One step forward, two steps back....

[Skye04]

I think Barney and my dog Jackson (age 16mos) are going through the same phase. Although, thankful, Jack seems to only do this once an evening now right before bed.

Jack actually just did this. Had a favorite toy, got fixated and snarley.

But, I am trying a new thing. Namely he gets a firm "Jack, drop it". Once. Then he snarls like a devil and gets a very harsh, "no, bad dog". Then he normally trys to go deeper into the "den" (under the table, chair, or bed). At which time I swiftly and very firmly grab him by the base of the tail, hind legs off the ground and pull him out. Then I grab whatever is in his mouth and say "Enough, Drop it". At this point I've got one hand on the toy and the other is around his neck with a firm stroking on his chest and shoulders, much like the petting he gets when he is good but firmer and sorta squishing him down. The moment he releases tension (even if he hasn't let it all go) he gets a "Good boy" "Good boy Jack" I try not to change my pressure on the toy or his neck and look him straight in the eye with a very stern face until he releases --but no fussing on my part, I try to be as unflappable as a rock. Once he drops it completely he gets a major party like he is the most brilliant dog completes with treats and clapping and lots of happy noise.

I figured it had to have been the way Scottish farmers pulled these guys off vermin in those rock cairns. Being harsh (like a really serious scruff just seems to make him dig in) so I am trying absolutely no nonsense pressure with enough of a hint of you can be a good dog, very very consistently.

So far, it is working better.

Amazingly even though he has the nightly moments, it is MUCH better than it was there for a bit. When Jack was what I think was the same age Barney is, he was insane, just all of a sudden. After the second night of battling him (and this was in the middle of obedience training where he behaved well) He went totally devil insane (its sounds just like Barney). So there I was on my knees with a 10month old Cairn held to the floor by the scruff, eyeball to eyeball, with me leaning over him, and he would not submit. Howling like a banshee and growling the whole time. It was pretty clear I could not let go or I would no longer be the alpha in my own house and equally clear he was not letting go. So as the minutes ticked by (and this went on for almost 20 minutes) I started to think what a mama dog would do. So, as an absolutely last resort...I bit him on the ear .

Yes, I bit my dog. On the tip of his ear.

I've had dogs and done obedience since I was a nine year old 4-H'er. But I was out of ideas and with my human teeth I figured I couldn't hurt him. I hope all of you take this as a humorous Cairn moment, because it was --the look of surprise on his face was priceless. Plus, he was in distress behaving that way, he didn't know what to do with himself.

Jack let out a painful surprised yelp, dropped the bone, and was put in his crate. He came out a much more subservient dog and we did seem to turn the corner. He is still "testing" his role and I have to be insane about consistency. But, to Barney's Mom, I think it will get better. I also used a baby gate to restrict his access, Jack seemed to figure out he was missing out on fun. Anytime he got nutsy it was back to crate or pen. And today, he earns everything. It takes about one day of him being allowed to get stuff without payment for snarky behavior to start creeping back in.

We still have a long way to go, but (for Barney's Mom) we have made progress!

I am not saying either of these things might work for any other Cairn though!

[savannahsmom35]

My suggestion would be to practice leave it with Barney with some of his toys or other things that he does not mind giving up. #1 Barney may not truely know what the command means and it is unfair to expect him to obey if he doesn't understand what he is supposed to do. You have to practice these things with cairns A LOT before it finally sinks in. #2 It appears that the only time that he hears leave it is when he is already acting aggressive and already possessive. He therefore only hears the command occassionally and he always hears it under bad circumstances so he associates the command with negative things. Give him something that he has not showed possession over and practice leave it with that. Then, he learns what the command means and it is not under bad circumstances. This will cause the command to just be a part of life and not associated with anything else.

As far as to give treats or no treats when training, I have tried both with Savannah and both work but I have found that if you train with treats, they ONLY do it when you have a treat in your hand. If you do it the other way, they learn to do it all the time. Now that is how it is with Savannah. Obviously all dogs are different and all dogs will learn better different ways. Try both and see which way Barney responds too best. That is the way that I would stick with. I don't think either is wrong but just as certain children learn differently, the same is true with dogs.

For the toys, Savannah probably has a million toys and she is allowed to any of them at any time. I keep them all in a basket and she knows that is where "her" things stay. She will run to the basket and rummage through her things until she finds the toy that she wants. Other than a magazine or two, she has never taken anything of mine. I think if you let him have toys and lots of them, it will keep him better entertained and out of trouble.

I hope some of this helps. Good luck and please keep us posted on his progress! Hang in there!!! 9 months was about Savannah's turning point. She recently had anohter one right before she turned 2. Just as Barney has calmed down enough to become a lap dog, he will continue to grow out of his puppy ways and into a well behaved adult.