Question on owning more than one Cairn?

[Guest Curious]

I am wondering how many here own more than one Cairn.

Could you please give some pros and cons regarding the experience of owning more than one?

Thanks!

[Eliz222]

I own two Cairns and they are two years apart. Scout is 3 and Finch is 1. I can't even list all the pros because there are just too many! They play together constantly, have never had a fight, keep each other entertained, keep us entertained, and are just a joy to have around! The cons I can think of is that you will have more than one to housebreak, and your vet bill will be more. Other than that...collect as many as you want...they will keep you in stitches! BTW, my two are both females...spayed.

[kayharley]

Hi Curious,

I have three..Winnie is 11, Madison is almost 2 and Elliott is almost 10 months.

I couldn't imagine having only 1 Cairn. Not only do they play together, it's so much fun watching them interact with each other. I love shopping for them...toys, chews and sometimes even clothes

My only cons are more yellow spots on the grass and more waste to clean up. Feeding time can be tricky because Maddy is on a special diet and I have to watch her like a hawk that she doesn't sneak food out of Elliott's bowl.

The vet bills along with the Heartguard and Frontline costs can get up there but to me it's money well spent. I do have 54 nails to trim, 6 ears to keep clean and countless teeth to brush each week. Then there's the brushing, stripping, training and exercise time. I LOVE it and would get a 4th if my husband would give me the okay (not that I need his permission or anything....I just don't want him to get anymore grey hairs).

I doubt you'll regret getting another if that's what you're considering.

[suedelu29]

I have Roxie and Vinnie (2 and 1 1/2) and don't know what I would do with only one. The best part of their day is wrestling around with each other!

[Guest mrskti]

I have Ellie Mae and Dori, 4-1/2 mo. A handful yes, but i just love them. Just got back from a three week vacation with them in the motor home, they did terrific.

[Anna_525]

I have no experience with two cairns, but Alfie was given to us because his former owner had two and could not handle both (the other one's breed is debatable as it looked more like a Westie).

HOWEVER, after spending several months now with Alfie, we are convinced that the reason his former owner had a problem was because she let Alfie be the alpha dog....she said words like, "We let Alfie do anything he wanted in our house," and "his playmate was the best because she let him play rough with her" and other stuff like that. Alfie is actually very well behaved (yesterday we brought him with us to a Manhattan apartment filled with lots of people, and everyone thought he was so good, doing his simple tricks for them even without a treat!). So...I think if you have the patience to establish some house rules and do some training, two or even more would be lots of fun.....

[toomanypaws]

I have 3 cairns, Kiara (4), Abbey (1 1/2), and Hannah (1). I can't explain what it is about this breed, but once you are owned by one, you are hooked.

PROS: They're so darn cute!!! I love the enjoyment I get from them. They are so expressive, almost mechanical. They are always so happy and look at everything in such a positive way that they seem to draw you right into their world. They have such an enthusiasm for life and undivided love for you. They each have a distinct personality all their own, and have a way of making you smile and enjoy their love. I love communicating w/ my three. Kiara is very vocal and almost talks to me, Abbey just stares straight into my eyes and wags her tail and little Hannah jumps up at me and howls to be picked up and carried around.

CONS: Thunderstorms! Kiara & Abbey hate them. The planning ahead or boarding expense when we want to go on vacation. Trimming nails can be a chore. If one barks, they all bark. They seem to have to stop and think about a command before reacting. They can be very demanding of your time and know how to find your weak spot where you'll find you're spending more time w/ them and letting the housework pile up. You can never ever just buy one toy. Having more than one means not having a big enough lap to hold all of them.

[Gracie's Mom]

We have two little ones, Gracie who is almost 5 months and Spike(Spiker...) who is 4 1/2 months. They have really snuggled into our hearts and I couldn't imagine having only one of them.

The cons would be the housebreaking of two at once. They take up much of my time just trying to keep them on a schedule and taken out enough. Vet bills are a bit higher and the Heartguard and Frontline are more costly as well with two Cairns. I also try to spend alone time with each of them so they feel special...This is also quite a feat on busy days.

The pros are very simple. Twice the love and joy from this very special breed. They entertain us and themselves constantly! I've found that I laugh out loud more often since their arrival and their antics are priceless! There is truly no dog like a Cairn!

[toomanypaws]

I should have added how the cairns get along w/ eachother. Today my dd and I were in the backyard w/ the 3 cairns. Hannah was "fishing" in the kiddie pool, Abbey was standing in the sprinkler w/ her favorite toy in her mouth, and Kiara kept bringing me her plastic dumbbell to play fetch. My dd said to me that she felt like we were running a daycare. For the most part, they all get along great. My 2 youngest play more together. Kiara did take some time to adjust to Hannah but the 3 now do well together. They are very entertaining little dogs that definitely like to be the topic of conversation.