15 replies to this topic

[BEARCATJER]

My wife would love to have two Cairns instead of just one. I dont want a dog at all in reality,but we do love our Cairn Piper because she is a sweetie! That said it bothers me a lot that she has so much energy she seems bored and /or lonesome when we arent walking her or she isnt around other dogs or people .
There is no way we are going to have two dogs in my lifetime,but sometimes i wonder if our Piper wouldnt be better off with someone who would like to have two instead of one. I note a lot of folks on this forum seem to have two...I assume so the dogs have a companion to play with.

We are retired and although active cant seem to keep our Cairn fully occupied and i hate to see her laying around looking like she lost her only friend. Other than getting a second dog I dont know that there is any other solution but for me that is not a solution.

Any thoughts etc appreciated..

[Idaho Cairns]

We have two and I believe that Cairns do very well in pairs for the reason you suggest--Cairns entertain each other so well. For us, it is double the pleasure to have two Cairns in the house but you also double the expense and double the work so you really do have to choose priorities when thinking about taking on a new Cairn. Whether your dog would be "better off" is hard to say, Piper would certainly be more active with a companion and that is a good thing.

[Holly&me]

I just have the one Cairn, Holly, and she is now 8. Though she likes to meet other dogs I do not think she would want to share me or the house with another on a permanent basis! She likes my attention. However, she does entertain herself with her toys quite happily and then does like to sleep or lay around but does not seem to be unhappy about it! The first four and half years of Holly's life was spent with 10 other Cairns at breeders so I think she appreciated the fact she has everything now to herself!
Although for some two dogs are good then if like me, retired and living in a small house, one is ideal for exercise, loving company and entertainment. The cost of vaccinations, insurance etc also worries me if I had more than one.

[ladymacin]

If you care: I found a post on google: http://www.veterinar...?P=A&A=2465&S=1

I have always had more than one dog, however I know terrier's in general can be different when it comes to more than one animal in the house.

My Boxer and Cairn get along beautifully and they are both neutered males. Good luck with your decision, it's not an easy one to make. Of course, there is the added expense too, yikes. Try three dogs.

[oscar's mom]

Do you have a dog park in your area? How about doggie day care once a week?

[BEARCATJER]

We live in a rural area in the middle of nowhere in a retirement communicy. My wife presented a proposal for a dog park in our community but the board turned it down. Nearest doggie day care we use is 35 miles away and our favorite one is 70 miles away.we meet a friend who has a Westie in a common area in our community and they love to play with each other. I dont think i could live with two Cairns at my age and the expense alone is discouraging.

[Ivysmom]

I have a female cairn and a male golden retriever. They get along beautifully and are the best of friends. I am sure they hang together when nobody is home.

[lindasue]

We only have 1 dog; Pegi, but also have 2 cats, along with my twin 18 year old daughters. Pegi is 2 1/2; and is fine w/o another dog. She has friends in the neighborhood that she plays with when we walk, the cats entertain her (one beats her daily; the other runs from her), the girls keep her occupied (well, when they are home) and she has DH and me! I'm not sure how old Piper is, but Pegi has calmed way down in the last 6-12 months. When we are busy she will sit on the sofa in the den, looking out the front window, keeing our neighborhood safe from other dogs, cats, squirrels and anyone who has the nerve to drive/walk up our street!

[cairnsby3]

I wonder if Piper is sad and lonely or if she has just adjusted to her life. I have two right now and they do play together some. I don't know if they are high energy or not, they are always ready to go and we do alot of activities, but they come to work with me every day and they sleep all day, because that is what is expected of them. I try to walk or play ball in the morning, so they are alittle tired, but really they sleep all day, asking to go out sometime in the afternoon, then back to sleep. I have found that Cairns are very adaptable to your lifestyle. Also there are alot of activities that don't require alot of energy on your part, but will tire Piper out, like teaching tricks, nose work, etc.

[_whits_]

Doggie day care might be a good choice. That way she can have the benefit of being around other dogs and you don't have to have to take on a second dog. It's great exercise, mentally and physically.

I'm more partial to doggie dare care than dog parks, because doggie dare care centers are usually quite strict about making sure all the dogs are vaccinated and friendly.

[kjwarnold]

We started our life with Cairns with just one Cairn for almost 16 years. He was just fine being an only dog. We took him on walks, which was good for all of us, plus he was a fiend for chasing tennis balls, so that was a constant activity in our house. We never got the impression that he was lonely or needed another dog for companionship. I don't recall if you said how old your Cairn is, but their activity levels do change as they get older. If you've got a young Cairn (2 or younger), it will definitely slow down. Cairns do seem to like to have activities that challenge them, so maybe try different games that make them think. We play "Find the Cookie" frequently, where we make them stay in one room (good stay practice) and hide very tiny pieces of treats around one room. They love the challenge of trying to find those cookies.

We now have two Cairns and while I think either one of them would be fine as a single, we just love having two. It's so much fun to watch them interact; they're like brothers who play and have spats, just like kids.

Good luck to you and hopefully you'll find ways to keep your dog happy and challenged, while fitting into your lifestyle. It can be done!

[The girls]

For a year we had only one and she went to day care because we both worked long hours. She loved Doggie Day Care and still goes occasionally. Upon my retirement we received from our daughter Maggie's litter mate. They love to play and do stay outside playing when possible. Maize is jealous of Maggie and doesn't let us pick her up or pay individual attention to Maggie. However, that said Maize was sick for several days and Maggie was very lonely.

So it is ups and downs.

[BEARCATJER]

thanks for the feedback. i suspect my concern about Piper being lonesome is more my problem than reality.Piper is only two and a real go machine.She is so dog friendly to all other dogs i just know she would love having a partner.She actually is relatively subdued for a day or two after we pick her up frombeing boarded when we travel.I guess there is no easy answer because two dogs is not in our future.NOW WE ARE MUCH MORE FOCUSED ON HER DIET..WE OVERDID TREATS AND TABLE FOOD..she needs to lose 6 lbs..not a typo..and we are halfway there which is a real relief and has really put a strain on my wife and i...guilt feelings i guess.

wish i could get Piper's photo on the avatar.i will keep trying.

[tlwtheq]

Sorry you can't have more than one pup. I started my Cairn journey in 1983 with just one. My hubby at
the time and I separated and he took Holdsworth with him. I then adopted Shadow.
Well, hubby and I got back together, and thus we had a two-dog household.
So the first time I had two dogs it was an accident. But the experience revealed what
great company they were for one another. There are just some things that
only one's own species can understand; that was extremely clear with
Holdsworth and Shadow.

Ever since then I've had a multi-Cairn household. Wouldn't have it any other
way and I don't think they would either. We're a close knit pack.
Just our experience.

Tara and the Gang

[jo_]

I felt the same way with Jagger. She would be so excited meeting other dogs and no matter how much I played with her she'd often want more. She was probably more content being an 'only child' than I thought, but we really wanted to give her the best possible life and felt she'd love a live-in companion. I never imagined we'd be a two-dog household but we adopted a second. Jagger was 1 year and 3 months when we brought home Eddie who was 10 months old. The first couple of weeks were pretty rough as Eddie had little to know training. But we have never had a second of regret. Jagger at times showed a bit of jealousy when we gave Eddie attention and this still happens on occasion but not near as much. We were fortunate and they hit it off immediately. It warms my heart to see them lying side by side in their window seat, or curled up next to each other outside on the deck.

We gave the idea of having a second dog a great deal of thought and consideration. While we're thrilled with having a second, it is added responsibility. I don't think bringing any pet into a home should be taken lightly. For us it was the right decision - companionship for Jagger and for us it's double the love. Let me tell you these two characters make me smile countless times a day. I can't imagine not having both. I should get around to posting pictures of these two in action - they are adorable.

All that said, if you're really not on board with adding second to the family there's lots of ways to keep to keep Piper entertained. The fact that you board her with other dogs is a wonderful 'dog retreat' for her and frequent play dates with the Westie in your neighbourhood are great. Maybe you could just arrange more of those?

Best of luck!