Anyone have any experience with Cairn Terriers?

fathead82

Hi,I was thinking about getting a new dog & am thinking a cairn terrier might be the dog for us. anyone have any experience with them?
We had a cairn/jack russel when we were kids,great watchdog,great at hunting rats but had no recall once she decided she wants to go somewhere or chase something.
What we are looking for is a small active dog,good at alerting that theres a stranger around,good with kids/livestock,likes hunting rats/mice(yard & sheds are infested this year & the cats are not bothered) & will not shed too much hair in the house.

SillyMangoX

We had one when I was a child but she had epilepsy and had to be put to sleep when she was about 6, she was a lovely dog but very strong willed. I'm not sure if epilepsy is a genetic thing with them but it is something to look out for especially if you have small kids as I remember she used to be quite unpredictable when she was after having a seizure.

sambuka41

my parents have a Cairn, he was a stray that they took in, I'm not sure if it's just his personality but he is incredibly independent. He's not great with kids at all, he has no patience for them. I love him to bits, I love that he can spend hours off on his own without any issues, but I wouldn't have kids around him if at all possible! But all that may have been because he was a stray for a while before we took him in.

He is obsessed with hunting mice, so that would be one box ticked.

anamaria

I have a Cairn X, got her when she was 4 months (2 and a half now). I love her to bits, she has such a great personality. Quite independant to be sure (what terrier isn't) but really loves being around people and great with kids. She can run for hours though! If I wasn't an active person I would be in trouble as she has enough energy for 4 dogs combined. I don't know what she is crossed with but she is incredibly gentle and brilliant fun. I have lots of kids coming in and out of the house for music classes and they all love her.

fathead82

thanks for the replies,I think I will start looking for a cairn or cairn x with some other terrier breed. It says on some of the sites iv been looking at,that cairns do not shed,any idea if this is true?

DBB

They do shed, but not a lot. They do cause allergies if a person is sensitive to dog hairs.
I wouldn't be inclined to get a Cairn if I'd young kids, to be honest. Whilst they're great dogs a lot of the time, they can be quite sharp-tempered at times, and this is not a good thing to have around small kids.
If you were insisting on getting one nonetheless, be very, very careful who you buy off, if you decide to go the pup route. Any of the gougers advertising them on certain websites are puppy farmers: this I am sure of in the case of Cairns. I know a number of the dogs that have come from breeders on these websites, and I know they are prone to epilepsy, liver shunt, atopy, pulmonary fibrosis, and other diseases which are known in the breed.
On the other hand, there are a couple of top class breeders in Ireland, who are devoted to their dogs and really do conform to the definition of reputable breeder. I'd be happy to give you their details by PM if you wish: but be aware, you will always pay more for a better quality pup.

fathead82

I wouldnt mind paying extra for a pup that was from parents that were free from hereditary problems.
I seen a breeder with lovely looking pups on a certain website but when I googled the number,she had 2 other types of dogs advertised as well,this put me off straight away.
I will have to have a good think about them not being good with kids,have a 3 year old who spends a lot of time here.The cairn x we had as children was very good & only ever bit us when me or my brothers were playing rough with each other,she liked to try keep the peace in the house!
Could you pm me the number,I might give them a ring.Im in no rush to get one yet,would prefer to get one during the summer,if i get one at all.

Alun

Yes, we had a cairn terrier when my sister and I were growing up from a young age and I can't remember him being at all sharp-tempered, unless we were playing rough with him when he'd sometimes give us a bit of a nip, but only when we were really asking for it He was a lovely dog, but unfortunately our parents over fed him and he died quite young for a small dog.

anoda_username

My family has a pedigree long haired cairn terrier, I got her when she was 4 months old and she is nearly 17! She is deaf and blind and is on special food for liver problems the last few years but has managed fine up until about september when she went downhill incontinence etc. we have to put her down in the next week or so, all we wanted was to get through the Christmas with her

When she had her health she was a brilliant watch dog. When my brother was younger he used to play out the front with other kids, if my brother was ever in trouble or if a row started she would alert my mother to it. she had a special bark for it. In saying that she was always good with children but liked her own space. We usually seperate her for a small amount of time upstairs away from children everyday and then she'd be outside or asleep in bed. I think that a Cairn would get on fine with children if u introduce them slowly and make sure that they are getting attention as well along with seperating them for little while daily.

She had quite a good few health problems, she went through a good few ops for cancerous tumours, but they kept reoccuring and the vet didnt think it would be fair to put her through any more. A relation had a short haired cairn, I would not recommend them as they are prone to very bad skin conditions.

She has been an excellent pet and I'll be very sorry to see her go.

fathead82

Thanks for the info,it must be a cairn thing to try to be the peacemaker among squabbling children! Sorry to hear about your dog,17 is a great age & it sounds like she had a great life & was very well looked after. I had to get my dog put down 6 weeks ago,it was a hard thing to do but it had to be done for her own good. Like your dog,she was old & had a lot of health problems.