Getting Excited

[abe's dad]

We have a small problem I was wondering if anyone else had experienced ? Abe is 7 1/2 Months and almost every time we get someone new in the house Abe gets real excited and pees in the floor. THen after we get past that he usually is very friendly with the new people and we are having trouble controling him (not everyone enjoys the puppy smooches or so I am told) . Does any body have any suggestions for either situation ?

Thanks

[CarCarDawn]

Hi! Riley just turned 10 months old and we have a similar problem. When he is real excited to see someone - - he will leave a little dribble on the floor! It doesn't happen everytime but it is bothersome! Also the person he is excited to see is immediately licked to death by a pogo jumping Cairn!!!!!! I don't have any suggestions for you because I don't have a resolution - - Riley is just "super" friendly!!

[Senator Cody Wilson]

I agree with both of you guys in that Cody does tinkel a little when someone new comes to the house. We simply try to make sure that we take him out either a few minutes before any visitors are expected or take him outside as soon as they arrive then bring him in once they sit down. As far as the kisses and jumping, we have yet to find a real solution other than picking him up so the visitors can pet him up close. I believe they are so friendly and want some love from everyone that they can't help themselves with either behavior. No matter what though after about 5 minutes he calms down and within a few more minutes he wouldn't even know the visitors were there.

They are simply very friendly and outgoing critters. It may sound gross but I would love to be that happy to see people sometimes.

[bradl]

They are indeed happy dogs who love people, for sure. Teaching not to jump or pee from excitement can both be taught separately, although they do seem to be related

For submissive or excited tinklers the approach recommended most often in books I've read suggest doing things to make greetings less exciting. For example, dog is in crate before guests arrive. Guests are to ignore the dog when they enter (not even looking at it). No talking to the dog. After the humans have been been greeted and chatting for a few minutes maybe a look in the dog's direction and a "hello over there doggy" type greeting. Keeping all interactions with the dog low key. If when you let the dog out s/he pounces with delight on the visitor (or you), just grunt disgustedly, immediately stand up, and turn away, ignoring the bouncing puppy as if it didn't exist. These techniques work, but you (and your guests) have to be 100% reliable and consistent. It also takes time and many repetitions. This is not an "I told you once" type of learned behavior. You're teaching refined manners to a toddler.

On one dog we tried almost an opposite approach for jumping that ALSO worked. Every time she jumped I'd grab her front paws and start singing merrily and dancing with her (firmly holding onto her paws so she had to dance with the maniac), all the while backing her up slightly around the room as she waltzed helplessly on her two rear feet. Never a harsh word, just happy babbling stuff like "Oh yippeee, let's dance, oh what a happy lovely dog isn't dancing just the most fun?" blather, blather, repeat. After a twenty or thirty repetitions (over a couple of weeks) you could practically see the thought process when she greeted you. Her front paws would start up as she began a pounce but would only rise about two inches before suddenly slamming back down. "Oh yeah, these people are INSANE!"

Finally, if you teach them obedience behavior like sits and downs, when company comes you can give them a job that is incompatible with leaping and peeing (like a sit or down stay).

[Guest G-man]

Thank you for the help. I'm a new member and my Chip does the same thing when I come home form work everyday. I thought he would grow out of the problem. He does not dribble as much now as he did a couple of months ago. Any older Cairn owners out there that had the problem and did it resolve with age?

[abe's dad]

THanks for the help folks sometimes it is just nice to know you are not the only one in the world that has a problem. I had not thought of the lunatic aproach that could be fun. We will hav eto try that one.

THanks again

[Jodie]

My 10 Month old Cairn used to be terrible about peeing whenever he got excited, recently (like in the last 2 weeks) it stopped. He used to tinkle ever time my roommate sat down to pet him, but not anymore. I think i got used to looking for it so i was prepared to grab him off the floor and put him outside, and i think he learned from that.

Another suggestion to prevent problems is to move the water dish out of their reach then you think they might get overly excited and tinkle when people arrived. This helps alot in prevention, but it doesn't solve the problem, but it is good in the interim so you don't have say people can't come visit ;-)

I hope you all are able to be as successful with this as my sam and i were

-Jodie