Cairn Temper

Question
Hi Beth.  I have been a dog owner almost all my life and my current Cairn (19 mo. old) is my second Terrier (first was a sweet Scottie).  I did a lot of research before purchasing a Cairn as I new they were very smart, but very stubborn/independent.  Our family did an excellent job of her puppy training with letting her know who was boss and we were even complimented by our vet who is also a Cairn owner.  Recently, we had to go out of town for about 10 days and had a family member (with her own dog) come to the house and take care of everything.  We also have a black lab that needed caring for.  Anyway, since we have returned home, our Cairn (Roxy) has become quite independent again and snapped at my daughter when she was putting her in her crate for bed and snapped at our other dog when he walked by as she was eating a snack bone.  I wanted to see what she would do to me when I fed her so I stayed there and went to pet her while she was eating (this has never been a problem before).  She bit me pretty good so I grabbed her by the scruff and put her strait on her back as we have always done.  She seemed possessed. I held her there until she quit snarling and growling telling her no over and over again. It really has me upset as I have never seen her act like this before and I can't have her biting.  I refuse to allow her to think she can snap and bite at anytime, no matter what.  Any suggestions you can give to helping us out would be greatly appreciated.  I read one of your previous responses about putting my hand in the bowl and pouring the kibble on it and making her eat out of my hand in the bowl.  She is really a good, smart little girl and we need to get this turned around ASAP!!!  Thanks for your help!!!  Dana

Answer
Dana -

That is so sad.... She is at a ripe age to develop nasty habits - a terrible teenager if you will.

The very first thing I would do is put a harness and a leash on her. Make the twerp drag a leash 24-7 so you can snag her right up whenever she gets stupid without having to get close enough to get bit. As you progress, you will find a harness a very handy way to snatch her up as well.

I'm not a huge fan of "alpha rolling" like you describe because some dogs react badly to it and can come up "swinging for more."  Instead, I usually use a snatch up, scruff shake, lots of deep pitched chewing out, and then crating.  Cairns definitely hate being "put away," so 20-30 minutes of crate time is pretty mean in their eyes.

I would also pick up all toys and not let her have any treats. I don't know if you have read the link I usually recommend folks read about a training program called Nothing in Life Is Free, but that described exactly what I would do if a dog like her came into my home as a foster.

http://cairnrescue.com/docs/NILIF.pdf

She gets no toys, not treats, no lap or furniture time until she is acting like a lady 100% of the time... and every time she regresses, she starts back at 0.

You should also consider a series of obedience classes.  This is much less for the obedience per se as having someone objective help you see what she is doing and think about changing it.

I'm sorry I can't be right there to see her and show you what I'm talking about... but I sure hope this starts you in the right direction.

-Beth