non stop energy

[Nikki]

I can't wear out scotty at all. like today I jogged with him and angel for an hour and it s like he didn't even go on a walk he isn't tired at all. He plays with my sister in laws boxer 2-3 a week for a few hours and gets walks everyday and he just doesn't get tired. he wears out the boxer and my other cairn but no one can wear out him... he is almost 2 years old and hasn't mellowed out at all. any suggestions?!

Blade is on the left, angel is in the middle, and scotty is on the end

[Cairnmania]

Yes, wait until he is three :-) He's probably as smart as he is energetic and needs to keep his mind and body occupied. They all do slow down eventually, and do more sleeping than waking.

Seriously, my sister's Cairn was an absolute bundle of nonstop energy and she was often frazzled. By the time he was three the balance of resting and energy output became much easier to handle.

[Chez]

Whilst you are waiting for him to calm down, why don't you try working his mind. Get a trainer to show you how to use a clicker and let them introduce it to him. Then teach him commands and tricks. Mental taxation is more tiring than physical apparently so you need to add this to your gameplan. A trainer who has worked with terriers would be ideal just to show you the ropes and give you some ideas.

[pkcrossley]

i think cairnmania's got it right. i guess some cairns mellow by two, but not a majority. i think most are nearer three. SOME ARE OLDER THAN THAT.

my dog was hyperactive until three, and didn't really mellow out until four, and still has his moments of wacking out. i know how exhausting it can be, when you are trying to follow the (good) advice of getting your dog "tired out" each day. right now, scotty doesn't get tired out. if he still sleeps at night, all is well (your nerves aside).

he's healthy! that's a blessing, actually. a lot of us only wish our dogs were still at the stage when they can't be tired out. enjoy it while you can (not really all that much longer).

[Nikki]

there has only been a couple times that I have been able to wear him out. once I took him for a 3 hour walk in a wooded park and then another 3 hours playing with my mother in law and sister in law's dog, the boxer, sheltie, and my two cairns..then he finally got tired. Which I can't do that on a daily basis. the other time he was somewhat tired was in our obedience class. But he really wasn't tired just calmer.

[mrseggcup]

WOOF! Eli, here.

Scotty must be following the CUR guidelines to a T! Wear the Uprights down and take over when they are all tired out! Good dog!

WOOF!

Eli

[Jessica H]

Scooter is over 4 YO and he still has way more energy than I would think. He definitely relaxed after about 3 YO but he is still always ready to go. I brought him hiking, kayaking and camping last weekend, he didn't really sleep or stop all weekend. I figured he would be dead to world when we got home. He lied on the couch for about 15 minutes and then was ready to play fetch.

I bought him one of those rubber bouncy balls that kids play with. Best $1 I ever spent. Better than his soccer ball, he can have it in the house. He chases it, jumps in the air after it, growls at it, pushed it. He will play with it alone for an hour, full speed around the house. Makes me tired watching him... Highly recommended toy.

[Scruffys Mom]

I love every minute of the energy. They keep me motivated and entertained at the same time. I think this is why most Cairn owners have more than 1. We hope the additions help us wear them out. I am not sure I would be in the physical shape I am if it were not for Scruffs and Sparks. They make me stay active.

[Broc and Kurt]

There seems to be a lot of concern about having to "wear a Cairn out". Why? Do you mean literally wearing them out so they are too tired to play anymore? Or are they just too hyper and you wish they wouldn't be? I'm having trouble understanding why this is a problem or why someone would need help with this.

Kurt

[pkcrossley]

i think it might be scruffy's mom who once wrote on this, "a tired cairn is a happy cairn." there is something about these dogs, when young, that makes them nervous and kind of anxious if they don't get enough exercise. it varies from dog to dog, but it seems to be more or less general with cairns.

many people love this energy above all other cairn traits. i have a friend who said she has had only cairns (now seven in a row) since her first one, because they were the dogs that could keep up with her on her treks. there is also a strong element of joy in an exercising cairn. look at the picture of scotty chasing the ball. he REALLY, really wants to get there first. beautiful, pure terrierism.

if you can, i think the key is to enjoy it while it lasts. it is hard to remember, but even scotty won't be this energetic forever.

fortunately cairns will play by themselves, and even wear themselves out, if they have toys they like. i found that my dog would entertain himself with a hollee roller, even when he had destroyed the struts to where it just lay flat and deflated on the ground. he like it even better then. i also found that a stuffed kong is good for a couple hours.

[Jessica H]

because they were the dogs that could keep up with her on her treks.

fortunately cairns will play by themselves, and even wear themselves out, if they have toys they like.

That is why I love my Cairns so much. I can take Scooter on a 12 mile hike, up the side of a mountain, I can take him kayaking, camping, anywhere and I know he will be full of energy the whole time because he enjoys it and he lasts longer than my friend's lab.

As far as toys, he will entertain himself with that ball.

It is not an issue of not liking the energy. I love that they are so full of life but sometimes it is hard when I have spent a whole day exercising them physically and mentally and they still want to play, I get tired, lol.

[kjwarnold]

When Packy was younger, he was kind of like that. But as I got to know him better, I could tell when it was true energy versus that naughtiness when he got tired. He was kind of like a kid -- if he got too tired and needed a nap, he got naughty. I just put him in his crate, he took a nap and was fine afterward.

Now that's he's almost 4 yrs. old, he can still go and go and go -- they're kind of like the Energizer Bunny, aren't they? But he seems to know when to take a few minutes out to rest now and doesn't get into that naughty mode too much. They're a riot and it's true, they keep you active!

[cairnrescueleague]

Cubby and I hiked up a mountain once (Stinson, near Rumney, NH). People at the summit were giving me dirty looks and made some comments about making such a small dog climb a mountain, but it didn't phase him. He even steadied me on the way down. He wears a harness and was ahead of me, so I was able to lean back and ease my muscles. He was dead to the world on the ride home, but he bounced right back. I should mention that he was in good shape to begin with because of lots of long walks.

[Jessica H]

. He even steadied me on the way down. He wears a harness and was ahead of me, so I was able to lean back and ease my muscles. He was dead to the world on the ride home, but he bounced right back. I should mention that he was in good shape to begin with because of lots of long walks.

This is what happens with me on hikes, I almost slipped on a rock and Scooter was pulling and it stopped my fall. Scooter usually is beat on the ride home but he won't sleep, too much going on.

[patticus55]

I have two recommendations.

1. Dog day care. It is a little expensive, but it works out all of the pent up energy throughout the day. With lots of dogs there, they always have a playmate. They come home tired and happy.

2. I have never tried it, but I have heard can you buy a dog pack for hiking. Fill it with a few items to add some weight, and a 30 minute walk will be 3 to 4 times the amount of exercise it would normally be. I would be cautious to not add too much weight though.

[Nikki]

I used to have a dog backpack but scotty chewed it off in the car.....and scotty is dog aggressive and I can' t bring him to dog parks...though even if he wasn't I don't think I would take him...I try to walk him at least an hr sometimes 1 hr and half and he has a class every saturday

[Jessica H]

If you are going to put a pack on him be careful of how much you put in. A dog that is in great shape should only carry about 25% of their body weight, it is a great idea nd it does work though. I would get one, put maybe a pound on each side and start like that. If it is wearing him out too much then take it off.

It is a strategy that Cesar Milan uses often...