Just wanted to know if anyone out there has a cairn that acts like Alfie. Lately, because of the rain, we play with Alfie indoors. He gets so excited when it's my husband playing with him that he starts speed-digging like a mad dog on the carpet until he gets tired and starts panting. It's really funny, but I hope it's really because he's excited and not a form of psychosis....

If carpet, sofa, and bed "digging" indicate psychosis, then we all are in BIG trouble.

I'm not too worried about the digging part....it's how it's triggered by the excitement to start digging --- like for example my husband would just throw toys at him and he would wag his tail and run to the carpet and dig, rather than play directly with my husband. Or when visitors come to the house and he gets overly-excited, then he'll go to the same area and dig. I do think it's adorable... but it does seem sometimes like it's an abnormal response to excitement....

Edited May 17, 200619 yr by Anna_525

LOL I can picture Alfie now. When Savannah gets excited, she prefers the tazmanian devil approach. She runs around in circles at top speed until she is panting.

Yes my male cairn Max used to do that! He would vocalize while doing it, kind of a eh, eh, eh, with each paw stroke. Usually plenty of snorting too. Cassie doesn't do it, well not yet anyway.

Mine do not do that when they are excited, but Finch digs when she finds the "right" spot to "make" her bed.

I wouldn't worry about this behavior unless you are starting to get holes in your carpet. Cairn's are funny dogs, aren't they?

Belle is a bed digger too. Now when it comes to digging holes outside she uses all four paws....like a little four-paw drive.

I find the digging quite amusing unless they are doing it on my sofa. Mine like to dig in their fleece bedding....especially fun when it's pulled out of their crates.

I think it's adorable to watch how fast their little paws can go.