Boy Cairns

[purebella]

Hey all - after the loss of our sweet little Bella, we have a chance to have a little boy join our family!!!

As a non male dog owner, I just have a few questions - always had female pets in my life.

1) Weeing - do all boys cock their legs?

2) Humping - my husband's dog used to hump regularly - everything and anything - he was a jack Russell - how can you stop that?

3) Nature - are they just as cuddly as girls or a bit independent?

Any other advice would be greatly appreciated

 

[Guest dog person]

Just my opinion,  but you may want to wait for a female pup.

My male cairn despite being neutered at an early age has an aggressive streak.

He is 5 now and we will deal with it, he's family.

PS:  He also does the negative behaviors you describe, occasionally, after all he is a boy.

He is affectionate at times, but it is clear he would like to be the only dog in the household. 

Edited December 21, 2018 by dog person

[purebella]

Thanks dog person. I am wondering how they would go joining a house with a quite alpha cat then. Maybe not a good mix?

 

[Guest dog person]

It depends.     My cairn likes to attack smaller animals.  Not every day, but when it happens it's not pretty.   This breed can do a lot of damage with one bite.

I am sure others will chime in with a variety of opinions.

Edited December 21, 2018 by dog person

[bradl]

1. Nearly all male dogs learn to hike their legs eventually. Of course there are exceptions. Likewise some females will attempt the maneuver.

2. Most puppies go through a humping phase, at least briefly. I suppose some get stuck in that phase. We treat it by brushing them off with a disdainful "nice try buddy, now take a hike."

3. My experience is limited to living with three male Cairns and six females but I would say I found the males to be generally sweeter *on average*  with the females more likely to be assassins (more cat-like).  The males can be excellent and effective hunters and sometimes can seem a tad aggressive in their way, but with one exception the dogs most likely to engage in grudge-matches with another were females. The males tend to be louder and more showy about their arguments but the females seem more likely to finish what they started.

I've known a fair number of Cairns that were raised as puppies with a cat and they all seemed to learn to give the cat a wide berth.  However given the consequences if a terrier decides The Cat Must Go, I suggest that the situation be monitored closely and the owner take responsibility for managing the environment. I don't believe it's fair to blame a dog for being a dog. That sometimes means a dog will go after a cat, a chicken, a pet bird, etc. Not always, but one should be prepared for the possibility and have a plan. I feel cats are seldom an issue when a puppy has an opportunity to get taught some manners by the cat. With adult dogs it's harder to know how they will relate and some dogs do indeed develop a prey drive that includes cats.

[purebella]

Thanks all.

My previous Cairn was 10 by the time the cat joined our family and they got along amazingly.

I will have a chat to the breeder and see where we land.

[sanford]

...and we're off!... ( I say this in jest - anticipating all the varying, (opposing) replies that might appear here:

* I've only had 2 cairns, both males. Both gentle, affectionate and love(d) to be cuddled, carried, but also independent as well.

* When weeing, both cocked their legs, as do most male dogs I know.

* Neither of my male dogs ever humped, although I've seen females occasionally do it. (A dominance thing)?

* I've read a number of sources that described males as generally more cuddly and mellow than females.

* Additional info: Should your neutered male cairn encounter an intact, uneutered male, there can sometimes be an aggressive conflict. ( Uneutered males sometimes elicit this type of reaction from neutered dogs).

P.S. Cairns and cats can be a tricky combination. In some households they coexist in utter harmony. On the other hand, cairns were originally bred for their "prey drive"... To attack small, furry critters, which often includes cats!

Edited December 21, 2018 by sanford

[Sam I Am]

Sam is our 1 1/2 yr old intact male living with our spayed Scottie. He cocks his leg, has never and I mean never humped anything, and is a major cuddle bug . He is no more aggressive than any of our other  neutered Cairns were, and actually the Scottie females are a force to be reckoned with if another dog approaches me. Sam loves everyone ...boy or girl as long as they are non aggressive towards him...zero problems. He had a lot of socializing in three puppy classes and I think that’s the key. 

Edited December 21, 2018 by Terrier lover

[Guest dog person]

13 hours ago, purebella said:

Thanks dog person. I am wondering how they would go joining a house with a quite alpha cat then. Maybe not a good mix?

 

It may be more about the breed than the sex.   Let us know what the breeder advises.    Good luck.

  http://www.cairnrescueusa.com/pet-finder/faqs.html    (excerpt below)

Most Cairns can co-exist peacefully with cats or can learn to do so. Cats can be very resourceful in setting limits with a dog. There is the occasional Cairn Terrier dog that cannot be placed in a home with a cat, and Cairns can be intolerant of strange cats, even though they may get along well with "their" cat.

 

https://pets.thenest.com/behavior-cairn-terrier-5110.html

Cairns are hunters and may not distinguish -- or pretend not to distinguish -- between actual prey and the family cat. Be careful introducing your cairn to Kitty. It may take a while before the two reach some sort of living arrangement agreement. Other small pets, without sharp claws, are even more vulnerable. As for other dogs, well, somebody has to be "top dog," and guess who the cairn thinks that is. While he'll probably be fine with more submissive dogs, especially those of the opposite sex, be careful with canine introductions in the home or at the dog park.

Edited December 21, 2018 by dog person

[Kathryn]

Just got cairn number five in this house: over the last 35 years, we have had 2 girls and 3 boys.  And by far the boys have been much more cuddly, though sometimes on their own terms. Our adult male Oban, for instance, has times during the day when he just wants to be alone in his chair, and times when he wants to be in my lap in the chair. He loves to take an afternoon nap on the couch with someone if they will join him. 

We brought a cat into the house when our first cairn was about 7.  The cat was extremely shy, and many of our visitors never saw her.  But she and our then female dog got along famously.  I have pictures of them together on the couch, together on my lap, etc. But Oban met a cat on our walk early on, when still a puppy, that took a swipe at him, and he has been afraid of cats ever since. 

Generally I think the average cat would rule the house, and keep the dog in line.  They have the advantage of being able to jump onto higher places, and can tease the dogs mercilessly...but again whether the dog does "hunt" the cat does depend on that specific animal's prey instinct.  A dog willing to put up with the snarling and claws could probably do damage to a cat.  I think the best bet, as others have said, is to introduce them, watch them closely, and allow each a way to get away from the other before disagreements break out.  Cats, for instance, can jump up to -- and be fed in -- higher places.

Just an alert - every cairn I have ever had thought the kitty box was full of special treats...We needed to put it in a place the dog could not get to (separated by a baby gate, which the cat could jump and the dog could not). 

Also, my last female "cocked" her leg  too, doing a little hitch up to imitate a male.  She was a very assertive cairn. 

[Sam I Am]

Both our dogs will put the run on anything that dares enter our yard. There is a very sweet but foolish cat that keeps on coming into the yard and I am worried , as she seems very confident in her flight ability to jump up onto the fence quickly and that one day she will miss calculate..Sam is like a streak of lightening and has a very hard prey drive. I am pretty sure he wouldn’t back down from a fight with the cat which is something I don’t want for either of them! However this is the weird thing...Rosie the Scottie also hates cats...but only in her yard. I took her to a pet store a few times and they have two resident cats. The male cat is almost the same size as Rosie and walked right up to her , brushing against her and purring. Rosie was enthralled, followed this darn cat all over the store, without an ounce of any aggression. So I am pretty sure with most terriers it’s a territorial issue. It certainly is so in our home.

[WinstonTheTroutWizard]

Winston is just over a year old now and has been under the careful watch of our 7 year old cat since he came into the house.  She definitely is the ruler of the kingdom and has boxed him in the head when he gets too close.  Actually, she has smacked him a few times while he was napping on the couch as well, but I'm sure it was well deserved.  We keep a close eye on their interactions and be sure to do a quick timeout with Winston if he gets too worked up about the cat.

Definitely a leg lifter when out on our walks or in the back yard, weather it be a tree, rock, leaf, or invisible fire hydrant he is always lifting.  Sometimes gets confused and lifts for a #2...

Winston will hump occasionally when playing with other dogs, but we have seen that decline as he has gotten older.  But it's not a sexual or dominance thing, just playful with all the other dogs when they get excited.

We have noticed that Winston has become quite the cuddle dog as he is getting older.  It is definitely on his terms, but he loves to hang out on laps, but then will go to his chair or bed for a bit when he needs to be solo.

[Guest dog person]

2 hours ago, Terrier lover said:

Both our dogs will put the run on anything that dares enter our yard. There is a very sweet but foolish cat that keeps on coming into the yard and I am worried , as she seems very confident in her flight ability to jump up onto the fence quickly and that one day she will miss calculate..Sam is like a streak of lightening and has a very hard prey drive. 

If you have not done so already.

I would notify your neighbor, the owner of the cat asap that their cat is in danger of being attacked/killed by one of your terriers so that they will be forewarned and can take precautions to prevent the inevitable from happening if they choose to do so.

[Idaho Cairns]

Sorry I can't help you regarding male Cairns, we have always had females of the breed.  As far as cats go, they are considered personna non grata in and around our home.  They are to be chased and, if caught(a very rare situation, dominated.

[Corn Niblet]

Both my male Cairns lift their legs. They grew up with our three cats since they were puppies and get along fine, Gus even likes to sleep next to them, and breaks up all cat fights if one should come up.  Rocky is sweet but can be grumpy at times and Gus is always sweet. Both will sleep on my lap, and give lots of kiss's. They will sometimes mount each other but it seems to be a dominate thing, and if I tell them to stop they will.