Watching TV!

[KellyBean]

The other night, I let Buster on the bed with me while I watched TV. I wasn't paying any attention to him at first, but then, when I looked down, I saw that he was watching the TV with me! There was no doubt about it! His eyes were glued to the set. I turned the volume up a little more for him, and I watched his ears perk up. I would say that he probably watched TV with me for a good half an hour before he finally fell asleep.

Has anyone else noticed if their Cairn does this as well? I was pretty shocked, but not too surprised - This is one smart breed!

[jendubois]

Hi - It's a little late to reply to your posting - but I will anyway.

Our three month old Molly watches TV intently. I have never had a dog that watches TV like she does - so I was surprised to read your posting. I've had other terriers (Westie, Silky) but they were oblivious to the TV.

She is really into nature shows - DUH! Loves to hear the other animal sounds.

It must be the breed - I find it very amusing!

[bradl]

Echo has changed the channel when she runs up to the screen to bark at a dog on TV and puts her paw on the VCR control panel.

[CarCarDawn]

Hi! Riley loves to watch animal shows!! - - -even tilts his head as if he is really trying to understand them!! He will also climb on top of my sofa chair and look out the window - - when he spots someone coming up the hill, he will bark!! I think he is a pretty goofy lil guy!

[wheezie23]

We've suspected that Zoe watches tv but it was confirmed the other night while watching the AKC dog show. She was laying on the couch facing the tv and growling and "wuff"ing at the dogs! When it switched to commercial, she lost interest, but as soon as the show came back on, her ears were up and she was wuffing and growling again! lol

[janko77]

Every once in awhile during the past few months we'll catch Dudley, our 10 month old, just watching TV with us, where we thought he was laying down or sleeping. He generally won't bark or make noise, he'll just watch for a minute or two, then turn his attention elsewhere.

BUT, what he REALLY loves, is the computer screen! He loves watching the pop up boxes, and the movement on the screen. He'll sit on my lap, put his front paws on the desk, and watch the screen for movement. He is so curious about it. Last night, he even tried to bite the moving arrow! Hilarious!

[Iagan's Mom]

We have a home theater system and when we watch a movie with animal sounds it drives Iagan crazy! He will sit in front of the TV and look in the direction the sound is coming from. We have also caught him watching the Animal Planet for short periods of time.

[Rob D.]

When Murphy watches TV and sees any kind of animal, he goes bizerk. He stands in front of the TV and bark his fool rear end off. If it is another dog or cat, hold on to the china. He jumps up and down with his front paws out to the sides like wings till we turn the channel or give him a time out.(5 minutes in his kennel) He doesn't like little kids commercials with kids talking or any kind of animation. We tried the spray bottle but the water only made him wet and he liked it. Should we put something in the water to give it a bad taste or what. Any suggestions would be

appreciated. HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[bradl]

Some thoughts. One, simply remove him from the family room. If he causes a ruckus, he's banned. Crate him or ex-pen him in another room away from the family until TV time is over. Also, work on de-sensitizing him. Get a DVD or video tape of exactly the kind of show that drives him wild. Then play it v-e-r-y q-u-i-e-t-l-y in the background while you actively play with him. You have to be more distracting and entertaining than the critter show. The goal is to teach him that he can pay attention to other things, even when a strong stimulus is present.

Finally, formal obedience training. At the first sign of over-stimulated interest in the TV, put him in a down-stay. One of our dogs barks at us whenever we are opening a champagne bottle. At first we put him in a sit-stay because he couldn't 'sit' and bark at the same time. He's developed his multitasking skills so now if I really need him to be quiet I put him in a down-stay instead. He hasn't figured that one out yet. I'm sure he will. I'll just think up another job he has to do that is incompatible with barking.

[wags]

Hey, Brad--That's great advice.

Wes used to go crazy hearing someone ring a doorbell on TV but he doesn't even notice it any more.

Maybe we'll get videos now of other things that bother him.

As an aside-

A couple of weeks ago, we couldn't get him to go outside. Until my husband's elbow accidentally hit the doorbell. Then Wes started barking like a maniac and came outside to see who the interloper was.

Maybe we'll try to get him used to the doorbell.

[Rob D.]

Over the past couple of days, nights and week we've been doing the "NO BARK"

shouting and we didn't use water either. We started using water but when I shouted right in his face "NO BARK" he just backed right down. I know we have to

keep on top of it but I think he's catching on. It was funny last night his favorite commercial came on and he looked at me as if to say "Come on Rob let me do it one more time, for old time sake." I stood firm and he wimpered like he was itching to attack the TV, you know that oh,golly geez this is not fair type of whine.

I'm going to show this little ball of fur that I love so much, just who's in charge here!!!!!!!!

[jendubois]

too funny! rob - i can picture the whining your murphy does for his fave commercial because my molly does the same thing. i can't get over how verbal these dogs are.

molly watches tv but doesn't get crazy - she does however - HATE the domino's pizza ads with the doorbell ringing. i think we're going to follow brad's advice on de-sensitizing her to the doorbell.

champagne popping, brad? wow - you must lead a GLAMOROUS life!

[wags]

Wes hated the Domino Commercial too because of the doorbell. Now after a few months, he doesn't even notice it anymore because the commerical coincides with dinnertime.

For a while we couldn't put nickelodeon on because all the sitcoms had ringing doorbells. I think he outgrew the doorbells. But I'm not sure if he outgrew barking at the dogs barking on TV.

[bradl]

Re champagne: glamorous, hah!

For a few years we had a Friday ritual to celebrate the weekend: pizza and champagne. We used to stand on the deck and launch the cork into the back yard and Haggis and Barley would run out to fetch it. Haggis usually got to it first. In addition to the disadvantages to our waistlines and budget there were other drawbacks to this questionable practice.

One, we trained Haggis (the boy) to bring the cork back (after he dug it out of the bushes where it usually landed) and spit it out in exchange for a treat. We thought that was clever until he reached the Open level of obedience and had to hold a dumbbell in his mouth. Oh, he'd retrieve it all right, and then promptly spit it out! Hrm.

Later, as there were more dogs chasing the cork sometimes someone other than Haggis would get to it first and with all the competition the cork started to get chewed rather than returned. So we stopped launching the cork. But whenever we do happen to decide to celebrate a weekend, Haggis remains very interested in that cork. He can hear the crinkling of the wrapper from outside the house. Once he's had a chance to sniff it and give it a quick lick, he's content.

[jendubois]

I'm all for celebrating the weekend! Sounds like great fun - - but I can see where dropping the dumbbell could present problems.

[Guest kushbo]

My Cairn, Bobo, also enjoys watching TV with me. He especially perks up when there's a show/commercial with children playing. A testimony to the Cairn's affinity for kids.

In response to barking annoyances, when I first got Bobo, he barked at everything - a car door closing a block away, making popcorn in the microwave, sweeping with a broom, etc. I just ignored him and never reprimanded him because part of his job is to be a burglar alarm for me. I had this wacky idea that I didn't want to "tame" his instincts.

But, after several months of barking, enough was enough. I now shake an empty soda can with some change in it just once to deter him from barking. It works better for me than the spray bottle and I don't have to make a big noise to achieve the effect. In fact, I overdid it the first couple times I shook the can and scared him more than I intended. Now just a subtle rattle, and he stops whatever he's doing - or contemplating doing (you know, like climbing up on the coffee table to eat a box of Klee-nex).