Getting a 2nd Cairn

[Suzanne H]

Hi, we have a 10 year old cairn. We’ve had him from a puppy. He’s very lively and loved very much.

My adult daughter wants to get another cairn, she’d like a boy. I just wonder if he’d get on better with a girl. We have friends dogs to stay over and they sleep next to Billy, he’s fine with all of them.

Do you think it matters if it’s a boy or girl?

[bradl]

Honestly, I don't. I tend to think the individual personalities matter more than the sex. And even at that, Cairns are pack animals that tend to get along, albeit sometimes more rambunctiously than we are really comfortable with.

For what it's worth we also have a 10 y/o male and just added a one-year-old male. It is common for it to take a while for the older dog to cotton to the youngster, but unless the older dog is extremely elderly and infirm what generally happens is the older dog will be aloof or "get off my lawn" for a while until one day they suddenly appear to be years younger  once they decide to play with the little pest and be a mentor.

Note: I am assuming neutered males that have never been bred and have no breeding interests, real or imagined, to protect.

[bradl]

Some additional thoughts. One of each is a great idea and a good call if it can be arranged. Just suggesting to keep an open mind about two males. While males can be scrappy their arguments, if any, tend to be mostly sound and fury. The (few) cases of unremitting conflict I have experienced or know of have been two females. When they fight they tend to NOT mess around. 

[Suzanne H]

40 minutes ago, bradl said:

Honestly, I don't. I tend to think the individual personalities matter more than the sex. And even at that, Cairns are pack animals that tend to get along, albeit sometimes more rambunctiously than we are really comfortable with.

For what it's worth we also have a 10 y/o male and just added a one-year-old male. It is common for it to take a while for the older dog to cotton to the youngster, but unless the older dog is extremely elderly and infirm what generally happens is the older dog will be aloof or "get off my lawn" for a while until one day they suddenly appear to be years younger  once they decide to play with the little pest and be a mentor.

Note: I am assuming neutered males that have never been bred and have no breeding interests, real or imagined, to protect.

Thanks for your comments.

Billy was neutered when he was young.

The puppies are due in a couple of weeks. I’ll keep you posted

 

[Jane2212]

I agree with you, Bradl.  I've had all girls (only one boy years ago and he died young) and have introduced both puppies and older rescues into the house at various times.  We have a largely peaceful household.  The only time I find there's a slight tension is when Aggie my 3 year old is in season.  Unfortunately in her bloodline there is a tendency for phantom pregnancies, and that is the time when we do get a bit of 'staring' and then growling, once a full blown fight started, about 2 years ago and my husband's finger got broken in the process of separating them, but that has thankfully been the only time it got out of hand.  The others now know they have to stay away from her when she is 'nursing' her invisible babies and we recognise the signs that things are getting uncomfortable and address it.  Luckily her phantoms are reasonably short, they don't run the whole pregnancy/nursing time, just about 3 weeks.

 

Jane

xxx