HELP! Very aggressive Cairn

[Tuesday]

One other thing to go with the great amount of advice given in this thread - Cairns are very, very smart. They are also very, very stubborn. This combination can try the patience of many. So, when you are teaching Schroeder "No" you may have to give the command and correction 100 times before it sticks. Do not under any circumstances give up or give in. If you do, Schroeder will sense that and he wins.

He's very young, this will be be tough, but it's not impossible.

[gt_mustang_gal]

Cracker had a pretty bad issue with biting, but looking back, I know exactly what caused it. My ex liked to play rough with him and LET Cracker bite on his hands/fingers. This gave the impression that biting was acceptable. It has taken a LONG time to convince Cracker that it is not okay to bite because he thought it was okay for the first 8 months of his life. I used the method of grabbing him by the snout, looking him straight in the eye, and telling him "NO BITE". If he fought me, I would put him on his side and hold him down until I heard the deep sigh and knew he had submitted. It wasn't easy - I had scars - but I knew I had to prove to him that I wasn't scared of him. He's now 16 months old and we have an occasional aggressive incident, but he's now SOOO strong that it's hard for me to hold him down on his side (even with both hands). So try to do it while he's still young! Make sure he doesn't think you're "playing", make sure everyone around him enforces the "no bite" rules, and I agree with the others that treats shouldn't even be in the picture right now. Good luck!!!

[cairnsby3]

I agree with using your treats for rewards. If you look into clicker training, it may help you understand how to use the treats. The treat is a reward for doing something you want, but never a lure to do something. If he is doing something bad and you say stop, and he stops, then ask for something else like a sit, then pull out and give the treat. I use the word "stop" for alot, it means, stop what you are doing.

[beverett_32]

I have looked the past few days for some gloves that are thick and long enough to go up past the wrists and couldn't find. I guess I am going to try leaving a leader leash so I can control him when he does something wrong and so I can correct him without worry about getting bit. With this and keep up lots of obedience training hopefully it will help.

I think I am going to try to address the issue I saw first with him which is aggression when he was put in his cage. He would go to his cage but when I would try to shut the door he would try to jump out and bite or bite me through the kennel. I guess I will try to get that to stop and maybe it will teach him that whenever he tries to bite it won't always get him what he wants

[cairnsby3]

While I was closing the door, if he was trying to bite, I would also scream "NO" at him, shut the door and leave. You might try door practice when he is in there, open it a tiny bit, close it, if he is nice put a treat in, if not, scream and leave. Maybe he has to practice this before he is allowed out.

[Idaho Cairns]

Any big box store should have the gloves you need--Home Depot, Lowe's, etc. You can get pack of six from Harbor Freight for about ten bucks but that is a waste of money, you don't need that many pairs. Look for "railroad" gloves or "work gloves"--rough leather outside and in--these are pretty crude, thick with cuffs that go up the forearm. I wouldn't normally even recommend gloves but it sounds like your little hard charger has got your number and is using his teeth to get his way. Make a plan that includes not backing up in any regard with the dog--they know instinctively what dominance is and what it looks like and your job is simply to reacquaint the dog with that knowledge.

I know a Cairn tooth display can be really scary and they are fast in their terrier way but you know what you are doing long before the dog has a clue which gives you the upper hand in the encounter.

[pkcrossley]

some people having trouble getting dogs to go into their crates have put the food in there --going into the crate means dinner time. you probably have to decide what the crate is for. if it is a place of schroeder to wait while you are out, or a place to sleep, you might change his attitudes about it by making it a place to eat. but if it is a place of punishment (time out), having dinner in there would make no sense. if you are using it for both, you are probably asking for trouble. clearly at present schroeder regards it as both unpleasant and humiliating. you can probably change that.

if you are going to use the short leash method, be sure to use it with a harness, not collar (rather important). as for the gloves, try a hardware store, especially if they have a woodstove section. they are the same kind of gloves idaho is talking about, basically. stoker's gloves. some people use kitchen mitts, which while not so complete protection at least cut down on the pain quite a bit. if you have some good insulated winter gloves you don't mind replacing soon, would also work.

Edited August 22, 2012 by pkcrossley

[hheldorfer]

Not to make light of the situation, but maybe someone should start selling a line of Cairnproof armor to get us through puppyhood - heavy gloves, wrist and ankle protectors, steel-toed shoes, etc..

[EmmettsMom]

That is a great idea! I would definitely buy all of the above for me and Emmett!

[Lynn in TN]

Hahaha Cairn Armor. I could've used that last year. I did get the gloves at lowes as Idaho suggested and they helped a lot. these little dogs aren't smart like labs and retrievers you know the dogs that love to do everything you say. These little Cairns are people smart and act like a 2 year old. They think like we do, they only do what they want to, like we do and so on and so on. If you really take a good look at your little terrorist you will start to understand. It took her a while to train me, but it finally happened. Cairns are like no other dog that I know, and after having one I want more of them. They read us humans like a book. You have to stay on top of things dealing with them just like you would a child thats a toddler. Not showing emotion when he is biting you won't work like it does when training other dogs, You have to stop feeling those feelings altogether. These dogs no when someone is afraid or any thing like that. You will get it and so will he and then you will have the best little pal in the world.

[Hillscreek]

Absolutely right Lynn, It's tantrum time when they don't get their way!

Edited August 22, 2012 by Hillscreek

[DemiSheep]

Not to make light of the situation, but maybe someone should start selling a line of Cairnproof armor to get us through puppyhood - heavy gloves, wrist and ankle protectors, steel-toed shoes, etc..

Hehehehe, we all celebrate the day when the last baby (razor sharp) tooth has fallen to the ground....

[Tuesday]

Not to make light of the situation, but maybe someone should start selling a line of Cairnproof armor to get us through puppyhood - heavy gloves, wrist and ankle protectors, steel-toed shoes, etc..

Hehehehe, we all celebrate the day when the last baby (razor sharp) tooth has fallen to the ground....

Snake chaps and welding gloves....

[pkcrossley]

that's a great idea, we need a cairn department store. in one section you buy kevlar for so you can survive through the terrible twos, in one you buy tickle me bonnie, in one you buy scuba and sky-diving gear in tiny cairn sizes for your dog's next vacation.

[Ivy & Lucy's Mom]

You couldn't have said it better Lynn!! I am with you. Even with their temperament, I want more....

[Idaho Cairns]

This is a great time to revisit the "Tickle Me Bonnie" monster! The Queen of Snarls sort of goes with the discussion at hand! Cairns unmasked! See it Now! Beware! See the mighty tremble!

[pkcrossley]

one of the weirdest videos i've ever seen. how's come bonnie isn't an internet meme already?

[Hillscreek]

Bonnie you are SO far out and SO weird and SO funny...........Cairns are different.......... that's why we love 'em.

[Hillscreek]

that's a great idea, we need a cairn department store. in one section you buy kevlar for so you can survive through the terrible twos, in one you buy tickle me bonnie, in one you buy scuba and sky-diving gear in tiny cairn sizes for your dog's next vacation.

And helmets for cairns who like to join Dempsey and the biker crowd

Edited August 23, 2012 by Hillscreek

[Sam I Am]

Jock makes the same killer Cairn noises when we ask him to bring us a toy or a bone he has been chewing on. It sounds so nasty but in Jocks case as in Bonnie's also it's all an act. After wards it's always followed by kisses.

[Lynn in TN]

Some one in our mobile home park walks there little girl grandchild who is just the cutest little girl. Kelly loves her and does all this barking and growling when she walks by. She sounds at times so vicious when she wants someone to play with her. the little girl who is about 2 or 3 instinctively knows that Kelly wants to be petted, adults on the other hand are a little frightned by my little angel. haha When the little girl would walk by she would started saying me pet pupa dog, and she would say it over and over. I took Kelly out to her so she could pet her. The grandfather I could tell was a little skittish to see me bringing this dog out to his granddaughter. haha Well when Kelly got to them she started squeaking and bunny hopping around her feet and then rolled over for a belly rub. I told the grandfather that Kelly was just trying to get their attention because she wanted to play. He looked at me and said she got my attention but I thought she wanted to bite us not play with us. haha I told him I said if you seen her in attack dog mode you would be afraid because her fur stands up she looks twice as big and her tail sticks straight up and doesn't wag at all, her growl is ten times more vicious and sounds like it should come from a pit bull or much larger dog and there are no squeaks.

It is funny how these little dogs sound so vicious when they are playing. I can see how sometimes people would think that they are mean. Unless you have been around one for a while you would think they are attack dogs.

Idaho I visit your youtube site regularly and this is one of the videos I watch the most. I want a Tickle me Bonnie. So cute. I also love to watch Sammi fetching sticks in the water.

[oscar's mom]

I'm sure someone has already said this so I apologize for repeating, but have you taken him to the vet? You had mentioned in the first posting he had been fixed two weeks prior.

You also said he hates it when you try and pick him up. Maybe he has an infection or a hernia (if that's possible for a dog). Ask the vet what post operative complications that can happen to a animal.

I definitely agree with all the behavior advice going on, and not one to tell someone to run to the vet all the time but it maybe be good to rule out a health issue.

[sanford]

You had mentioned in the first posting he had been fixed two weeks prior. You also said he hates it when you try and pick him up. Maybe he has an infection or a hernia (if that's possible for a dog). Ask the vet what post operative complications that can happen to a animal.

I think oscar's mom makes a very good point. Such a change in behavior as you describe, coming 2 weeks after surgery would also make me wonder if there was a connection. I would at least call the vet to discuss this. I would hope your vet will want to see Schroeder and examine him and / or run some tests to rule out the possibility of any physical problems related to the surgery. By simply palpating Schroeder, the vet will know immediately if he's healing properly, etc.

This is often the first course of action when a dog's behavior changes so rapidly.

[Newman]

Looks like you're getting whipped around by a cairn

NOT TO WORRY! Newman is here!

You need to show your cairn who's boss! I don't know if you're a girl or a man but if he bites you, you need to scream with a DEEP voice, and say "NO" nudge him a little dependant on the bite. But you need to show schroeder that you are the alpha and omega of the house! Show him that you are boss!! You need to be confident and just act like he is your b-word! (B i t c h). You cannot let schroder keep thinking he is alpha and the omega, these cairns need someone to boss them around or they will continue to boss you around.

But it's hard, at the same time be loveable and care for them, pet them, play with them! That's good you're going for hour walks, that's really good! But just remember, you can be a little rough with these guys, they can handle it trust me. But you need to be in control and be the alpha and omega, not Schroeder, good luck !

[cairnrescueleague]

Schroeder has been in the custody of the Cairn Rescue League since August 28. Not to fault his owners, he is a very challenging cairn, definitely not for the first time cairn owner. He has been with a professional trainer since coming into rescue. He has worked really hard, has done very well, and has graduated! We have found a very experienced foster home for him that will probably adopt him, but we need help getting him from MI to CT. We need drivers on I-90 in NY State this Saturday, October 20. If you can help, please email me at cairnrescueleague@gmail.com.