Cairn terrier, Little dog - BIG problem!

Question:
We have a 20-month-old Cairn Terrier. He is a great little dog in the house and seldom does anything wrong, but the problems start when taking him for a walk. He is fine walking on the lead until he sees another dog - and the bigger the dog the worse he is. He crouches down like a cat and you can't move him without dragging him away on all fours. When the other dog reaches him he freezes, then attacks it.

He is even worse with traffic. He is fine with cars, but goes berserk when he sees anything bigger than a transit van - and there is no calming him. He is especially bad if the roads are wet and the traffic is noisy.

We have had him since he was ten weeks old and he was fine with other dogs and traffic until about six months ago when it all started for no apparent reason. He enjoys going to dog training, where he accepts nearly all the dogs there whatever their size.

Is there anything you can suggest as I have tried everything, even a head collar, without success.

Answer:
Both behaviors appear to be stimulated by visual signals and have a chase component to them. One of the most important things to determine about this chase response is whether it is motivated by fear and driven by a desire to get rid of the traffic and other dogs, or whether it is motivated by playful intent.

The fact that your cairn terrier is more intent on chasing the traffic in situations where the vehicles are noisier suggests a fear element. However, the fact he's not bothered by the sound of traffic when he's in the house, and primarily reacts to the sight of the vehicles as they approach and pass by, supports a more playful chase response, which is simply rewarded by the additional noise that they make as they pass by in the wet weather. Likewise, the crouching response he displays at the sight of another dog may suggest that he is defensive and motivated by fear, but the freeze and pounce element of the behavior indicates frustrated play behavior.

If fear is the underlying cause of the behavior, a program of desensitization to the sight and sound of traffic and to the presence of other dogs may prove helpful. Curing behavior that is mainly driven by a desire to chase will rely on teaching alternative responses, channeling the chase into appropriate forms and signaling to your dog that there is no inherent reward in this inappropriate behavior.

At 20 months of age, the prognosis for reforming your cairn terrier dog's reaction to traffic and other dogs is good, but it will rely on getting the diagnosis right so that the treatment that is applied is appropriate. Your vet should be able to refer you to someone in your area who can help you to achieve this.

_{source Your Dog Mag.}