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introduction ... sort of


louzingit

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I've been reading here for a month and have (hopefully) enough idea of the protocol around here to post something. I have never used a forum such as this. Forgive me if I err. :)

Jumping in.

So.... about two months ago I got a 12 week old Cairn puppy. Life has not been the same. ha!

We call her ..... well, that's depends to who you ask around here. There was family disagreement on choosing a name. Every name someone liked, someone else didn't. Her official 'paper name' is Tallulah Fly Pie. However, we mostly call her Baby Fly......... Except when we don't. haha So far she's been 'puppy doodles', pupper pie, crazy fly, Fly paper, (said in the most affectionate way possible, of curse!), Fly Fish, Baby Fish, Fish Pie and also including, but not limited to, May Fly and Fire Fly. A final name has been held up in committee. : )

Here at five months, we have many battles behind us. We have worked on sit, sit stay, down, 'sit pretty' (cause she's so darn cute when she sits down on her haunches holding her little paws down! Some call it begging. We prefer to view it as 'sitting pretty'. So much less guilt to deal with our way.) She can do any of these thing and will if she pleases and won't if she doesn't. She's a Cairn through and through. She has started to do some of this without there being a kibble in my hand. Progress is sweet.

We have also mastered, 'I go in and out before she does', and 'she sits at the door in a calm way' before I will take her out to walk.

We are working on 'when company comes she gets to stay in if she is calm.' If not, she gets put outside for being too rambunctious. (a sort of 'time out' if you will.) I let her back in in a few minutes, and if she stays calm, she get to stay in and visit. If not, out she goes again. I think she's getting the message.

We are also working on 'biting'. She mostly 'mouths' now, which I will tolerate as long as there is no aggressiveness involved. She likes to pretend she's 'got it', and then sort of halfway nip at me as I move my hand away from petting her. Should I let her get away with doing this? I haven't been. She has been getting a little correction.

One question: There is this peculiar thing she does. She piles things up at the back door. Sticks, rocks, flower buds, weeds, her bones, bits of paper if she can find them, bottle caps, 'anything' she can find. I was wondering if this is a natural Cairn tendency or if my dog is just special. I sweep it all off today and tomorrow it will be back. lol

Thanks for the Carin Forum. I have enjoyed reading about all the pups and seeing the pics.

lou

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Welcome! Sounds like you've got one heckofa cutie pie there!! I love that she piles things up -- what a collector! I will find things that Zekey deposits all over the house... on both sides of the cat door, by the water bowl, whatever he happened to be carrying when he got distracted. But it's usually only one thing. But Tallulah (Tally?) takes the cake! Maybe she's playing house, and is nesting? Does she mind when you sweep away her treasures?

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Not that you asked, but my naming vote is for Tallulah/Tally. It sounds like you've got a really wonderful Cairn - Congratulations! I don't have personal experience with mouthing, but people on this site have advocated against tolerating it, as cute & puppyish this may be, it's best to head it off before it develops further and the pup grows stronger. Some recommend saying ouch! in a theatrical, exaggerated way to startle the dog while & pulling your hand back and putting a stuffed toy or chew toy in the pup's mouth.

FEAR THE CAIRN!

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Idaho Cairns

Welcome and don't worry about making any mistakes--some of us are so far ahead of you in that category, you'll never catch us! Just say whatcha gotta say and let the rough end drag!!!

I like your dog already and, yes, some Cairns get obsessive about collecting things--with one of mine it is rocks--all sizes. Not to worry the collecting/obsessing seems to be a characteristic known only to Cairns--it is their secret.

I like your description of your little Fly By--she sounds great and the name is great as well. I know you are in for a lot of fun.

I agree with Sanford, best not let the dog "mouth" you in anyway--use the dog's attempts to do so as a training opportunity--when she tries, just tell her "NO!" as harshly as you can so she makes the link between those little teeth and anything human. Cairns, as you know, can be nippy and we often encourage the behavior by allowing it to go on when they are pups. If she persists, simply grab her mouth very gently, repeating "No!" and she will "get it". Make sure she understands it is no game. Down the line, you will be very glad you corralled the mouthing.

Let us know how it is going--we like puppy stories.

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Greetings and congratulations on the new addition to your family! Tallulah/Tally/Fly Pie . . . whatever she'll be called . . . sounds like a complete darling and a Cairn among Cairns. Despite the challenges (and there will be more of them, I assure you :P ) Cairns are a wonderful breed - smart, loyal, and endlessly entertaining with their Cairnish ways. We adopted our first Cairn a little over a year ago and we are absolutely delighted with her. Best of luck to you and please keep us posted on your baby's progress. And we LOVE pictures!

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Welcome - I think your pup sounds really cute! As someone said pictures are always a pleasure to see.

I adopted Holly as a adult but must say she does not collect things but when she has finished playing with toys she tends to push them all together in a heap..................

I like name Tally too but Fly Pie /By is cute!

www.cairnterriertalk.co.uk

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It sounds like you're definitely on the right track (actually, you're doing faaar better than I was at 5 months with Duffy :P). With Duffy I never tolerated any sort of mouthing at all, and it's paid off now that I have a new little brother and feel confident that he'll never be mouthed or bitten ever. :) As for the collecting, it's definitely a Cairn trait! Duffy collects as well-we've had a variety of objects get dragged into the house-rocks, sticks, leaves, a deer foot from ankle down (that one was disgusting). She sounds very normal to me!

My vote goes for anything with Fly in it :thumbsup:

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when he was a puppy, my cairn was a great piler. i think cairns are known for doing this --my cat sitter said she thought that this behavior was why they were known as "cairns' (interesting idea, but not true). my dog is now 9 going to 10 and i don't see this behavior any more. it might be the enthusiasm and greediness of puppies (and cairns are extremely greedy puppies) that is behind it. your dog (no-name)'s choice of spot is very interesting. my puppy chose a kind of den under a desk for his hoarding. i guess your smart puppy decided to kill two birds with one stone --do her hoarding and direct your attention to the door all at the same time!

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Thanks for the warm welcome. Baby Fly and I feel like we have found ourselves a home. : )

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Welcome and I love the name Baby Fly! My Cairn does not pile things but I think it would be the cutest to see what he 'collect'. Baby Fly sounds like a fun pup!

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Don't know what happened to the rest of my post. It got eated I guess. : )

I said:

Thanks also for your comments and suggestions about biting. I am all ears and appreciate any and all help with this.

I also may have mentioned how it's nice to know Baby Fly isn't the only Cairn that hoards. I should get a pic of one of her little piles. You would laugh.

'Fly By' ... lol lol lol

Puppy stories... boy do I gotz puppy stories. It will be fun to share.

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Looking forward to some pics. By way of incitement, here's a snap of one of Rosebud's (a Cairn we had years ago) little collections. We have probably a hundred toys in the house, but she would always snort around in the evening to identify which toy the other dogs had been playing with, then spirit it off to her crate. I think when I emptied her crate this time, there were 10 or 11 toys in there. She'd sleep nested in among them.

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Welcome aboard. I have to say your avatar may be the best I've ever seen, anywhere :thumbsup:

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Welcome! I love all the nicknames -- Tally is way cute!!

Would love to see a pic of one of her piles - what an interesting habit. I've had 3 cairns and never had a collector.

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Welcome aboard!! Can't say that I've every had a piler, they've had other bad habits but not that. I also love the name Tally. Looking forward to some of those puppy stories and also some pictures. We love pictures!

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Welcome... ohhh a new puppy I am envious. I am hoping to have one by September so right now I am living my Cairn life through others :)

I was lucky this weekend we have a neighbor up at the lake house that has a Cairn-- we were able to play with her..Misty.. and take her for a walk.So please-- share some of those puppy stories and pictures please.

Winfrey

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"Fly Pie"! I LOVE that name! I have an Ozzy, Oz, or lately, Pooper. Don't have a clue how Pooper started really, but it seems to suit him. :confused:

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My Maxwell used to pile! He collected sticks when we went for walks in the yard (he has to be on leash since I live in an apartment) and I would let him bring them up, but they had to stay outside by the door on the patio. I never removed the pile, I just kept putting them in the same place as he brought them up. He would sniff and check them out every time we went out but once they were in the pile he didn't really pick them up again. But one day the house cleaning service removed all the sticks from beside the door and when we went outside the pile was gone! He sniffed for it and checked all over the hallway, we had to look by everyone else's door to see if they might have taken them but no sticks! After that, Maxwell would go to the door and ask to go outside, and I would get his leash on and open the door but he would just peek his head out to make sure that the sticks were still there! What a ham. After that, the sticks had to stay in the yard or by the gate to our building because I got tired of letting him out to check on his pile.

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