Two Cairn's?

[MaryellenK]

I am considering a second Cairn and interested in hearing from folks who have multiple dogs to understand what it was like to bring another dog into the house.  My sweet girl is 13 months old and I think she would love a playmate.  I'm thinking about adopting a one year old male or wondering if I should get another puppy? 

I would love to hear what other cairn owners have experienced.

 

 

[Idaho Cairns]

We learned early in our Cairn ownership that our dogs did better in pairs.   Our first came to us when we had an older mix breed terrier and when that older dog passed, our Cairn was obviously at wit's end for company, we adopted another older Cairn and when she passed, brought a Cairn puppy into the home.  It was an instant hit with our old girl--she taught the puppy most of the social "rules" of the house from the get go. 
When she died of old age, we waited a couple of months and then purchased another Cairn pup and the rest is history.
I honestly believe that Cairns are simply too social, too busy, too canine smart to be satisfied with human companionship alone--they need a like minded presence to lead full lives.  What we have noticed is the learning that passes from the older dog to the younger one--the well mannered adult dog tends to teach the pup necessary behaviors for fitting into the environment and the younger dog keeps the adult dog more active.
So, in my opinion, there are a bunch of upsides to pairing up Cairns and no real downsides that I can think of.
We have always had female dogs and while some say that having dogs of both sexes is "easier" we certainly have not had any problems with two female Cairns in the home--I think choosing the sex of the companion dogs is merely a matter of choice.

[tlwtheq]

Agreed.  Teddy is very sedate since we lost our other two on December 31 and March 22 respectively.  I wonder if we got a little girl would he perk up?

Something to consider.

[MaryellenK]

Thank you so much for the valuable feedback!  Good to hear that house rules are passed on a bit. We've seen that Jax simply loves being around other dogs her size which has had us thinking about another.  We will see how she likes the male a few months older than her.  If that doesn't work a pup is in our future.  I will keep you updated.

 

[Lynn in TN]

The only thing better than one Cairn is more than one Cairn. If I could afford it I would have 5. I believe they do well with more than one. I wouldn't have it any other way. 

[Dempsy's Mom]

They love having a companion.  I am so happy that we brought Elsie into the family and, most of the time, Dempsy is too.   They run around and play together constantly.  It is fun to watch them interact with each other.  They learn just how far to push one another.  Yes, a second Cairn mix has been a blessing. 

[Hillscreek]

Cairns were often used in packs in ancient days. They find their own level with each other. I think like the several other breeds I have owned two dogs are no harder to look after than one. And true, the older teaches the younger the daily schedule. I didn't realize this until I became a single dog owner due to age and infirmity. No old dog around to show the youngster what to do. It was a challenge for me! There's more expense of course with feeding, vet grooming etc. but I didn't find that too hard to budget for.

 

[MaryellenK]

We are taking the plunge and adopting a 15 month old male in two weeks!! So excited and still working on a new name.

 I will post a picture once we get him and praying he and Jax become best of friends. 

[hheldorfer]

Woo-hoo!  This is going to be an exciting summer full of new pups and their stories.  Can't wait!

[_whits_]

Oh how exciting! Can't wait to meet him!

[Dempsy's Mom]

Great news!  A lot of new pups are being introduced this year!

[MaryellenK]

Welcome Finn,  the newest member of our family.  Jax can't get enough of playing with him.  It's only been 4 days but they seem to be bonding very well.

[Hillscreek]

Great news! Longing for pics !

[hheldorfer]

Must see puppy!!!

[Autumn & Lola]

Congrats on getting Finn! Can't wait to see him! (It should be illegal to make a puppy announcement without an accompanying puppy photo.)

 

[MaryellenK]

So sorry for the delay, the limited photo size made adding a photo a problem.  Here is Finn 10 days after we got him!  

He is 16 months old and very sweet but has had no training but I've started working with him. He's doing well so far with the housebreaking supplemented with a belly band to control his marking until we get him neutered. Finn is smart and eager to please which should make training easier.

Finn and Jax are bonding nicely although she torments the heck out of him, guessing that's to establish herself as the head of the pack. It's been a little difficult with her running free in the house and Finn in the ex-pen but we give them times to play together throughout the day.

The only thing I'm concerned about is how restless he is despite a good amount of exercise.  Jax sleeps like a log at night and several hours throughout the day.  Finn is very restless in his crate at night and hardly dozes during the day.  The first few days I attributed it to new surroundings but it doesn't seem to be changing.  He is sleeping on a soft bed for the first time and we are using a wire crate (covered) vs the plastic one he had used.  His crate is in our room along with Jax's.

Does anyone have any experience with this?  I don't know if it's just a difference between the dogs, he doesn't like the bed or crate etc.

Any advice would be appreciated!

We love this little (lol...big) guy.  Our girl is a very petite 13 lbs and he's 18!

 

 

[_whits_]

Welcome Finn! You're super cute! Can't wait to hear about your adventures with Jax!

Addie was basically a perpetual motion machine the first two years of her life, despite all the exercise I could give her (plus doggy day care). I finally figured out that while her body was tired, her mind was not. So I introduced toys and added extra training to keep her brain stimulated. I bought and made treat balls and puzzles (see attached picture; also sticking treats in a cardboard box and then folding the box closed worked too) to use as brain teasers. And I kept enrolling her in PetSmart training classes. Sure enough, she slept better after puzzles and training than she ever did after walks. 

 

[MaryellenK]

Thanks so much Whits for the information!  We just started Finn in training class yesterday and I work with him daily.  I will try the treats in cardboard boxes and I love the puzzle below.  Did you make it?

[Hillscreek]

Agree with whits. Cairns need opportunities to use their brains as well as their bodies. Even at  nearly five Angus is ready to go, go, go, at any time. And he gets to run free and hunt in the fields and woods and brush every day!! He likes puzzles, hide and seek - for a ball a treat a person. I cannot give him a treat ball of any kind as he just tears them apart.

[_whits_]

I got the treat puzzles at a pet store, but here they are on Amazon. I've since seen less expensive versions in pet stores too. 

Company of Animals Nina Ottosson Dog Brick Interactive Game https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001KZ4WJE/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awd_x_g61OxbR8DCYPB

 

Nina Ottosson DogTwister Interactive game https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002WDY1Z8/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awd_x_t71Oxb3NPJER5

 

Omega Paw Tricky Treat Ball, Large https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002DK26M/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_awd_x_W81OxbRH2QA4G

 

 

 

[MaryellenK]

Just ordered the brick puzzle...thanks so much for the info Whits!  On the omega ball, how large is the treat opening?  Can you insert kibble or will it fall out?

[_whits_]

I got the medium and small omega balls (she destroyed the small one, hence the replacement). It holds kibble and kibble-sized treats that only fall out when the dog rolls it around. I think anything larger than kibble would get stuck and would require fingers and opposable thumbs to remove. 

[sanford]

Ruffy has several Ottoson puzzles. At first it was fun to see him  try to figure them out, but once he did, they were no longer challenging. I still use them, but not as puzzles. They have morphed into automatic treat dispensers instead!?

P.S. The Treat Ball continues to be one of his favorite toys and it keeps him busy rolling it around the apartment. The hole is small enough to keep too many small treats from spilling out at once.

[MaryellenK]

Thanks Whits and Sanford!  I'll order the ball as well.