Weird behavior...what do you think she is doing?

[Eliz222]

I really wish these dogs could talk!!! Scout, who will be 3 on April 1st, has started doing this wierd "thing" with my DH. This started about 2 months ago and we can't figure out why she is doing this.

In the evenings, we spend alot of time in our rec room, down in the basement. The dogs hang out with us and chase each other for fun. Scout, now, wants to sit ON my DH! I think she thinks she is a cat! She walks behind him (while he is sitting on the sofa) and lays on his neck..just like a cat would!

She is not climbing on him here...she is sleeping in this position!

Why do you think she does this?? And why would she just start doing this out of the blue?? She only does it to him, even when he is out of town and I am the only one home.

Any ideas??

[Kate]

Oh how absolutely cute!!!! I think she is trying to bond in a cat like way!!! Do you have a cat that does this? I know my puppy watches every move my cat makes except she can't jump up yet. How funny these dogs are, they sure keep a smile on your face!

[toomanypaws]

My gosh, she looks so much like Kiara. Kiara also is only bonded to my dh. I think at 18 lbs, she's too heavy to sit on his neck. She does love being on his legs, when extended on the recliner, and never does that to me. Lately, if we're watching a DVD on the weekends, Kiara gets so vocal. She insists on being w/ dh. She'll be 4 in June and she's gotten more and more into dh over the past couple years.

[Mama Kim]

Piper does that too! I'll have to see if I can dig up the picture of her sleeping on my dad like that. She also likes to sleep like this in bed with us at night. She'll often crawl on top of the pillow and put her head on my neck during the night. I think she thinks I'm a big puppy, lol!

[bradl]

Stella does it too. We call it being a 'parrot. Interesting to see how prevalent it is!

[Brigette]

Yoda does the same thing! He loves to lay behind me on the back of the couch while I watch movies.

[CathyAnn]

What adorable Cairn pics, everyone!

Cathy

[Guest toto times two]

Ghillie walks on the back of the couch often and he is 9 years now. I used to think it was because he grew up with only cats until he was 4 and thought he was one too. I couldn't find a picure with him on the couch but here he is anyway.

photobucket

[Mama Kim]

Piper walks on the back of the couch like that too. I'm always afraid she'll fall but so far . . . She seems to be pretty agile.

[Mama Kim]

BTW, please disregard the mess in the photo of Piper with my dad. That's our kids' playroom. It's a mess, lol!

[Scully'sMom]

Scully does that as well. But she only does it to my DH.

[Eliz222]

OMG! Thank you so much....it's so nice to know that this behavior is "normal" for a Cairn!!! We just couldn't figure out why she is doing this and why she just started doing it out of the blue!

[mOmOfaBe]

just adding my 2 cents, but Abe has always lain across the back of the couch on the arms of the chairs, where ever he can fit his tushy. He loves to pile up on us, and when we all pile up on the bed, he finds a little hole and crawls right in amongst us. I had wondered if other cairn's do it too, now we know!

[MikeC]

Duffy will do the same thing with Jim from time to time. I think they just want to be close to those they love and it also gives them a sense of security

MikeC

[Stephandy]

Our Pepper likes to do that in our bed. Right before he goes to sleep, he would go on my pillow right above my head and sleep there. Halfway thru the night, he will try to go under the cover with me and my wife.

[Scully'sMom]

I think they just want to be close to those they love and it also gives them a sense of security

- Scully must not love me because if the two of us are on the loveseat, she only goes behind my husband's head.

Now I'm wondering how they come to choose the person they do that to.

[Guest Darcy's mom]

MikeC,

I think you hit the nail on the head with your statement about our Cairns wanting to feel secure. Darcy does the exact same thing except she starts at one end of the sofa (it's flat against a wall so no danger of her falling off) and walks the entire length to where I'm sitting. I have to have a pillow against my back and part of it sticks up so it's just perfect for her to lay down on and curl up. The next thing I hear is this heavy breathing in my ear or if I'm lucky she'll start licking my ear. She also lays on my husband's neck but I believe she prefers me because of the pillow.

We've had two Cairns before Darcy and they both did the same thing. I didn't realize though that it was so prevalent with Cairns. We just thought they did it because they were comfortable.

Sandy

[MikeC]

I'm only speaking for my own household, but our Duffy is a little hellion! He is constantly getting into mischief and getting scolded for it BUT in the evenings when he has calmed down and is ready to relax, he will sometimes curl up around our heads and make these content little noises. I truly beleive that he is trying to tell us in his own little way that even though he can be a little brat he loves us and wants to be near us and this is his way of showing affection. We also have a new Westie who is 15 weeks old who actually minds us, comes when he is called, etc. and I think Duffy sees and hears the praise we give Mickey for being a good boy and he wants to be good too! These little guys are really something...... real heart stealers!

MikeC

[hallswel]

I think it is warm and they can see what is going on in the entire room. Rebel does that on the back of the papasan chair in our sunroom, Of course with him it is his spot and people do not have to be sitting in the chair.

Those are great pictures

[Kathryn]

Our first cairn Annie did this all the time, with whoever was in a chair. We'd take her out to the in-laws in California, and Steve's mom in particular liked to have the dog on the chair behind her head. She'd sit still for hours just not to "disturb" the dog!

Allie doesn't do this as much, but she loves to lie down on the top of the couch if I'm lying down on the couch reading a book. The only problem? Doorbells, which cause her to take the fastest way down and to the door -- generally right on top of my stomach. Amazing how much impact those tiny paws can have when the hit you unawares!

If there's a thunderstorm, though, Allie is right on top of our heads on our pillows, trembling. So much for her "tough dog" act then. She absolutely shakes as long as there is thunder and lightning.

[Apollo8it]

One of his favorite places to take a snooze!

[Marmielin]

Don't ya just love them!

Lindab

[Guest webstar]

I was just thinking the same thing about loving them while Molly is sitting on my lap here. She not only lays on my legs on the recliner, if I lay on my back in bed she is on my legs. I have to lay on my side till she falls asleep in her bassinet. Then she will stay there till 5 or 6 am when she crawls under the blankets with me. She also likes the back of the couch.

[Scully'sMom]

It's amazing how much alike these Cairns are.

Apollo8it, that's EXACTLY the pose Scully is in with her dad when he's in the recliner. She especially likes if he puts the afghan on his legs and she stretches out on top of his legs - our loveseat reclines so we're always in the "relaxed" position. If she's not on our lap like that, she will be plastered right up against the side of one of us and will stay like that for hours.

[Apollo8it]

Scully's Mom: Yeah, and if Apollo isn't on my husband's legs then Apollo is wedged right between the arm of the recliner and my husband's legs (hips). Matter of fact, I just got up to look and he is on my dh's lap.

Happy St. Patty's Day