Like most dogs, cairn terriers are cute, loyal and eager to learn.
Feisty, tenacious, and willful, cairn terriers, like most other terriers, are known for their independent attitude. They have a reputation for being stubborn, but there is no reason that any individual cairn cannot be trained well; after all, Toto from "The Wizard of Oz" was a cairn, and his trainers clearly received an expert performance from him. Like all dogs, cairns love to please their families and are eager to learn. When games are involved in their training, they are even more eager.
Instructions
Training Your Cairn
1. Start with basic obedience such as "sit," "down," "come" and so on, to get the dog in the habit of listening and making the connection between its actions and a reward. Use positive reinforcement techniques, including saying a command, urging the action, and then rewarding the dog immediately with a treat, toy or praise. If the dog does not perform the command, it is not punished; instead, the trainer simply does nothing. When teaching "come," for instance, stand at a distance from your dog, show the reward, and say, "Come!" When the dog runs up to you, it gets a treat. If it wanders off, it doesn't get the reward, and you will have to try again later. When he starts to obey the command regularly, you can alternate treats with praise and eventually phase out the treats completely.
2. Once your dog can comprehend a few basic commands, introduce simple games like fetching specific things or finding hidden objects. For the game "Find It," hide one of your dog's favorite toys under a blanket right in front of it. Say, "Find it," lift the blanket and immediately say, "Yes! Good boy/girl!" Repeat a few times, and then have your dog try to pull the blanket off. Work up to hiding the object out of clear sight.
3. Give dog agility a try. Agility has become a widely popular activity for all dog breeds, as it allows them to burn off energy while practicing following commands. During an agility session, dogs learn maneuver an obstacle course filled with challenges like ramps, tunnels and jumps. Check for agility classes in your area, as you will have access to a range of equipment and will also get to socialize with other dogs and owners. On your own, you can create your own course with things like traffic cones. Use commands and treats to urge your dog through each obstacle.
4. Investigate Earthdog activities. Earthdog takes advantage of the terrier instinct to dig and tunnel after small animals. In this American Kennel Club-sanctioned sport, terriers and terrier mixes find their way through an underground maze towards quarry, usually rats kept in a secure cage to protect them. Local kennel clubs might have Earthdog training runs and lessons. You can also improvise above-ground tunnels using boxes or agility tunnels. Pet stores may have used rat bedding that you can use for scent, or you can merely place you cairn's favorite smelly treat at the end. Coax your dog to enter the tunnel a bit at a time, and before long, it should be happily rushing through to get to the prize.
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