Can Cairn Terriers be trained to be friendly with strangers and other dogs?

I recently lost my Cairn Terrier. I loved the guy to death, but I noticed he did not like dogs until he met them a few times, and he would bark at neighbors and had a tendency to bite. I got him from a shelter when he already reached adulthood. If I were to get a Cairn puppy, and socialized him properly, would he be friendly with neighbors and dogs? Also, could I ever trust him with an invisible fence?

Depends on the dog. Both my dogs are a little wary of strange dogs until two or three visits. But plenty of shelter dogs love other dogs, you don't necessarily have to get a puppy. And some puppies may be well socialized but still not be overly fond of other dogs and/or may bite. But the biting is a behavior problem, not a breed issue and can be solved.

If you train and socialize the dog correctly then you should have no problem. I do not think you could trust an "invisible fence".

It depends on the individual dog. I have owned two Cairns in my life. The first one did not care for strangers, especially children, although he did fine with my daughter. He hated other dogs. We got a second dog, but the would fight occasionally and the Cairn always tried to dominate. The Cairn I have now also dislikes strangers, especially children, but does ok with my grandson. We have three dogs total, he was the first, but he has always gotten along well with they other two. Recently a stray (also a male) has been jumping into my back yard and he responds well to this dog, it's just people he has problems with. I had both dogs as pups and they were socialized.

I have two cairns and i love them to death. But my older dog Huck is sort of aggressive towards neighbors and other dogs as well. But my younger dog Skeeba (stupid name I know) is not aggressive but is very eager to play with and meet new dogs. We got Huck when he was already i few month old and I think it is just because Cairns are territorial. Skeeba on the other hand was only a few weeks old. We were installing an invisible fence too but my step dad never finished it. But I am sure if you got a Cairn Terrier when it was just a puppy and trained it to stay in the invisible fence it would be a sucsess. And I love to here about people who adopt from shelters. I personally think shelter dogs are wonderful. So good luck and i am sorry i didn't really answer your question.

The Cairn Terrier is a spirited, hardy, restless little busybody. Alert, loyal, merry, lovable and mischievous. They are somewhat independent, but friendly. Females tend to be more independent than males and some breeders feel that males are more affectionate. They are very curious, fearless and bold. They are easily trained and like to do tricks. Naturally patient with children and very playful. Cairns adapt well to their new homes. They are sensitive, and need firm, but not harsh, training and discipline. Without the proper leadership, the Cairn can become destructive and/or bark excessively. Cairns like to dig searching for vermin, so it is not wise to leave them unsupervised in a landscaped yard! This breed can be a chaser and should not be left off its lead in an unsecured area.