My best friend

[Jim]

My Cairn, a beautiful Brindel male named Prancer, because he was a Christmas puppy, was my best friend. Prancer passed on Tuesday evening, in the chair we shared. We spent 13 wonderful years together. My heart still aches at his passing. One of the most remarkable things I have found out over the years about a Cairn is how intellegent they are and how loving they are. Prancer will hold his place in my heart for the rest of my life. He was diagnosed with liver cancer on Monday, he died on Tuesday. Prancer passed with dignity, not by anyone eles' choosing, but by his own. Prancer knew in his own way how my wife and I agonized over making a decision about putting him down, he took it upon himself to take that decision out of our hands. That is just the way Prancer was. I can't think of getting another dog at this point, to do so would only minimize Prancer's life. In time we will get another puppy, and it will be a Cairn, not Brindel though, no other puppy should have to live up to Prancer's standards. My best friend will live in my heart forever.

Jim

[bradl]

A lovely tribute Jim. My condolences. I bet a lot of folks who agree with you will be remembering their best friends today.

[Posey]

Hi Jim, I know that you are feeling very sad tonight. Please accept my sympathy at the passing of Prancer. He surely had to be an extra-special Cairn Terrier, for he left his precious paw prints on the hearts of you and yours. Your tribute to him was one I am sure that he well deserved.

Bless you and yours at this time of grief. I am sorry.

Posey

[Mama Kim]

Jim, you have my condolences. It's a hard thing losing a pet, especially a darling little Cairn. You wrote such a beautiful tribute to him. He will live forever in your heart. In time, when you're ready, and only you will know when that is, I'm sure you will find another Cairn that you will love almost as much. My Lucy was put down at age 14 in April and I thought I'd never be able to go on or to get another dog. But I now have Piper, age 6 months, and while she is not my Lucy, she has a lot of 'Lucy' in her. No one will ever replace your Prancer but you may find a Cairn that helps you to move on.

"Dogs are not our whole lives, but they make our lives whole."

[Guest]

Hi Jim - - I am so so sorry for the loss of your beloved Prancer. I know he will always hold a special place in your heart and in time that place will hold room for another little Cairn. I am sure the wonderful memories you share with Prancer will sustain you for many years to come. God Bless!

[Guest]

My heart aches for you, Jim..... I have an almost 12 year old Cairn and I am dreading the day she goes.

We got a new puppy this summer thinking having him around might help just a little when her time comes. He, of course, can never replace her. But, I am hoping he might ease the pain. I just can't imagine not having a Cairn greet me at the door when I come home.

I am sure that someday you will want to hear the pitter-patter of Cairn paws again. Only 'you' will know when you will feel ready.

How lucky your little Prancer was to have someone as special as you in his life.

Take care,

Cathy

[Jim]

I just want to thank everyone for their support and encouragement after my wife and I lost our Prancer. Each day gets a little bit better. We even can see a time in the future when a little Cairn will share our lives again. Not one to replace Prancer but a new puppy special in his own way. We now think about all the silly things Prancer did and the way he would get upset if my wife and I hugged, of course unless he was in the middle. He was a very special pet who will remain special to us forever. But our hearts are big, and there is room in them for another special puppy. We look forward to that day. Thank you one and all again.

Jim

[Mama Kim]

Jim, so glad to hear things are looking a little but brighter for you. You will have your 'up' days and your 'down' days. That's only natural. We still remember fondly the antics of our little Lucy, all the while watching Piper grow and learn. We like to say there is a lot of Lucy in Piper and I like to think she and Piper would have liked each other. Grief is an ongoing process but these little Cairns fill our lives with so much joy that it's easy to remember all the good times. Please let us know if and when you decide to get another Cairn. Blessings to you and your family.

[Shotsie]

I just happened upon this website through the AKC website by accident when checking out possible breeds for a puppy for me since I've been a "lonely pore ole widder woman" for over 2 years.

I just got back from Atlanta from the memorial service for my precious brother who was a great dog lover and died of cancer at 53.

The only dog my late husband, my two children and I ever had was a brindle cairn named Molly. Molly never said a word in the house, but outside even if a doberman was being walked around the block she'd "try to take him down!" She was fearless, she was "top dog" over my just deceased brother David's border collie, and it was a "Mexican standoff" when it came to his bearded collie!

My son joined the navy after he flunked out of college TWICE and his history department chairman dad said, "Son, your country needs you!" My daughter left shortly thereafter to pursue postgraduate studies.

I told everyone Jim "was left with two old bitches!"

Molly had congestive heart failure, but she didn't know she was ill, she didn't know she had cataracts and couldn't see very well any more, and she didn't realize her hearing wasn't what it used to be.

Molly was 15 1/2. She'd survived swallowing a bird bone that the vet couldn't find by xray lodged in her throat and where she couldn't keep any food down for a month and the vet said he'd operate on her and if he couldn't find out what was wrong with her, he wouldn't charge us. She survived living with about 1/2 cup of kidney stones for who knows how long until they were removed.

She was a tough bitch, our wonderful Molly was!!!

After my brother's memorial service Saturday, a cousin from Louisiana was still talking about Molly, even though she died in 1994!!!!!

In 1994 we were planning our third trip to England and were taking Amanda with us. We were concerned about what to do with Molly.

My mother (who doesn't care for dogs) told me she would take care of Molly, but she knew that Molly had congestive heart failure and was afraid that something might happen to her while we were away and she'd be responsible. My mother-in-law said that she thought it would be best if the dog died.

My mother-in-law had a stroke and died on March 24.

Not long afterwards, we got home from dining with friends to find Molly dead.

I called both my children in the middle of the night and we cried and cried.

Jim and I wrapped Molly in a pillowcase and buried her in the yard.

I tried to find something appropriate in my poetry book, but the only thing I could find to read over her was the scripture from Ruth...Wherever thou goest I will go.... I ended up crying so much, I couldn't read it and Jim read it. I planted daylillies over her. When we went outside to work in our flower garden, she always lay under the daylillies!

Maybe I need a brindle cairn puppy rather than the bichon puppy a friend urges me to get!!!!

[Mom2Scamp]

I am so very sorry to hear of the passing of your best friend, Prancer. I know no words can ease your pain, so I won't even try to be eloquent. God Bless you, and comfort you at this time!

Kim

[wags]

Hello Shotsie,

A cairn will add life to your life.

Mine is like another human member of the family. I got him just after the passing of my mother, and just before the passing of my father.

Looking at life through a cairn's eyes is like being born anew. Besides- you have to keep one step ahead of them just to catch up.

[LORI]

I am terribly sorry for your loss. We got our eight month Cairn, a reddy, in October of 2001. My father had been diagnosed with terminal cancer in June of the same year.

When we first brought Brandy to see Dad, he was in his recliner sleeping. I was told he hadn't been very responsive all day. We let Brandy down, she could have run all over the house but, no she jumped in Dads' lap. He awoke with a start, put his hand out, smiled and pet her.

We lost my father on Dec. 21 of that year. Brandy is a special link to a very special man.

Embrace your loss, go with your heart get your Cairn then another you will never regret another moment.

[Guest David]

You have my consolations, too . . .

I still think of my Cairn, Maxwell. When I enlisted in the USAF I was a military policeman, volunteered for the K-9 corps where they taught me how to train German Shepherds for police work, then I was fortunate enough to be picked for an experimental small dog sniffer program. They had 5 beagles, 5 min. schnauzers for explosives, 5 fox terriers and 5 Cairn Terriers for narcotics. I'd had other dogs before, but Max was by far the feistiest little dog I've ever seen. He had what I'd call a "merry" personality, inexhaustably playful (if I was sitting, he would drop his ball at my feet, look up at me then down at the ball, then take a few steps backward, then pick up the ball again, and repeat, until I got the message--"Hey let's play!" We'd go outside, and he'd retreive a ball for hours on end. We had a huge field to work in, so I'd throw the ball as far as I could into the tall grass, and somehow he always managed to find it. It was his favorite thing in his dog life to do . . .

He was an excellent sniffer dog, too, better than most other German Shepherds, I suspect. I could put one joint in a plastic bag and run it up to the top of a flagpole and he'd find it (circle around the yard a few times, then stop at the pole, and then start jumping trying to get to the top!) amazing to watch.

I said goodbye to him in March 1977 . . . it was like saying goodbye to my best friend.

A year or two later I chanced to run into the guy in charge of the experimental program, Dr. Dan Craig (a Colonel at the time), and I asked what happened to Maxwell after I left the USAF. I'm still not real happy with his response, but it was what it was . . . it turns out no one else wanted to work with him (no one wanted to be seen with a small dog--they all wanted the macho German Shepherd), so he was shipped back to Lackland AFB, and put to sleep. Hah. And he was only 4 years old at the time, maybe 5. If I had known, I would have gladly taken him, but the military had a policy against letting trained dogs go with their handlers (of course, the policy was made for dangerous police dogs, not the terriers, but, you know how military logic can be) . . .

I have a few pictures of him still, and think about him from time to time. He was great to work with . . . energetic, "merry," playful, amazingly intelligent, and it was wonderful going to work in the morning and seeing him bouncing up and down happy to see me, ready to do whatever.

Yah, after 27 years I still miss that little guy . . . as I mentioned, you have my consolations for the loss of your Cairn, I know how they can endear themselves to us humans . . .

--David

[CarCarDawn]

Hi David! Your story brought tears to my eyes - - what a shame to put such a lively little spirit to sleep!!! I have been struggling to give my cairn a long, healthy life - he was born with a liver shunt - - and just now have gotten to the point where it looks like he will be pretty much okay in the future.

These little dogs do tug at your heartstrings - - - - it is amazing how much energy and love they can expel. Did you ever think of possibly owning a cairn?? I know nothing could ever erase the memories you had with Maxwell but another little cairn could help ease the painful memory of putting him to sleep so young. Just a thought . . . .

[Guest Guest]

Hi David! Your story brought tears to my eyes - - what a shame to put such a lively little spirit to sleep!!!

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Yah, it was a waste to taxpayers (cost something like $6000 to get a good trained drug dog & handler back then) and a needless tragedy to Maxwell . . . oh well . . .

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I have been struggling to give my cairn a long, healthy life - he was born with a liver shunt - - and just now have gotten to the point where it looks like he will be pretty much okay in the future.

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Yours is a lot luckier than mine was, having a caring owner. I hope everything works out well for your little guy; I'll keep my fingers crossed . . .

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These little dogs do tug at your heartstrings - - - - it is amazing how much energy and love they can expel. Did you ever think of possibly owning a cairn??

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Funny, while I was working with Maxwell, he was "my" dog; I assumed we'd be working together permanantly and that I owned him. For the past 27 years I've wondered how they could put MY dog to sleep, but yah, Max was government property . . . Kinda makes me hope I never wake up in a sci-fi movie and find myself a cyborg with enough gov't hardware in me that they decide I'm gov't property. No telling what they'd do then . . .

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I know nothing could ever erase the memories you had with Maxwell but another little cairn could help ease the painful memory of putting him to sleep so young. Just a thought . . . .

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Yah, I've been thinking about it off and on for the past umpteen years. Starting this Xmas I should have enough free time to care and play with him . . . so I guess I'll get a cairn to live with around that time.

Thanks for your kind words . . . I appreciate 'em. I was rummaging through some old photo albums and old memories and feelings came back . . .

Thanks . . .

--David

[CathyAnn]

David....what a wonderful but sad story. You certainly are sounding like you need another Cairn in your life. And, what a lucky dog he/she will be to have someone like you caring for it !

Let us know when you make the plunge!

Cathy

[jendubois]

Dear Jim -

I had to write and tell you how sorry I am to hear of Prancer's passing. I am writing you because I can tell you that I know EXACTLY how you feel (as do a lot of other people who have posted replies here as well).

My husband and I had a Silky terrier for 11 years. She was the light of our life together. She had massive stroke and we had to make that terrible decision to euthanize her. But we had a wonderful vet who came to our house and Murphy passed in the privacy and comfort of her own doggie bed surrounded by her family who loved her unconditionally just as she loved us.

It took us a little over a year before we felt ready to get another dog. This time, we chose a Cairn terrier. We got her on Christmas eve - she was 8 weeks old - and her name is Molly.

It's still taking us some time to bond with her, but I can tell you that I love her already! As one other person posted here - Cairns add life to your life - and I couldn't agree more!

It's been wonderful for us to focus on a new puppy - to start laughing again at all the cute things that she does. We still miss our Murphy ever single day - and cannot compare the two dogs. They are wonderful in their own ways.

My condolences to you, Jim and to your wife. Take this time to appreciate the wonderful life you gave Prancer and all the great things he brought into your life as well. Think of the best times together - that's what we did.

Good Luck to You!

Jennifer