Puppy calming down

[dbier6778]

Hi, 

I’m sure this is addressed hundreds of times but I can’t find specifically about when a cairn puppy starts to calm down. I have a 10 month male. I’ve had/have 3 other cairns before and I don’t remember any being this fast and full of energy. Granted, I love it but I’d like to be able to chill with him as well. 

Not fixed yet so I’m hoping that helps. He also marks EVERYTHING. 

Any suggestions on when he might settle down a bit and what I can do? I appreciate any feedback  

 

 

[bradl]

Welcome. "Calm" is sort of a continuum   I'd say by 2 years they have extended periods of sanity and by 4 they can be pretty solid citizens. Your fella is done teething (so yay) but still has adolescence ahead   

Giving your boy lots of mental work to do is one way to keep the lid on, or at least use that energy in a sort of focused burn. Obedience training, trick training, frequent walks, puzzle games, etc. 

Hang in there!

[dbier6778]

Thanks! And yes, I definitely know cairns aren’t lapdogs. If I’d wanted that, I’d have yorkies.  

i need to keep him busier. My other cairns were rascals but they both settled down and could chill and be pet without acting like the Tasmanian devil. 

db

[Corn Niblet]

Hello, My Rocky at 3 and a half is a real couch potato now except for jumping off the couch to bark at  Fed ex , ups, the mailman, school bus, and any thing  pulling a trailer.  Gus at 2 and a half has slowed down some, But has always been constantly on the go.  I think they are all different. Neutering stopped Rocky's marking and Luckily Gus never did.

[Kathryn]

I have a nine-month-old puppy, Angus.  The only thing that wears him out (enough to sleep a little in the chair...) is a full-on rough-and-tumble romp with his older brother cairn, Oban -- followed by a very long walk during which he gets to bark at each car that passes (and we live in the urban core...) -- followed by a long game of ball and fetch.  Then sometimes he will play energetically with various toys (try finding those without squeakers!) until sleepy.

But it does wear out six-year-old Oban, who is very willing to take an afternoon nap with me, after spending the morning napping in his favorite easy chair in our library...

I am glad I find the zoomies and rough-housing so entertaining...

[Hillscreek]

Agree with bradl. Mental work as tiring as physical. A mix of both helped with my Angus. But still he was four before he relaxed somewhat. He loved the games and puzzles and obedience training just as much as his walks. We did obedience training as part of his daily living. Sit before eat, stand for leash to be attache, wait to cross the road etc. We did not go to formal obedience class.

He was neutered at just about six months when he first lifted a leg. Never had a marking problem. Neutering did not affect his coat nor his personality.

[dbier6778]

Thanks everyone. This is reassuring. I need to work more with him every day.  

[Dianne]

Hello db!!!

We have an almost 2 yr old : Katie.

My husband is convinced she has NO OFF SWITCH.

So early on we subscribed to the mantra:  a tired Cairn is happy Cairn!

In January she completed a year+ of weekly obedience classes.

Last November we checked our local SPCA and found they had weekly doggie socials. Katie goes to the small dog group for one hour in a well fenced and staff supervised yard. They have other walking groups and agility classes.

We checked into other local doggie day care and kennels and discovered that a couple will take a pup for one hour or all day. We leave Katie for 45 minutes once a week with similar sized group of pups to play. We don 't leave her any longer as she goes full tilt while there and will come out glassy eyed and panting if she goes for an hour. 

Our local pet supply store, Pet Food Express, has a once a week 1 hour walking group. Its free and we go for the first 15 minutes.  

We are on a list to be notified when a local dog training group offers Introduction to Barn Hunt.

This is in addition to her daily walks and play time.

Just some ideas for you.

Cheers!

 

.

 

 

[WinstonTheTroutWizard]

Winston is almost a year and a half, without an off switch in sight.  Lots of walks, wrestle mania with his sister Willow (Border collie / shepard mix), and mental stimulation is the key in my experience.  Trips to home depot, lowes, pet store will take him down a few notches.  Car washes will wear him out as well, probably due to the mental overload.

[Kathryn]

To Winston's folks -- I just heard about the Greater Minneapolis Barn Hunt Club! Met a fellow on the St. Croix Pottery Tour with a club teeshirt on, and he encouraged me to bring the dogs. And I am going to! They run competitions, but also a lot of "try-outs..." And LOVE introducing people and their dogs to the event.

I think this might wear out both Oban and Angus -- looking forward to trying it out. Bring Winston too!

[WinstonTheTroutWizard]

28 minutes ago, Kathryn said:

To Winston's folks -- I just heard about the Greater Minneapolis Barn Hunt Club! Met a fellow on the St. Croix Pottery Tour with a club teeshirt on, and he encouraged me to bring the dogs. And I am going to! They run competitions, but also a lot of "try-outs..." And LOVE introducing people and their dogs to the event.

I think this might wear out both Oban and Angus -- looking forward to trying it out. Bring Winston too!

We will have to check out the barn hunt club.  We took Winston to his first earth dog practice in Rosemont with the Greater Twin Cities Earthdog Club a few weekends ago to chase those pesky rats, that wiped him out for the next 8 hours!

[GloJZ]

Hello..I had to respond because I feel like i could have also written your post!  We welcomed our Cairn Terrier pup, Louie, into our family a month after our beloved 16 year old, Zoe, passed away.  Louie is our first male and while he is extremely affectionate, he can be so mischievous and energetic, that my husband and I are exhausted and feel like first-time Cairn parents!!  We walk him and keep him busy with active play..we also brought him to a basic training class and he will be returning in September for advanced training.  Louie was a singleton puppy and we wonder if some of his biting and extreme stubbornness is a result of him not having the experience with litter mates.  He will be neutered next week, so hoping there might be some change.  We sometimes feel so overwhelmed because he can be so lovable one moment and want to bite us the next.  I realize the teething process is adding to the chaos and also the change from having a senior Cairn and then a puppy!  I know Cairns are a challenge to raise, but I can’t imagine having any other breed! Thank you for allowing me to vent on this site.  

Edited July 3, 2019 by GloJZ
Correcting sentences

[pkcrossley]

very funny thread. we have often noted here that while some people expect a 1 year old puppy to growing up and calming down, cairns usually show no change until they are a good 2 and more likely 3 years old. before then: boundless energy, not much concentration, even less patience. then the change can come quite suddenly. i hardly had a good look at my handsome guy redmon until he was well over 2 years old --he was just a blond blur before that. so expect to be active yourself until your cairn hits the magic bump. 

[Hillscreek]

Those of us whose cairns are "grown up" have to chuckle at what you write. I think many of us have owned a "Louie". I certainly have, My Angus was just as you describe. It was a whirlwind two or more likely three plus years til he settled as much as a cairn can settle! Much patience and big sense of humor needed. I have say even as Angus was driving me crazy at times he also made me laugh a lot with his funny antics and twinkly very intelligent eyes daring me to outwit him.

It's a shock after losing an old dog - it was for me too. But dig in for the challenge - you'll not regret it.

[Sam I Am]

Yes as the owner of a wild child Cairn boy I will also attest to ridiculous over the top zoomy, carrying off any object I object too, and left in an enclosed area when we were not at home...has now ended. Sam turned two this April and is now a sane Cairn that can now be left to roam the house with his cousin Rosie when we are not home. The zoomies   still happen [I love that part] and Kleenex is still an edible product in his mind as are carrying off socks but thank goodness does not devour them anymore. Yup we are all grown up......kind of. 

Edited July 3, 2019 by Sam I Am

[GloJZ]

Thank you to all who responded    to my post about our puppy, Louie!  It was very reassuring to read about your experiences.  Let’s face it, only Cairn owners can truly understand!  You’re all so right .a sense of humor, physical and mental exercise, and lots of patience will go a long way in raising Louie to become a good dog!!  I may be frustrated with him at times and then in a split second he knows how to melt my heart with those Cairn eyes and goofy zoomies!  We may not remember everything about the puppyhood of our two other Cairns, but I can’t see how we’ll ever forget about this one!!  I’m so happy that I discovered this site.  Thanks again!

[pkcrossley]

what a bright handsome boy.

[GloJZ]

Thank you!

[Hillscreek]

Louie's eyes tell the story! "I never miss a thing." Good looking little boy.

[GloJZ]

He never does miss a thing!  Haha!  Thanks so much!

[weecairns]

we have Kili who turned 2 in January and he still has the occasional zoomie still but he also likes to find a good couch to flip over and nap upside down.  Meanwhile the newest addition to our family Arwen... 12 weeks old is on the go constantly.  last night i actually had to put her to bed (in her crate) so she would settle and nap.  you can see she is out of energy and panting but as soon as something catches her eye she is off.  We did the same when Kili was little - he had to go to bed at 9pm and had to have a mid morning nap around 1030 or so.  He learned he went off to his crate for a nap.  hopefully the new girl learns too!! 

i have to say the zoomies are fun though!!

[Sam I Am]

I was amazed when I read that most puppies need 15-20 hours of sleep a day. When we got Sam at 12 weeks although he had boundless energy, he definitely slept those amount of hours. A lot of growing up inside those little bodies.

[GloJZ]

That’s so true...in their waking hours, puppies are constantly on the go mentally and physically!  Louie also slept many hours as a young puppy..at six months now, he naps soundly after a walk and sleeps throughout the night.  Thank goodness because we need the rest too!  :)