cairn lapdog?

[Guest becky]

Hi there,

I am thinking of getting a nice little carin puppy. I had a maltese and he was the best lapdog, and I am looking for a dog that will give us tons of love. Is this the right breed or will he be too busy to be loved on?

thanks for your advice!

[CarCarDawn]

Hi! I am only speaking from my own experience with Riley but I think he is the most amazing little dog!!! The first year is hard with all the training involved but once Riley hit the year old mark he seemed to calm down a lot. I hold him all the time and he seems to thrive on it! He is extremely loving and rolls over so I can pick him up and cuddle with him.

I think every dog's personality is a little different but I have a great little guy - - they can certainly be lapdogs and very, very affectionate!

[chubbypup]

I agree, although 'Metz' is only 7 months he has been very hard work but can also be very affectionate. If you have the patience to put all the hard work in at the start then you will more than likely end up with a lovable and comical friend.

[kayharley]

It certainly depends on the dog and possibly how he/she's brought up. I've read that males tend to be more affectionate but my Madison is quite cuddly especially at night. I got both my girls used to being groomed/brushed daily, having their nails clipped and Madison even lets me brush her teeth.

If you read alot of the posts here, you'll find that the Cairns like to be the boss and that you have to set the rules straight early on. If you do I think you will enjoy and love your little terrier so much that you'll probably want another one!

[bradl]

At its core, a Cairn is a working dog. The exception proves the rule and all that, but on average, I rarely see a Cairn I would describe as a lap dog.

[toomanypaws]

Everything I've read on Cairns says they are not lap dogs, but you can't believe everything you read. There's always an exception to the rule. My 3 yr old cairn loves to be on the recliner w/ my dh. When he raises up the leg rest, she lays right in the middle of his legs and only jumps off if the cat is messing w/ her. She's big so it's hard to carry her around. She falls off of my lap if I'm sitting so I set her at my side. My 8 mth old has been handled so much by my dd that she loves to be held. She's on the small side so it's easy to carry her around. When I'm sitting writing bills, she'll scratch at my legs to be picked up and loves to sit in my lap. My newest cairn is only turning 9 wks but I'm hoping she too will love to be in our laps. She loves sleeping on her back in our lap and at 3 1/2 lbs she's being held alot. I just took the cutest picture the other night of my dd in our double recliner w/ all 3 cairns. She was holding the puppy and had the other two laying on each side of her.

[Guest becky]

thank you so much for all the nice replies. I am going tomorrow to look at a litter..hopefully I will have a new baby by tomorrow night.

[Guest Guest]

We got Wrigley two weeks ago...he is 13 months old, and though I can't say he is a lap dog...He is definitely very affectionate and loves being rubbed and hugged. His fave thing it to lie on his back and get a belly rub...for as long as I do it. He loves being with us...and has made a nice little nitch for himself in all our hearts. I hope you love yours as much as we love ours...Let us know if you got one

[glo]

oops forgoit to log in

[calami]

Hi Becky,

My Duffy is almost 8 months old and while he is super affectionate, I would not consider him a lap dog. He will sit in our laps for only a few minutes at a time, then he is off on another adventure somewhere else in the house. If you can be satisfied with just a little "laptime" from your pup, but all the affection and kisses you want from him, a Cairn is the way to go. You won't be disappointed I assure you.

Mike

[bubba]

Every night, Mr. Cooper becomes a lapdog. It's a Jekkyl/Hyde things, because during the day, he is too busy for anything but what he has his mind set one. He will hop up and sit next to me in the recliner for hours at a time at night. I am partly to blame, as when he was a puppy, I would get him to stay in my lap by holding a rawhide bone to keep him busy....now he stays there just because he loves me!

pat.

[JRM]

When we got Molly she wasn't much of a lapdog but as she's got older(she's 9 months) she's taken a liking to a cuddle

[Eliz222]

Our 2 year old female, Scout, likes to sit right beside me, but doesn't sit "ON" my lap alot. The puppy, Finch, likes to sit on my lap and lick my chin all the time....but she is only 3.5 months old!

[Guest Tock]

The only time my Maxwell would slow down enough to be a lapdog was on cold nights in winter. Otherwise, he just wanted to play.

He had his affectionate moments, but he preferred to stay busy.

[CallisMom]

Becky - what did you decide? Having had a Maltese and now a Cairn they are polar opposites. I love my baby and can't imagine any other dog!! But if I was looking for a dog like my Maltese - a Cairn is NOT it!!

[Melanie]

Cairns are loveable and completely adorable but of all the dogs I have had in the past the cairn is the least of the lapdog. Maxwell is now 2yrs and is extremely generous with his kisses but for sitting on the lap or excepting lots of love back...no way, he wants to go go go. He is adorable at night and will actually share my pillow with me and once in a great while he will actually sleep by me when I take a nap on the couch (more because he is competing with the kitten), but for sitting on the lap it is a very rare and quick instance when it happens. I have gotten over this (little defect) as I call it and have actually learned to love him even more then my other dogs. His independance is wonderful, his comical personality is truly enjoyable and his soft heart is a blessing. Nothing beats a cairn!

Melanie

[abe's dad]

Our Abe is more like what Melanie describes durring the day he is a ball of enrgy but in the evenings and at night he likes to be close but not in your lap. I work the evening shift (3 PM to 3AM) and when he don't hear me come into the house I find him piled up on my side of the bed,but most of the time he meets me just inside the door . You can hear his tags make some noise then a thump as he comes off the bed then he comes to greet me with some kisses. I usually unwind with my laptop on the couch with Abe curled up beside me . Then we go to bed where he sleeps in the middle sharing pillows . I find this to be some of the best stress relief ever.

[CarCarDawn]

Hi! Just another note to add: last night I had a hard time sleeping so I proceeded to take a spot on the couch. Of course - - my little shadow - - followed me downstairs - - - within a few seconds he had hopped up onto the couch and curled his body into mine - - and fell promptly asleep!! While he wasn't on my lap - - he was as close to me as he could possibly be!!!! We both had a few more hours of sleep together!!! I wouldn't trade him for any other dog in the world!!!

[texasx96]

Jake is but he isn't. He loves to sit in your lap, but at the same time hates to sit in one place too long. Traveling Jake often is probably a short-multiple-term lap dog.

[hallswel]

Rebel is not a lapdog when he wants love it is very much on his terms. He likes to stay close but is content to be on the other end of the sofa. On the other hand his little brother is a pug (Robi) and he is a lapdog, in your face lap dog always kissing and staying beside me drives me nuts.

I really like Rebel independence, don't get me wrong in the mornings he wants to snuggle and give kisses and if I have been gone for the day he wants the love but most of the time he is busy doing other more important things like chasing squirrles or playing ball.

[Guest Grumpy]

As far as Georgie Fuzz-Butt is concerned, 3 laps in the house is definitely not enough, and she has been known to shove onto the floor anything that is taking up a valuable lap space so she can climb on (dont know how we will cope in summer). She has 3 lap positions - laying normally (for a sleep) laying on her back with her legs up in the air (for a tummy scratch) or sitting bolt upright with her back to me (for a shoulder massage)

PS.......can I please be reincarnated as my dog?????