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“I have this dog…”

Thursday, March 12th, 2009

It is time for me to be getting those calls again.  The one that start with “I have this dog…” They come all the time, it is just that right now, things have been too quiet and I am expecting the flood gates to open up.  I already wrote about a lot of the reasons we get the calls . Now, when they do start, what happens next?  Well, I start asking questions.

Why? and I  hope the caller is truthful about why he is surrendering the dog. Most are, some conveniently leave things out and some just out and out lie about the reason.
Where are you? I’ve gotten calls for help from Colorado and from Oregon.  My travel budget won’t stretch that far.  I offer other sources of help.
Where did you get the dog? Typically it will be from a pet store or someone whose name I don’t recognize as a breeder.  I always tell them that a responsible breeder will want the dog back, no matter how old.  They seldom have a name, much less a number.  If they have a name, I tell them to call.  Most take a pass on calling.

Do you have a picture of the dog? That gallery of NotaCairns that I have collected will be posted at some point.  I do explain why I am interested only in purebred Cairns. So, I want more than just a clue or an uninformed guess that this dog is not just a close relation to the breed.  Some people in some kennels seem to think that if their dogs have a high percentage of the things that define a Cairn, then they are Cairns.  Anyway, this little guy doesn’t have to be perfect.  Let me restate that, if he is a Cairn, he is perfect. This little guy doesn’t need to be a candidate for the show ring.  A picture will give me a strong clue.  Better yet, if there is a club member around, I try to get an personal appraisal.

Is the dog fixed or spayed? We will take care of it if the dog is intact.  No rescue dogs go out without that correction being made.
Are there any health or behavior issues? Again, I am hoping that I will get an honest and complete answer.  I want to know the issues, they are  not normally a reason to reject the dog.  About the only reason I won’t take a dog into rescue is active aggression towards people, this is not fear aggression where a dog is cornered and knows no other way out of a situation, it is “I’m in charge, I bite.”  People aggressive dogs who do not have very specific training will need to be put down.  I don’t have the facility or the training to work with a people aggressive dog.  Also, the club really can not take the risk of placing a dog with a history of people aggression.  I have had that conversation on occasion with the owner of that rare, bad dog.  And health? we don’t want to fund a hopeless situation either.   I have had to have that conversation on occasion, too.  But those are subjects for future posts.

All the while I am talking to the person with the dog and making notes, I am trying to sort out logistics.  Do I have a slot for the dog?  What will it take to get the dog? What is my wife’s schedule today? What is my schedule this week? What is the phase of the moon?  What color makes a dog happy? How much gas is in the truck?  On and on.

If it seems that we are going to get the dog, I ask them to bring as much vet/medical information they can get.  Some dogs supposedly have “papers”, I have seen them on about 3% of the dogs we’ve handled.  Next is the pickup.  I do warn them that if I think the dog is not a purebred Cairn, I won’t take it.

If possible, we will meet in a public park or place where my alpha, Riley, can meet the new boy.  There are fewer issues if  the new boy doesn’t just show up in “their” home.  With a pass by the boss, the other dogs will be OK with the decision.  Still, there are other times when it is simply a “go and get” and they are just dumped together.

Once I get a dog, there are things I am going to evaluate. Some issues are to find out compatability issues, some issues are simply information so I can share as much information as possible with prospective adopters.

How does he get along with my dogs.  Dealing with three male dogs with curious noses can be a bit overwhelming at first.  Still, it is amazing when these guys see another Cairn, they seem to recognize him as a relation, not just another dog.  We have seldom had issues at first.  That is due in large part because the new boy is in a new place and doesn’t know his place in the pack yet.
Does he get along with cats? We have a cat here from time to time and that is a deal breaker for many people looking for a Cairn.  Any of them can be trained to accept a cat with a little diligence and training but if I don’t see the prey drive kick in immediately, it is a positive thing.
How is he on leash? Some of these guys have never seen a leash. Some have zero leash training, some assume they are training as sled dogs and simply run and pull.
How is he around other dogs, especially big, black dogs when he is on a leash? This is, again, a behavior that can be trained out if it is an issue.  I just want to know if it is present.  The big, black dog issue seems to be pretty common with Cairns.
Does he bark excessively? For the most part, that has not been my experience with Cairns.  I have had a couple of examples of bitches who incessantly patrolled the fence line, especially if the evil dog next door was close by.
How is he with strangers? around children? I don’t offer my grand children to the dogs but one young lady is always happy to play with the dogs so I let her go out under my supervision.  Dogs that come from a sedentary lifestyle sometimes have issues with active kids and high pitched voices.
How does he eat? I am less worried about what he eats or what kind of food came with him.  I want to know if he needs to control his dish, or if he is a gulper that will challenge the slower dogs around.  In cases where I think there is an issue, I will feed him and slowly move between him and his dish and separate him from his food. He may not like it but I expect him to simply stand back and look up.  Also, I want to know if he is ready to accept the new alpha.  He will learn immediately that he is served last, usually that his is the 4th dish down.  After the 2nd or 3rd day, all of the rescues usually understand the routine and just wait, albeit excitedly,to be served last.  Unless there is a health issue or a very young dog, he will eat when my dogs eat and what my dogs eat.
Is he housebroken? This is not always clear because my guys don’t come inside until after my dinner.  My guys all come in wearing belly bands, just in case, but I will be watching the new kid closely.
Is he possessive about toys? Food and toys are the biggest issues that cause dog fights.  I want him to understand that I control the toys and fights are not OK. If necessary, I may remove a toy from him to see how he reacts.
In general, how does the pack interact? Dogs can settle dog issues but I don’t want a pattern of uncorrected stare downs. The old man has the rank of alpha and I will insist on that.  Any serious challenges will be addressed and corrected.  These are smart little dogs and they understand a lot faster than we expect if we give them the clues.

If the dog has not had regular vet care or a recent visit, that is, within 6 months, he will get an early appointment.  I want no surprises when I place a dog.  All shots will be brought up to date as necessary, and spay or neuter if needed.  If a dog has had recent care and I have the paper work, we mayl skip much of the vet check.  I will usually microchip dogs these days.

Finally, I want to do this over a period of 10 days to 2 weeks.  Why that amount of time?.  When a dog comes into rescue, a new place and a new situation, he will be on his best behavior, he is unsure of his rank and his new home.  He will want to find that 2 legged alpha and stay close.  He will do this for some time. He wants the assurance and the protection from the 2 legged alpha.   It is possible, due to the stress of the change, you won’t see the true character of the new boy until he has been around for more than a week, so we want to see him for about 10 days to 2 weeks.

The, if  he passes muster, and most do and if I have my information, and I have my best guess about his behavior, it is time for me to make that phone call and say, “I have this dog…”

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“Tell me about Rescue dogs”

Saturday, March 7th, 2009

When we get requests for Rescues, a large number of requests are looking for “Toto”,or a cute puppy, a specific color, house broken, no health issues, possibly with papers, doesn’t bark, dig, and is a well behaved dog.  Many are just looking for a dog and are clueless about terriers.

Lets start with the source of Rescues.  Most come from pet stores or puppy mill backgrounds.  The typical age is around 7.  Most (90%) are male because the puppy breeders who are in it for the money keep the females so they can have more puppies to sell.  What do they look like?  Some may look like they can walk into a show ring but most don’t.  They are generally not bred for Cairn characteristics but rather  for cute puppies to sell.

Many come when a family member has died and there is no one able or willing to take this new project on.

Many come from people who have no idea how a typical terrier behaves.  They complain – “He barks at birds and squirrels, he digs, he won’t come when I call him, he isn’t a lap dog.”  Hmm, terrier, terrier, terrier.

We do get the rare perfect Cairn but not often because responsible breeders take their dogs back when there are issues and we don’t see them.

Most actually are housebroken but not all of them.  Even those that spend most of their lives outside realize that a tile floor is not where they normally relieve themselves.  For those dogs, a little supplemental training works wonders.

Many come because of changes in family situations, work changes, and changes in living situations.

These dogs, as a breed, are healthy dogs but the care given to a specific Cairn can be an issue.  We occasionally get dogs which the owner can’t afford to treat or won’t bother to take the dog to a vet.  We will.

They are very smart dogs which require a strong willed owner to let them know who is in charge.  We sometimes get dogs who have been allowed to rule their home/pack and the owner is clueless how to deal with the dog who is now in charge.

Information? We get owner surrenders at times with a long history about the dog, only to realize once we have the dog that someone didn’t exactly tell us everything, they just wanted to resolve a problem and we were available.  Many come from shelters which have no real information about the dog, other than it is probably a Cairn.

Don’t get me wrong, while I have issues with the sources of Cairns, all of these dogs deserve homes and most will make great pets.  Just don’t come looking for “Toto”.  Donkey ears, gay tails, large sizes can describe many of the dogs we get.  Oh, yes, Cairns can change color, don’t expect to place an order for a specific color, we aren’t  in that business, the puppy mill is.

Rescue dogs can come with a lot of baggage.  We try to sort it out and we will always be honest about what we know and don’t know.  We do prefer to not have the dog come back into rescue, we want the adoption to succeed.   Still, our success rate is very high, due in large part to the dogs, and that engaging Cairn personality which comes out when these guys get a loving home.

Lastly, if we don’t get the right dog for you, just remember, from our viewpoint, it is always about the dog, and not the potential owner.  We are looking for a homes for the dogs, not trying to get a dog for you.   It is always about making the right match.  But, if you are interested, keep asking.    ctcnc.net/rescue

And once more, all of these guys, with whatever baggage, deserve a good home.

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Slow start for a new Rescue Year

Thursday, March 5th, 2009

This New Year is starting with this new, rambling adventure down the Rescue Road, the old Blog Road.  I hope to post rescue activities and some old things I have written about rescue.

It has been a slow start, so far, the dogs referred to us were 1) not Cairn Terriers, 2) adopted from the shelter before we go to look at the dog,  or 3) kept by the owner who  wanted to be involved in the process.  I am sure the phone will ring soon, we average about 10-12 a year and it is zero so far.

Up front, we normally work with rescuing purebred Cairn Terriers.
“Only purebred?”, you ask.

I have 3 Cairns of my own and in a suburban tract, that is really the city limit.  Still we will bring in a Rescue dog and keep him until he is placed.  Typically, I hold the dog for at least 10 days to 2 weeks so I can evaluate him and then I start to work placing him.  This can take 2 days to 30 days for a purebred Cairn.  That means if I bring a rescue in, he will probably be here from 3 weeks  to 6 weeks.

Now, if I bring in a Cairn mix, he goes through the same process but then the bump in the process hits.  People who come looking for Cairns, for the most part, are looking for a Cairn and not a mix.  When I mention a mix, the response is usually, “thanks but no thanks”. As a result, Cairn mixes have stayed with us for about 6 months before I could get them placed. Since I want to keep that single slot available for the next rescue, I don’t want it occupied by a mix when there are cairns looking for a place to be fostered.  So, I don’t take in mixes anymore.  At some point, I will put up a link to pictures of  the various dogs that have been referred to me as Cairn terriers.  Some are close and some are simply a very bad guess about what a Cairn Terrier looks like.

That has been fixed, the pictures of non-Cairns are up, take a look at the bottom of the right hand sidebar.  All of those are dogs that have been referred to us as Cairn terriers.  We did place 3 of them, thanks to some people who were just looking for a dog.  Eddie stayed for almost 9 months before he got placed.  There are othe non-Cairns we get queried about but we never got a picture of them.

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