antics

[wags]

We have a couple of bookcases, and because I didn't want Wes to chew the books on the bottom shelf, we put those in a box.

Yesterday, Wes pulls that big, heavy box out of the bookcase and drags it down the hall to the living room. Then he opened up the box.

He's just like a kid!

Anyway, we had to put the box and the books in a big plastic bin. The day that big bin finds its way into the living room, We'll be in big trouble.

[Iagan's Mom]

OMG! That is too funny! Iagan has pulled a couple of stunts, but nothing like that . . . . . yet

[mOmOfaBe]

........I can just imagine that! How on earth do they seem so childlike, amazing isn't it?

Abe pulls some sort of stunt every day it seems, just like raising my son again.

His favorite thing is to nab someones socks or underwear the second they hit the floor.......then the chase is on, he thinks its all fun and games! imagine three or so people running around the coffee table while Abe darts in and out like a race car pro! Sometimes it takes a while to get that wiry little bugger cornered!

[CarCarDawn]

Hi! These little dogs are so amazing and just like children!!

The other day I decided to do a thorough vacumning job and when I pulled the ottoman away from my chair - - I saw quite a stash of chewy snacks that I give to Riley once in a while. Upon further inspection - - I realized that these were new - - no teeth marks on them. I went into my pantry where I keep them - - and there on the second shelf was the bag nearly empty!!! It seems Riley has been sneaking in there and helping himself when I was pre-occupied with something else!! I have no clue as to how he got on the second shelf - - I know these guys are good jumpers - - - my husband and I had quite a laugh over this one!!

[wags]

I loved your story, CCD! That must've been quite a find. No wonder he was so well-behaved!

I know about doggies having a secret sock and underwear stash. Can you imagine the embarrassment if you have company over and the dog brings out your underwear.

[kayharley]

I'm so glad that others see their cairns as children too. I really wouldn't want my dogs to be any other way! They are just so funny and amusing.

[Padfoot]

Our kitchen trashcan has a hinged lid with a large button on top that you push to make the top pop open.

Yes, that's right. Our pup has figured out how to push the button and open the garbage can.

[wags]

Hi. right now my "gears" are turning. Is that a metal can? Maybe I found an unbreakable and safe new toy for Wes.

I just discovered a good cheap toy for him that we already have- The metal top of the large size- frozen orange juice can. Only thing bad about this is, he's trained my husband to fetch.

Wes keeps flinging the thing under the couch and my husband has to keep retrieving it.

[mOmOfaBe]

I laughed at the comment of training your husband!!!

Abe, has a tendency to get carried away and fling things under the couch too!

We are forever more fetching for him!

He loves tennis balls......what a beating they take! and he can "fling and fetch" with himself if we are not participating at the moment.

However, he has one of my ceramic cup holders that he loves to slide around the floor and chase..When he slides it too hard and it goes under the rug, the bugger has figured out how to lift the rug, hold it up and nudge his toy back out!

[janko77]

We've given Dudley flavored rawhide chewies during his first year, and it seems once he gets it in his mouth, he is absolutely determined to find a hiding spot for it, rather than chew it. I've watched him for as long as 15 minutes trying to find a hiding spot for these - behind doors, piles of clothes, behind couch cushions. we've found caches all over the house, and even sometimes when I give it back t him after finding it, he'll go hide it somewhere else. It is too funny....

Dudley also has a routine for "burying" his chewie, using his nose to "shovel the dirt and push it down" even though he routinely is hiding these items inside the house. He is extremely thorough and consistent.

[bradl]

That 'air burying' thing is one of my favorite things that dogs do. From a human standpoint it makes no sense to 'bury' something that is obviously still in plain sight -- it seems like a glimpse into some strange, hard-wired instinctual behavior that we could never fathom. For some reason, that reminder of 'otherness' makes the way our lives mesh together seem all the more amazing.

[Toto times 2]

Hi all:

I can't believe how much these dogs have in common and I just can't imagine not having a terrier. Ghillie is amazing about hiding things and burying them. He gets upset if we watch and won't leave it while we are looking. I do think he sometimes forgets where his toys are (or pretends to forget). I occasionally find them under the piano, in his bed or sometimes in ours.

[Padfoot]

Sorry Sally, it's a plastic garbage can, not metal.

The burying/hiding thing is funny, isn't it? Our favorite part about watching V. "bury" his chewsticks (which he too never chews anymore) is listening to his worried whining and whimpering as he desperately searches ( and is repeatedly frustrated in finding) the perfect spot.

[Rob D.]

I was fasinated at the strength of Murphy's hind quarters. He can jump up in front of the TV for five minutes without taking a break. Just looking at this little guys

back legs and seeing him continuously jumping made my legs sore. He also has a

very strong will to do what he wants when he wants and we can't make him change his mind.(Well we found his hatred for a spray bottle runs very deep)

I have the water bottle on top of the coffee table by the couch. Well Murphy tried

to jump up in front of the TV but the little bugger grabbed the spray bottle and ran with it. After I got off the floor from laughing, he was in his kennel starting to chew on the nozzle but I got it away from him before he could do any harm. He also

has a tendency to turn satanic every now and then. What he'll do is stand in front of the couch and start barking. After ten seconds he gives me one last short bark

and takes off. He does three laps around the dining room, three laps of the coffee

table then four laps of the upstairs before tearing down stairs into his kennel for

a good night sleep. This doesn't happen very often but when it does we just keep our feet off the floor and have a good laugh. Gee these are fun little dogs.

Are these incidents common of the Cairns or just my Murph!!!!!!!

[wags]

About our spray bottle. Now when we use it, Wes just stands there and opens his mouth wide.

[bradl]

Rob D. - Murphy sounds completely normal and one of the clan. Welcome.

[CathyAnn]

I am laughing sooooo hard at all these stories! Great, just great!

[SaFireCarin]

Rob, that's a great story about Murphy running crazy around the house. When Nessie was younger, she used to do the exact same thing. Start off with short barking and take laps through the house, running so fast it seems like she'd rip the carpet right out from under her paws! Now that Nessie is such an old gal (15 years) she'll play and just jog around the house but nothing rip roaring like she used to!

[Rob D.]

Sally,

With regards to the orange juice can, you should use a plastic orange juice container. He an sink his teeth into it and it won't cut him link the metal would.

Besides the plastic makes noise and dogs like to make noise as we all know.

[bubba]

he gives me one last short bark

and takes off. He does three laps around the dining room, three laps of the coffee 

table then four laps of the upstairs before tearing down stairs into his kennel for

a good night sleep. This doesn't happen very often but when it does we just keep our feet off the floor and have a good laugh.....

Cooper takes off like a bat out of haties too! Mostly when my husband is at home. He will start racing around and around the living room, coffee table, dining room and dining table and somehow when he is going mach 4 past my toes manages to reach over and bite my big toe! This is the only time he bites anything, and all I can do is laugh. From now on, I will be wearing the steel toe boots to watch TV!

pat.

[Courtbro]

HI Rob!!

I tell you what!!! Scotch does the same thing and his eyes get all glossed-over and and my husband and I say he's gone "crazy dog" on us. He'll run in circles around the furniture, dash under the couch, chase his tail, He wears me out when he does this, which is normally around 8-10 pm, when we're about ready for bed. And yes!! your right it's hilarious!!

Courtney

[Guest G-man]

Chip loves the sprinkler! He and my 10 year old daughter play in the sprinkler together. He tries to sneak up on the water comming out of the sprinker head. He jumps in the air and you can hear his teeth nashing at the water. My wife claims we should video him for AFV. Sounds like this is normal.

[wags]

Rob,

We use the frozen orange juice lids only. So far they have lasted over a month. We used to give him the plastic containers but they're demolished within 15 minutes. Same as the giant soda bottles.

When 15 mniutes came around, I always say "Trade!" Wes knows that in exchange for the demolished stuff, he gets some cheese. Now when the container becomes shredded, he stops and looks around for his cheese.

[Rob D.]

Sally, OK so plastic juice bottles don't work. How about leaving the juice in the plastic bottle without opening it first, but this time make it a lemon juice container

he'll probably never touch one again, I know I wouldn't.(Just Kidding) Whenever

Murphy starts to get a little(he is never just a little anything) restless, I ask him,

"Hey, Murphy how would you like your kong filled" It's almost like he knows what I'm saying. He'll follow me to the kitchen, sit beside the counter, and if he thinks I'm taking too long he'll get up on his hind legs and push me with his front legs, sort of a "Come on can't you go any faster with that thing? I'm hungry here."

I make sure that thing is stuffed and very tight so he'll be busy for a while. So

two minutes later he comes up to the chair and drops the kong in my lap. My wife just looks at Murphy and said,"You'd think he'd be tired with all that chewing, I'll bet he won't want to go for a WALK." Well my wife came back from her walk with Murphy a half hour later and Murphy curled up in his kennel and my wife curled up in our bed and I stayed up and watched TV for a little while longer.

[Guest shadow's_mom]

My husband and I just resently (2 days ago) got a cairn terrier named Shadow. To make a long story short it was my husband's grandmother's dog, but due to being what I have now determined as a normal terrier he has came to live with us. I swear that someone was watching my house this weekend, because these stories sound so much like my little shadow. We also have a 5 year old chocolate lab who is the biggest couch potato and watching her and shadow is so funny. Our lab stands on one side of the couch while Shadow runs around in circles, they both think they are chasing each other, but shadow is the only one actually running... it's so funny. Yesterday I walked around my house for probably five minutes looking for shadow, with my lab maggie following me, only to then turn around and see shadow behind maggie... I though I was going to die laughing. I have only had Shadow for a couple days, but I can't imagine not having him around... I am totally sold on the breed.