breed, how are they compared to your cairn?

Ive previously only owned chihuahuas and maltese before, and having my cairn in the beginning was honestly overwhelming for me, but i am getting a hang in this. How about you?

[Idaho Cairns]

Cairns are sturdy, tough, energetic, relentless, and more than capable of keeping up with other dog breeds in the regular rough and tumble of dog doings--they can cover plenty of  ground, it just takes their little legs longer!  I have had Labs, pointers, Springers, Shelties (nothing is a wired as a Sheltie!), and lots of dogs in between and my Cairns are as energetic as any of those breeds.  Cairns are genetically wired to be outside active dogs.

Here's an example: 

Edited January 5, 2013 by Idaho Cairns

[_whits_]

I can't speak for the large breeds that much, but at doggie day care Addie is in a small dog play group and the only dogs that can keep up with her are other terriers and large breed puppies (she particularly loves goldens and labs). Day care would put her in with the large dogs if she wasn't so small; they're just worried about certain massively large dogs in the group hurting her by accident. 

 

Addie keeps telling me one day she's going to grow big enough to move into the big dog play group. Day care told me the other week that they think she thinks she's going to grow up to be King Kong. 

 

The main reason I decided to adopt a Cairn is because they are the epitome of big dog in small package. 

Edited January 5, 2013 by _whits_

[Dempsy's Mom]

Dempsy lives with a lab, who is elderly, so that's not fair to compare. But he has a cousin coon hound/blood hound and Demps holds his own and then some. I think their stamina is amazing. For them it's more "if they want to" rather than "if they can." . Love these little dogs!

[jo_]

People often ask me about their energy level. I find it tough to answer because they are always up for a walk, hike or play and are quite energetic while doing so. If we're on the go all day they're more than happy to join in. But if nothing is going on they're quite content sleeping most of the day away. High energy at times, lazy as can be at others - just depends on what's going on that day. And I did find they both quieted down quite a bit after the  one to one and half year mark.

[Hillscreek]

Cairns being terriers are wired for intense activity. Like all the other dogs I've had (including labs and goldens)  they are ready to go anywhere whenever there's chance.

[pkcrossley]

cairns have a bit of a curve to their energy over their lifetimes, so it could be slightly hazardous to generalize, but i personally have never seen anything like the energy of young cairn, from puppy to about three years of age. i mean unbridled energy, the kind you have to work very hard to deplete to the level that the dog can keep its wits about it. in maturity they still have a huge amount of go, as in idaho's video, but it looks normal in form, and organized. i'm sure the cairn founders were chosen not only for their nosing abilities (and uncanny understanding of spatial relations) and craftiness, their ability to defend themselves in close quarters against very dangerous animals, but also an ability to maintain a chase and turn on releases of incredible amounts of energies when needed at the moment. plenty of terriers have inherited it, but cairns seem to have it in the original form.

[hheldorfer]

As an adult dog Buffy seems to calibrate her energy to fit the situation.  She'll run and play insanely at the dog park, then come home and take a nap lasting several hours.  On days when DH can't go to the park due to weather she seems to deal with it just fine, without going into play withdrawal.  But she certainly has never turned her nose up to a walk, ride or other activity.

 

That being said, she has far more energy than any other dog with whom I've had the privilege of sharing my home, which includes terrier mixes, pointers, chihuahuas and German Shepherds.

Edited January 5, 2013 by hheldorfer

[Lynn in TN]

Other dog breeds I have seen and had myself that were high energy were like that all day. 

My Cairn Kelly seems to adapt herself to me. She is the only dog I have ever had that has  adapted to me in such a way.

If if get out of bed and have a lot of energy and feel like I could run all day she is right by my side. If I get out of bed and feel lazy she is right by my side laying around with me. I love it. I don't know if it is the breed or her, but that is my experience. She did seem to have a lot of energy when she was a young puppy, from the time we got her at 8 1/2 weeks old to about 9 months. After she hit 9 months old her energy seems to match mine each day.

[cairnfan]

I have never owned a lab but have known quite a few. Our neighbor got a black lab pup when we got Bear. Both dogs have tons of energy but Bear is much more controlled whereas Storm jumps up, pulls on the leash like crazy, and is very difficult to control. Of course, he weighs more than 3x as much as Bear too. Both of my cairns had tons of energy and could walk for hours but I agree that they can also mellow out and be content to curl up in a warm spot. I love the fact that Bear loves to sleep in and usually waits until everyone else is up before he climbs out of his bed for a 10 minute stretch!

[Sam I Am]

We have only owned Cairns and Scottie's. as pups they are equally energetic, however Scottie's definitely are more sedate as they mature. Jock who will be 12 this yr is always up for a game of chasing the ball or a good walk ...even a few zoomies since Rosie our Scotty pup has joined our household. Unfortunately though age is starting to slow him down as he has a back leg that isn't up to these youthful antics. I am sure if it didn't bother him he would still be a total live wire at times.

[Critterlover]

we had a very well behaved golden retriever, whom we adopted from the shelter when he was about 1.5, and he died at 17 years old, he was always calm and gentle and sweet, i think so thankful to have a forever home.  our lab was another story.  we took care of her mom and her whole litter (12) from 4 weeks old on, we found all her brothers and sisters homes and kept her and her mom, because her owner was in the Marines.  She was a pure bred high energy lab, ran everywhere she went, chewed everything she could bite, and knocked down everyone with her butt and tail until she was 5 or 6 years old.  Scooter (our Cairn) is a breeze compared to her!  From everything i read on here, i expected him to be just a big handful, but he is not so much, as compared to our chocolate lab.