How Do I Prevent My Cairn Terrier From Barking?
You will never stop your Cairn terrier from barking completely; in fact, it would usually indicate that something was wrong.
However, no one should have to contend with a dog that barks excessively.
Getting your Cairn terrier to bark less will take time, patience, consistency, and practice. You should not expect results overnight, but with the right techniques, you will see improvements that can go a long way to establishing a calmer and more peaceful environment.
Before you begin taking steps to curb barking, remember not to shout at your dog at any time. This is counterproductive; and dogs actually assume that you are joining in. So instead, you will always need to speak calmly but firmly, without raising your voice.
If you yell or tell your dog to “shut up,” they will not understand. Instead, you need to teach your terrier commands, such as the word “quiet.”
The following approaches are also great strategies to reduce barking in this vocal breed:
Why do cairn terriers bark so much?
Cairn Terriers and other members of the terrier group use their high-pitched bark to alert the hunting party of their whereabouts. … Cairn Terriers are confident little dogs and they love to play. Exercise and family outings are important to this breed and activity will distract them from yapping all day.
Can you train a Cairn terrier not to bark?
Cairn Terriers are loyal, lively, and intelligent, which should make them easy to train. … One of the most important things about training a Cairn Terrier is that they need lots of consistency in the training program. You simply can’t go about training your pup not to bark on a willy-nilly basis.
Cairn terriers are considered intelligent, loyal family pets that adapt to most environments. They are true terriers, however, and consequently extremely active dogs. Some may be prone to excessive barking and others can be diggers. This is not a dog for someone who wants a quiet lap dog.
Cairn Terrier – Top 10 Facts
Terriers are dogs commonly known for barking. It’s because terriers are hunting dogs and barking is part of their natural hunting ability to capture its prey. Terrier dogs are tough, even the small ones, and aren’t afraid to battle a dog three or four times its size.
Terriers make excellent watchdogs because they are always alert and active. The problem is when they become too alert to what’s going on around them. It’s one thing to bark at the mailman at the door; it’s something completely different when they bark at a bee flying a flower.
The word terrier means “go to ground” or “earth dog,” which speaks of its aggressive hunting habits that follow its prey to their burrows. It’s totally normal for a terrier to bark; in fact, it’s their nature to do so.
Because terriers are small dogs, it gives them a yappy personality. Most dog breeds small in size have this “yappy” response to the world around them.
Terriers are intelligent animals and normally very active. It’s not something out of the ordinary for a terrier to bark, but too much barking could mean something else is going on.
Terriers were bred to work, and even though that’s not the case today, that high level of energy remains. Because terriers are bred to work, they get bored when they don’t have work to do.
When a terrier is making a lot of noise, it needs to burn off some of that excess energy.
First, it’s a good idea to take your terrier to a dog park to walk off that obnoxious behavior. A simple Google search should bring up several “dog-parks” in your area where your terrier can run like the wind. A tired terrier is a quiet one.
Second, grab some dog toys at a local pet store and spend some time with your terrier playing. Playing catch or having your terrier chase after a laser light will give it needed exercise as well as tiring them out.
Even though it’s common for terriers to bark, this doesn’t have to be the case. With proper training, a terrier can learn not to bark at everything that moves. Remember, it’s normal for a terrier to bark; they are trying to warn you or want you to notice something. You cannot train a dog NOT to be a DOG, but you can work with it and learn from your terrier.
Your terrier should know what no and quiet means. This is a foundational step for training any dog. You never want to yell at your dog, but you do want to be stern and show them that you mean business.
Continue reading this post, at the end I am going to give you simple steps that I use to train my terrier not to bark.
It doesn’t take much for a terrier to become distracted. They are always looking for trouble – and that’s a part of their nature.
To keep a terrier from being distracted, it may help offering your dog some play toys. This will always give your dog something to do.
Terriers are people dogs. They love to be around people as much as possible, and when they are not they will act out.
If you plan on being away for some time, make sure that you make arrangements for your terrier to be lodged someplace. It’s not good for it to be alone.
According to my research, the terriers that bark the least amount are the Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier and the Glen of Imaal Terrier.
The Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier will bark when it’s necessary to do so, but they normally welcome you with what is called the “Wheaten greetin.”
You’ll notice with the Soft-Coated Wheaten Terrier that they like to jump up on you to welcome you home. The video above gives you a great illustration of how these dogs excitedly jump up in anticipation of your arrival.
The Glen of Imaal Terriers is a calmer terrier choice. Though they still beat a terrier heart and still are thrill-seeking dogs, the Glen of Imaal Terriers like to keep it a little more on the down-low. These terriers are breed to follow their prey into their dens silently. This is seen in their personality today, where they are known as dogs that are not very vocal.
Though these dogs are a lot quieter than other terriers, they will bark when it’s necessary.