Oh what to do with my little terror!

[LindaMC]

On a positive note, Maisie is doing so much better on her resource guarding and after hand feeding my two girls for a couple of weeks, I am now able to feed them next to each other without a big tado.  I have even trained Maisie to sit and wait until I put her dish down before she eats.  If she finishes eating before Tess and Tess hasn't finished all her kibble and leaves her dish, Maisie will run over to it and try to grab some kibble, but I am working on that and she's coming along.

 

On another note, she is still having constant accidents in the house, and her barking and screeching is really getting out of control.  I'm hoping that there is some type of training I can work on to teach her to bark appropriately and not at every noise she hears.  I purchased a new bed for Tess online, it's an extra large bed (hard to find for a decent price) with her name engraved on it and it came the day before yesterday.  Tess loves it and immediately started to lie down on it.  Well yesterday morning, Maisie went the bathroom on it, stepped in it and tracked it all over the new

bed.   She had just gone outside, she wasn't in the house 10 minutes when she did this. 

 

I try to crate her when I have to do some things around the house and I'm unable to watch her but then she'll screech non-stop, which is driving both me and my husband insane, it's so loud and I'm sure you all know how irrating the sound can be, almost like someone is dragging their fingernails across a blackboard, EEK!.  Funny thing is, when she wakes up in the morning, she just sits there in her crate and doesn't make a peep until I let her out.  Tess whines to be let out in the morning.

 

I'm thinking about ordering some Poochie Bells and training her to use them when she has to go outside.  She never lets me know, she just turned 5 months old, how much longer before she will begin to give me some type of sign?

 

One more thing, how can I get Maisie to start bonding more to me?  She thinks the sun rises and sets around Tess, gives her all the attention in the world and acts like I'm not even there?  I can't pick her up or cuddle with her, she just squirms to get down and run to Tess.  When she's in her crate for a period of time and I let her out, she runs right by me and goes to Tess.  Any thoughts or suggestions?  Should I just let time work this out?  I value all the help I get on this forum so if anyone else has gone through this and come out the other end with a better mannered Cairn, please do let me know how you accomplished it?

 

Sorry for the long post, but I do need help with these issues, my husband is at his wits end with her constantly using out living room carpet as a toilet and her screeching.  He loves her dearly but he does get really frustrated and so do I at times.

 

 

[Idaho Cairns]

At twenty weeks your pup is still a pup and even tho the days can be really, really long when you have a half trained pup you have to realize that your Maisie is still very young and still well into the learning stage of her life.  Patience is very much a virtue when it comes to Cairn puppies--smart as they are they are still willful little creatures and can take you to the limits of tolerance.

For me the key to surviving those early months with a Cairn puppy was the constant employment of the word "no".  I felt like a complete tyrant and a Dr. Spock failure (a hold over from my human parenting days) for constantly saying, shouting, and screaming "NO!" at one of my cute little Cairn girls but I have found no other way to get them under some kind of control except to use that command over and over and over and over until it got thru their heads that whatever they were doing at that moment was unacceptable and had to stop.  I have been partially successful with the use of "no"--it doesn't stop all of the things I don't want them to do all of the time but it is an effective brake to most of their behavior. 

Standing over a pile of fresh poop looking down on a sad eyed pup and loudly shouting "NO!" and then taking the dog outside eventually worked on housebreaking.  I realized some believe that the dog can't make the connection but I believe they can and do--I try to make going to the bathroom in the house too high a risk for the pup and by disciplining it at point of error and then taking it outside and grandly celebrating every time they go there, the lesson soaks in--might take some time but it works.

Same with the barking--"No Bark!" or just NO!" every time they utter a sound (sometimes with an accompanying ball cap tossed at them) kept me sane with the barking.  My girls abandoned random, non-motivated loud barking after a bit even tho they substituted all kinds of minor huffs, chuffs, sneezes, demi-barks, chirps, grumbles, growls, and "phhhitts" as alternates but all of those were far preferable to the screeches that are indeed horrible--especially when you don't expect them.  Here again you have to be persistent, every vocalization you don't want has to be responded to--over and over until the dog learns that a bark or screech earns it a reprimand.  You will never, in my experience, completely eliminate the surprise noise but you can reduce it considerably.  The "no's" might have to be accompanied with physical touch as well, I have spent a lot to time grasping my dogs' noses, looking in their eyes, and saying "no bark!" over and over.

As far as the "bonding" you want--good luck with that.  When you put a Cairn pup with an adult Cairn they are going to model on that dog, want to be with that dog, seek solace from that adult dog, and naturally bond with that older dog long before they make any dependent fawning on a human.  I have watched my Cairns over the years grow so dependent on their canine companion that almost all behavior is pack oriented to some degree.  They key off each other and seem to have some kind of psychic bond that let's them communicate even when they aren't close--I have watched one become silently excited or focused on something outside or inside and seen the other come from another room almost immediately,  as if they had some telepathic ability to communicate between themselves.  Over the years I have come to really enjoy that bonding between the dogs--I am envious of it and celebrate it but it did require me to put aside my own ego to some extent--I had to realize that I wasn't the most important thing in their lives.  Our Bonnie is just about four this month and she has just recently shown signs that she appreciates human physical contact--only lately has she come to either of us for a few moments of stroking before she wriggles away, goes over and touches Sammi's nose or sniffs her somewhere.  Sammi was much the same when she was a pup--forming a very close and dependent relationship with our Tootsie.  If your Tess is well trained and easy to live with, you should celebrate the bonding between her and Maisie because over time, Tess will pass on those "good things" to the puppy--let that relationship grow and bloom.  Besides, Cairns are tough--they just don't seem to have the kind of slavish need for the human touch or approval that some breeds have and frankly I have grown to appreciate that stand offish quality, I even envy it more that just a little bit.  Cairns are kinda like the Humphrey Bogart of dogs--rough around the edges, cool to the point of cold, independent, tough, loyal but not stupidly so, and warm if you have the insight to recognize it.  Cairns take some work and they make you make compromises if what you wanted was a lapdog.

Meantime, keep on slugging and be of good cheer--I think most of us went thru what you are going thru right now, we know the frustration bordering on fury. Be strong and determined humans--just keep your heads, be optimistic and patient as this all passes. 

Edited June 30, 2013 by Idaho Cairns

[kjwarnold]

Kirby was a barker at things outside the living room window.  He will still start the barking and then gets that, "Oh, I forgot." look on his face.  We used a combination of a loud NO and the toss of a bark can (soda can with pennies in it, duct tape over the hole) in his direction.  We still have a bark can and I only have to give it a small rattle to get his attention when he starts a barking frenzy.  Nothing else worked for us, not water bottles, baseball caps (Idaho!), nothing. 

 

As for housetraining and maybe making that connection, have you tried putting her on a short leash and tying it to your belt loop, so she has to follow you around the house?  That way you can keep your eye on here at all times, plus she gets used to following you around and not Tess.  Taking a walk together, going to a training class together, all without Tess will also increase the bond you have.  Nothing seems to bind a Cairn to you more than learning something together.  At least, that's what I've seen with mine.

 

Good luck, keep up the patience, and you'll be rewarded!

[Hillscreek]

I don't know what to say about the barking. Angus used to be a terrible barker. Saying No, water squirting etc seemed to have little effect. Never tried throwing anything at him as not too keen on that idea. Kept saying no and gradually he has calmed. He does bark but doesn't go on and on and on. He's to a point where he doesn't drive me nuts any more thank goodness. Now 21 months.

 

Re house training. when he was small I never let him out of my sight. I confined to x-pen or small closed area of house (kitchen) when I was there. I tied him to me with a leash.

I took him out on leash to the designated spot and gave him the word, praised when he did what he should. If nothing happened went back in and waited a few minutes and took him out again and so on. He was not completely reliable till more than six months old. Now no problem and if it's urgent he goes to the door and makes a small whimper.

It seems like forever till they get the idea and you think they never will - but they do!

 

As we are often saying, living with a cairn requires, patience, persistence and a sense of humor. You can (must) be firm but it's no good getting mad.

Edited June 30, 2013 by Hillscreek

[lindasue]

We got Pegi on in late fall (November) so training was difficult.  I started by taking her out every 2 hrs, to the same place (small section of wood between our house and neighbor) and using the word "sniff".  Then I went to 3 hrs, etc.  She got it; now when she needs to go she'll find me, sit right in front of me and give me "the face".  If that doesn't work a small whine will do it.  I work at home so she's on a pretty set schedule.  

 

As far as the barking and cairn shreek of terror (as it's know here) patience will help.  Pegi will still go nuts when the trash/recycling truck comes up our street, or Fed Ex/UPS/mailman, but she's calmed down (she's almost 4).

[LindaMC]

Oh thank you all so much, I needed to hear that I wasn't doing something wrong and that this will just take time and patience and continous non-stop training.  I like the fact that Idaho Cairns is all about the word NO, I've been using it consistantly and will continue to do so as much as needed.  As far as teethering Maisie to me, well I have tried that and had to stop it do to her having a screeching fit because she couldn't get around Tess.  I am hoping with all my heart that Tess will teach Masie a lot as time goes on.  Tess will come in from outside with wet feet and sit and give me each paw to wipe off and dry, where Maisie will squirm as if I were toturing her when I try to wipe her paws.  I see that Maisie will watch me do different things with Tess, like brushing her, cutting her nails, cleaning her ears, etc.....  Hopefully someday the light will go on in her little head and she will realize that I am not going to hurt her and if Tess lets me do it to her, than it must be okay.  She is so smart so I have lots of hope for the future.

 

Before I rescued Maisie, I did a lot of reading on the breed and particularly liked the fact that they weren't very needy and that they could hold their own up against most dogs.  Tess being a German Shepherd, I needed a strong breed and wanted it in a little dog, so I really appreciate this about Maisie.  The only reason I want her to bond more with me is so she'll listen more intently, but as some of you have alread said, this will come with time and that's one thing I have plenty of right now.

 

The two of them make me laugh, I do admire their closeness and love the way they both approach each other from different sides of the room and both 

Simultaneously go down in a play bow and hold it, staring at each other and then suddenly they will both run towards the other and begin wrestling.....it's the funniest thing.  Tess, being so much larger than Masie, will lie on her back, giving Maisie more of an advantage, she's so gentle with her at times and I wonder why, she had lots of little red bites in the Shepherd ears of hers and they're not from mosquitos, they're from Maisie!

Edited July 1, 2013 by LindaMC

[Hillscreek]

It's just so great that Tess and Maisie get on so well together. Time will sort out the rest. Maybe do things with Maisie a bit without Tess being around. 

[kjwarnold]

Oh thank you all so much, I needed to hear that I wasn't doing something wrong and that this will just take time and patience and continous non-stop training.  I like the fact that Idaho Cairns is all about the word NO, I've been using it consistantly and will continue to do so as much as needed.  As far as teethering Maisie to me, well I have tried that and had to stop it do to her having a screeching fit because she couldn't get around Tess.

 

Hmmm...who is winning this battle?  I understand that the screeching fit is a pain, but maybe if you don't give in to it a few times, the fits will stop.  Once she knows that she can't screech to get her way (at least with this), then she won't do it.  Of course, you have to live through the screeching for a while, but it might be worth it in the long run.  Cairns can be unbelievably stubborn, so sometimes you have to be more stubborn. 

 

Oh, and the NO all the time?  Sometimes you'll be afraid that she thinks it's her name, as much as you use it!  But they do eventually get it through that hard little skull!  Keep up the good work!

[Ivy & Lucy's Mom]

Well, I am in the same boat as you but I will be there longer. Lucy is only 10 weeks. Sometimes, I think she has gotten the potty training thing and then the next minute, that all goes to hell. She is doing better in her crate. I just use a towel in there now. Anything too soft, she tends to pee on it. If we are gone for more than 4 hours, I have been putting her in the laundry room with an open crate. I had the faux grass from Ivy (we got her in November) so I stuck it in there just to see what happens. OMG she uses it when were gone instead of the floor. I never showed her or anything. I don't want to make it a habit but  sometimes we need to be away for awhile.  Funny you brought up the bell training-I just bought them today to hang on the door. I tried them with Ivy but she never got it....I wonder who is smarter. Lucy gets the faux grass, so manybe she is smart enough to get the bells. I'll let you know. Keep me informed of anything you try that works. You have 10 weeks on us. How about sleeping at night?? Last night, Ivy made it 8 hours and no accidents.  Yay!!!

[LindaMC]

Well, I am in the same boat as you but I will be there longer. Lucy is only 10 weeks. Sometimes, I think she has gotten the potty training thing and then the next minute, that all goes to hell. She is doing better in her crate. I just use a towel in there now. Anything too soft, she tends to pee on it. If we are gone for more than 4 hours, I have been putting her in the laundry room with an open crate. I had the faux grass from Ivy (we got her in November) so I stuck it in there just to see what happens. OMG she uses it when were gone instead of the floor. I never showed her or anything. I don't want to make it a habit but  sometimes we need to be away for awhile.  Funny you brought up the bell training-I just bought them today to hang on the door. I tried them with Ivy but she never got it....I wonder who is smarter. Lucy gets the faux grass, so manybe she is smart enough to get the bells. I'll let you know. Keep me informed of anything you try that works. You have 10 weeks on us. How about sleeping at night?? Last night, Ivy made it 8 hours and no accidents.  Yay!!!

 

Actually Maisie does great in her crate, she sleeps right through the night and since she's been here, she hasn't gone the bathroom at all in her crate. Tess is the one who usually wakes us up in the morning, Maisie will just sit there and wait until we let her out.  Funny she can hold it in her crate but once she's out and about, she lets go and it's usually on the living room rug.  I try to be consistant with her by taking her out the minute I open her crate door.  I use to pick her up so she wouldn't pee on the way to the door but she hates that, so now I just put her leash on and let her walk.  When she goes on the rug, I'll say NO to her and she looks at me like she hasn't got a care in the world, totally unphased by what she did.  Tess is good now, she usually whines when she has to go the bathroom and doesn't go in the house at all anymore.  I can't put anything soft in her crate though, like Ivy, Tess goes on anything soft that I put in there, so she sleeps on the plastic and seems to be okay with that, although it bothers me because I want her to be comfortable.  Everything I bought for Tess's crate, she has destroyed, either by peeing on it or tearing it to shreds.  Yes, I would be very interested in hearing how the Poochie Bells work for Ivy, please do let me know.  I have a set in my cart on Amazon.Com but I'm still up in the air about getting them.  Good luck with Ivy.  As I'm sitting here typing this Maisie is barking and howling non-stop for the past 12 minutes.  Before that, she went on for about 10 minutes but stopped to come in the room I'm in and see what I was up to or most likely if her barking is irritating me (she's such a little devil).  I'm trying to just let her carry on and see if she stops on her own.  My, you'd think her throat would be raw by now.....I know my ears are!

Edited July 2, 2013 by LindaMC

[Idaho Cairns]

Linda, have you tried grasping the pup's snout and directing its eyes to your eyes when you use the "no bark" command?  Just shouting "No!" at a Cairn pup is probably interpreted as you joining the chorus of noise making.  The puppy does have to know what the command is about.

Using voice commands alone are not enough--training requires some physical contact--gentle but firm.

[Tami]

I hate to say it, but Fiona kept on having bathroom issues until just a few months ago when she turned one. She'd bark to signal that she had to go but it was an immediate need. Sort of like the toddler who runs around playing outside until the absolutely last second and then can't make it into the house. We'd say "good potty" whenever she did it outside. Finally she seems to have gotten the timing down and letting me know well before it's an emergency. She likes to whine and do the potty dance and run around in circles at the door until I come and let her out. Fearghus just stares at us until we take him out.

 

As for the not bonding to you as much to Tess, have you ever put Tess in another room and spent some alone time with Maisie so that she'll get attached to you? Maybe when you're training her it can just be the two of you together? I've found that both Fearghus (who's 3) and Fiona (1) each come seek me out for attention at different times but they still like to curl up next to each other and have mock fights and chase each other too. They like each other but still recognize the uprights as being the givers of food and comfort. Either it's that or we're the suckers who they con into giving them their every desire at set times. 

[hheldorfer]

When Buffy was younger and began screeching/barking for constant attention, we would put her in the bathroom by herself for a few minutes. Once she was quiet we'd let her out. If she started barking again, back into the bathroom she went. It worked pretty well.

[DawnandTuk-tuk]

Have you tried treating Maisie for going potty outside?  I would think 5 months may be too young to give you a signal she wants out, but not too young to have at least a relatively consistent going out to potty routine.  By eight months Tuk had it down...but I was almost militaristic about going out at the first hint of need: after every meal, every nap, every play time, etc.  It was a trying time for sure, as with all puppies, just when I would think we had it another accident would happen.  But the name of the game with a Cairn puppy is persistence and perserverance. Also instead of buying puppy bells, if you have any kind of christmas bells on hand, use some string and tie those to your door...much cheaper.

 

I would suggest, if you haven't started, walking Maisie.  This may help with the barking and bonding.  She'll have less to bark about if she's tired.  And the training involved with walking on leash will only help with your bonding.  I have two dogs and know the sad, sad face you'll get from Tess if the leash comes out and she doesnt get to go, so if there is someone else in the house who can walk her at the same time but seperately that would help.  After Tuk passed away and we had our puppy I remember thinking, when she was about a year, that we were not bonded like I had experienced with Tuk.  After more 'working' together in play and training I am now very bonded with my dog.  Puppies are like toddlers, you love them and they are cute but sometimes you would like them to sit down and be still with you...you usually only get the still when they are sleeping!  I always have enjoyed my puppies, the age and stage are so cute and fleeting, but the real treasure comes with the relationship you form over the years after time and effort invested by both dog and person.

[Nancyj]

Brinna was 6 when we got her, so she was completely trained, EXCEPT for the barking.  I read somewhere on here, to roll her over on her back, when the barking/screeching starts, and say, "NO BARK."  I was gentle about it, just firm and it takes being very committed to doing this every time she barked.  I wait until she relaxes or blinks and closes her eyes, then I release her.  I do the roll over right were she is standing, when the barking starts.  We've had her for seven months and it's been a month or more since I had to roll her over on her back.  Just so you know, when a squirrel is staring in the window at her, all bets are off.  She isn't as bad as she was before, but it isn't the loud bark/screeching....sometimes.

Idaho Cairns described the sounds they make so well, I won't repeat them, but  Brianna does those a lot. 

As for people and or dogs walking by, she just watches and sometimes makes a little noise to let us know there is a DOG out there.

. 

[LindaMC]

Linda, have you tried grasping the pup's snout and directing its eyes to your eyes when you use the "no bark" command?  Just shouting "No!" at a Cairn pup is probably interpreted as you joining the chorus of noise making.  The puppy does have to know what the command is about.

Using voice commands alone are not enough--training requires some physical contact--gentle but firm.

 

Sorry for the delay in posting, but have been busy over the holidays with company, etc...  Anyway, no I haven't tried grasping her snout but will do this going forward, thanks!  I do however, roll her on her side whenever she nips me but haven't done anything except for shouting no or quiet when she goes on with her barking.  

 

I have been working with Maisie on her sits, up, down, and go to your bed and she does all of them very well.  I am also working on come and make sure I do not say the word come to either of my dogs without having something fun or a treat waiting for them when they arrive.  Maisie does well with come as long as I have a treat in hand.  It's funny, when she's been out in the yard playing with Tess, neither one of them will come when I call them, however, if I click the clicker, Maisie will come running at top speed across the yard and up the stairs, usually falling and tripping on every stair of my deck, to get to me, as she knows there will be a treat waiting, but only when I click.  When she runs, I laugh every time, as she hops when she's running and her feet barely hit the ground.   I only hope that as time goes on, she will learn to run at this speed when I say the word come and not just click.  

 

I like the thought of putting her in the bathroom when she barks and letting her out when she gives me some quiet time, I may try this too!  Thanks for the advice hheldofer.  I believe I read that somewhere on the web a while back.

Edited July 6, 2013 by LindaMC

[4DogsSake]

This will be a long post, so I've broken it into sections for each issue.

HOUSE-TRAINING

Small dogs often take longer to house-train. I think there are several reasons for this:

#1. Unlike a big dog that easily gets our attention, we often don't notice, or don't recognize a small dog's pacing, jumping on us, excitement, etc. as anxiety. We mistake it for wanting to be in our laps, wanting play, or just being annoying little dogs.

#2. Small dogs aren't proportionate to large dogs. They aren't just tiny versions of big dogs. Their eyes are usually proportionately larger, and so is their internal plumbing (small dogs have larger puppies as a ratio of mother's body size, and they have larger BMs). It's more noticeable in tiny dogs like Chihuahuas and small Yorkies, but I'm sure it also applies to ten-pound dogs. We have to be patient. They can't always hold it as well as larger dogs. Small dogs also live longer and tend to mature more slowly, so 5 months is younger in a small dog than it is in the relatively condensed lifespan of a GSD. It's not their fault.

What to do?

For Shadow, my 3.5 lb Chihuahua, I invested in a $20 reusable dog diaper, and I lined it with a feminine pad to prevent messes. Pee was the bigger problem, and it caught that fine. It helped with BMs because it slowed the BM down as it tried to come out so I'd see her squatting, and I'd have time to get her to the door.

I set reminders on my phone and I fed her at exactly the same times twice every day, and took her out for 15 minutes of walking exactly 20 minutes after eating each meal. Walking gets the intestines moving. Standing around doesn't work. It also doesn't work to put them out in the yard and leave them. Walk Maisie at least until she poops, and pees at least once. If she doesn't go, lengthen the interval between meal and walk until you find her ideal timing. Shorten it if she needs to potty before her walk time. Just like people, dogs develop a schedule and a regular interval between meals and when it's time to "go." Learn Maisie's interval and adjust her walk times accordingly.

You can't safely limit drinking water, but you can add enough water to the food that your dog won't need to drink at other times of the day, and thus you can also get her to pee on the same schedule as she poops. How much water to add depends on the size of the dog and whether you feed wet or dry food. Canned or homemade food is already about 80% water by weight, so mixing in 25% to 50% water by volume will probably eliminate your dog's trips to the water bowl. Dry food will need to be mixed at least one to one with water by volume, possibly more. It doesn't need to be exact. You're only adding water so she'll pee and poop on a schedule you can predict. Use salt-free broth if your pup won't drink the soup with her meals. Too much salt will make her need to pee more, so at least use low sodium broth. Some dogs won't drink water added to dry food, so be inventive with flavoring: plain yogurt, a little milk, soup, broth, tuna juice, etc.

Besides the potty times about 15-20 (or 60) minutes after each meal (your dog's interval might be shorter or longer), I also took Shadow out every 4 hours all day, and her last soupy meal was over 4 hours before bedtime. She HAD to poop between dinner and bed in order to prevent late night accidents.

In addition, I add a pinch of Konosil fiber (about 1/16 teaspoon) to each of Shadow's meals (she weighs 3.5 lbs). It's like Metamucil but doesn't have sugar, flavoring, or artificial sweetener, etc. The fiber helps to keep her regular so those emergency poops don't catch the poor kid by surprise. I still do that for her even though she's 6 years old and it's been years since she had an accident.

Shadow's last walk (remember to walk, not just stand around) was right at bedtime during training, and her first was as soon as I awoke. At first I didn't even use the bathroom myself first. She had to go as soon as she began to move. Now that she's house-trained so well, I can relieve myself before taking her for a walk, and she immediately goes as soon as we are outside. My Pixie (who, coincidentally was named Maisy when I got her) also wasn't house-trained 2 months ago. I used the same method and she was trained within 2 weeks. She hasn't had an accident since, but she's older than your Maisie.

When your pup goes outside, tell her to potty while she's IN THE ACT. That links the words to the action in her mind. Telling her to "go potty" repeatedly when she isn't going potty, or doesn't need to go, just teaches her that you make a nonsensical "go potty" sound on walks, but it has no more meaning to her than the sound of your footsteps. It's just a noise. As soon as the BM or pee is out of her, immediately reward her. Some dogs are fine with happy sounds or silly high-pitched praise. Other dogs, especially little ones, can be startled by it, especially if they have gotten in trouble for going inside. Your pup might respond to praise, butt-rubs, ear-scratches, a tiny treat, or a quick game of fetch. It depends on your dog. With tiny dogs, it's often best not to walk toward them while, or immediately after, they go potty because they think they are about to get in trouble, or get picked up (often because that's what happens indoors). Walking to a tiny dog to praise it often works as a punishment instead, and un-does all your work. Squat down where you are to praise or reward her for going outside. Squat with knees bent, not legs straight and bending over. You must get down to her level so you aren't at all threatening and she's 100% sure you're happy and you aren't going to pick her up. Make only high-piched happy praise. Men are often too loud, firm, and deep-voiced to do it right and the dog is frightened instead of rewarded (sorry guys - many of you do great, but your deep voices work against you here).

If your dog hates being outside (like Shadow does in the winter), you should go back in right after she's peed and pooped. If she likes being outside (like Shadow does in the summer) walk or play for at least five more minutes before going back inside. Otherwise, your dog might learn not to go potty outside because doing so ends the fun walk. Conversely, if she hates being outside, going back in is reward for doing her duty outdoors.

Don't scold, spank, or otherwise punish indoor accidents. Try to keep her close enough (maybe even on a lead tied to your belt loop) so you'll see if she starts to have an accident. As soon as you see her start, get her outside and praise her for finishing outside even if she started it inside. Depending on your home, and your dog, it may be better to carry her or to just run with her to the door. Small dogs often develop a dislike of being picked up because they were picked up roughly for going on the floor, or have even been picked up and spanked. Don't do that. Just scoop her up, or call her wildly, bolt to the door, and while she's going, say the command to "go potty" or whatever you choose, and praise her as soon as she's done. She should never associate relieving herself with any unpleasantness from you - so as hard as it might be to act happy as she tinkles down your hip as you run for the door, you must make pottying a fun game, not an anxiety-producing experience.

If you don't get her out in time, don't scold her, or punish her, and don't show her the mess or rub her nose in it. These methods don't work. People think they work because out of all the times the dog goes on the floor, at least once it's going to be in front of the owner who runs the dog outside. It's those times that teach the dog, not the punishment. A dog that acts "guilty" when it's had an accident on the floor (cowering, rolling the eyes, submissiveness, etc.) isn't feeling guilty. It's feeling afraid because it has learned that pee or poo on the floor equals an angry owner. If you put a pile of poo on the floor that you brought in from outside, you'll get the same reaction.

Over time, a few weeks to months, she will become very regular and not need to go other times. You can then stretch out those 4 hour interval walks to every 6 hours, and one day even 8 hours. Asking any dog to hold its urine longer than that is a bit cruel (try it yourself some time), but people do it all the time.

Like all training, you must be consistent. Write down the steps and schedule if you need to, and stick to it. Shadow is a perfectly house-trained dog now. For a long time I never thought I'd get her out of the diaper, but she's awesome, and I'm glad I finally realized it was my mistakes, not hers, that were the problem.

THE HUMAN-DOG BOND

Dogs tend to bond to the person or other animal with whom they spend the most time, do the most "stuff," and have the most fun. Right now, that is Tess. You need to be a larger part of Maisie's life. Do NOT limit her time with Tess as a way to sidestep spending more quality time with Maisie. Limiting her time with Tess could alter their relationship enough to exacerbate the aggression issues you're already dealing with. It more commonly affects the hierarchy in larger packs, but don't risk it.

Instead, I recommend you spend more time obedience-training Maisie. Positive obedience training is great fun for the dog, and it builds the human-dog bond like nothing else. Since many people don't know how to properly obedience train (it's tricky and can be frustrating to do alone), or they find it hard to motivate themselves to keep a training schedule and be consistent, I think it's best to enroll in some group classes. Maisie is old enough to start with beginning obedience, but puppy classes are better than nothing. I would suggest a positive classical type teacher rather than clicker-trainers only because I've known so many really bad clickers trainers, and clicker-training is harder to master without studying the principles behind it.

Obedience class will be fun for both of you, help socialize Maisie, teach you both many basics, make a more controllable dog of Maisie, and it will improve your bond with her. Classes and sessions at home are for you and Maisie alone. Do it without Tess present. Give Tess her one-on-one time separately.

Nothing replaces training time, but other things that help the human-dog bond include anything that you do together: car rides, walks in the park, fetch, sharing an ice cream in the car, wrestling in the grass, walking around a pet store together, etc. Even playing with her while she "helps" make the bed, mop the floor, garden, or do laundry increases the bond (although she'll make all of those tasks harder, include her and make each one fun even if it does take twice as long and make a bigger mess).

Don't toss her in the backyard to potty alone. Use the steps outlined above and even that will bring you closer (you might leave Tess elsewhere while you do that).

If she's in the yard, you should be too. Engage in her games. Be her friend. To bring her closer to you, you must take yourself closer to her. Don't force her, but do engage her.

Don't lock her away from you. I don't know what lead to you crating her while you vacuumed, but if it was only for convenience, let her out and let her "help." You want all things associated with you to be good, fun, and full of love.

BARKING

Terriers bark. It's in their blood. Maisie is never going to be a quiet dog, but you can reduce her barking to a tolerable level. I've already done that with Pixie in just 2 months. She used to bark at everything. I couldn't even watch a movie or talk on the phone. Some of her barking has faded as she's gotten accustomed to new noises, but most of the really obnoxious barking - like at wildlife outside, cars going by, the phone, etc. I had to work on.

Brace yourself because I use some very unconventional methods. I don't believe scolding or punishment works for barking. To a dog, your yelling is just you barking, and confirmation that there is, indeed, something bark-worthy going on. So don't yell. Yelling never teaches a dog not to bark.

For noises that set her off every time, de-condition her to them. For example, vacuum cleaner, garage door, door bells, the ice maker, microwave, telephone, etc. Do something to make that noise so often that she becomes bored with it (record and play it back if you must for some things). If the lawnmower makes her crazy, have someone fire it up every few minutes or half an hour for a while, or several periods throughout the day several days. If it's the doorbell, ring it every time you walk past it. Stand there and ring it over and over sometimes. Ignore her barking. If it's the phone or cell phone, ring it with your other phone every 15 minutes for several days until it just doesn't interest her anymore. If she isn't getting bored with it, you aren't doing it enough. Don't answer the door, phone, etc. during training because that will only reinforce her reason for barking. You want to make all these sounds without anything interesting to follow them. You want her to learn they are as ordinary and uninteresting as the sound of your breathing.

If it's kids outside, cars, squirrels, or other things you can't control, then you should bark with her. Yep. I said it. Bark with her to teach her to bark on command. It's called putting a behavior on cue. Once you've taught her to reliably bark on cue, you can tell her to bark, then teach her the "hush" command. People are VERY reluctant to do this because they think it will teach their dog to bark more. That is rarely the case, and when it is, it's only true in the initial stage of training, before the "hush" command is taught. The increased barking ceases as soon as you move to the next step.

The reason yelling, scolding, squirting, intimidating, etc. don't work is because barking is a reflex, and when a dog is barking, it's already too excited to learn. Don't believe me? Try teaching a person not to gasp at a fright, jump when startled, or better yet, consider the impossible task of calming a toddler in mid-tantrum, or a couple of drunks in a brawl. By the time Maisie is squeeling, she's too excited and it's too late to correct. The goal of my method is to train "hush" when the dog isn't too stimulated to learn, and in order to do that, we must first teach her to bark on command so she is doing it without the excitement.

Here are the steps:

#1, When she barks, join in and bark like an idiot right along with her. Sound like a dog as best you can (I say "woof" in as close to the same tone and inflection as my dog as possible). Look in the direction she's barking and everything. Be a dog. Be her barking buddy. Laugh and make it a game and praise her. Have fun with it. Don't be irritated or annoyed. Be a dog (good bonding experience, by the way). Let Tess join in too, and your family if they'd like to.

#2, after a few days or a couple of weeks of copying your dog and barking with her, initiate some barking on your own at absolutely nothing. You've been barking with her for long enough to know how it's done. Try it. Just start barking as though you heard something fascinating. She should join in with you pretty quickly if you've been barking with her. If not, go back to copying her, and work on your barking style a bit. If she does bark on this weird cue you've created (yep, that really is a trained cue), have fun with her; engage her in silly barking time often, and praise her each time. It's your barking game and it's fun and you should both enjoy it (and bond over it). Do this several times a day for a while, always starting with the same sound or command (I say "woof").

#3, After doing this a few days, Maisie will be focused mostly on you in an attempt to figure out what you're barking at, get her praise, and because this is your silly new game that she just loves, so you'll likely have her attention already. Bark a little bit to satisfy her since you started her barking, then gently say "hush" and put your index finger over your mouth. She'll likely stop almost immediately because you stopped. Perfect. Praise her, give treats, roll around happily on the floor, etc. What a great game! If she starts barking again after the hush, ignore it. The game is over. Do not hush her an praise her again as that will only teach her to stop barking for a moment, and then to start again.

#4, after a few days (or weeks) of the silly barking game, you should be able to set her off easily with your "woof" command, and then hush her easily also because the only reason she is barking is because you are barking. Once that's reliable, you can move the "hush" command to actual nuisance barking. Start with using it on only mild, unenthusiastic barking, like at the TV. Don't start with something as exciting as a guest, cat taunting her, neighbors' dog barking etc. You don't want her to be so excited that she won't hush. That defeats the whole purpose of this method of training. Keep up the praise and treats for hushing, and keep on playing the barking and hushing game indefinitely. You've taught her a silly trick, created a game with which to bond, and every time she hushes and is rewarded, you are reinforcing that lesson. As her hush becomes increasingly reliable, you can slowly apply it to more excited barking. SLOWLY. Remember, once the stimulation is too great for her to pay attention, she won't learn.

She will likely always bark at certain things, like a cat or squirrel taunting her on the window ledge, but that's okay. She's a dog. Over time, as long as you continue the idiotic barking and hushing game, and all the praise, you'll be able to hush her from almost any nuisance barking without ever raising your voice. That's what the finger over the mouth is for.

I know many people will cringe at this method. Some will even say it doesn't work, but that's because they weren't consistent and didn't stick with it long enough (the primary problems with most training). It doesn't happen over night, and you MUST follow through each step in time, but if you do, the results are amazing. As long as the stimulation is mild, such as an unknown noise, distant barking, a car, etc. rather than a neighbor at the door or dogs walking up the road toward us, Pixie looks at me now as soon as she starts barking. She's looking to see if I'm going to give the hush command and a reward, or if I'm going to join in. If I give the hush command, she runs to me for affection and silliness (silly play is her favorite reward). Barking is now fun for us both, and I have taught her a command that could be very helpful if she ever got separated from me on a hike or caught/trapped by something. We can play Marco-Polo and find each other.

DON'T FORCE ANYTHING

I don't know how anyone trains a terrier using force or intimidation. They are by nature tenacious, confrontational, and in most cases, incidents escalate when someone attempts to use force or intimidation to "train" a terrier. Terriers of many breeds and mixes were some of the most commonly surrendered dogs for behavioral problems of the neurotic and aggressive kind at the shelters I used to work with. People think we should be able to "win" any battle of wits or will with a dog because we have the bigger brains, but in my experience, once something becomes a contest of will, the terrier wins. They've been selectively bred to never back down, so instead of taking things on as though they are a contest (which all but the strongest, most experienced trainers will lose), make everything a game. Life will be so much better for you, Maisie, and Tess if your approach is all about fun and how to turn difficulty into a game.

I hope this helps you and your little angel enjoy each other more.

Karin & co.

[LindaMC]

Wow, an abundant amount of help Karen, thank you very much!  In the past, I have read about teaching your dog to to stop barking by encouraging them to bark and then adding a cue but was always afarid of doing it for the reason you quoted above, worried that she/he would not stop.  However, the steps you have included and being consistant about it, make it sound very encouraging.  I am going to copy and paste your steps above into a Word document, print it and work on both the potty training and the barking. 

 

If you or anyone else has good advice regarding jumping, please feel free to give it to me, I am going to post a thread about this behavior in a separte thread after I close this one.

 

Thanks again all for some wonderful advice!