Cairn Terriers

**Kim F** · 11-12-2002, 07:38 AM

Good Morning! I'm new here and very excited about this site! My family and I are hoping to get a cairn terrier pup next spring, and I was wondering if anyone can give me any information about their experiences owning them. Thanks!

**ParNone** · 11-12-2002, 02:38 PM

Hi Kim,

I have 2 Cairns, a 12 year old male, McMurphy and an 11 year old female, Madison. Generally speaking, based on my experience and what I’ve read from other Cairn owners,
and keeping in mind that each dog is an individual and there will be variances amongst the breed, Cairns are just an all around great lil’ small dog breed. Some positive tendencies that Cairns generally have are gregariousness towards people. They never meet a stranger. They love everybody. This especially includes kids. They are sturdy lil’ dogs so they seem to be able to tolerate rough housing from kids. Madison is blind and my lil’ 4 year old cousin was visiting and she was just hugging all over Maddie. Even though I was right there supervising, at one point, she decided to pick Maddie up by the neck, before I could intervene. Maddie’s reaction was just to lick her more furiously. They seem to sense that there’s no ill will intended by kids, so they’ll tolerate a lot.

They’re independent, so they’re very adaptable to new situations and environments and inconsistent work schedules by their owners. I’ve moved several times in the 12 years I’ve had mine and worked some crazy work hours and they’ve never shown any signs of anxiety or depression.

As puppies, I didn’t have any major destructive issues with them. About the only thing was digging in the back yard by Murph, but it was due to boredom, so once I got a second dog that behavior disappeared. When I hear the horror stories of destruction from all my cousins who have Labs, I feel like my digging issue should be classified as minor annoyance in comparison.

They’re very congenial about handling issues, for like grooming and health. My vet loves both of them, because they’re so good natured about anything they have to do to them, no matter how torturous. Because of their wire hair they’re real easy to groom too. They don’t get mats next to their skin, so they’re real easy to brush out. Generally they’re not suppose to shed that much. Maddie doesn’t, because her hair is more wirey like the breed standard, but Murph’s hair is a lil’ more cottony and he does shed. I have a dog groomer friend and Cairns are right up there in her book as a groomer’s dream dog. The groomers fight over the good dogs that come into the shop and the Cairns are ones they’re usually fighting over. But let me add that I don’t take mine to the groomers, because they’re so easy, I just do it myself. They love water, so even the bath giving is a piece of cake.

Now to cover the negative aspects. They can be very hyper dogs. If you don’t like a blur of fur running around you in the house, this may not be the breed for you. Murph didn’t really settle down until about 10 years of age, but even now at 12, he runs my new 4 month Collie into the ground, when they play. All this energy makes for a great dog for hiking and walking though.

They can be diggers. So fair warning if you’re meticulous about your yard.

They can be a bit barky. It seems though more like they bark when there’s a reason to, like there’s a possum walking along the back fence vs everyday noises. A friend of mine visiting recently was totally amazed when the door bell rang and my dogs didn’t bark. I was in the bedroom at the time and Murph ran to the front door, then ran to the bedroom door and stood there until he was sure I saw him and then silently ran back to the front door, as if to say “Follow Me”.

They don’t get along very well with other pets, like cats or rabbits or rodents. If they were socialized real well with them as puppies, you might be able to be successful, but later in life introducing another pet would be an uphill struggle, I think. They do seem to get along well with most other dogs, the larger and friendlier, the better. They like to chase the smaller breeds, especially any that look rat like. I wouldn’t trust mine not to attack a smaller breed. Although they won’t usually start a fight, they won’t back down from an aggressive dog, no matter how big. I was dog sitting my cousin’s Aussie, who is 3 times bigger than M&M and he made the mistake of snapping at Murph. Maddie lit into him, like she was possessed by the devil and Murph followed. I ended up spraying them with water to stop the fighting, more in fear for the Aussie, than my two. The rest of the week the Aussie was terrified of Maddie, whenever she came into a room, he’d leave it.

Generally, they’re a healthy breed, but do have a tendency towards skin allergies. Maddie has this and it’s always an uphill struggle keeping her from being itchy and I might add, she’s never completely itch free. I’ve spent a fortune on medicine and allergy tests and trying different foods, etc. and haven’t been able to completely cure this.

Oh and last but not least, they’re really intelligent dogs and overall pretty well behaved, but don’t expect to easily get to the obedience level of like a Golden. They’re terriers, so they’re not going to naturally be focused on you. This became really noticeable to me, when I got a Collie. The Collie constantly watches me. No matter how boring what I’m doing is, I’ve constantly got a pair of eyes following my every move. My Cairns are more easily distracted. They’re exploring everything around them, looking for something to chase. So unless I’m doing something interesting, more than likely they’re not watching me. This makes them a lil’ more difficult to train. I would never trust them off the leash in an area that wasn’t secure, even my blind one. When her lil’ feet hit concrete, she toodles off down the path, without a care in the world, like she knows where she’s going. And they wouldn’t think twice about bolting in front of car, if a rabbit crossed their path.

Okay I’m sure that’s more than you ever wanted to know about Cairn Terriers. Sorry you asked now?

Here’s some pics of my two:

Murpher

Maddie

Par…

**Kim F** · 11-15-2002, 12:39 PM

WOW! Parnone...thanks so much for taking the time to answer my querie!

I'm going to take everything you mentioned into consideration (especially about other pets, since I have a persian cat!) and keep your comments in mind as I mull over my decision. They are truly an adorable breed and I can just picture one of those cuties living in my home. BTW....your babies are absolutely scrumptious! Thanks for the pics! Wish me luck, I have a feeling I'll need it!!