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Can they ever be trusted?


Brianne_Kathrine

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Benny earned himself the title of the worlds biggest bolter in the first year of his life. He took off so many times that he earned himself a permanet spot on the end of a leash...at all times.

However, I have been working with him extensively on "come" and he has showed real signs of progress. He has been granted off leash priviledges a few times on the beach, but otherwise...he's always on the leash.

He does not have the same desire to bolt that he used to, but can a Cairn be reformed? I would never leave him off leash unattended or near a busy road. But, it would be nice to let him run free in 'safe' areas. However, his past bolting has me forever scared that he will always bolt when given the chance. I've tested his come ability at the dog park and he passsed with flying colors.

How do you know if a Cairn is ready to be trusted off leash? Or are Cairns never fully trusted off the leash? The last thing I want to do is trust him too much and then lose him. How do others deal with their Cairns and letting them off leash?

The world revolves around Benny and Sally...or so they think!

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They can be real good but when a distraction comes into play...Kids,cats, other dogs...all bets are off.

You must give some time to your fellow men. Even if it's a little thing, do something for others - something for which you get no pay but the privilege of doing it.

-Albert Schweitzer (1875 - 1965)

Chase and Gus video

Youtube- Best of Chase and Gus

Cairn Terrierists

It's because cats simply can't be trusted for heavy lifting & dirty work required in the war on terrior.

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I take Holly into an enclosed paddock at the country park I go to when there are no sheep in it. I go with a friend and her Irish Terrier and the two dogs have the freedom off lead to run and explore. Paddy goes off all over place - Holly will walk very nicely to heel [something she won't do on lead!] and you have to encourage to have a run round and chase Paddy! Once she realises she can have a run she will do so - and she will sometimes have a good inspection of a rabbit hole and then suddenly realise I have carried on walking so she gallops up to me and throws herself at my legs!

Paddy is regularly off lead and will come back when called no problem.

This morning we went and they two dogs enjoyed themselves so when we came out of paddock, I left Holly off lead [hoping she did not disappear into the wood!] and she she trotted along very happily at my feet with just an occasional snuffle into the undergrowth. Luckily she missed seeing the squirrel that Paddy chased into the wood - and just stood for a moment as if realising she had missed something!

I do not think I would leave her off lead in the wooded area if my friend and her dog was not with me - I think Holly might take advantage of me if she was on her own............... I have to admit this morning I was watching her very closely ready to call her back with a supply of treats.

www.cairnterriertalk.co.uk

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Yes, it would be nice if you could trust that their instincts would not kick in the minute they see something moving, but no it won't happen. .... and like you say if something would happen, you would feel awful.

This past weekend we were out looking at some land in the middle of nowhere. I thought Demps could just smell along the ditches and have a break. We got out of the pickup and were walking along the gravel road - Demps was fine and then I saw a stray cat out hunting and I immediately decided "No" - If Demps saw that cat, he would be gone and God only knows if I would find him. So it's just not worth it.

Elsie, Max, Meeko & Lori

 

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No. They can be trusted under some circumstances but given the right motivation they will absolutely bolt all the time, every time. Our dogs are off leash a lot but we do so under circumstances where they can't get into major problems--parks, fields, golf courses, etc.

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Pegi is always on leash unless she's in a fenced in yard or deck. She's way too crazy to let off, especially with the squirrels in high gear this time of the year!

Linda & Pegi

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It only takes one time for a sad ending. I would never trust mine off leash. She is just to prey driven. Will take off after anything that moves.

cairn terriers leave pawprints on our lives
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This off leash issue keeps coming back doesn't it? Interestingly, the responses on the UK forum are quite different. I wonder why.

Perhaps one reason for the responses from the UK have to do with the fact that safe, enclosed, off-leash dog runs/dog parks don't seem to exist there. Cairn owners in the UK, who like to give their dogs off-leash time must carefully choose a safe, open area and be very sure that their dog has a reliable recall. The dilemma for cairn owners there is: do I give my cairn, with her inconsistent recall, the freedom to run unleashed, or do I play it safe & keep her on the leash?

FEAR THE CAIRN!

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Cairns definately seem to be some of the most unreliable dogs in terms of bolting. Its true...a Cairn will chase after anything that moves. I think I will limit Benny's off leash time to a select few and very controled circumstances. He does well at the beach because he is so obessed with being in the water he would chose water over a squirel or a cat. I think it comes down to the fact that it only takes one time that Benny bolts and gets hit by a car or totally disappears to lose him forever. Its not worth that risk.

The world revolves around Benny and Sally...or so they think!

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um hm, i remember that story. i notice that in the "after" picture freddie is now sporting a very new looking harness and leash.

i agree --no. they can only lull you into a false sense of security. i don't think they are even being deceitful -- a cairn who fully, with all his heart, intends to be good can be overcome by the prey drive on the basis of sight or smell (including smells wafting in from a great distance), and be carried away before he knows or you know what is happening. by the time he comes to his senses, he may have no idea how he got where he is. considering the risks, it just isn't worth taking a chance.

i say again --people just do NOT pay enough attention to the lessons of the wizard of oz! dorothy had to leave home in the first place because of toto's antics, she got bonked on the head because "he" bolted off when the tornado was coming, and then she lost her ride home to kansas when "he" bolted out of the balloon basket! when i watch the movie i just keep saying to dorothy, "put that dog on a leash!"

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Yes, depending upon the dog. Our first Cairn, Lucy, was a wanderer. She could dig under any fence and would wander away if no one was paying close attention. Considering we had three small boys when she was young, she wandered a lot.

Piper, OTOH, is not a wanderer or a digger. She is a thinker. :lol: She goes outside all the time off leash and never leaves the yard, even when dogs, squirrels, etc, go by. Hard to believe but she actually listens when we tell her to stay. (Not that she isn't tempted.) One time this spring she even got accidentally locked out of the house and she came to the door and barked to be let in!! I trust her at least 99%. But there is always still that 1% chance! :twisted:

Kim,mama to furbaby, Piper 4/13/2003

"Things that upset a terrier may pass virtually unnoticed by a Great Dane." ~ Smiley Blanton

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Nope, it's just not worth taking the chance that they'd bolt after something. Even if I thought they were 98% perfect, there's always that chance.

Jandy and my Cairns, Kirby & Phinney 
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Having my sweet Cairn toddler, Murphy, off leash is simply not worth the risk. This breed, by nature, LOVES the hunt. As a pet loss grief counselor, I have heard many tearful accounts from people who were SO convinced they could trust their beloved dogs off leash only to suffer such devastation and guilt when the dog bolted across a street and was killed before their eyes.

Needless to say, Murphy is only off leash in our fenced backyard under my supervision. :)

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I'm thankful we live on a very quiet cul-de-sac with just a few houses, very little traffic, and lots of children playing in the street. It's probably the only reason we do feel comfortable in trusting Piper off leash to play football with the boys. BTW, she loves to play football. So funny!

Kim,mama to furbaby, Piper 4/13/2003

"Things that upset a terrier may pass virtually unnoticed by a Great Dane." ~ Smiley Blanton

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No, and they are their own worst enemy. Just think of all the fun they are missing out on by always having to be on a lead.

We recently tried Fergus lead-less at a very long beach where it is wall to wall dogs at low tide and he had a ball, running in huge circles and greeting every dog he met. However, the next time we went, the weather wasn't good so there weren't many other dogs there and after 30 mins of walking, he decided to take off for the hills. Me and 2 other ladies took off after him waving cheese (low fat I might add) and the little horror kept running past us out of arms reach. The younger one of us eventually caught him in a rugby tackle when he stopped to drink out of a puddle. So at 5.5 years old, Fergus can still not be trusted off the lead and I think this is true for the majority of Cairns SIGH.

Next time, I'm getting a guinea pig!

Veni, vidi, velcro - I came, I saw, I stuck around
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I would caution even against a quiet cul-de-sac. I've heard too many stories about dogs being run over by people backing out of their driveways. That actually almost happened to one of my nieces when she was very small, but fortunately, I saw the car backing toward her and was able to get their attention in time.

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I really agree with what has been said. I have all these people telling me all the time that their dog can be trusted off the leash and that maybe my dogs just are not trained enough.

My instinct is that although Benny has improved by leaps and bounds...he is still a Cairn Terrier. I'd rather keep him safe then have that one moment that he gets hit by a car.

The world revolves around Benny and Sally...or so they think!

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When we are outside I even have Nena on a 30 ft lead and it is attached to me. I sometimes let it go and play frizbee with her thinking that with that long of a lead I can catch her right away, but a few weeks ago while playing frizbee she got distracted by something (easy to do) and took off out towards our front yard. I tried to catch her but she was so fast. I did get her back by getting a broom (she always wants to attack the broom) and she came running back to me. Thank goodness, my heart was racing so fast as I held her.

But now I have to attach her 30 ft lead to another 30 ft tie out just to play with her. Oh well better safe that sorry, and I am getting to old to run like a crazy person screaming.

cairn terriers leave pawprints on our lives
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