From: pgarnier@s.psych.uiuc.edu (Philip Garnier)
Subject: Re: Trainable Terriers ?
Organization: UIUC Department of Psychology
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 01:27:34 GMT

dnuttall@UMASSD.EDU writes:

>:
>>>>We have a pair of Border Terriers (about 18 pounds each).  They are
>>>>very friendly and fairly laid back dogs.  They get along fine with 
>>>>people and the two cats in the house.  They are also quite reliable
>>>>at coming, sitting and stopping barking when inside.
>>>>
>>>>However, whenever they are outside on a walk and they see another four
>>>>legged creature they are basically uncontrollable and want to run over
>>>>and make body contact of some sort.  A few weeks ago they got hold of a
>>>>skunk and would not let go even though thoroughly sprayed.  I know that
>>>>this is the kind of fierceness that the breed was developed for but is
>>>>there any way to noderate it with training.  I would like to hear of
>>>>other people's experiences with terrier type
>>>
>>>HI, 

>I HAVE TWO BORDER TERRIERS, SPUNKY AND PIPER.  SPUNKY JUST FLUNKED THE AKC 
>GOOD CANINE CITIZEN TEST THIS WEEKEND AT THE BOSTON CLUSTER..WHY? WELL, HE
>SAT OKAY ON LONG SIT, HE INTERTWINED A GROUP OF PEOPLE OKAY, AND HE LET
>THE FOLKS RUNNING THE EVENT GO OVER HIM....BUT....WHEN THE TIME CAME TO
>WALK ON LEAD PAST ANOTHER PERSON WITH THEIR DOG ON LEAD...HE WANTED TO
>GO OVER AND "GET" THE GOLDEND LAB....OH WELL, I STILL LOVE HIM...

>SPUNKY AND PIPER ON CATS......STRAY CATS IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD WANDER JUST
>BEYOND THE FENCE AND "TERRIERIZE" MY BORDERS....RUE THE DAY THEY (the
>cats) HOP THE FENCE.

>THEY JUST DON"T SEEM TO LIKE REALLY BIG DOGS.

>CH OLDSTONE DIDDLE ROB NACKET, CH SKC, TT
>OLDSTONE PIPER OF NEWCASTLE

>DORIS R NUTTALL
>NEWCASTLE BORDER TERRIERS
>>-- 
>>  Gail Brookhart, Cincinnati, OH  *  usr7513a@tso.uc.edu
>>Surely one of my addresses works! *  ce293@cleveland.freenet.edu
>>***********************************  brookhge@ucbeh.san.uc.edu


Both of these posts sound like my borders too!  I'm not even going to try
CGC with my older one - she knows all novice obedience commands but will 
only follow through when she wants (that is, when I have food).  I'm afraid
that she doesn't much care for big dogs either - particularly dobes and black,
not really yellow, labs.  She has her moments when she does ignore them, though.

Cats - with our cat (the two grew up together) she is fine.  They used to 
wrestle constantly, but when we got a new puppy, the poor cat was left the 
odd man out.  Plus, the cat never did take to the (now 8 month old) puppy.
He will often take a swipe (no claws) at little Winnie and big sister    
(actually cousin) Perdida will come to her rescue and chase the cat away.
However, these are the same animals? that will all crawl into bed with us
at night, sleeping sometimes only inches away from one another (usually
separated by mom or dad's leg.  However, neighborhood cats are CATS - in
fact our cat hates 'em too - the cat will stare out the window at the 
interloper in his yard (why should he be in my yard when I don't even get
out?) and Perdida will go berserk, whining and barking at the little vermin.
Little Winnie (she's taller, but lighter than Perdida) barks because Perdida
is barking, having not quite zoned in on little critters.  The day will come,
however, when we have two critter-crazed border trying to break the windows
down to get at any little furry thing in their sight.

A lot of borders seem pretty mellow with other dogs, but are after all
terriers and wound up at least a little bit.  My Perdida comes by it
honestly, being the daughter of Ch. Todfield Tribute to Otterby, a nut
if I ever saw one.

BTW - are any of you border people interested in getting in on a little border
talk net some of us have established?  If so, e-mail me.

Philip Garnier
>>=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Let me tell you about my dogs! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Newsgroups: rec.pets.dogs