new adoption

[zukosmom]

Just adopted an adult Cairn and need advice on a couple issues. He came to us blind from cataracts and with a terrible skin condition...lots of itching but no fleas. He gets around pretty well with only a few bumps and is sweet as he can be unless we ask him to do something that he doesn't want to do and then he snaps and sounds like he is going to really bite! Unfortunately I now don't trust him and am afraid this may have been a bad idea to adopt. Mostly I just love him and aside from health issues and the aggression on those few occasions he is just precious. We have absolutely no history on him. Can anyone help???

[oscar's mom]

For the skin issue, i would start him on food that has no flour or corn ingredients. Brush him often, and bath him in vinegar, no shampoo. The shampoo may dry out his skin. Sound weird but i believe it worked for my little guy. And its cheap compared to cost of shampoo.

Sorry no idea about the blindness issue. He maybe snappy because he's in a new environment, and protecting himself because he is blind. Give lots of treats and love, hopeful he will calm down.

[sanford]

"...unless we ask him to do something that he doesn't want to do and then he snaps and sounds like he is going to really bite! Unfortunately I now don't trust him and am afraid this may have been a bad idea to adopt..."

My dog is blind and also reacts with growls or snapping at me on some occasions. He has no visual cues in situations where I need to handle him. It is not unusual for blind dogs to react the way yours does. Dogs "language" and ability to communicate with us is limited. Growling, snapping, biting should always be discouraged, but they are just about the only tools dogs have to work with.

With a new dog you'll have many occasions to correct, teach, train him, etc. You must handle him with a very light touch in order not to startle him. Before handling him, bring your hand under his nose, (with or without a treat) so he'll know you're there, and very lightly bring your hand to his side or shoulder, giving him a cue that you will need to handle him, put a leash on, brush him, etc. Hopefully, this will avoid his startle reflex.

Your dog has very special needs. Adopting a handicapped dog is a very caring thing to do. Please don't be discouraged. As you say, you "just" adopted him. It takes time for any dog to adjust and for you both to develop trust. it may take longer in your case. Cairns and many terriers in general are known to sometimes exhibit growly, snappish tendencies. Your dog has a reason for his behavior. You can hire or seek the advice of a trainer who can give you specific ways to address your dog's behavior.

Having come this far with him and loving him as you do, your patience and understanding care will create a very special bond...Please give it time and don't hesitate to ask this forum for advice when issues come up.

P.S. Have you been to the vet re his skin condition? This can become serious if not treated correctly. It may be necessary for the vet to do a skin scraping. That way he'll know the cause and can prescribe the appropriate medicine/shampoo.

[pkcrossley]

i am on my second blind dog and can relate to a lot of what you describe. the snapping issue does not seem to me to be a reason to reconsider your excellent decision to rescue this dog. since you know nothing of your dog's history, you cannot know when or why your dog developed this behavior. he may have had good reason, and part of your program now is to convince him that he no longer has reason to try to defend himself or his space with such behavior.

the skin condition sounds like it might be painful. if you haven't taken him to the vet to begin a program for curing the skin condition, you should right away. also have his ears and teeth checked. in short, look for anything that could be causing your dog discomfort. you want to improve things so he is not uncomfortable, but you also want to make sure that he doesn't have to snap and bite in order to ward off contact that causes him pain.

i think it is important that blind dogs feel that they have control over a lot of what happens in their lives. in general they can't exercise as much control or have as much freedom as sighted dogs, and it can help to make sure that you have given your dog as much control as is reasonable. first of all, make the home safe --close doors or put up baby gates to prevent your dog tumbling down stairs or otherwise walking into situations in which he would not be safe. once you have done that, give him as much free roaming space in the house as possible. i think blind dogs have the same need as sighted dogs to beg --treats, attention or affection-- but it can be difficult since not all blind dogs know how to follow their owners around and none of them can stare soulfully into your eyes like a sighted dog would. i have found that my dog teddy has a certain spot he goes to when he wants something. usually he wants his next meal, but if it isn't meal time and i find him in his "begging" spot i can at least talk to him and pet him and give him some toys. so, although teddy cannot follow me around and lock me into a svengali gaze, he has a way of begging on me just like a sighted dog (but he has to take his chances, the same as a sighted dog). the line between indulging a blind dog and spoiling him can be a fine one. but in general if you look for ways to let your dog express himself and make some of his own decisions, he will surprise you with his ingenuity. since he blindness is due to cataracts, he may not have been blind very long, and may be adjusting to it (perhaps another reason for his defensive snapping).

once you are sure your dogs skin condition is healed, you should begin to condition your dog to being touched. if you don't want to experience a nasty nip or bite in this process, get some kitchen gloves or woodstove gloves. pet your dog, and if he resists continue to gently pet him. he needs to find out that touching is not invasive or threatening. once he can tolerate this calmly, take of the gloves if you have them on and reward him for being good.

because your dog is blind, he may never get used to being touched suddenly, and he might snap under those conditions. be SURE to speak to him before touching him. let him smell your hand so that he can identify you. if he feels that you are respecting his space and his feelings (be making sure he knows who is touching him before he is touched) you may find that his behavior changes greatly.

blind dogs, especially small ones, generally do very well. your dog will gradually learn to seek you out for company, and he will always enjoy good food and the pleasures of being outdoors. snuggling is also a great pleasure. you will want to carry your dog various places, so again be sure to establish a pattern where you speak to him and perhaps touch him gently on the side before picking him up. in general do everything you can to give him some control, and to keep him informed of what is happening and what is about to happen. he will learn to handle his blindness and you will be able to bring out his best nature.

[Malcolm's Dad]

I don't have any advice to offer. Fortunately there are wonderful people on this forum who can help.

Bless you for caring about this little dog.

[hheldorfer]

I agree that you've done a wonderful thing by adopting this dog. Take him to a vet to check out the skin condition and, in the meantime, give him lots of love and time to adjust. We'd all be a little snarly if we were blind and found ourselves in an unfamiliar situation. God bless you and keep coming back here if you have any issues!

[cairnrescueleague]

I would also get the cataracts evaluated if you haven't already. Sometimes they can progress to the point where they block the drainage system for the eye, and pressure builds up and can be painful.

You can also check out http://www.blinddogs.com/ for more information on how to help your dog (and you!) adjust.

And Pamela, did I read correctly that Teddy is now sometimes begging for food?!

[Hairy_Putter]

I would highly recommend speaking with a specialist. A couple of years ago there was a silky terrier in our family who went blind. We took him to an eye doctor who during eye surgery replaced his lenses with plastic lenses. They stitch the eyes shut and then starting on the side closest to the nose, taking out one stitch a week while his eyes healed. He then could see quite well. Fortunately, we had VIP insurance and they covered most of the costs.

[zukosmom]

Wow! This was truly a great find! You have all been helpful and I wanted to update. The vet said he had some skin infections so he is on antibiotics and we are trying benedryl sparingly for the itching (as opposed to steroids). The exam was not as complete as we would have liked due to his lack of cooperation and our not wanting to upset him too much. We will do more in a month or so. He really needs bathed but we are still a bit squeemish about trying that. We are really taking things slow with him. We touch his feet and move his collar and gently nudge him often so that we can see his reaction. Basically he lets us do what we want but we still are cautious about correction.

Successes...I can pet him while he is eating and even remove the food for a second, he loves to play a version of fetch if I throw the ball to the same spot. He cannot be brushed enough or petted enough or scratched enough!!!! When invited he will sleep on my lap. He likes company as well. All in all I feel better about things and think that I will seek the advice of a trainer so that they can hear and see the snarling and help me know what I am dealing with.

He does seem to either hate or be afraid of large dogs, has snarled at me once when I wanted him to go out of a room and has had one "accident" on our bed! I have stopped letting him in that room except at bedtime where he sleeps on a bed of his own on the floor.

He has already added so much to our lives. Yesterday was our one week anniversary as "parents".

[hheldorfer]

Sounds like you've made a lot of progress just in one week! Keep us posted!

[Autumn & Lola]

You've made a TON of progress in just one week! I felt badly when I read your original post and could hear the desperation and frustration. I had no advice to offer and I was hoping the members of this forum (especially those that have blind dogs) would chime in with their excellent advice (and of course they did!)

This forum is *excellent*. I have belonged to tons of forums in the past 15 or so years and I have to say, this one is full of people who are informative, understanding, compassionate and fun!

When we first got Molly (a year ago), I was a bit daunted. Our previous dog had been a very gentle lapdog. Molly, in comparison, seemed like the Tazmanian devil! She was just SOOOO full of life, fiesty, spazzy, etc. She soon settled in and we just adore her. Now I could turn her inside out and she'd just give me a look like, "Hi Mommy!"

You will have many, many more successes in the coming months. Please post them and keep us updated on your little guy.

Regarding the skin issues - is he on a grain-free kibble? That often helps.

[pkcrossley]

hi katie, teddy begs for his meals by going to his usual dining room, standing in the doorway facing outward (where he can be noticed), and grumbling. he gets two meals a day, and does this in the middle hours, clearly when he is feeling peckish. he still does not accept treats, and is sticking to his rule of kibble only, and in the bowl. but some of his rules are loosening up, so i'm hoping we'll be able to find some flexibility in this, soon, and he might at least accept kibble from the hand.

[BetsyNoodle]

I think it is just wonderful that you adopted a pup with special needs!

Like Hairy Putter suggested, if at all possible, you may want to have his eyes examined by a veterinary ophthalmologist. I took my Min Pin to one and we had good results for his eye condition.

Best wishes to you!!

[zukosmom]

Not only does Zuko make me smile, this forum makes me grin as well!

I have heard some horror stories about Cairn rescue...extremely aggressive, biters and worse so I hope you can understand my concerns. You all give me hope!

[little feet zip]

Welcome and thank you for adoptting Zuko, with time, patience, lots of love and respect you should be able to turn this little guy around. I praise you for your effort and commitment to help a pup in need. For the last three months I have been adding a powdered formula to my dogs food to stop the itching,I had them on Atopica from the vet that worked real well but was to expenive,this powder seems to be working their belly have cleared up from bitting and scratching,and my 9yr old had lots of eye gunk that has dissappered, the scratching has been signifacantly less and they seem to have more energy {just what they need LOL}. Take your time and baby steps and you will be rewarded with more smiles and grins.

Rich

[sanford]

I have heard some horror stories about Cairn rescue...extremely aggressive, biters and worse so I hope you can understand my concerns. You all give me hope!

I have volunteered with Col. Potter Cairn Rescue. I can't speak for other rescue orgs., but Col. Potter is scrupulous and tireless about assessing each of their dog's behavior, socialization, training, etc. prior to having them eligible for adoption. Additionally, they carefully screen adoptive families, meet them in person and do detailed home inspections as well. Innapropriate applicants are screened out. After adoptions take place, Col. Potter provides a great deal of information as well as telephone support. It is highly unlikely that they would ever place dogs with the behaviors you describe.

I realize you are concerned about Zekey. You would really be helping yourself if you put your (unfounded) concerns equating his behavior to your innaccurate characterization of "Cairn rescue" dogs aside.

You did a wonderful thing adopting Zekey, so I'm sure you must be a good-hearted person. But maybe you don't realize that you are discouraging the adoption of other excellent, worthy dogs, by repeating baseless, damaging information. If you read back through postings on this site you'll be impressed with all the successful adoptions from various Cairn rescue organizations that have taken place with members of this forum.

[hheldorfer]

Zukosmom - As you can see, folks here are passionate about their dogs and their mission to promote the breed. I think your comments may have been misinterpreted and struck a nerve. Don't take it personally.

When you referred to "horror stories about Cairn rescue" I'm guessing that you meant "horror stories about adopting rescued Cairns"; in other words, Cairns adopted from any source, not just a particular organization. After all, there are a few "horror stories" right here on this forum from people who have adopted Cairns and are at their wits end trying to deal with various behavioral issues - biting, barking, etc.. I was one of these people when I adopted Buffy a year ago. After a few weeks however, with the help and advice of folks on this site, the frustration lessens and what started out as a "horror story" has a happy ending.

Colonel Potter and other Cairn rescue groups are indeed quite thorough in their assessment of the dogs and of prospective homes and the breed itself is an absolute joy once you're past the initial hurdles of Cairn parenthood. Hang in there and please keep us updated!

[cairnrescueleague]

The Cairn Rescue League is the same as Col. Potter. There is no way we would place a known biter. We will take a cairn into rescue if it bit because a toddler stepped on its tail or something like that, but that dog would be evaluated to make sure it didn't otherwise have aggressive tendencies. We also assess the cairn's health as much as is possible, every dog is examined by a veterinarian and brought up-to-date on shots and tests and anything else that is necessary, such as a dental. That said, rescue is not scientific and sometimes unexpected things do happen, but that is extremely unusual, in fact I'm having a hard time thinking of an example. We won't even place a known biter in a foster home, it's just not worth the chance of someone getting bitten.

[zukosmom]

Never meant to offend anyone. I think my dog is wonderful and my concern was with my ability to handle things with him appropriately not to criticize anyone but myself. Thank you all for your attempt to help. My apologies to those offended. I would never purposely do anything to discourage adoption of any dog. Just for the record, this adoption did more for us than we could ever do for Zuko. We are not to be commended.

[hheldorfer]

On the contrary, you ARE to be commended for adopting an adult dog with a disability! I'm sure you had many dogs from which to choose; many people would have chosen the cutest puppy or the perfectly healthy young dog. Not many folks would be willing to take on the extra care needed for a blind dog and, without you, he may have never found a good home. With your love and care he'll blossom into a wonderful companion who will brighten your life for many years to come. Please come back here any time you have a problem or concern and, if you can . . . we LOVE pictures!