To station or not station

[Milopup]

Need some advice on dealing with the cairn pup:

I still can't trust my 10 month old pup to be off leash unsupervised - how did you guys do it? If I have to do something in another room, I keep him on a 6 ft leash near his toy box so he can rest, play, etc. I have to do this because he will chew things (including electric wires).

How did everyone train their pups so they don't need to be on leashes/confined at home?

Thank you.

[Scully'sMom]

Milopup, you had me thinking on that one as to what we did. She was pretty much blocked in the kitchen area with plenty of room and things to play with. When we did let her out we just had to keep a close eye on her so we could catch her doing anything of the chewing, etc. I, especially, thought we could trust her and I'd go off into the kitchen which is when she decided to jump on the furniture and walk on the tables and grab stuff. As I've said before, it's a wonder she doesn't think her name is "Scully NO!". I think patience, discipline, and time in the crate did the trick for us.

[bradl]

An exercise pen works well for this. We'll toss Stella into her 'playground' when we want her to be nearby, but not underfoot. In the pic below she's hanging out with Echo.

That is actually two ex-pens hooked together so it takes up most of the room. If she were less spoiled and more housebroken we'd just use one 4x4 expen.

[toomanypaws]

I have so many baby gates in my house, you'd think I run a daycare. I trust my 3 yr old, but still have to watch the now 9 mth & 4 mth old. The kitchen and breakfast room are connected and tiled. I have a baby gate to the entrances and the 9 mth old is in there if I can't watch her. We're also planning to tile another room to make it "the girls" room. The 4 mth is pretty much w/ me most of the time. I even have a baby gate in the master bath to keep her in there when I'm in that part of the house. When I notice she's getting tired, I put her in her port-a-crib, which I can roll around. My dh still teases me that we didn't even buy our dd Eddie Bauer brand, just a basic Graco.

[Scully'sMom]

toomanypaws (maybe that should be toomanygates) - I'm myself silly here at the adorable portacrib. I must say it's quite lovely for just being a Graco. That is such an adorable pic!

Now please tell me how do you not go out of your mind with all those stubborn little pups? But I do know they have fill your lives with tons of love.

[CarCarDawn]

Hi!! These pictures are just too cute!! I am still marveling at the luck I have had with Riley - - - he is housebroken and can stay 7-8 hours in the house alone without confinement and without an accident - - - - - he doesn't chew up anything except the bones I leave for him - - - - - the only thing out of place when I come home is his toys and toy basket. He will chase after most wildlife but doesn't try to kill any of it - - - - he minds exceptionally well and comes when called almost all the time - - - he doesn't bite - - - he only barks when someone is around the house - - he never begs at the table - - - just waits patiently at my feet - - - he has no allergies that I am aware of - - -he will spin around and around when he needs to go out to do his business - - - he loves everyone and thinks they all are his friends - - - I can go on and on and on. . . . . .I guess the initial costs of operating on him for liver shunts (over $7,000) ensured that he would be "perfect" for the rest of his life!!! He is sooooooooo special!!!!!!

The only thing I did in reference to his training was confine him to a small room when I wasn't home and because I do not work it was easy to keep an eye on him and reprimand him when he was doing something wrong - - - I watched him like a "hawk"!!!! Maybe I am just blessed with this little dog!!!

[toomanypaws]

Scully's mom, glad I made you laugh. When I typed dd, I'm talking about my daughter. She's the one who got the cheaper Graco port-a-crib when she was a baby. I originally bought this Eddie Bauer crib for my oldest cairn Kiara when she was younger for her naps. I had to match it to the colors in my new house. My 2nd cairn, Abbey never would stay in the crib. She had to be w/ Kiara. Now that Hannah is here, she loves the crib for naps and loves the way I roll her around w/ me when I'm doing housework. Of course, I'm always rotating new toys in there for her to amuse herself with.

You ask how I don't go out of my mind w/ 3 cairns? Aren't we all a little out of our minds to have picked this breed? No really, there are times that the barking gets a bit much and I find scrapbooking getting harder to get caught up with. I'm lucky to balance the checkbook w/o one of them demanding my attention. Some of my friends think I'm crazy, so be it. What can I say, I love them! I love the animation in them, the way their ears go forward and back, forward and back at the sight of my husband coming home from work. I bite my lip from laughing when they've done something wrong and their ears seemed glued to their head. I love how vocal they get as they attempt to talk to us. I love how playful they are and the excitement they display over a new toy. I love having them to cuddle w/ while we watch TV or read at night and I really love sneaking naps w/ Hannah in my bed.

The only thing I regret is that I waited so long to have one of these lovable, cheerful, lively, bossy, feisty, clever, independent, stubborn, persistent, impulsive, intense and dynamic terriers.

[Milopup]

Thanks for the experiences and pics sharing.

The lil' pup is on a 6 ft leash and is stationed with his toy box, blankie and chews nearby. He seems to like his alone time (when he can just relax) and doesn't seem to mind. We are in the midst of moving house, so when we get to London, we will probably figure out a larger threshhold.

One thing we do is we let him run loose, but with the leash attached (very light leash, nylon with a small clip), so we can catch him or get him away from dangerous situations (i.e., electric wires). His lil' legs run quite fast.

Hopefully when he matures a bit more we can increase his off leash time - crossing my fingers.

[Scully'sMom]

CarCarDawn, you are indeed blessed with such a special pup. I think we are sent exactly the pup we need at the time. I got my last Cairn at a low point in my life and she brought such love into my life. My favorite thing to see is Scully's reaction when either my husband and I come home from work. The sheer love in their faces and their reactions is worth any bad thing they've done.

Toomanypaws, I think you must have a great household with those pups. Someone who doesn't love animals the way we do may think we're nuts; then again, who cares. They are missing out on something very special.

[CarCarDawn]

Hi! Scully's Mom you are so right - - - not only have we enhanced the quality of Riley's life but he has definitely enhanced the quality of our lives - - - I just couldn't describe the love we have for this incredible little dog who might have been "put down" had he not come into our lives!!!!!! He is an amazing little spirit!!!

[Guest Tototoo]

You guys are so funny! I laughed so hard because you all sound like me with my kids. Although we really have 2 children and our 3rd child is furry and four legged. I juggle between working at home and at the shop and yes I had a port-a-crib and then we bought a octagon play yard. Its funny this topic came out because I was just considering getting out our play yard for our furry child, just for when I can't keep my eye on him, I never gave the port-a-crib any thought, but now you mention it... We also have electric cords basted with cairn attractant and we are still having problems with "gifts" left for us to step on in our bare feet!

Don't think we are all too crazy...my friend has a 20# cat that comes in every night so he can sleep in his crib! Tough cat!!!

K

[Scully'sMom]

@ the cat story. Yep, big and mean - NOT!

[suedelu29]

Hi Everyone,

You guys have no idea how happy this forum has made me. I have a 11 month old cairn and I was close to losing my mind. It is like having a one year old baby all over again. I have to take her room to room with me or she is absolutely into something. My stress level was getting pretty high, and I did know what a Cairn was all about, listening to you has made me realize she is a perfectly normal baby!!! Somehow I will have to adjust. I do work, and she is in the cage then, but any suggestions on how I can get ten minutes to myself, WITHOUT, putting her back into the cage would be appreciated.

Thanks

[wags]

invest in a pen. Sometimes one of us has to sit in there with him- but he behaves.

[Guest Tototoo]

Alright folks the fur is going to fly on this one . . .

Toto can actually be tied out on a leash without barking his head off. I am home, sometimes I'm in the house, sometimes I'm outside, whereever the kids are and usually he is very quiet and sits on the patio, cairn smile on his face and watches the birds fly. He's a country dog, he loves to bark at the horses, chases a cat on occ. , but basically likes being outside. He cannot be out with out a leash or he will dig under the fence. He has water at all times, he has shade, and he comes in all nice and tired and ready for his afternoon nap. Sometimes a dog needs to be a dog and if they are too wound up they are going to drive you crazy. My kids are the same way. Toto begs at the door to go out every day, runs to his spot to be tied and is mostly quiet. I think a 20 ft chain is better than being tied in the kitchen on a 6ft lead. I know alot of you live in apartments or condos so its not feasible, but I think if a dog is started from the time he is a pup, is supervised at all times, (not left by himself) then I think it is a good idea that a dog learns to be tied out on a chain. When we lived in a condo, my collie also liked to be outside and was a very good citizen, but we started her from the time she was a pup.

Thing is I am not constantly entertaining him. He is entertaining himself, by digging, playing with his balls, or just snoozing in the sun. I think its a good skill to teach a dog as well as a kid (This way it gives it gives MOM time to surf. )

Just something to consider...

K

[Eliz222]

My puppy loves to be outside too. Our problem is that we don't have a fenced in yard. Finch loves to sit outside and will stay out for a long time, just content to catch bugs, bark at squirrels or watch the neighbor kids play. I try to spend alot of time on the deck, or just walking around the yard with Finch on the leach. We have a "tie out"...not sure what they are called, and she has almost the entire backyard to run around in. I don't leave her out for hours and hours, but she will sit outside, contently for a long time and I check on her every 10 mins or so. I never go inside and leave her outside, but this gives me time to water the gardens or just chat with the neighbors.

Don't they look happy??

[CathyAnn]

Shoe.....

Getting hard to tell which is which! Finch has grown so much!

They are adorable !

Cathy

[Guest Guest]

Thanks, Cathy! Yes, Finch is getting sooo big! She has such a beautiul coat...very red! Scout has been stripped and her hair is just beginning to come back. Her coat is called red brindle, but I think she is more grey than anything.

[Eliz222]

Oops..wasn't logged in!

[CallisMom]

I love the pictures! You all are so funny - with the portacribs! What a great idea - should have kept mine!!! Shoe - Finch is beautiful - she has really grown!!

Tototoo - I use a tieout when I am home too. Calli is a rescue dog and she doesn't want to leave the vicinity of her family so letting her run free outside all day has never been a problem - but now that the kids are getting on the bus (she loves to watch - sitting on the desk and looking out the window) - I don't want to let her out as I did before - I am afraid she is going to run down the driveway looking for them - so until we get the fence up blocking the back of the house from the front - I have her on her tie out in the back. I put it in a place where she can chase her bugs or go to her special place under the deck. I always check on her and still come out and play with her at different intervals and she is on a harness. But she loves to be outside as well and now that the kids are back in school and I am doing chores inside, etc. I know she wants some outside time like she is used to. So she has different times when she goes out on the tieout - she is quite content. And then she'll come in for awhile and then back outside . . . And she is still allowed out when the kids are home - because she wants to stay out back with them or in the woods where she can frolic but still keep an eye on them. I think tieouts - if supervised are fine. It is when we put them on a tieout, leave the house or don't watch them, leave them out for hours - with no human contact at all . . . that is what becomes a problem!

[Milopup]

What is a tieout, and is it a good alternative for people who do not have fenced in yards? How do you secure it so the pup does not escape? Unfortunately I am still dealing with a pup who has been known to chew through his leash.

[CallisMom]

A tieout is usually a long, metal cable covered in plastic. (You can see one attached to Finch's collar in the picture above!) They come in varying lengths and weights with two clips on each end. I attach one end to Calli's harness (I prefer the harness because I am not as afraid of her choking or hurting herself if she were to accidentally get caught on something) and the other end can either attatch directly to a stake in the ground or can be looped around a heavy chair, post, tree trunk . . .

I think - again - as long as they are being supervised - tieouts are a great alternative to an unfenced yard. If you are gardening or working outside, your baby can be outside with you! We also use it when we go camping so that she can come with us and enjoy the great outdoors.

[MikeC]

Shoe,

Scout and my Duffy look exactly alike, and I mean exactly. I am still trying to figure out how to load his picture into the forum so that you can all see him.

MikeC

[Guest Tototoo]

Watch the cable tie outs. They can really rip your hands up once they get a little worn. I had one for about two months and already I am replacing it with the old dog chain because it ripped up my hand and drew blood. A dog chain you can get at any pet store or even the pet section of a super market. Also make sure there is nothing near your dog to get tangled up in. A friend tied her dog to a picnic table and left him there for a half hour and came out and the dog was hung. Never use a chocker collar always use a collar or harness.

And keep an eye on them. My black lab/golden mix is so fat and tricky he can squirm out of his collar or harness. It slides right over his head. If a fat old lab can do, imagine a crafty little cairn can too. Our lab is 8 years old and we never could keep him tied. Luckily he stays in the yard...

K

[toomanypaws]

I have a large fenced yard and even then, I supervise! These little guys must be watched! We're on a lake which backs up to woods and we have alot of wildlife here. Lately there have been osprey around and you can imagine my shock when one flew over my yard and swooped down a little at my youngest, Hannah. I had just placed her in her fenced baby pen and I never leave her except to fill my Lab and Aussie's water bowl and that's when I saw the osprey. I'm guessing that's what it was, he was huge!! Later that day, the osprey was up in the pine tree closest to Hannah's pen. I just make sure the big dogs go outside w/ me when the cairns are out.