What it like living with a cairn terrier

[Husky101]

Hi 

 

Me and my wife are considering a cairn and want to hear from those who know them best to learn what their like as a breed as well as to live with. 

 

We currently own 2 huskies and I had a German shepherd when I met my wife and my wife has told me that it's her dream to own a terrier again , before we met she had a Westie when she was a girl and as we're both getting on in age she wants to get another terrier while we're still fit enough but due to the amount of issues her Westie had with her skin she doesn't want another Westie and so we went off to crufts and while I was taken with Scottish terriers my wife wasn't and we're looking into 2 different terriers we both like. 

 

She wants a terrier that is similar to westies in that they still have enough terrier in them but are a bit less intense in their terrierness and we found that cairns suit this ( the other terrier were looking at is the soft coated wheaten terrier) 

 

My wife is definitely siding more towards the cairn. 

 

What are they like to live with? Is their any same sex aggression issues? Our male husky is still intact as he's a show dog and our girl is spayed but she doesn't like living with other girls she prefers to live with boys, our boy is great with other boys. So we'd be wanting to get a male cairn. 

 

We were told at crufts their not as noisy or barky as some terriers unless you allow it or their bored. We were told that a well bred cairn who is socialized well can be great with other dogs and that their happy little dogs. 

 

We were also told that they can be easy to train once you learn the cairn way. 

 

What are they like? 

 

[Sam I Am]

We have a Scottie and a cairn . This is our second Scottie and third Cairn and I love both breeds but there certainly is a difference in temperament at least in our experience. The Scottie, Rosie is a lot more serious and not a wild  child as our Cairn Sam who as a pup tested us all the time. Sam the first  2 yrs was always into something, destroyed four pairs of my glasses, numerous emergency vet visits due to eating things he wasn’t supposed to …but then suddenly he matured into a wonderful boy. Sam is also intact as he was going to be a show dog but I decided it wasn’t the life I wanted for him. I always say you have to love a terrier because they are by nature self thinkers and don’t necessarily think you are the boss of them. Sam was super easy to house break…recall forget it if something more interesting has his  attention…off leash also forget it as their prey drive is high .Even though we did a lot of socializing with other dogs Sam is very particular in who he likes and does not…Rosie loves everyone. I love both breeds

ps…yup they bark as it’s their job (in their minds) to protect you and their property

Edited March 17, 2023 by Sam I Am

[Husky101]

24 minutes ago, Sam I Am said:

We have a Scottie and a cairn . This is our second Scottie and third Cairn and I love both breeds but there certainly is a difference in temperament at least in our experience. The Scottie, Rosie is a lot more serious and not a wild  child as our Cairn Sam who as a pup tested us all the time. Sam the first  2 yrs was always into something, destroyed four pairs of my glasses, numerous emergency vet visits due to eating things he wasn’t supposed to …but then suddenly he matured into a wonderful boy. Sam is also intact as he was going to be a show dog but I decided it wasn’t the life I wanted for him. I always say you have to love a terrier because they are by nature self thinkers and don’t necessarily think you are the boss of them. Sam was super easy to house break…recall forget it…off leash also forget it. Even though we did a lot of socializing with other dogs Sam is very particular in who he likes and does not…Rosie loves everyone. I love both breeds

ps…yup they bark as it’s their job (in their minds) to protect you and their property

 

Yep my wife said Scotties are more serious and she likes the more adventurous side to cairns. 

Not being off leash isn't a deal breaker for us as our huskies aren't allowed off leash either. 

 

What were the differences training wise with both? 

Even though they are barkers their not excessive barkers though or at least that's what we were told at crufts?

Would a male cairn be able to live with another male dog?

[Sam I Am]

In our experience the difference is that the Scotties were for a better word easier and calmer  to raise as youngsters (as we are seniors we forgot how energetic Cairn pups can be) Both were easy to housebreak. We have always had a male and a female so have no experience in same sex housemates. And yes most terriers are vocal

Edited March 17, 2023 by Sam I Am

[bradl]

1 hour ago, Husky101 said:

Even though they are barkers their not excessive barkers though

I would not say Cairns are excessive barkers. Cairns will bark if there is a reason. We do occasionally have some discussions about what that reason might be and whether it rises to the standard. Most often it's the usual: neighbor's dog at the fence, squirrels existing, you moved a chair to a new position while they were out of the room, that sort of thing. Boredom is also a possible reason for any dog, although Cairns are very good at finding jobs for themselves. Our job is to make sure they have a job we want them doing. 

Cairns are up for nearly any adventure but once matured a bit they can be perfectly mellow "snoozehunds" until some sort (really any sort) of adventure beckons.  They tend to be excellent companions.  Years ago our elderly neighbor used to sit on her back porch smoking and one day called over to us when we were playing with them in our back yard to say "those dogs sure are a lot of company" — that struck me as true and good way to put it. 

I believe male Cairns typically do get along well with other dogs and other males although I suppose scuffles are not unheard of for any legitimate doggy reason. Ultimately it's probably more about the individual dogs' personalities than breed characteristics. 

[Hillscreek]

On 3/17/2023 at 9:35 AM, Husky101 said:

 

We were also told that they can be easy to train once you learn the cairn way

The cairn way is often to learn what you want but only do it when he/she wants. They are very intelligent independent minded dogs who like to be in charge. For this reason they are often not easy to train. It takes time and patience as many cairn terrier owners have found out. I found it hard work but Angus was such a lively fun loving young dog. Ready for anything, very loving and playful. He so often made me laugh. It was frustration and fun all at at the same time. Once he matured around two years and a bit he became the finest companion, buddy, doggy friend one could ever want. Worth every moment of the earlier challenging times.  I would do it all again if possible

 

 

 

 

 

[pkcrossley]

what a question! this whole site is the answer and it is only a fraction. it is like living with a friend who can drive you crazy but can also know you better than anybody and be your best friend. you need to be ready for a dog who will always be a step ahead, who is probably inexhaustible, who is creative, funny, ambitious, stubborn, and extremely loyal--but not the kind of loyalty that equals obedience, though it can equal cooperation. and relations with other dogs can be as complicated as relations with you. adventure every day. as they mature, the good adventures get to outweigh the bad. 

[Kathryn]

Perfect description, PK.

[Tracy A.]

I wouldn’t say that Cairns are light on terrier attitude, but training sure helps. I’m 1 year into formal obedience training for my two puppies. They have a ways to go yet, at  15 months old but we’re getting there.

[Hillscreek]

Angus has never been "obedient" in the sense my retrievers were i.e. do what I say versus I may do it if it worth it for me.

As he matured he became willing to to co-operate most of the time as pk mentioned. We worked out a parternship as between close friends.

[Catalyzt]

I've been sharing a lot of these concepts, such as 'cooperation, not obedience' with my wife, who agrees that they are helpful.

Yesterday, Spike found a Nyla-Bone that had gotten left in the yard accidentally-- I found it in a dog bed (where it usually resides) before cleaning and drying it outside.  It's not a toy he typically plays with-- months can go by without him touching it.  On rare occasions, I've seen him gnaw on it for a few minutes, so he knows its his.

He goes up to the bone and sniffs it, just because it's in an unfamiliar place.  Just for the hell of it, I say, "Yeah, good idea-- grab that and bring it inside, it doesn't belong out here."  He grabs the bone, brings it inside, takes it to a different indoor dog bed, and leaves it there.  I praise him and give him a cookie, but I don't bother trying to get him to repeat the behavior.  He'd think I was an idiot, like, "Why did you bring the bone back outside?  You told me to bring it back in, and I put it back where it was supposed to be."  

I can really relate to this, it was like me with the rat box in behavioral psych: "Why should I starve this rat?  I already know I can get him to press the bar to get the sugar water, this experiment has been done thousands of times with thousands of rats, what purpose would this serve?  Thus, you could say his cooperation is project-based.  He has to understand the idea of the project, and it has to have a beginning, middle, and end.  

I'm not sure he's that good on repetition.  It's the same way with fetch if I throw the mini tennis ball-- he's fine doing it three or four times, but even then, he'll do it a slightly different way each time.  Even if HE initiates the game-- like he wants me throw his duck toy-- he only needs me or my wife to do it a few times.  He may not bring it straight back, he might fling it in the air and catch it, throw it at us, etc.  Repeating it exactly the same way isn't that interesting for him.

[bradl]

1 hour ago, Catalyzt said:

Repeating it exactly the same way isn't that interesting for him.

We found this *very true* in obedience training with ours. They start to "innovate" after very few reps, which is usually not the goal in formal obedience . Keeping exercises fun and short were important. 

 

 

[Eliz222]

Husky101, did you end up getting a terrier? If so, did you get a male or female?

 

I once had someone (I wish I could remember who) tell me that bringing home another dog to a home with an existing home, is just like if your husband brought home a new wife into your home. As he walks into the house he says: "honey, meet my other wife! Now come say hi and show her around the house. Remember to be nice to each other!" 

I believe that how you introduce your dog to another incoming dog has a big influence in how they will get along in the future. It takes time and patience and introductions can sometimes take days, if not weeks.

[Dogcoat lady]

OMG!  What a combo…a Husky and a Cairn.  You are in for some “fun” times.

I had a Husky, a long time ago.  For all the tea in China, there was NO recall.  Never, ever…with a Cairn in the mix, I see a very long lead ahead.