Cairndoodle

[ladyworm]

Hi,

I'm wondering if anyone has any experience of Cairndoodles they could share?

I’m researching what breeds would be a good fit for our family’s first dog, and they seem to be a good fit for us going off what I’ve read about their usual temperament, exercise requirements, size, and suitability to live with cats and young children.

thanks.

They’re not “a breed”. Why not just get one or the other? I know loads of doodle/poo type dogs and some are lovely but some are really problematic. There’s no real regulation around who breeds them and they’re so popular that they’re being churned out constantly. Poodles can be very highly strung, Cairns can be stubborn and wayward, what will you do if you get a puppy with all of these traits? These crosses are sold as hypoallergenic, great for allergies, great temperament etc but they’re no different from any other dog except the lack of regulation means you can’t trust any kind of lineage. I have a friend who adores her Cockerpoo but freely admits that he is not what she was strenuously assured he would be - he is actually aggressive, resource guarding, nervous, ball obsessed to the point that if he finds one in the park, the walk is over as he won’t drop it & won’t let her throw it and becomes aggressive if she tries to take it. No training works and at age 5 she has accepted that this is how it will always be.

I know this will likely be swarmed with devoted doodle/poo cross owners now but I have heard more stories like the above than I care to relate!

Can't go wrong with a Labrador - great family dogs and not mixed breed.

I love Cairns. Stubborn little buggers They don't need any Doodle in them.

It's not a breed and crossing such different dogs is going to lead to trouble, in my opinion. You have a terrier breed known for its independent attitude crossed with a poodle which has gundogs as its roots, so generally co-operative and easy to train. It's setting up any offspring for psychological tensions. Do some proper research of proper breeds

Cairns terriers are lovely little dogs.

I fail to see what crossing with a poodle is meant to achieve (as they're already low shedding and produce little dander)

I agree about the totally different temperaments too. You don't see terrier/poodle crosses very often, and think that mismatch might be why.

Just get a Poodle, I have a Standard and she’s fantastic. Great with people, loyal, loving, clever, knows loads of words so fun to train as she picks things up quickly.
I too know lots of ‘doodles’ and most are neurotic, very barky, can’t be left alone in the house, all the worst parts of the breeds they’ve been bred from.

Thanks everyone for your advice.
Never had a dog before, so all this is new.

This 👆

What are you actually looking for in your first dog?

Perhaps we can help. I'd be very wary of the online finders (particularly US based ones)

Our neighbours first ever dog is a doodle cross, they openly admitted they made a massive mistake. He's neurotic, jumps, barks all day, guards his food, pulls and is generally untrained.

They have had 3 dog trainers, the last one via the vets as he escaped from his garden and went ballistic at a horse and rider.

He's about 4 years old and I think they are considering rehoming him as they are running out of patience. Another friend of mine has 2 doodles, they are equally bonkers and just bark all day, when you go around they bark which is fine but then they don't stop.

I love my large breeds so peaceful by comparison.

So first dog advice from me would be a golden retriever from a non working line, they are like the beginners dog.

I've had 3 over my lifetime, all easy laid back dogs.

Go to the kennel club website and they have loads of info on breeds and which would suit particular lifestyles etc and first time owners. Anything with doodle in it means you don’t know what you’re getting apart from usually a mixed coat and having to get it groomed professionally every 6-8 weeks.

Thanks. I’ve been going through the various breeds on the kennel club website to try and narrow it down.

We’d like small dog, good with children and cats, one with general exercise requirements of around an hour a day, but could walk for longer. A breed that doesn’t shed much, but one that could enjoy training and activities. A dog that we could take on holidays, can adapt to different situations and generally a dog that loves to be around a family.

I’ve discounted Frenchies due to the general poor breeding and how much they suffer due to various health conditions. Pugs are also out, as are cocker spaniels, cavapoos, cockapoos, and corgis.

I was also considering a Shih tzu.

Recommend a miniature schnauzer. Would fit all your requirements.

Cairn Terries and Shih Tzu are lovely…but they’re both bloody stubborn breeds. Why not a miniature or toy poodle?

How old are your children?

Thanks, I’ll look into them.
They are 6 and nearly 11.

@ladyworm they are mongrels!! no other way to describe them!

Couldn't agree more.
My first dog was a cairn and she was the best dog ever.

Life long Cairn owner here. They're wayward and stubborn but loving and loyal to the end. Ours is now 15 and still going strong. He's grown up with my children who he adores. He even loves the cat. Who bullies him mercilessly. Cairns are just super little dogs!

They do sound amazing!

Go to this event if you are able in London.

We went to it 20 years ago when we thought we wanted a husky

You get to speak to the breeders of 200 dogs tell them your lifestyle and they say whether breed is suited to your family. We walked away with recommendation of a Staffordshire bull terrier which wasn't on our radar at all. He was my best friend and family pet for next 14 years.

Note they aren't there to sell their litters, just for advice and details on breed

on https://crufts.org.uk/whats-on/discover-dogs-at-crufts?gl=111r5szfafagcl_auMTE2NDk5NDcxNi4xNzM2NTgzMTk2

Look at Havanese... I think they would suit you well. Lovely little dogs

Good ages for a first (little) dog!

FWIW, I agree with PPs that very often the pedigree is far better than the 'cross-poodle' - not because I have anything against cross-poodles but because I don't think it's wise for people, particularly first time owners, to get dogs where they are unaware of the dog's genetics and the parent's history.

With pedigrees (Cain Terrier or Golden Retriever or even your Chinese Crested) you know what you're likely to get if you go through proper channels (KC/Champ Dogs/Local Breed Club) as there are records and history - you can extensively search for the health tests of the generation before.

The problem with bringing another breed in with no proper regulations or 'standards' is people can use any random poodle of the street with no health tests, no genetic history and no personality check. Some will have the tests for the 'sire' - BUT they probably won't for grandma and grandad and some health issues are recessive etc. You can also ended up in a situation where you have the worst of the two breeds - which is what we see so often in Cockerpoos - which is not for a novice owner to handle.

Genetics are difficult - breeders/puppy farmers/Bob next door can say we bred for looks and temperament all we want, but we cannot guarantee a dogs temperament - so complicating it for extra desired characteristics (in poodle-cross cases the desire to be 'hypoallergenic,' which is very often not the case with the resulting litter anyway, because that's not how genetics work) is just a bit dim, particularly when there are no regulations around it.

Discover Dogs is an excellent way to research breeds as @babasaclover suggests, but it doesn’t happen in London any more. You’d need to go to it at Crufts at the Birmingham NEC in March, as the link informs you, OP.

It's not a breed. Echoing others here to say please consider a purebred dog. Many native breeds are under threat now because of the advent of designer crossbreeds. You could get a lovely pedigree dog that would suit you perfectly.

Thanks for the brilliant explanation, I really appreciate it 😊
I’ll look at pedigree breeds again!