Aggression

[bayfeet]

Our Cairn Dexter got aggressive last night. We krated him next to us at night. About a month ago we started moving him downstairs to sleep in his x-pen. At night we still allow him to come up for a while before being brought down. He has decided to run and stay underneath our bed when I try to bring him downstairs. Last night I reached under to get him and he growled and bit me. I picked him up and brought  him downstairs and let him out to do his business. The yard is fenced and he decided he wasn’t coming back in and wanted to chase rabbits instead. Eventually my wife came down and he came in for her, but dodged and ran from me when I tried  to put him in the pen. I realized we need to firm things up and let him know who the boss is. He has shown aggression and won’t tolerate being combed, and having his bully stick taken away. I trade a treat for the stick and that works. He’s ok with a brush but does not want a comb or Mar’s coat king pulled through his coat. I realize we have created the bed time situation and I should have leashed him before letting him out. My wife feels badly and feels maybe it’s ok to let him sleep underneath the bed. He’s a little over 8 months and a feisty guy that we love. He has grooming appt. coming up soon! 

[Dogcoat lady]

Those teeth really hurt.  My recommendation is to take him back to the baby steps you once had with him….redo and better maintenance on what you will  accept.  Aggression with terriers is a hard position.  Seek good professional help.  My opinion is….dogs that bite will bite again.

[Kathryn]

I think both figuratively and literally you need to shorten the leash. No access to the bedroom - a crate at night. No free run of the yard - a walk with a leash. Keep a short leash in him in the house so if he tries to hide you can bring him back out.  Clear rewards for good behavior - sit, come, etc. Do you have him in puppy obedience yet?  He is at a critical age, testing boundaries. He needs to learn there are rewards for good behavior. 

Lots of folks with experience here. Hope they chime in.

[Hillscreek]

His behavior sounds typical for his age. Wants to be the boss.

Be consistent. ie decide a place (crate) where he sleeps and don't change it. Agree with above - always keep him where you can see him. Leashed or in an xpen or small contained area with baby gates. Leash when taking out to do business. Use a word e.g. Go potty. Praise him mightly when he goes. Leash for walks. Teach him to sit and come. Praise  and treat when he even just begins to do what you want.  

Patience persistance consistancy are the key. Don't get mad at him. He'll get mad right back as you have seen. When he does something you don't want deal with it at once. Praise him when starts to do what you want. It will take a long time (months and moths) for him to mature. Look through the past post on this site for helpful hints.

 I don't think there's one of us has hasn't been through similar challenges. A cairn terrier is very intelligent and very independent as they were bred to be to do their job. 

Many and many a time Angus challenged me one way or another. It was all a game for him but he was so amusing sometimes I couldn't help laughing although exasperated at the same time.

Good luck with your boy.

[pkcrossley]

i agree it is typical. and yes those needle teeth hurt like the devil (fortunately they don't maim). i agree with Hillscreek and Kathryn,. Dexter is a little precocious--I sort of associate these domination campaigns with cairns a little older (hint: this won't get better on its own). whatever works with other breeds, the only thing that works on a majority of cairns is drawing lines and enforcing them consistently. if you fold even once he will be hopeful for months that he can get around you again. a household is a challenge, because every single person must be with the program--if there is a tender heart or forgetful type in the crew, Dexter will target him or her and never think there is a necessity to reform.. basically a cairn must abandon all hope of getting around the rules. once he accepts (it will take a long time, and if you are inconsistent you double or triple the time) that you make the rules, you enforce the rules without exceptions, and everybody who obeys the rules gets praised. AND you have to do it all without getting angry, since that will make him want to push your buttons. no fuss no muss. if you have to put him in a comfortable harness and short leash all the time so you can get control of him instantly, do that. if you need those big padded woodstove gloves (i just saw a video today of a vet wearing them when dealing with a grumpy cat), do that. body armor. when he gets cairny you don't cry or scream or hit, you just take control by whatever your magic means are, and he goes into a crate or his time-out room or whatever, and its over. if he screams you don't hear it. he should know that he got put away and your just went on with your life; they hate that. when he accepts that there is no hope at all of scaring you, outwitting you, charming you, or otherwise furthering his plan to rule the world, he will actually relax and bask in his pride in you. he wants a human he can trust to be smart, predictable and fair. i truly don't believe that cairns want to be surrounded by people they can bully, scare, or outsmart; it makes them nervous and depressed. they want smart humans with character. this is a lot of work, but the reward is you get the best dog in the world. 

[Catalyzt]

Great post, PK.  I am really happy to report that even though we, and the neurologist, are 88.7% convinced that Spike's aggression is neurological-- basically, he's biting or attacking a hallucination, though whether it's cognitive or visual, who knows?-- he appears to have learned to control it!

So, an increase in fly snapping -- snapping his jaws at imaginary flies -- definitely seems to precede seizures (he has only had three so far, very mild.)  When we see this behavior increase, we will try to keep him distracted and occupied, and this may help avoid escalation to a seizure.  And it was during a fly snap that Spike bit me in the face almost two years ago, and very nearly led to him being returned to the rescue.  So glad I found this forum instead!

Anyway, when he starts snapping, of course we get more careful, and we always work with him, saying gently, "No flies, pal," while petting him (from an angle where we cannot be bitten) and he gets it-- the gentle, consistent, "no."  This, with distraction, generally avoids escalation.

But still, we've had one or two close calls-- my hand will be close to his snout, and suddenly, he will lunge to snap at it... but at the last minute, he deliberately jerks his head to the left or right, so his jaws close on thin air, not my hand.  He then looks at me in surprise, like, "Whoa, Dad!  What the hell was that?!  I did the right thing, didn't I?  Are we good?"

Yes, we are, pal-- very good.  No biting-- at least none that broke the skin-- in well over a year.  Fingers crossed...

[pkcrossley]

Spike has some special and complex things to control, but cairns really touch my heart because they ALL have lightning reflexes and short tempers (bred into them) to control. They are so smart and so determined (and so motivated by love) that they usually succeed, but watching them struggle with their inborn special powers is so impressive and moving. Just a part of why I love these dogs. 

[Catalyzt]

1 hour ago, pkcrossley said:

Spike has some special and complex things to control, but cairns really touch my heart because they ALL have lightning reflexes and short tempers (bred into them) to control. They are so smart and so determined (and so motivated by love) that they usually succeed, but watching them struggle with their inborn special powers is so impressive and moving. Just a part of why I love these dogs. 

Really well said, PK!