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[Sam I Am]

So I have noticed this site has been wayyyyy to quiet. Time to tell stories, sad, funny, or just a day in the life of our Cairns.

Ok I will start and hope others join in. Don’t be shy...who cares we all love our dogs!

Alberta this last week and a bit has been one of the coldest places on earth..yikes and it’s been miserable for animals and humans. Lots of sad stories about dogs and cats and irresponsible owners or ex owners who don’t seem to have an issue about leaving their animals out  in minus -40 windchills. And of course there are also lots of wonderful people with their animals that deeply care about their pets well being.

Then there are our dogs...Sam the Cairn and Rosie the Scottie. Rosie is a natural couch potato and is very happy just to stay inside, be Zen and only go out for potty, mind you that means boots on as toes freeze within seconds. Sam on the other hand is your usual crazy Cairn that knows no fear or should I sensibility! A week inside with no walks has been a challenge with this young rambunctious boy. Today it’s a bit warmer ...a mere -25 Celsius..a short walk complete with boots, coats  at a very fast pace brought a dog home very happy. Tomorrow we go above freezing...you gotta be tough to survive crazy Alberta weather. Lots of walkies are going to happen this week with much improved temperatures.️

 

[sanford]

It is quiet compared to some years ago, but Brad says participation goes in cycles and I trust his judgement and experience. I don't think I could ever give up on CairnTalk. This forum has gotten me through some difficult times and given me joy and laughter as well. I knew next to nothing about the breed when I first joined, but over the years I've been able to give advice to others as well. Thankfully, this forum is my only addiction in life.. I guess that is both the worst... And the best thing I can say about it!

[hheldorfer]

After a little over 2 years in our home Nattie is finally finding her inner Cairn.  She is a retired breeding bitch and previously lived with a whole pack of Cairns at the home of a reputable breeder.  She was nowhere near the alpha of the pack in her previous life but has now started to settle in and realize she can spread her wings (and her voice) a bit.  It's sometimes tough to correct her because she is without a doubt the sweetest dog we've ever had.

 

[bradl]

I love how Cairns can blossom in new environments. I'm so glad to hear (from afar ) that Nattie is finding a new voice, both figuratively and literally .

Around here we are savoring every day as we watch Stella enter what I imagine will be her last year. Although she is a tough little bird so she may yet surprise us. 

Yesterday she tottered out the back door into the yard to pee (or sniff, or whatever she pleases)  but instead of taking a left at the end of the deck to her favorite patch of grass as she has done her entire life (I calculate about 54,750 times) she turned right. Peggy reported that she became stuck in the side yard, bumping into the fence that keeps the dogs from leaping off a retaining wall, and generally looking unable to find her way back to familiar ground. Once plucked from the side yard and placed back in her regular place, all was well.

 Here she sleeps in one of her favorite places, the end of a hallway. Her other favorite place is under the kitchen table. 

[Kathryn]

I love that photo of Stella.  What a dear dear dog...and when they get to her age, they are precious gems...

We have moved to a new stage in dog ownership with Angus now over a year old and earning bed privileges.  It has been an adventure...

Oban has always been a considerate sleeper: I read in bed before going to sleep, and he waits on the dog blanket at the end of the bed until I turn the light out.  Then he moves up, nudges me to lift the covers, and nestles down next to me.  Angus prefers to sleep on top of the blankets, curled up by either my legs or Steve's.  Sometimes on top of our legs (makes it hard to turn over...) Several times this last week, though, I woke to Oban's growl as he complained from under the covers when Angus decided to lay above the covers on Oban's head...

Both dogs prefer sleeping in the middle of the bed, between Steve and me. 

Steve mentioned this morning he barely had any room to spare, and felt at one point that he might fall out of the bed. We have a queen -- I think we are going to need a king.  Who else but a cairn person would buy a new bed so the dogs would fit in???

[Sam I Am]

Kathryn I suspect a lot of us would.

Stella ....sad that she is growing old but so sweet that she is living the good life. Aging animals are the dearest. My old horses were the calmest, safest and best rides ...although way past their peak show days, they were trusted and loved. 

[pkcrossley]

animals who reach a proper old age are a gift. they are an accomplishment, but old dogs also rely on their dog-being more intensely than ever before. dogs just celebrate being alive. they don't worry much about pain or disability, they just wake up in the morning and congratulate themselves on being here. good food, nice snuggles with family, that is all it takes for them to have "quality of life." they know so much about the point of being alive, and are willing to show us every day. neither of my cairns lived to enjoy old age, though all my other dogs did. I love the lives my cairns had, I just, personally, could have used a lot more for them. they are with me all the time, all their stubbornness and playfulness and seriousness and defiance and loyalty and sympathy. I think the successful seniors are living for all the cairns we lost too early. they are a joy, and a prize. 

[hheldorfer]

Yes, our seniors are loved and their wisdom is revered.  Ziggy, the senior dog in our household, may not be around for much longer.  We've gone through ups and downs over the past year, one minute thinking he was at death's door and the next watching him chase squirrels in the yard.  His many health issues are now becoming overwhelming, however, and we know he'll soon tell us "I'm ready".

The beautiful thing is that Nattie allowed Ziggy to be an alpha for the first time in his life.  (Lord knows that could have never happened with Buffy in charge.)  He proudly took on the role and taught Nattie the ropes while also being the protective big brother.  Nattie will miss him when he's gone, but Ziggy has trained her well.

One door closes and another opens. 

 

 

[Lupinegirl]

I do not have a dog of my own now, but I’ve been sharing my home and time with three terrier rescues from the conjoined house next door. The Yorkies and Silky Terrier are so different from my Cairn, yet similar in some ways. 
Buttercup, one of the Yorkies, recently warmed up to Mom and me and tried to push her weight around by ordering us to feed her a good five hours before her dinner time. She kept obsessing about food, zooming off the couch to circle the kitchen and whine and bark every time Mom and I so much as moved. I tried to cook dinner for Mom and me and had a fuzzy shadow hovering so close to me, I could not move in any direction without stubbing a paw. I kept putting her on the couch to get her out of the way and she kept getting right back underfoot.  I took a break with one of the other dogs in my lap and Buttercup stood a few feet away from me and sang her sad song incessantly. She didn’t even stop to breathe! After almost two hours of trying to placate her (since her food was next door and her owners weren’t home), Mom finally picked her up, put her in the mudroom between between the two houses and shut the door in her face. 
Buttercup learned! She hasn’t cried like that since!

Last week, Marley the Silky tried the same thing: crying incessantly, shaking, and pawing at our legs while Mom and I were trying to enjoy dinner. Marley went into the mudroom on his own and I shut the door before he could come back in. I glanced down and saw Buttercup’s face. She had an expletive written all over her face. She didn’t move a muscle but she knew exactly why Marley was shut out.  Marley looked shocked since he’s been our almost constant shadow for the past two months. He didn’t learn. He still whined at us today when we had lunch, but Buttercup didn’t bother coming over today. Funny little guys.