Who's A Good Dog? You are!

[bradl]

This is an open topic for daily (well, we hope) verbal rewards for good dogs. From as simple as "Came when called" to "Saved Timmy from the well!" we can all appreciate the small moments when our Cairns have been Good Dogs.

Oh yes, there's a companion topic  

[bradl]

Dundee and Elroy made great nap pals. Dundee curled in a ball in the geometric corner of the bed and snored quietly, leading by example. Elroy draped himself across my lap like a heated, weighted blanket. 

[Hillscreek]

See post on naughty dog before reading this.

One day Angus ran and got the ball like always and then came right up to me and when I opened my hands he dropped it right in - tail wagging, eyes sparkly.  GOOD BOY ANGUS!!!!

I've wondered over the years if maybe he wasn't a naughty boy but smarter than I could believe. Perhaps he thought he should throw it back like I threw it to him???

 Cairns are like no other dogs I've ever owned which several breeds.

[Kathryn]

Woke up during probably the coldest night yet this fall to find, as I was on my side, one dog keeping my back warm and one keeping my front warm.  Such a nice feeling of security...  a two-dog night...

[Kathryn]

Foot stomping...a new command?

The boys have become particularly noisy during covid when someone is at the door, I think just because it is so seldom anymore that anyone is at the door.  When I head to the door to answer, they are usually completely under foot barking.  I like that no one could slip in unnoticed, but I hate it when they "mug" my visitor before I can even greet him or her.  I have taken to turning to the pups and saying a firm, loud, and undoubtedly frustrated "Quiet! Sit!" to shut them up.  I admit that sometimes they irritate me so much I also stomp my foot for emphasis.

Today we got a delivery we had to sign for.  I waved to the delivery person through the window, turned to the dogs and STOMPED my foot. No verbal command -- just that frustrated stomp. They immediately shut up and dropped their little rumps on the floor! Good boys!

[bradl]

Dundee and Elroy were both very good while Peggy had a pandemic-style kaffeeklatsch with her work pals out in the garage (which is where, as the dogs have decoded, also where the Mother Lode of Food is kept). At the same time as the Yard Guy was blowing leaves around the yard. It could have been Cairndemonium but they decided the best course was to lay nose-to-baby gate at the hallway leading to the garage, in case any visitors came through to admire them. Good boys!

[Eliz222]

Atticus is only 5 months old so he has lots of "firsts" right now.

I have been working with him on letting me touch, and hold, his paws (to prepare for vet visits and grooming)

Letting me put him on his back to the command "settle" .- to establish dominance and for tummy rubs!

Letting me put my finger inside his mouth and touch his teeth - to prepare for brushing teeth when his baby teeth fall out.

Atticus really hated all of these actions and now lets me touch him to my hearts delight. Good job, Atticus!

 

There are many, many more, but that's for another post.

 

[bradl]

Sometimes when Dundee is lounging elsewhere, Elroy naps in Dundee's crate. Dundee never naps in Elroy's crate.  

Well, never say never. Peggy reported yesterday that she observed Elroy walk up to his crate and freeze in a sort of puzzled attidude — Dundee for some reason was curled up in Elroy's crate. Elroy stared and stared and then ... hopped in the crate and curled up in front of Dundee. Yikes!

It's not  uncommon for a wee puppy to snuggle up to a 'role model' but two adult male dogs in the same crate would be my nightmare scenario.  I would have assumed that this was a recipe for a matter-antimatter explosion. To his everlasting credit, Dundee raised an eyebrow but did not budge, nor make a peep.

Dundee, you're a good boy! 

[Catalyzt]

So Spike's new "good dog" behavior is his perfect compliance with tick-removal procedure!

When we find a tick on him, we pick him up and put him on the Tick Removal Throne -- this is an enormous dog-food tin about three feet tall and 18 inches in diameter which rests on an 18-inch-high plastic container we use for canned goods.  We fold up a nice, soft towel, and put him in a "sit."  One of us holds him gently in place while the other finds the tweezers, sterilizes them, removes the tick, and cleans the wound with hydrogen peroxide.

Total compliance, he knows exactly what we are doing, and does not move an inch.  No grumbling, growling, snapping, or biting.  Major cookies for both dogs after that-- and therein lies the only potential problem: Bartleby will whine for us to finish up quickly so we can get to the cookie part.  Normally, Spike might bump Bartleby, play with him, or wrestle with him for whining, but again: He sits at attention like a show dog!

His other one-off behavior that earned my admiration was yesterday, after an eMTB ride in the park.  I had barely avoided a low-speed crash with a tree, but I did cut my finger on the end of a branch, near the knuckle, and it bled a little bit.  And I'm on blood thinners, so it may have bled a tiny bit more than usual, but was still no big deal at all, maybe it's a quarter inch cut.  I flop down on the couch, Spike jumps up and on my chest and smells blood immediately.

1) He sniffs the cut with great interest, and looks up at me with great concern.  "You're bleeding!"

2) He then licks the cut very, very gently, looking at me like, "Is this okay?  This doesn't hurt, does it?"

3) He then gives me a curious, almost half-guilty look I couldn't figure out for a few seconds.  I'm probably reading too much into it, but I realized:  This dog has bitten me on the finger before (though not in over six months) and in a very similar place, between the first and second knuckle!  I think that double-take meant something like, "...uh, and you do realize, this one's not on me, right?  The first time this happened, that was definitely my fault, but not this one.  Are we good?"

Gave him a big cuddle after that!

[Eliz222]

18 hours ago, Catalyzt said:

So Spike's new "good dog" behavior is his perfect compliance with tick-removal procedure!

When we find a tick on him, we pick him up and put him on the Tick Removal Throne -- this is an enormous dog-food tin about three feet tall and 18 inches in diameter which rests on an 18-inch-high plastic container we use for canned goods.  We fold up a nice, soft towel, and put him in a "sit."  One of us holds him gently in place while the other finds the tweezers, sterilizes them, removes the tick, and cleans the wound with hydrogen peroxide.

Total compliance, he knows exactly what we are doing, and does not move an inch.  No grumbling, growling, snapping, or biting.  Major cookies for both dogs after that-- and therein lies the only potential problem: Bartleby will whine for us to finish up quickly so we can get to the cookie part.  Normally, Spike might bump Bartleby, play with him, or wrestle with him for whining, but again: He sits at attention like a show dog!

His other one-off behavior that earned my admiration was yesterday, after an eMTB ride in the park.  I had barely avoided a low-speed crash with a tree, but I did cut my finger on the end of a branch, near the knuckle, and it bled a little bit.  And I'm on blood thinners, so it may have bled a tiny bit more than usual, but was still no big deal at all, maybe it's a quarter inch cut.  I flop down on the couch, Spike jumps up and on my chest and smells blood immediately.

1) He sniffs the cut with great interest, and looks up at me with great concern.  "You're bleeding!"

2) He then licks the cut very, very gently, looking at me like, "Is this okay?  This doesn't hurt, does it?"

3) He then gives me a curious, almost half-guilty look I couldn't figure out for a few seconds.  I'm probably reading too much into it, but I realized:  This dog has bitten me on the finger before (though not in over six months) and in a very similar place, between the first and second knuckle!  I think that double-take meant something like, "...uh, and you do realize, this one's not on me, right?  The first time this happened, that was definitely my fault, but not this one.  Are we good?"

Gave him a big cuddle after that!

Aw, good job, Spike!

I'm glad your finger is ok!

[bradl]

Took a little coaching but Elroy squeaked out a Q in the Introduction to Quarry class today at Oregon Trail's End Earthdog test.

It's not even a titling class, but he showed a little progress over last test so baby steps. He may yet work his way into Junior eventually. Still needs a lot of work.

[Hillscreek]

Some of us like to take our time..........I qualified didn't I? Yes you did Elroy. Well done.

[CairnCapers]

Hurray Elroy and congrats on your Qualifying!! Just the start of a whole lot of fun ahead in the quarry work.  

[Dogcoat lady]

Elroy, whatever you do is fun, right?

[bradl]

That's right! Fun is where the Cairns are for sure. Elroy qualified again today with a different judge. Good boy Elroy! Dundee had a nice day sniffing around but disappointed he did not get a donut  

[Eliz222]

Good job, Elroy!!

[calypso]

The penny dropped this time for Elroy’s sister Aila. She wasn’t so sure about the tunnel last year, but at our recent ED Tests did every single run with gusto. She passed Intro, Novice and Junior and had a couple of extra Junior Qs as a bonus. This is where our girls usually hit the wall because Senior requires a recall that they seem to think is just too much to ask.

Edited May 17, 2022 by calypso

[bradl]

Great photo! Aila on fire!

Can Aila come coach Elroy? Peggy noticed while processing the test paperwork that the Intro judge had written "Gentle soul!" on Elroy's scoresheet. Certainly true and very perceptive of the judge, but we're not sure that's what's called for in this particular situation

[calypso]

That is so sweet! He is a gentle soul, but my hunch is that the moment will come when he puts it together. All in good time. Birdie, at 10 months,  thought the whole thing was strange and a bit scary. We let her try Intro a couple of times and she even met the rat up close at Friday practice, but decided to pull her from the rest of the events. Too soon. 

[Tracy A.]

Amos & Walter post breakfast nap free in the living room for 2 hours now. Under Steve’s legs as he also has a post breakfast nap. Good boys, all of them.

[Dogcoat lady]

Okooooooooh!

[Tracy A.]

The boys had their neuter surgery today and came through fine, good boys.

[bradl]

It's been a few hours. Back to puppy ruckus yet?