A Reminder to Us All

[kjwarnold]

This post showed up on the Col. Potter Facebook page yesterday, then popped up on a Cairn breeders group.  It's a good reminder (in a sad way) about the importance of leashing these guys.  

 

Col. Potter:

"Just a reminder, our Cairns are ALWAYS on a leash....
…and Foster dogs are ALWAYS in harnesses.

Permission has been given from the adoptive home, to share this post from last year -  August 2016.

Hello, Janet and Sandy....
With great sadness I write to to tell you that Eubie died on Monday. Eubie and I were walking from the office to the house at lunchtime, and as we crossed my driveway, he saw my neighbor across the road moving his sheep and goats into his field across from my driveway and mailbox.  They are normally in a field at the south end of his property, and Eubie had not seen them before.

Eubie took off at a run with with me behind calling him back but the sight of the animals in motion ignited his dog mind with the desire to race and chase, and in just a moment he had run into the path of a car headed south on Susbauer Road.and was gone.

I am stricken with from the loss this darling animal, and with shame for not taking a moment to click on his extra leash that hangs by the office door.  My repeated agreements with the two of you, and with Col. Potter, to keep him always on leash, are fresh in my mind.  I did not imagine that my neighbor would be at that moment moving his animals, or that a car would intersect with the path of my beautiful little companion, but I guess that is always how a tragedy like this happens.  

I make a special apology to you, Janet, because I know you loved Eubie too.  He was the most engaging, interesting, and intelligent dog I have ever known, and I will miss him terribly.  I made the mistake of thinking his attachment to me would stop him from from racing to danger, and I was wrong.  LIfe without him seems like a lonelier place.

Ginger

AND "A Disease Called TRUST"

There is a deadly disease stalking your dog, a hideous, stealthy thing just waiting its chance to steal your beloved friend. It is not a new disease, or one for which there are inoculations. The disease is called "Trust". 

You knew before you ever took your puppy home that it could not be trusted. The breeder who provided you with this precious animal warned you, drummed it into your head. Puppies steal, destroy anything expensive left in their path, chase cats, take forever to house train, and must never be allowed off lead!! 

When the big day finally arrived, heeding the sage advice of the breeder, you escorted your puppy to her new home, properly collared and tagged, the lead held tightly in your hand. 

At home, the house was "puppy-proofed" . Everything of value was stored in the spare bedroom, garbage stowed on top of the refrigerator. Cats separated, and a gate placed across the living room to keep at least one part of the house puddle free. All the windows and doors had been properly secured, and signs placed in all strategic points reminding all to "Close the door!" 

Soon it becomes second nature to make sure the door closes nine tenths of a second after it was opened and that it is really latched. "Don't let the dog out" is your second most verbalized expression. (The first is "NO!") You worry and fuss constantly, terrified that your darling will get out and disaster will surely follow. 

Your friends comment about who you love most, your family or the dog. You know that to relax your vigil for a moment, you might lose her forever. 

And so the weeks and months pass, with your puppy becoming more civilized every day, and the seeds of trust are planted. It seems that each new day brings less destruction, less breakage, less leakage. Almost before you know it, your clumsy, wild puppy has turned into an elegant, dignified friend. Now that she is a more reliable, sedate companion, you take her more places. No longer does she chew the steering wheel when left in the car. And darned if that cake wasn't' still on the table this morning. And, oh yes, wasn't that the cat she was sleeping with so cozily on your pillow last night? 

At this point you are beginning to become infected, the disease is spreading its roots deep into your mind. And then one of your friends suggest obedience classes, and, after a time, you even let her run loose from the car into the house when you get home.. Why not, she always runs straight to the door, dancing a frenzy of joy and waits to be let in. And, remember she comes every time she is called. You know she is the exception that disproves the rule. (And sometimes late at night, you even let her slip out the front door to go potty and then right back in.) 

Years pass - it is hard to remember why you ever worried so much when she was a puppy. She would never think of running out the door left open while you bring in the packages from the car. It would be beneath her dignity to jump out the window of the car while you run into the convenience store. And when you take her for those wonderful long walks at dawn, it only takes one whistle to send her racing back to you in a burst of speed when the walk becomes too close to the highway. (She still gets in the garbage cans, but nobody is perfect!) 

This is the time the disease has waited for so patiently. Sometimes it only has to wait a year or two, but often it takes much longer.

She spies the neighbor dog across the street, and suddenly forgets everything she ever knew about not slipping outdoors, jumping out windows or coming when called due to traffic. Perhaps it was only a paper fluttering in the breeze, a squirrel, a passer-by, or even just the sheer joy of running.... 

Stopped in an instant. Stilled forever - your heart is broken at the sight of her still beautiful body.

The disease is trust. The final outcome, hit by a car.

Every morning my dog bounced around off lead exploring. Every morning for seven years she came back when she was called. She was perfectly obedient, perfectly trustworthy. She died fourteen hours after being hit by a car. Please do not risk your friend and your heart. 

Save the trust for things that do not matter..

Please read this every year on your puppy's birthday, lest we forget.

[Sam I Am]

I always cringe when I see some of our neighbours take there dogs out for a walk around the block, cars whizzing by, not on a leash. There are lots of jackrabbits, cats, squirrels etc in our area, even none Terrier breeds will give chase. We have never let our terriers off leash..not once. I couldn't live with myself if I saw them crushed underneath a car.  Such an important read, especially for new Cairn owners. It can all be over before you blink an eye.

[Hillscreek]

So sad so true.

I often think about this with Angus. He is five and a half. In some ways he and I are in the 'trust phase'. Every day we walk where there are no cars and where he runs free. Every day he comes when I call and jumps in the the Jeep. BUT I also know he would never come when called if his prey drive kicked in. It happens occasionally on our walk, a deer in the distance, a mouse in the hedgerow. I walk on slowly because I know the drive switches off as quickly as it switches on. Sure enough he's back with me quickly after he can't catch the deer or the mouse escapes. This fine out in the field and I have the time. However I never let him off leash otherwise - even to do his business. We don't have fences out here - and actually even if we did I wouldn't be sure he wouldn't get out or something would get in. The road though a quiet one is not too far away. Whether it be chasing the neighbor's cat or a rabbit across a road there's no time for the prey drive to switch off before something terrible can occur.

I really have to think about this now he is older and more 'responsible' around the house and in general. It is very tempting sometimes to let him out for a minute to sniff around.

Thanks for posting kjwarnold and reminding us that our beloved cairns will always be terriers all their lives. Their prey drive may be dormant for even long periods of time but it never leaves them.

[pkcrossley]

as everybody knows from my previous posts, i am definitely of the always-leash-no-matter-what school when it comes to cairns, and i feel sorry for anybody (especially the writer of the original note above) who truly does not know or understand the risks and consequently experiences this tragedy. the discussion of "trust" there is profoundly true, and captures so much of the experience of living with and loving a terrier. 

the stories of cairns run-over, washed away in the current, torn up by bigger and more vicious dogs, or otherwise demolished in some of these moments are well-known, and owners who accept it can happen to them, but consciously weigh the risk against the benefits, are understandable to me.  there are some responsible and loving owners who will "trust" the dog under reasonably safe circumstances because this is basically a philosophical difference --between those like me who are looking for 100% safety and those who will settle for 95% safety in order to allow their dog the occasional freedom to run. in fact my terriers, when mature (you know when that happens with cairns --late) did run freely in my yard and play fetch with me, under circumstances i considered strictly controlled, with physical boundaries and me always with them (and the fascination of a ball to drown out other distractions). but depending on life circumstances, some people may have to accept the 95% trade-off if they do not have controlled conditions on their own property. my belief is that even without the benefits i have on my property i would still be a 100 percenter, because that is just me, and my dogs would have to get with that program. but i understand the approach of informed, responsible, loving people who can live with the risks of occasionally letting a terrier (even a cairn, the most terriorish of all) off-leash --it is a matter of philosophy, and of course self-knowledge.

the owners i don't get are those who are have seen all the reports of demised cairns and know very well the terrier temperament but still imagine that it can't happen to them --they leave cairns outside in supposedly "fenced" yards (which cairns can decide to climb, jump or dig under any time they truly want to), or try to walk around town or through the woods with them as if they were absolute-recall service dogs. the people who will ignorance are different from the people who are fully aware but simply make a choice for themselves and their dogs. 

Edited March 26, 2017 by pkcrossley

[sanford]

I get a knot in my stomach when I read posts like these. When I adopted my first cairn, I didn't even know what the term "prey drive" meant. When the shelter instructed me that I must "never, ever" let my cairn off the leash and when I read about tragedies like those above, the message sank in. Although I must admit, I was not happy to find out that I wouldn't have the pleasure of letting my dog enjoy free off-leash time, I considered it a small price to pay and never wavered. Not to brag, but I honestly can say that in more than 12 years with my cairns, they were never off-leash. Yet, I'm only human and the fact is that Ruffy is a born escape artist, (which is how he came into rescue in the first place). As a rambunctious 3 year old, he escaped from this novice owner on several occasions and I was more than lucky to get him back! Those were my worst moments and served to reinforce my diligence. In fact, it was on this very forum that I read the warning that stayed with me: "One moment of carelessness can result in a lifetime of heartache." Also right on the mark is "A Disease Called TRUST", above.

P.S. It always appalls me that here in this crowded city, I see owners walking their dogs off-leash on narrow, crowded sidewalks, with cars, trucks and buses speeding by, a few feet away. I visualize those owners with signs plastered to their backs that read: "Control Freak".

Edited March 26, 2017 by sanford

[hheldorfer]

The post is very sad but it is necessary.  We all need a reminder that our precious pups could be gone in an instant if we become careless or too trustful.    

[kjwarnold]

Two days before we lost Packy to cancer, he snuck out the door to chase one of the peacocks.  I never thought he had the energy to walk down the porch steps let alone chase that peacock!  He turned around and strutted back like he was King of the world.

It just goes to show you that the prey drive is strong, really strong, even in a dying dog.

[Malcolm's Dad]

Thanks for posting this kjwarnold. Important information for any dog owner. I have a fenced yard that I can let Malcolm in. I also have a window where I can watch him when he is out. The fence is high enough that he cannot jump over it. Malcolm is not a digger he is a squirrel chaser. He has not tried to dig under the fence. Even in the yard when I call him in it takes a few minutes for him to respond. Out of the yard is a different story, always on the leash. I know he won't listen to me.

[Lupinegirl]

I'd like to add that pet sitters must be reminded to keep the leash rule in mind. I about had a heartatack when I found out Nikki's pup sitter let him out in her unfenced yard without a leash. There was a large dog next door that barked viciously at other dogs. There were woods behind her house, and a pond, both of which Nikki has never been in. I do not walk my boy in the woods or even under trees because the ticks are profilific here. I was terrified that he would chase something into the pond and drown since he was densely muscled and he has very short legs for a cairn. Thankfully nothing happened at her house but a neighbor who walked him once with her kids left him outside with her kids while she went in to take care of the noeghbor's cats. The german shepherd next door attacked and tore into Nikki while the kids ran away, leaving him alone to fend for himself. Thank the Lord Nikki is a heavy, wide bodied, densely muscled boy, otherwise I probably would have lost him that day.  I'm not letting kids walk him. He's thirty pounds of muscle (and flab now) and a surprise lunge from him can still nearly yank me, an average sized adult American, off my  feet. 

 

Edited March 27, 2017 by Lupinegirl

[hheldorfer]

17 hours ago, kjwarnold said:

Two days before we lost Packy to cancer, he snuck out the door to chase one of the peacocks.  I never thought he had the energy to walk down the porch steps let alone chase that peacock!  He turned around and strutted back like he was King of the world.

It just goes to show you that the prey drive is strong, really strong, even in a dying dog.

Buffy's getting older and has arthritis now.  There are days when she seems to be hobbling along on our walks . . . until there's a rabbit, squirrel, skunk, you name it.  Then she becomes the fierce vermin destroyer.

[Hillscreek]

More on prey drive. We just got back from our walk. Snow has melted. Ice gone from the creeks and lake, temp in the fifties. I wandered along the path by the side of the creek towards the lake. Angus was in and out the brush keeping his feet dry. He is a cairn who hates to get even his tippy toes wet until...................We both heard the squeak and saw the musk rat jump and run to the deep water. I stopped and watched. Angus was part way into the rushes and grass and weeds flattened  by the winter storms. He stopped in that characteristic pose, paw raised, tail out straight behind, body leaning forward - ready to go BUT there was wet and mud ahead. He waited and looked and smelled the air nose twitching. Suddenly the drive overcame the reluctance and away he went across a wet muddy patch, avoiding deeper water, then running out to the creek edge as he got better footing. Of course he was way too late to the spot and his prey drive died at once. He trotted back and forth. I walked on a little. I wondered if he would remember how to get back as there was only the one spot partly out of water though not out of mud. No way could I get out there to rescue him. I'd be waist deep in mud and wet. For a little while he hunted up and down the bank but finding no musk rat he started to return. He was brought up short by the water several times but finally found the way across and came running to me with mud up to his armpits panting and smiling. I had forgotten what a wet and muddy dog was like as so many years since my retriever days. I had to smile. Of course true to that wonderful cairn coat by the time we walked on and he ran in a field the mud was almost gone and his feet clean and neat again.

It doesn't seem to matter what age, state of health, or anything else you can't stop a cairn when the prey drive kicks in. I've seen Angus on many occasions in an instant go into a completely different world totally unconnected to this one, then just as fast return to "normal". It's truly remarkable.

 

 

[Sam I Am]

Yup..you can't  successfully  "train" that out of a Cairn or most Terrier breeds. I was smiling myself reading your story. What a grand life Angus has.