Did you ever teach your cairn something you probably shouldn't have?

[Hillscreek]

I'm doing my best to raise Angus to be the best that he can be. Sometimes though I let things get out of hand.

One time when I let him out on to the deck which is raised quite high above the ground and where we often sat on warm evenings there was a chipmunk skipping away.

"Get it Angus" I said. He let out what I call a mini scream - not like the monster one but very loud and easily heard by my neighbors living a fair bit down the road. I thought it was funny and so now of course he does it whether there's a chippie there or not. I'm sure I ought to stop this but.....................

The other thing is I taught him to kill on command. He has a bendy rubber bone type toy from Planet Earth that was a present. When I throw it for him he brings it back holding it by one end. The other day I got hold of the other end and said to him "Kill it". He gave it the death shake he'd been saving for the chippie. So now when I get hold of it he "kills" it right away and is very pleased and proud.

I should know better. I'm a senior - rapidly going back to second childhood I'd have to say!

Edited September 21, 2012 by Hillscreek

[bradl]

I should know better. I'm a senior - rapidly going back to second childhood I'd have to say!

These dogs are the ticket to a second childhood, for sure. Not quite a senior yet, but I'm enjoying mine early

[Sam I Am]

Oh yeah...we seem to have taught Jock very well to wake us up every morning at 5:00 am ish when we both were still working. Now that we are retired he can't be un taught!! Also those melty eyes that beg for treats while we eat at the table , followed by a light touch with his left paw on one of our legs, us always saying no Jock...followed by a treat we give him....we really are pathetic!

[Dempsy's Mom]

I taught Demps "sic' em". Now when I just use the "ssss" he is alert and ready to give something hell. Usually it ends up being Jim coming in from the field. Jim yells back at Dempsy and they have quite an exchange every night. Dempsy loves it. I shouldn't have started it ..... But we have fun.

[sanford]

I taught Ruffy to "Speak!", when offering him a treat. Now he barks --loud!-- for a treat, to be fed, to go out, to play tug of war, to rescue his ball from under the bed, etc., etc.

Pass the earplugs!

[jo_]

Glad to hear we're not the only ones! Cute stories everyone!

My DH was guilty of this one ... Jagger will sit on his lap facing him and with each hand he grabs the fur on both sides of her head and gently shakes her head back and forth. While doing this he says 'Chewbacca' and she makes this horrendous growling-type noise that sounds like she's going to eat his face. Then he says 'kiss' and she immediately stops and licks his nose. They'll repeat this over and over and over again. (I know...WEIRD!). She makes crazy noises when she plays that make her sound like a maniac and I often think the 'Chewbacca' is to blame.

Me - I'm guilty of playing tug of war with socks. Now both Eddie and Jagger love to steal dirty socks out of the laundry baskets.

Edited September 21, 2012 by jo_

[Kathryn]

T Bone barks whenever he wants to go outside -- loudly! But he has learned that he can sneak down to the "man cave" and join Steve in watching sports if he pretends he needs to go outside. He'll bark, and I'll open the dog gate and start to take him outside through the back hallway. Then he scoots down the stairs and joins DH on the comfy couch, where he will get his belly rubbed...

I do let the "boys" bond over their sports...

[Zekey's Mom]

The minute I do something 2 days in a row, it becomes ingrained in Zekey's head that this must be repeated each and every day, or he won't stop pestering me.

Somehow I got into the habit of giving the boys a treat in the evening. Most nights, around 7pm, I'll take some doggie jerky, go outside, and throw little bits of it into the yard for them to hunt for. I love seeing them sniffing all over and finally finding their treats. Zekey comes back to me for each throw, but I think Gavin's a little smarter -- he'll wait for me to throw in his direction, wiggling his but until I do!

So there I'll be, snuggled on the couch in the den watching TV. 7 o'clock rolls around. Zekey gets antsy. 7:15, some barking and pawing. By 7:30, it finally dawns on me that it's WAY past treat time! Those boys. Sheesh!

[_whits_]

I am by no means perfect, but I do have to say much of Addie's more difficult behaviour is the result of her grandparents, who very much like to prove they love her by doing things they probably shouldn't.

The worst thing is that Addie's grandma keep encouraging Addie's barking. So someone comes to the door, grandma goes "Get 'em!" A bunny hops by, grandma goes, "Get 'em!" And the Cairn Screech of Death is unleashed at a decibel and shrillness I never knew a dog could produce. My mom claims she's teaching Addie to "protect" me.

That and teaching her to beg by feeding her table scraps, and doing so directly from the table. Although her grandpa caught me red-handed (literally) tonight when I was mindlessly handing Addie pieces of watermelon during dinner. Whoopsie. I lost the moral high ground on that one. But I still maintain my watermelon was better than grandpa's french fries that resulted in her vomiting all over their carpet.

[_whits_]

Jo, can we PLEASE have video of Jagger's Chewbacca routine?

[Lynn in TN]

I am afraid that between my husband, 2 sons, and myself we have taught Kelly all of the stuff we're not. It is amazing she is such a good dog with all the bad stuff we have taught her. I am really bad with the begging as there is nothing pleases me more than watching her pull every trick in the Cairn handbook trying to get me to give her some of my food. I love it and I can't help it. she is just so cute.

My husband and I both are guilty of rough play, letting her bite us in play and so forth. She doesn't really bite as she never scratches or breaks skin, or even hurts us in least. we can't help it as she is just so cute and gentle. For instance I was rolling in the floor playing with her, and I was on my side and she goes for my neck, mind you her teeth never at any time touch my skin just her nose and she swung her head back and forth like she was doing the death shake, but yet her mouth was closed and the only thing touching me was her nose. I can't help it she's just so darn cute. I encouraged it.

My sons and husband encourage her to get em'. In which makes her bark furiously, and growl. They can't help it she is just so cute when she is attacking the air. haha

Then there are the times when I need to go shopping at places she can't go and she is begging me at the door to take her to, so what do I do? I take her to Lowes or Pet Smart, then drive her back home and then I leave to do my shopping. ( it is 18 miles to Lowes and Pet Smart). I can't help it though she is just so darn cute.

I could probably go on and on with things we do that we shouldn't. As you see Kelly gets what she wants 90% of the time.

[Zekey's Mom]

...I can't help it though she is just so darn cute.

That's the problem with these guys. They've got us wrapped around their little paws, and what's more, they KNOW it! We are powerless against those cute little faces, and then they go and tilt their heads. It's too much!

[Idaho Cairns]

I'm like Pogo when it comes to Cairns--"I have met the enemy and he is us!". Years ago I raised and trained my dogs for a purpose--hunting and retrieving and had no expectations of having a "pet" as I understand and live that definition today. I see these dogs as children who do not grow up, leave home, form their own opinions, and otherwise lead separate lives--they stay so we teach them to be comfortable, quiet, little quasi-kids, who amuse us and please our need for companionship.

So, we "let them" be what we want them to be, even down to permitting irritating behaviors that we never allow our children, like begging at the table, pleading with us for some tidbit of "people food", allowing them on the bed at night and allowing them to stretch out as fully as they wish, even to the point of scrunching ourselves out of joint to keep from "disturbing" them. They reflect our lifestyle, if we are noisy and busy, they are noisy and busy. If we, as "we" do, lead quiet lives of leisure then our Cairns are quiet and lazy. Cairns because they are smart and adaptable become what we choose for them, excusing those things that bother others and enforcing that which we want. We mold them in the image of "pet children". I love it.

As I was typing the above, Sammi chose to toss her cookies on the carpet, a foot and a half from the linoleum in the kitchen--it was a mega heave requiring a dust pan to pick up! No doubt, reading my mind and comments, she had to add her own postscript to the missel--nice timing and I got the message Sammi.

[_whits_]

I try to set reasonable limits with Addie, and give her the comfort of consistent expectations. That being said, these little guys are with us for such a relatively short time that I there are lots of things I do simply for the joy it will give Addie. I believe my responsibility as Addie's mom is to give her as much happiness as she gives me.

I am very strict about table scraps, because as much as Addie thinks she loves them, her very sensitive stomach says otherwise. I will never let her off her leash outdoors, no matter what she tries. She's not allowed to destroy furniture. I'm firm about enforcing basic obedience outside of the house. When I say no, she has to listen. But if there are things I can do that may not be "approved" but aren't dangerous or damaging to my baby, I can't help but indulge her.

My favourite, but also sometimes annoying, indulgence happened by accident. Addie was barking and growling at a wall in the house one day, convinced there was something on it. I was equally convinced there was nothing on it. But I couldn't get her to stop barking. So I bent down and picked her up to lift her up so I could prove nothing was there. Ever since, Addie has started what I've taken to calling "reverse baby". She'll walk up to me much like a toddler does when it wants someone to pick them up. She gets on her back legs and reaches her front ones up, hoping I'll lift her to give her more height in her explorations. The only difference between her and a toddler is that her back is to me when she does this. I can't help but pick her up - it's just too cute! But sometimes she'll spend the whole evening demanding to be picked up.

[Hillscreek]

I love these stories.

Our yard is not fenced so Angus is on the leash when I walk out there. He walks about the yard so nicely except when I go near to the deck which is above us and under which the chipmunks like to play - then he jerks the leash and carries on and turns into my back yard bouncer!

Staying away from that area at the moment.

[SARpartner]

Hillscreek, I found it funny that you listed kill on command as bad. We had to teach that to avoid a bad behavior. When Dusty was young he discovered that field mice made squeky toy noises. As I didn't want them tortured and I had no intention of living with them, the kill command was necessary.

Our bad behavior came on a long trip. It wasn't practical to stop to feed kibble so when we went through a drive thru they got something too. Daddy handed out money, the people in the window handed back food. All was fine until we hit the first toll both. Oh the faces! They were looking back as if Daddy just got robbed!

[Newman]

Well whenever I raise my hand and point to another animal, fonzy parks at it and growls at it and dancing around in circles... LOL I don't know if that's bad but it's freaking cute! He does it out in the backyard when we hunt for bees or vermins or rats/etc

Last night, he did eat a mosquito of the floor.. I hope he doesn't get sick