Another sweet, nervous rescue...

[Hillscreek]

Agree. On the leash pretty much always. No fence here. I take Angus out on his leash to do his business - yes in all weathers.

We live in the country and walk every day. When he was young I used a long line, 30ft and 50 ft when in the fields and taught recall that way. Now I let him free when we walk where no automobile traffic and few people. He hunts the hedges and stays fairly close. I call him. He comes running EXCEPT if he is after a vole or a mouse or a rabbit. Then prey drive kicks in and he is deaf and blind to anything else. When he's done he gives a shake and trots on back. 

At home even though we have a porch I do not open the door unless he is put somewhere safe or is on his leash.

This will always be what we do I'm sure.

 

Agree with pk. When Angus was young he was always where I could see him. Sometimes tied to me or near to me. And whenever he did something unsuitable it was immediate time out - no fuss no muss. Angus, like many cairns, hated and still hates to be left out of things.

Cairns are very, very sensitive to your emotions. Important to be calm. If you need to be firm use a normal voice. Generally if you shout at a cairn he'll shout right back. If you are anxious he'll take advantage immediately and exploit you for all he can.

 

Keep in mind  that changes for Betsy may take months rather than weeks. She has to feel over and over again that everything is OK and you are the leaders she can depend on and eventually bond with.

 

What a sweetheart she looks to be! There's a big variety of cairns and cairn owners here and all are so kind and helpful - many with deep knowledge of the little terrors ​  - no I didn't mean that - yes I did   I'd never want to be without my fun loving buddy who makes me smile every day and who is worth all the time (and patience) it took for us to become the good partners we are today.

 

Let us know how you get on.

[parmelbe]

She also seems to enjoy being sung to. It seems to calm her. I just make up words to symphonic music, usually ends up being nonsense.

[hheldorfer]

Buffy is a huge Jethro Tull fan.  DH sometimes brings her into the "man cave" during a thunderstorm, plays some Tull and she settles right down. 

[Idaho Cairns]

'f you are anxious about her behaviour/demeanour, and fussing over her, she may be picking up on your anxiety and become more anxious and unsettled."  Bob Penny.

I really like that comment--you can over analyze in the first few weeks which does you or the dog little good.  Dogs will pick up human "vibes" easily and the best advice I can give you is simply to sit back, relax, observe and try to get into what ever household routine is "normal" for you and your spouse.  Quietly introduce "no" into the conversation for behaviors you don't want and lots of "good dog!" for those you desire, along with plenty of verbal praise on a regular basis and you and she will be fine.
I'm not big on drugs to decrease anxiety, especially in this situation--a re-home is absolutely going to upset the dog as it would any creature, and there is probably a whole set of behaviors that go along with the process that are nerve wracking for the dog.  All of those will eventually go away once the routine is learned and adopted.
Let the dog explore its new environment, learn the ropes, and simply observe--you will see the dog relax and change over what will  probably be a short period.  She needs to figure out what's around her, what is routine and what is not.
Frankly, I would be unnerved with a dog that came into a new environment and DIDN'T show a few quirks--especially a Cairn, which, in my opinion, tend to get regimented to routines and unnerved when those are interrupted.
I like feedback tho so keep on letting us know about Betsy's behavior--it is always good to be reminded of what many of us experienced with adopted dogs.
Just enjoy, the large majority of these situations work out great for both the dogs and especially the owners.

[sanford]

@Bobpenny1,

 

My cairn likes it when I sing to him,  I found out early on that this has a calming effect.  He makes eye contact and seems to give me his full attention.   Happy songs work best 

OMG!! With my so-called "voice" and tin ear, any cairn within ear-shot would head for the hills!    

Edited August 5, 2015 by sanford

[Hillscreek]

Well, I never tried singing to Angus before so I gave it a go. I guess he knows I sing out of key because he looked at me like I was sick or something then came over to check on me. Licked my face, " There there" he said "you can't help it.You'll be OK."

 

He is not afraid of thunder etc. Barks it away and is always happy because it stops after he tells it to. He looks at me so proud and pleased with himself.

Edited August 5, 2015 by Hillscreek

[Malcolm's Dad]

parmelbe: She wags her tail like she wants attention but her posture and face are transmitting fear (in my completely amateur opinion).

 

I'd say you are reading her very well. The questions are why is she doing this and what to do. Unless she starts talking, which a Cairn might do someday, we will never know. Lots of good advice especially that Cairns pick up on our emotions very well. Malcolm can read me like a book. Forget psychiatrists get a Cairn instead. Like Idaho mentions go about your normal routine. Love the advice of reading to a dog and singing to them. Never tried that myself on a dog but know it works great on little kids. And, well, our dogs are our little kids too.

[Dempsy's Mom]

Love the pictures of Betsy!  She looks happy and contented in the pics - probably something she is not used too.  Betsy is probably new to this unconditional love thing.

[parmelbe]

Love the pictures of Betsy!  She looks happy and contented in the pics - probably something she is not used too.  Betsy is probably new to this unconditional love thing.

 

She is very happy! My wife and I are working hard on not expecting her to be 100% thrilled all the time. That's unrealistic.

 

Was at the vet today and we discussed the sudden change of routine as we both went back to work on Monday so the routine (in terms of who is home) changed suddenly after Betsy's "trial week" from the shelter when we were all home all the time. I'll admit I was in a bit of denial about this. We're working on letting Betsy do her thing and adjust and not micromanage. It's just not fun seeing her so down. 

[bradl]

It's really, really hard not to obsess over these dogs. They take over hearts, minds, and households so thoroughly

 

I do find it helpful to take the long view, though, as best we can, in most areas. We do our best; they do their best; it's all life with dogs. 

[hheldorfer]

"It's just not fun seeing her so down."

 

I wouldn't assume she is "down".  My guess is that she is a bit confused and unsure of herself in her new environment; she's laying low and taking it all in.  Trust me - she is plotting a complete takeover of your household. 

[pkcrossley]

"Trust me - she is plotting a complete takeover of your household. "

 

yes. if not, you didn't get a real cairn.

[parmelbe]

We're doing well! Betsy is adjusting to the schedule, though she still whines at us when we come home. She's generally happier and sleeps peacefully on a chair or the couch a  good portion of the day. We're still able to do two 30-40 minute walks a day with bathroom breaks before and after we leave the house and a big adventure on the weekend. She's started running more when we're out for walks and my wife and I usually run alongside her since she seems to be having a lot of fun. She has also started chasing squirrels, so having to keep her on the leash is a bit of a bummer. Oh, and she finally found a friend to play with at the dog park! They chased each other around a bit and she wiped out in a mud puddle, so she also got her first bath this past weekend. 

 

Crating for bedtime is still a bit trying. I've been playing "treat fairy," leaving a few treats in there during the day whenever she isn't looking and that seems to help a bit, but she still won't go in at bedtime when we use the command. I've been setting her in front of it after that fails and she'll go in willingly once I show her what the expectation is. Still, it could be better and I know I can just forget about getting her in there during the day for the apartment maintenance people or furniture deliveries. 

 

I got her a Thundershirt for the storm issue and we're due to have a short one today. We'll see how that goes. She's had a vet checkup and all was normal except the dental issues. She has a cleaning and possible extraction scheduled for the beginning of next month. I have all of the supplies to start regular brushing once she's recovered. 

 

Still the sweetest, most well-behaved dog I've ever had!

 

There's a squirrel up there, Dad!

IMG_3554 by Brendon Parmelee, on Flickr

 

Post-playtime

IMG_3569 by Brendon Parmelee, on Flickr

 

First bath!

IMG_3570 by Brendon Parmelee, on Flickr

 

What a goofball

IMG_3589 by Brendon Parmelee, on Flickr

[pkcrossley]

she is just gorgeous. if she is chasing squirrels, more important than ever that she remain on leash. if she gets on her own she will be nothing but a blur. 

[tlwtheq]

What a wonderful pup, and a wonderful narrative about bringing home a rescue and seeing them develop and

come into their own.  You've got a beautiful baby as you well know.

 

Oh, we have a bazillion little nonsense ditties that my three hear every day.  It does seem to lighten the

mood, and I definitely think they enjoy knowing the attention is for them

[Dempsy's Mom]

She is so cute.  We all love her!  Thanks for the pics.

[hheldorfer]

It sounds as if everything is going well.  Keep those ADORABLE pictures coming!

 

By the way, Buffy wants to know where you got that snazzy collar and leash.

Edited August 12, 2015 by hheldorfer

[parmelbe]

The storm last night was pretty sad, but I think she recovered a little more quickly than last time. 

 

Collar is from Petsmart, I think it's Kong brand. The leash we got at WalMart and I don't remember the brand. It's the same one that was provided by the foster parent for the trial week. We held on to hers until we managed to track down an identical one. 

 

Thanks, all! I'm sure she'd love to meet you. 

[bradl]

I love watching a Cairn integrating into a happy new life.  

[bradl]

Heh, just ran across this today (with regard to crate acclimation):

 

 

Our four are pretty much the "before" example at dinner time. Sigh. 

 

We do feed in the crate (with low-tech bowls I'm afraid) so they certainly associate their crate with happy times. 

[Malcolm's Dad]

So nice to hear things a going along fairly well. Please stay in touch and tell us more about your progress.

[LindaMC]

Betsy is adorable and she looks very happy.  You do get some very good shots of her, something I sometimes fail to do with Maisie, my 2 year old Cairn.  She's a bit camera shy at times.

 

Did you use the Thunder Shirt during the last storm?  I got one for Maisie, she is frightened of thunder storms too.  She shakes and whimpers and usually looks for a place to hide, like under my desk or behind the couch.  She does a lot better when she has the shirt on her, she doesn't shake nearly as much and I can get her to lie down next to me if she has it on.  It's so hard watching them react to the storm, I hate seeing Maisie is distress, it breaks my heart.

 

Maisie bolted out our front door a couple of times when we first got her, and the only way I could get her to come back to me was with a clicker.  I had been clicker training her and although she hadn't learned the "come" command at that time, she knew that a treat was associated with a click, so after chasing her around our front yard for a while, I decided to try clicking and asking her to come and it worked!  She doesn't bolt out the door very often these days but if she does, I use my female German Shepherd to bring her back in the house.  She loves her big sister and follows her everywhere.

 

I look forward to reading lots of stories about your girl and also seeing lots more pictures of that adorable face!

[parmelbe]

Hi, all!

 

We've had Betsy for about a month now and everything is settling in quite nicely, as predicted. She still mopes around occasionally and tries to throw a pity party for attention, but I just don't encourage it and instead make a huge deal every time she's happy and playful. She's so sweet and well-behaved. Never barks, joins us on the couch to cuddle every chance she gets, and has taken to turning walks into jogs, which we're really enjoying. I'm an orchestral French Horn player and I've started practicing at home around Betsy. She seems to enjoy it and tries to climb up in my lap while I warm up on my mouthpiece! After a while it puts her right to sleep. 

 

The crate issue sort of worked itself out. I stopped trying to use a "high value treat" (boiled chicken breast) once I realized she'll do almost anything for one of those 3-calorie Zuke's Mini Naturals. Now all I have to do is drop a few in the crate and she goes in before I can even give the command. She doesn't hang out in the crate during the day, but she has plenty of alternatives so I don't blame her. She's doing well with being left home alone. I usually load up her Kong toy and a water bottle with holes in it with treats and sometimes she doesn't even notice us walking out the door. Speaking of toys, she still has no interest in any toy that does not contain food. 

 

Socializing is still hit-or-miss. We go to the dog park at least once a week and she'll usually make a polite greeting then go about her business. Occasionally she growls softly if there are multiple dogs lining up to say hello. We've started keeping her on the leash for the first five minutes or so to help her feel more confident and that seems to help. She runs and plays if enough other dogs are doing so but never initiates anything. 

 

Last night we celebrated my wife's birthday and it was the first time we've ever had more than one visitor at a time. we had 10 people over and drinks were abundant, so it was a pretty exciting environment. Betsy handled it pretty well, aside from one dart for the door and some vomit that looked to be entirely water. Once it was past her usual bedtime she just curled up in her chair and slept through the rest of the party. 

 

She has her dental cleaning and possible extraction this week and I'm having the vet check out a hard, pea-sized lump that we found under one of her teats (that's the technical term, right?). Hopefully it's nothing since it moves around pretty freely and doesn't seem to bother her, but I'm glad she already has an appointment. 

 

Also, she's been overheating very quickly when outside. Of course part of the problem is that we live in Houston and it's disgustingly hot, but it's been getting worse. She has quite a lot of extra thin, fluffy hair that I can easily pull out with my fingers and she seems to be trying to get rid of it as well. Is there a good way to cool her off that doesn't involve spending hundreds to get her stripped or hours learning to do it myself? Are certain regular haircuts okay/beneficial?

 

IMG_3648 by Brendon Parmelee, on Flickr

 

IMG_3675 by Brendon Parmelee, on Flickr

 

IMG_3663 by Brendon Parmelee, on Flickr

 

Bed-head:

IMG_3613 by Brendon Parmelee, on Flickr

[pkcrossley]

what a lovely report and pictures. we love to hear about this kind of success. betsy's a lucky girl, sounds like she knows it. 

[hheldorfer]

So nice to hear from you again!  Betsy looks happy and healthy and it's great that she is settling in to your routine.  

 

Regarding overheating on walks:  Does she ever show signs of heat exhaustion (frothing at the mouth, for example) or is she just panting very heavily?  Our non-Cairn Ziggy is part Shih Tzu and he is prone to heat exhaustion so I have some experience with this.  You can try using a cooling collar - several types are available.  When we see that Ziggy is beginning to get too hot we splash his belly with cold water.  We have also poured water over his back but he really likes the water on his belly.  

 

Thanks for the update and the beautiful pics!