Neurotic cairn terrier

Question
QUESTION: Hi Beth,
We have recently rescued a 6 yr old female cairn that her family surrendered due to nipping their young child.  She seems to have a lot of stress anxiety because she barks at everything...she will run from one room to the next and bark at the ceiling fans......people walking by....when a leaf falls in the pool.....the biggest issue we find is that we can't seem to calm her when she gets in this state of mind.  I have been walking her at least 3 times a day...especially prior to trying to work with her...but she is still fearful acting of me at times and my husband and I have been nothing but gentle with her.  This is our 3rd cairn rescue and it has been very difficult.  We currently have another cairn that is 8 yrs and they get along well together but he tends to ignore her when she is neurotic acting.   I teach art out of my home and I need a quiet atmosphere and it is difficult when you have to stop and try to calm her down.....but it is beginning to effect my work ....and I don't want to have to return her but we need to see some progress soon.  Please if you can suggest anything.  Rebecca

ANSWER: Dear Rebecca,
The truth is you may have to return her. Especially if you don't want to take the actions that I suggest and the disruption to your life and livelihood are debilitating.  You have done this before so no one is going to fault you. It can't be perfect for everyone every time. I truly understand the problem.
SO -for immediate solutions, my suggestions are the correction collars. You can try citronella but I have the feeling that she will blow right through that. There is a new one that has a remote control I have heard where you can dose them at your displeasure - clients have had success with that. You can try the electronic bark collars- they are ALWAYS successful. Even if you think it is over the top- IT WORKS! The reason being- the dog never hurts itself so controls the collar by shutting up.  You don't have to do a thing- you aren't the bad guy. I have had and used personally these collars with clients who invariably tell me it saved the dogs life and their sanity, avoided evictions and surrendering the dog. Why did we wait so long to try this is the most common statement I have heard  about the electronic bark collars.
As far as fear aggression goes- it sounds like the dog had absolutely the wrong first home experience ( like no training and control or consistency) and may need a long time to develop trust. Luckily you have another dog who she can bond with and once you control the barking it will be a lot easier. You can speak with your vet about anti anxiety meds too. That is a completely legitimate option these days.
The electric collars WORK!!!!! They are not cruel compared to the alternatives and the dogs really do control it themselves. They are a bit costly but you have to decide if it is what you want. They learn within hours- believe me.
good luck and thank you for rescuing this dog - whatever the outcome. Write back to me when you see how quick and easy it is to work with the collar if you decide to go with it.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Beth,
Thank you so much for responding quickly to my question.  I have considered the bark collar but the rescue group that we obtained her from has a clause in their 11 page contract when you adopt or rescue one of their dogs that you agree not to use a bark collar on the dogs. I really do not want to breach that agreement with them.  I have put in a call to my vet to talk about medicating her to get her through this anxiety period in her life....with the hopes that it wouldn't be a life time of medication for her.  She is a very sweet and loving little dog and we would really like to find a way to make this work.  Again...many thanks. Rebecca

Answer
Personally I love Cairns. I have worked with so many through the years and they are great dogs. Fun, smart  and affectionate, but totally stubborn. Mishandling any terrier does no one any good. They are just too smart and can totally becoming overbearing.
As I said - this is the sure fire way. I can understand the clause for the uninitiated. See the vet first. It would be a shame to have to return the dog when any responsible professional can tell you there is a place in training for the collar. Most people don't even keep the battery in them after the dog has trained itself. In fact just showing them the collar tends to quiet them. The real damage is done shuffling the dog from home to home causing more anxiety. Rescue groups are mixed blessings- they often have an extremely bloated sense of righteousness but they do a great service.
My advice to you is if the dog is worth it to you- and you sound like a good and reasonable person, go with your gut and do what you must. Ultimately- it's your life and your decision.
thanks for contacting me and all the best.