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Mountain goat dog


rtherapy60

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It seems like forever since I've been here but something happened today even I don't beleive! My DH and I have been working on our house , scrapping old paint off, repairing boards, etc.. Well today I was working on the dormer windows and climbing in and out of the windows to do the work while my DH was on the side of the house on the extension ladder scrapping paint on the boards close to the roof. I stopped work on the dormer to help him with the ladder on the side of the house for a few minutes and as we were talking, the mailman was comming down the street and said "did you know your dog is on the roof?" I knew Cooper was upstairs and thought about it for a second and laughed and said, are you kidding me? He said, No, look! Low and behold, there was Cooper roaming around the roof like a mountain goat! Our roof is pretty steep and I don't dare go out on it without something to hold to while working. All I could think of at that second was if he makes one wrong step he will slide off and that will be it :shock: So I flew upstairs and called him to the window where I snatched him up and put him inside. Never in a million years would I have thought he would go out on the roof by himself. Heck, from the bottom of the window to the roof is about 2-3 ft. But he was trotting around up there like he was born to :whistle: LOL. We can laugh about it now but it sure scared the bejebbers outta me! From now on when I come in the window, the screens go back in.

If you want the best seat in the house, move the dog.

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Scary!! I can no longer remember which forum it was, but I used to use agilicairn as a screen name. I got a PM once from someone extolling the agility of Cairns and backing it up with a tale about finding their Cairn on the neighbors' roof! Multiple times! They couldn't figure out how he was doing it ... but finally climbed out there themselves, called him, and watched him work his way up kind of like Benji climbing up into the abandoned house in the first Benji movie.

Cairns are fearless! Glad Cooper is back inside safe and sound. I'm sure he figured he was helping out your repairs with a combination roof integrity and vermin inspection.

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We live in mountainous territory and we see this Behavior in our dogs regularly--they love to climb on rocks and are very sure footed as they hoist themselves from shelf to shelf and they do seem fearless but I think they instinctively know what they can and cannot do. I remember a few years back at the Grand Canyon when the dogs casually strolled up to the edges of several overlooks and surveyed the Canyon and the river thousands of feet below while I cringed back as far as their leashes would allow--I wouldn't go out to the edge but it sure didn't bother them. I wonder what they might have done if a chipmunk had suddenly appeared below them. That may have been the only time I wished I had harnesses on them instead of collars.

I'm not the least surprised you found your dog out on the roof--Cooper was surveying his world from a different angle--up there with the squirrels.

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You know, they want to see family activity and monitor.... this doesn't surprise me....

Glad everything is OK- you might want to put an ex pen up by the window so you can get in and out without a mountain goat escape- because once they've done it and learned it... heck nothing you can do... just be glad that our dogs don't have thumbs....

Tracy, Amos, Walter, Brattwrust & Mettwurst a.k.a The Gremlins

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Cooper said, "You're not leaving me in the house. I want to help you guys. It looks like fun!!" ... and I bet Cooper really did enjoy being on the roof. Bet he thought, "Well they aren't yelling at me, so it must be alright that I am on the roof with them." ... and I can imagine how your eyes got big and your heart skipped a beat when you saw little precious Coop looking back at you from the roof.!!! Your brain had to engage - "The Roof!!":cry:

Now how many Cairns can say that they have been on the roof of their house. That's one for Cooper's diary.

Very cute story. Glad little Coop knew what he was doing and hung on. :P Better bake the mailman some cookies.

Elsie, Max, Meeko & Lori

 

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Oh Yikes! On the roof??? I bet the people in the next state could hear your heart pounding. I'm glad you are both ok. Sometimes I think Cairns are the reason the Scots became such great distillers of whiskey.

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A few more gray hairs from that heart stopping experience. Glad everything turned out good. With our luck Nena would have not come back when called and we would be climbing out to get her.

cairn terriers leave pawprints on our lives
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