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.

I would have recommended a Shetland Sheepdog as that’s what I have -we had cats chicken ducks etc-but they bark a lot - they have beautiful natures and manners and are excellent with babies and children.However, they are impossible to get hold of as so few breeders, you’d more likely have to get from abroad.Sounds like Cairns will suit you-I’m sure you’ll get the one you want .

everyone’s got to start somewhere. Thanks.

MN can be anti doodle but for very good reason.
SOME are great and some aren't, like all dogs BUT it seems that all too often its inexperienced owners who choose them based on the idea that they get the best of both breeds with them rather than the worst traits.
I know some lovely Doodles but also some neurotic wrecks, but that could be down to the type of person who chooses them to be fair and the type of person who breeds them.
With most pedigrees you get a good idea of what you will most likely be getting in terms of size, temprament etc but with mongrels (or cross breeds if its preferred) its a bit more unknown

Because they don't bark like the dogs upthread

Thanks. I didn’t fully understand that, as not had much experience with poodle crosses, but this thread has really helped. Looking at poodles and Cairns now.

My BIL and SIL love their doodle. They've had two. But when they recently stayed with us, and they sat on one sofa and we sat on the other, I knew I would never be a doodle owner.

My sighthound, mix rescue; curled up next to me, having had a little run that morning, utterly content and lovely.

Their doodle; sitting on them (she's massive), energy all over the place, licking, on their face, couldn't stop moving. Like a recalcitrant toddler.

I swear my dog actually raised his eyebrow and rolled his eyes.

@ladyworm coming back to add. My first dog (as an adult owner ) was a miniature poodle. He was brilliant with my cat who came on safe walks with us. Hadn't had any experience of children, but happily accepted my sister's small boys when they regularly stayed with us, was easy to house train, travelled well in the car, mooched around a farmyard with the farm dogs when I went to visit family, played fetch, but not obsessively, and would walk as far as you wanted to go. He lived for 18 years and was a great friend.

These poor Poodles, no use to anyone in their own right, just as part of a human experiment.

Shelties are lovely. I know a couple of people with them. Lovely dogs.

That sounds perfect. What a brilliant dog 😊

I love Cairns too. I thought it was becoming a rarer breed a while ago but have seen a few about lately. I follow a Cairn breeder on insta and crikey they are lovely little pups.

I agree, standards are the best!

Just popping in to add to the Cairn love. I loved mine so much. She grew up with my DS and they mutually adored each other. She never showed even the slightest impatience with anyone and was always good natured with him and his boisterous friends and, well everyone actually.

I currently have a Miniature Schnauzer. She shares a lot of Cairn traits and is an apparent rarity for the breed in that you’d hardly ever hear her bark but some we have met have made me very lucky to have her specifically 🙉

If I was choosing again with a young family, it would be a Cairn every day of the week 🥰

Tbf even the poor vet who originally did many years crossbreeding to come up with a guide dog that didn’t shed-he regretted ever doing it ,down to the fact that the whole world tried to make money off the back of his research led breeding program.
plus there’s the mixing of different coat types that you end up with.If the coat is curly mixed then groomers hate having to deal with it-also the dogs end up with painful matts .When u say groomers that’s because I know quite a few having shelties.Groomers won’t tell the owners that though-love the dog but not the coat.I’m sure whichever dog you get will be the right fit for you- I’m jealous as I’d love more dogs! 😂 and as long as you treat it like a dog and love it too, you’ll have many happy years ahead of you ! Good luck on your search

Personally I wouldn’t get any terrier if you have a cat.

With any breed, you have to look at the job it was originally bred to do. Those personality traits will still be there, even if the dog never works. Eg I have a spaniel - they are gundogs, so hard-wired to carry things in their mouths. If my dog is excited, the first thing he will do, 100% of the time, is grab the nearest thing he can hold in his mouth. That is very predictable for spaniels. Border collies want to herd, so if there are no sheep around they will try and round up ducks, chicken, children…terriers were bred to chase and catch small furries such as rabbits and rats. That means their instinct to chase small things which move fast is very strong, and if they can catch them, to bite and shake them. I had a Westie who was a wonderful dog but could never be trusted around small animals. The temptation for many terriers will be to chase a cat.

IMO you want a companion breed and I would personally be looking at a miniature poodle or a bichon frise. I would avoid shih tzus as if you get a badly bred one they can have eye and teeth problems due to the shape of their skulls.

When you do decide on a breed, use the kennel club website to find out the recommended genetic diseases that the breed should be screened for (eg my dog’s parents had been screened to be clear of PKA, an eye condition which spaniels are prone to) and then go on Champdogs to find breeders who health test. Good breeders will usually have waiting lists for litters and will quiz you to check you can offer a good home. Don’t buy a puppy from Gumtree or pets4home, which tend to be fronts for puppy farmers or at best, hobby breeders who are unlikely to have done any health testing and just fancied letting their dog have a litter.

I have a 9 month old cockerpoo, he’s fantastic - very chilled puppy happy to walk for hours, equally happy chilling on the sofa with me. He keeps an eye on people coming to the house and will bark a bit but otherwise he’s no bother. He’s good with the kids and now he’s out of the teething stage isn’t bitey. He needs a good sniffy walk, sniffy games in the house and brushing daily. He’s very good driven which makes training easier but he can hear a crisp packet opening a mile away.

My sister has always had Staffies, great dogs but quite high energy and need a lot of training but very loyal and great with kids.

My vote would go to the jack russell terrier- I’ve had three over the years, all have been great with children.

Not so good with cats though, and the OP has a cat…

Terriers are fine with cats if coming into the household as a pup. Most dogs would chase a cat if they aren’t used to being around them and then suddenly have one run across their path.

My Cairn would let the family hamsters and gerbils run around the sitting room with no issues at all. It’s all about the introductions and training.

@JennyPenny222 On my part it's because they are bought for how they look and because they are allegedly non-shedding,
Poodles are intelligent and need a lot of training, and the typical person buying the cute puppy won't necessarily be aware of how much, and the -doodle might have predominantly poodle traits.

@ladyworm , I suggested 2 breeds that I think would be more novice-friendly. Other pp have suggested Labs or Golden Retrievers, and I would too only IMO Labradors are dustbins and I find Retrievers smelly.

Thanks so much. I’ve just been speaking to a friend who is a dog groomer and she was suggesting a toy or miniature poodle.

Ive definitely been increasing the traffic on the Kennel Club website over the past few weeks! 😂

This is a bit of a misleading myth. You’re asking a dog to fundamentally override its instincts. Training can do it with some dogs, yes - and you’ll get a lucky combination of a particularly docile dog and an experienced owner who knows how to train to reduce prey drive - but the idea that any dog who grows up with cats will automatically be cat tolerant just isn’t true. My dog doesn’t tolerate my cats, despite them being here first and us doing everything right with him as a pup (not my first rodeo!). We live in a house of stair gates and zones to eliminate his opportunities to self reward by chasing but he absolutely would if he could. The OP is a novice so needs the problem to be as unlikely as possible, so it makes sense to avoid breeds originally bred to hunt small furries.

Cairns don't really shed anyway. Not sure on the point of crossing one with a poodle and the resulting coat would probably end up being a nightmare to look after. Cairns are lovely little dogs for children but do tend to nip feet as puppies. They love playing with other Cairns so two is a must! Poodles are also lovely but nicest not crossed with anything else.

Just to add my earlier comment, if you're an undecided first time dog owner, you're probably best off avoiding the working lines of any breed.

Working line dogs tend to be sparky and highly motivated to do whatever is they were bred for. They need an outlet for their genetic drives or they can become absolute pains in the arse: my older dog, as I have often said on this board, turns into a horrible dog if she goes 3-4 weeks without any sort of outlet (off-lead walking is NOT enough). I take her out and work with her for half an hour (basic obedience, because it makes her think, and some hunting under control and retrieving) and she's back to her usual self again (biddable, delightful, a pleasure to own). She could have been an utter nightmare in an unsuspecting pet home.

We have a Maltese/Shihtzu mix - nearly 6 yrs old. He's still feisty, but equally cuddly, engaged, lovelable crazy. He came from a farm (as in with cows....not puppy farm!!) and loves other animals too. Remind your kids that a dog is not a toy though - and be prepared for vets/groomer bills. And time and lots of lots of patience when house training them. Don't underestimate the onset of "puppy blues"!