New to the world of Cairn ownership...

[Ripper70]

Hello All,

Thank you for having me. I'm a married father of twins (one of each, aged 14 years) and live on Long Island. After years of my kids begging for a dog, I finally broke down and agreed, figuring that they had reached the age where a good portion of the responsibility of dog ownership could be shouldered by them. I secretly spent over a year perusing the website of a nearby shelter but, until a few weeks ago, never saw any available dogs that I thought would be a good match for our family. And then, by some stroke of fate, two 2-year old Carin Terriers (Max and Chloe) popped up in the photo logs.

I immediately called the shelter and asked if I could come and visit with the pooches. My intention was to go see both dogs and decide which one would be the best tempered of the two to bring into our family fold. They both seemed pretty well adjusted and friendly and I figured either one would make a fine addition to the household.

I then revealed to my wife that I had taken a secret trip to the shelter and that, if she was truly the advocate that she had been over the years for getting a dog, now might be a good time to take the plunge. I arranged for us both to pay a visit to the shelter the following day, again with the intention of choosing one of the two Cairns to rescue. As soon as my wife saw Max and Chloe she fell in love and asked if we could take both. I agreed and a week later the two lovelies were the newest members of our family. 

Now, I've owned dogs before (a toy poodle as a child, two English Springer Spaniels and a Labrador) but this is my first experience dealing with the fiery Terrier. After only a week now, they seem as if they're adjusting well to their new surroundings and a getting along well with all of us. I've put them on a raw meat diet and they seem to be handling the change, from the kibble and canned food they were fed at the shelter, with little issue. There have been only a handful of accidents in the house and we have them on a walkies schedule at 2-3 hour intervals and I'm expecting to extend the wait periods in between walks slowly over the next month or so to a more manageable schedule.

I'm sure that I'll have dozens of questions and requests for advice from those on this site over the next few months, but wanted to take this opportunity to introduce myself and our Max and Chloe. Here they are in all their glory! (Yes, I know they need a good grooming!)

 

[Hillscreek]

Hello Ripper 70 and hello Max and Chloe (which is which?) Such a good looking couple of cairn terriers. Welcome to you all.

Cairns are the very opposite to the dogs you have owned- it was almost the same for me. I have had retrievers and jrt's. I got lots of help here when my Angus was a youngster. So many experienced cairn owners around. Just great.

Fiery is a good word for a cairn Such sparkle and intensity. Their intelligence is very high as is their love of independence. At two years old yours are well on the way to becoming great family members. Two dogs is not much more work than one and a lot more fun for all.

Sounds like all of you have made a good start. Time and patience will bring things along just fine.

Browse through the different sections on the site and you'll get an idea of what many people's lives are like with a cairn or two.

Look forward to hearing more about Max and Chloe. So glad you could take them both.

 

[pkcrossley]

well first thank you for adopting rescue dogs and congratulations on getting a prize pair! it is extremely difficult to find cairns in the system, and you have been spectacularly lucky --as have max and chloe, since few adopters will take two dogs, even if they are bonded as your two might be. they are beautiful young dogs.

your observation makes sense --you can have lots of dogs, but until you have a cairn terrier, you have not had a cairn terrier. from your description you have an unusually polite pair. i think we often do get the comment that as cairns become more confident in a new home, they might tend to become more cairny, which can mean anything from pushy to experimenting with temper tantrums to attempts to intimidate. your pair might be significantly moderated by the fact that they are together --they might not get on the cairn mission to conquer the world, if they see it as a partnership. 

many cairns remain calm and polite their whole lives, so yours might be like that. at two years of age they might not be exactly mature --cairns tend to mature at around three or so. so if they get frisky or need more exercise after a while or start putting themselves about a bit --all very normal. just lay down the law, be consistent and fair. if it is a battle of wills, make sure you win (through patience and consistency). consistency is absolutely essential. when problems arise it turns out it is often because somebody in the household is not holding the line, which causes cairns to think there is still hope of conquering the world. cairns often give their humans a run for the money, but the result of a steady upbringing is an unusually deep relationship with a true and very entertaining companion. these are simply the best dogs in the world, even if not always the easiest. 

[sanford]

You are proof that  lightning really can strike twice! First, twin daughters, now 2 cairns! What are the odds???

Double congratulations to you, and welcome to this site which will get you off to a great start with valuable info and advice.

[Sam I Am]

How wonderful..they are a gorgeous pair. Two is a good age as most of the naughty bits should be in their past. But they are Cairns and terriers which means no off leash unless in a safe enclosed place. Their prey drive is extremely high and very few Cairns can resist the temptation of something small and furry, especially if it’s moving away at a clip.

[Ripper70]

Hello All,

Well, we just got back from our first trip to the groomers and I thought you'd all like to see what they found under all that hair! Cairns! Who'd have thunk it!

 

[Sam I Am]

They are adorable!!

[Hillscreek]

 Such a good looking cairn terriers.

[Kathryn]

If you feel you have been successful handing twin teenagers, I think you will be able to handle cairns! 

Just for the sake of bonding, and for fun, I suggest you take them -- and your family -- to a good obedience class. Cairns, though not naturally "obedient," seem to love the interaction and, of course, the treats offered as incentive.  It will give your kids a chance to work with the dogs one-on-one, and everyone to get a chance to know each other better.  And hopefully a slightly more well-behaved pair of dogs too...

Congratulations.  You are in for a really fun time with two in the house.

Edited July 26, 2019 by Kathryn

[hheldorfer]

You're a lucky man, finding two already-bonded Cairns!  They're two beauties and will bring you years of entertainment (not to mention occasional frustration and hilarity).  Please keep in touch as these two settle in and become part of the family.

[pkcrossley]

got pretty! two completely adorable girls.