Do you ever get mad at your Cairn?

[kayharley]

Today I did and I don't know if I feel bad or if it was legitimate.

I've been working with Madison daily on the "come" and "sit" command and she's been excellent...actually knows what I'm saying and does what is asked of her. Treats/hugs/praise is administered.

A couple days ago she wormed her way into our garage thinking she was going for a ride. I panicked and yelled "SIT" and automatically she stopped and sat/rolled over and then pee'd. I didn't care because at least she stopped before going into the driveway which leads to the road.

Today she goes out in the yard and hears our neighbors bulldog in his yard. I yell "Stop"....no response. I yell "Sit" again no response. She's out of control barking and running like crazy. I try the treats/cookie temptation and she ignores me. Now I'm mad. When she finally came up on the deck, covered in mud, what could I do? If I told her she was bad would she know why she was bad? She might but I don't want her to think she's bad for coming on the deck....ugh! So I have to swallow my anger and give her a bath with gritted teeth.

[toomanypaws]

Well, I must admit that I too have been mad at my cairn. I've had dogs all my life, my labs were not only voice command but hand command too. My aussie should have been put in agility, he's awesome. Then there's my cairns I never realize just how stubborn and defiant these dogs can be. My oldest one, Kiara did great at commands up until we sold our house and had to rent while our new house was being built. She was in the rental yard one day and apparently found a hole in the fence, big enough to break apart and fit through. My dd was in the yard w/ her at the time she went through the fence and came running to me. I came out and could see her on the other side of the fence, but do you think she would come? NOoooo, she started digging into yet another yard. I'm sure it made an impression on the neighbor when I knocked on his door to get Kiara and then I call her and she acts like she never saw me before. It was back to puppy 101 for her.

Now we're in our new house and Kiara does excellent at coming when called in the back yard, and I stress back yard only! She's just one I'm not sure would come if given her freedom. Out of my 3, she's the hunter and gets in this hunting mode where she doesn't want to listen. My other two, although much younger do great at coming and getting rewarded. I've made a schedule to work each one everyday separately on commands. I just don't want my younger cairns following in alpha dog Kiara's footsteps.

[MikeC]

Hi Kay,

I get mad at Duffy too, more often then I would like. I think what makes me the most upset is that he is such an intelligent little guy, yet he is obstinate and unruly more times than not. I'm having a very hard time trying to get him to stop biting us. He thinks he playing but he is almost 9 months old now and has lion size teeth and it hurts. We have tried yelling "no bite", "no", "stop", you name it, but he continues. I hestitate to smack him because I don't believe in hitting dogs, but I am at my wits end. I have been told that he will eventually grow out of it, but when? Before Duffy, I had two female springer spaniels that were angels on paws. If God ever put two perfect dogs on this earth it was Sara and Chelsea. I know that I can't compare Duffy to them and he is still a puppy, but sometimes I wonder if he will ever be wonderful as they were. Don't get me wrong, I love him as much as I loved them, but I never had the exasperation level with any dogs that I have had in the past that I do with Duffy. I keep telling myself that one day all the training will sink in and he will be a good boy.

MikeC

[fancypants]

My other dogs were a German Shepherd and a Cocker - they both were very obedient (most of the time) but I find that the Cairn is a different kettle of fish frankly - they were bred to be able to think for themselves out in the field - to think on their feet so to speak and maybe that has something to do with it, but I have given up on all the obedience things with Emma. I always take treats with me to the dog park and she usually will come unless she's playing with some especially fun friends, but for me that's OK. I was enrolled in 2 obedience classes and dropped out of both of them, I didn't want all the trouble of practising day in and day out - I thought she was smarter than that, I guess. The up side is

i never get mad at her though! I do get annoyed when she lags behind on walks in the rain, but that's about it.

[Mama Kim]

Piper listens much better to my husband than she does to me, as far as coming when called in the front yard, where there is no fence. She will 'stay' or 'come' for him easily, even with distractions, but for me, she looks back, and sort of slinks over to the neighbor's house where she likes to play with their American Eskimo. It's so frustrating!! She minds me quite well (for a Cairn ) otherwise. So yes, I do get angry sometimes.

[Scully'sMom]

I get angry as well and I pretty feel like like it's my fault, that I should have done a better job at training her. I get angry with her for running out and refusing to "come" when I call her. The last time she got out it was dark and she was running for a busy road. After the initial panic I yelled, "Scully, do you want to go in the car?" and she ran like a bat out of hell as they say, and ran towards me and I grabbed her. She listens to my husband more than me and I think it's the tone of his voice.

I get upset when she's constantly barking at someone going past the house. Even though I know it's not an angry bark, I feel like everyone's looking at me like "It's just a dog, can't you control her?" I thought for sure she was going to think her name was "Scully NO!" I try to justify these two behaviors in my head that she's only 1 and will grow more mellow. Then again..... ....I think I'm dreaming.

[kayharley]

Scully's Mom....

Could it be possible that our dogs were cloned or are twins and live in different households?

Madison is exactly like Scully. I can say "Kong" and Madison will stop whatever she is doing and come running but why can't she come when I say come? Then I can always say "BaBaDo's" (in dog talk it means go for a ride/walk) and again, she'll drop everything and be by my side in a second. Of course I have to take her for a ride/walk after the command or give the almighty Kong treat....can't risk shattering her trust in those words.

And the barking...I think my older Cairn Winnie, 11, taught Madison that it's okay to bark when a fly goes by. Winnie barks at nothing, Madison barks because Winnie barks. I discipline because the both of them are in harmony and it's not music to our ears.

But you know what......I wouldn't trade either of them for a million bucks!

[chubbypup]

I think we all get mad at our babies at some point and we all feel guilty afterwards. Sometimes i wonder whether Metz is just ignoring/aggravating me to see how far he can push us. Most of the time he is very responsive to commands unless he is in his own back yard and this is where he will TEST us. Sometimes i find his antics amusing but other times he just goes that little bit too far. Bless them.

[Scully'sMom]

kayharley, I guess they're like kids and only hear what they want to hear. Thank God for hair dye!

[Guest girliejr]

I feel your pain! Jack barks at every little noise he hears outside. I hate to scold him (although I do) because I can tell by the look on his face that he thinks he is being such a good "watch dog" by letting me know something is out there! Unfortunately for me, there are two little Westies that live next door. When the Westies are outside and Jack is inside, he can hear them bark, so he starts. Then they hear him bark so they keep going! It is a neverending bark-fest when the Westies are outside!

I also have problems with him minding me. He only minds me when I have a treat in my hand and it is convient for him! It is quite annoying, but it is my understanding that Cairns just have a mind of their own!

I tell Jack all the time that it is a good thing for him that he is so cute!

[hallswel]

I really think the reason is intelligence. Rebel will ask to go out by pawing at the back door. He goes right out. Then he paws at the door to come in and when I open the door for him he will turn his back on me and look out into the yard and not come in. He either wants me to come out side and play with him or he is playing a joke on me. He is so very observant and sees everything low and high. I think sometimes he is just too busy to listen to me or it is more fun for him to be in control.

We went camping this last weekend and Rebel was so good. I couple of kids came into the campsite to see the dogs. When they said look at the dogs Rebel sat down and watched them and did not get up from his sit until he was being petted. I didn

[osuvicki]

How do you stop laughing at them even when they are being devils? Today 5 month old Grace made her own doggie door. She was out on the back porch and the cat was inside teasing her sitting on the kitchen table. Again. Grace had obviously had enough and threw herself through the screen on the door! I was laughing so hard at her determination AND at the look on the shocked cat's face...that it was just too late to yell...Later Grace kept trying to pull the tools out of my hands as I repaired the screen as if to say....hey, I worked hard to do that. Don't fix it.....

[bradl]

How do you stop laughing at them even when they are being devils?

Oh my. I often wonder when our screen door will suffer the same fate. Our little kleptomaniac is going through a phase where everything she can get her paws or mouth on needs to be relocated to another room. Couldn't get a picture in time but recently she was spotted tiptoeing out of the kitchen with a disk pitcher she'd stolen out of the vitrine. Can you 'pitcher' an eight-pound puppy carrying this thing around? (It's only about four three inches in diameter -- small, but still!)

[osuvicki]

Too funny, brandl.