I've been looking into getting a Cairn for over 6 months. I've been in contact with a breeder nearby and I'm thinking about going and visiting and possibly putting a deposit on a puppy within the next couple of weeks.

I've read every piece of information about the challenges of owning one, but I want to hear some of the good points and bad points from owners who have actually had experience.

I researched alot before getting a Cairn. Tuk-tuk is awesome. If you want to know what makes having a Cairn in your life super special go to the thread "things I love about my Cairn" and check it out. Tuk is three and I'll probably never have another breed since I'm now completely in love with Cairns!

Approaching 84,000 posts here on the subject

I love the breed (no kidding) but a Cairn is not the dog for everyone. If you have a good sense of humor, like a bit of spark and spunk and challenge from your friends, are more stubborn than the average bear (or Cairn), and can take the long view on things like training, a Cairn might be a good fit. Cairns are or can be prey-driven, playful, eternally youthful, boundary-testing, and are way smarter than they look. Their cuteness belies their intelligence.

They are terrible dogs for folks who want slavish or robotic obedience, care more for their lawn than for their dog's joy, are unable to be calmly, resolutely, firmly but gently in charge, are panicked by exuberant and mouthy puppies, or are easily frustrated or bamboozled by dogs who are all too willing - and able - to take over the house.

Man I love these dogs. If the terrier spirit appeals to you, Cairns are great. If anything about terriers puts you off, owning one can be a challenge.

i really enjoy being a cairn owner...wouldnt trade her for the world! ...find a good breeder, and give them your crate a couple of weeks before you take your pup home...

pluses:

-she fits my lifestyle, active enough, but not too demanding

-pretty easy poop training (in my exp)

-smart dog, and determined

-great personality!!

-quite portable, and unique/attention getting

minuses ...i have to 'reach' here a bit, and i know there are exceptions, but i think these are more 'genetic'...

-tough to train good 'recall' -but i dont let her loose

-can be a bit aggressive with some fast moving kids (she grew out of that, maturity/training)

-i dont mind this as i expected it since they are independent, but i've seen a few postings on here about the dog not be 'affectionate' enough...i.e they can ignore you alot... mine is affectionate but only in short periods throughout the day, on her terms...

-grooming yourself can be a bit of a chore, its do-able, but you have to commit to it (if you are handstripping)...

hi,

I've owned four cairn's, i now have three,plus a Husky. I think they all have there own personality, cause mine are all differnt. My baby is almost 10 months old,and he is a lover! Loves my attention,and wants to sit with me all the time. Now my second baby is Peanut,hes one years old,and hes stubburn, loves my attention ,but at his time, not when i call him. He is my challenge, refuses to listen to me. But the baby Duncan i've been able to train okay, he is stubbern in his own way, but his love for me over comes it ..hahhahah,,,,,Rocky is the oldest ,hes 12yrs old, he was stubbern as well, hard to house break when he was little,and just bull headed. My first was named Toto, wonderfull dog, listen, was trainable, was fun to play with, and he love to be near me all the time. There like kids , you never know what there personality is and you have to be patience with them.

good luck,,

Pammy, peanut,rocky,duncan,nova,,

Our friend has two Labs. He can't stand the thought of calling his dog and it not coming immediately to him. We laugh and can just tell that Packy is thinking to himself, "What's in it for me?"

The Labs lay around right next to him all the time and he loves how calm they are. Packy lays across the room from us when he's tired (well, sometimes he does come over and cuddle), but calm he is not. It cracks us up when he zooms around the house or chases his tail 100 times or bugs us to play ball.

The Labs kcome over to us and slobber, always needy and wanting us to pet them, but they can't sit still when we do. Packy will walk over and will politely give us "The Paw" (a nudge with his foot) to pet him, and he'll sit nicely, then perhaps rolling over to his back to allow us easier access to his belly.

The Labs come to our house for a long weekend, but it's a major production because they're so big. Their food takes us a huge amount of space. Packy goes everywhere with us (he's very portable) and it's a snap to pack up his crate and small duffle that has everything he needs for a trip.

Our friend loves his Labs and would never want a terrier. We love our Cairn and would never want a Lab. You've got to figure out what traits you like and find the best dog to fit them. Good luck!

I've only had Desta about 3 months and she is a little over 3 years old. She has fit in perfectly with the "family" (me, a 1-year old Corgi, and 3 cats). She does like to whine at and chase after the cats, but that was not a surprise. I wish I had been able to see and train her through puppyhood on one hand. On the other hand, I just finished puppy training with my other dog and it is wonderful to have a much calmer, more mature dog as an addition. Puppies take a lot of work, time and patience...especially the smart, independent breeds.

Desta is very sweet, bright, alert and vocal. She is great in the house, and runs all her excess energy off in the backyard or on long walks. She has a very strong prey drive and is quite good at keeping the yard free of squirrels and birds...and has caught and eaten part of one bird before I got the rest of it away. Until Desta, I always had my dog(s) sleep in a kennel next to my bed. Desta, being quite the schmoozer, has talked her way into sleeping with me. She gets in one spot (next to me) and doesn't move all night. Night time is when she is most affectionate. During the day when we're inside, she prefers to sleep at my feet or in the doorway of my home office rather than sit on my lap.

On the downside, you probably want to read the grooming threads to see how "befuzzling" it can be to figure out how to "defuzzle" a Cairn. I know I just made-up new words, but they seem to fit. To keep their skin healthy, you need to hand-strip at minimum of once a month and brush regularly. I strip a little of Desta's coat every 7-10 days. Their coats also attract sticker burrs like a magnet and are hard to get out. Plan on up to an hour a week on grooming, more if you have burrs on your property. (Some people only do a full-strip two times a year, but if your pup/dog has any skin problems, more often is better.) Also on the downside, I don't see independence as a bad thing, but some people prefer a more dependent dog. Desta can get quite transfixed, when she's hunting real or imaginary prey in the backyard, and will not pay any attention to calls from her human. I find that amusing actually, rather than downside, as she is being true to her terrier genes.

Overall, my short experience with Desta has been quite wonderful. I am very lucky I found her and wouldn't trade her for any other dog in the world.

Thanks for all your answers. I have actually had some experience with terriers. When I lived with my parents we actually picked up an Airedale as a stray, so I know how big of a challenge a terrier can be. I would have loved to take Jake the Airedale with me but he's huge. I think my appreciation of all the quirks of a terrier are what led me to want a Cairn since they're a big terrier in a small package.

These are all good replies. The suggestion to check the "things I love about my Cairn" is a good one.

A Cairn is almost catlike in their independence and stubbornness. Of course the Cairn is unlikely to walk around on your kitchen counters and dining table.

Of course in the interest of fairness you should also check out the posts from the Cairns about their "uprights" to see if the Cairns would think you are qualified to own one!

My Cairn walks on my coffee table in the living room, until I catch and he gets in trouble. The other day I was walking Sparky, and two guys saw me from a distance, and when I came back around the loop and got closer to them, they laughed when they saw it was a dog. They thought I was walking a cat!!

Even if you get tired of a Cairn's constant spunk, all they have to do is look at you with "that look," or lick your face, and you just melt, reinforcing the idea that they can do no wrong.

hi again,

I've caught Duncan and Peanut on my kitchen table eating up the left overs of my 16month old granddaughters food. To smart for there britches... They both got a time out for that... It was monkey see monkey do..

pammy,peanut,duncan,nova,rocky

I've had two Cairn's and loved them both dearly. My current Cairn is almost 8 months old. She is independent, but very loving and affectionate. I didn't have any problems crate training her or with housebreaking. She has yet to chew on a single piece of furniture, but I will confess she has also been given an abundance of toys. The biggest problem we have with her is that sometimes she doesn't come to when called. It is frustrating, but you feel so wonderful whens she does come. Katie gets along well with our other dogs (big, outside dogs) and our two cats (also outside). Given my pick I wouldn't have any other breed besides a Cairn. I've raised and been around Retrievers, Boxers, Setters and Schnauzers and I'll still vote for a Cairn. Find a good breeder and go and meet with them and talk to them about their Cairn's and their philosophy on raising them. Many times their temperance can be picked up on early as pups. Good luck.