My Cairn Terrier Zoe is crazy. Cute as Toto on Wizard of Oz but with a wheaten coat instead of a brindle coat, she is early dog in focus and in mischief. And not only that, she is the boss of the house. Cairn Terriers are earthdogs, coming from Scotland as working dogs who chased after varmints and small creatures. Zoe's teeth are enormous for her size. In fact, if you thought that Jack Russell Terriers were the wacky ones you are only partly correct. Up against a Cairn or her former brother Westie (West Highland Terrier) poor Jack Russells are out of their league. It has a lot to do with the teeth, I think.

Anyway, Zoe is a dog who, as an indoor dog because of digging, must be praised and encouraged when going potty, who will play games like other dogs but gets bored with repetition, and who will nab anything that is left on the floor just when you think and trust that she will be leaving them alone.

 Zoe will play ball, and I can have her run to the top of the stairs to wait for the tennis ball I throw up to her. Sometimes she catches the ball, sometimes she bats the ball with her nose almost like a seal. And when she is done killing her prey, the tennis ball, she may or may not push the ball with her nose down to me. I have taught her to push the ball with her nose. But funny thing is that she refuses to do so until she is ready! Usually I have to turn my back and do something else. Then her craving for attention will have her pushing that ball down to me.

My Zoe, the Cairn Terrier, will steal anything, even things that she has left alone for months! It is all about her mood, the full moon, which also gets some extra howls out of her. The need to have something in her mouth is very central to being a Cairn Terrier. Cairns have instincts that have been bred out of other dogs. If you get a cairn you will not be getting a golden retriever, but rather an independent dog who must be coaxed into an imperfect obedience most times, and who is amazingly sweet to family but a lion towards strangers.

Anyway, Zoe manages to sometimes steal unmentionables, and that can be embarrassing. Zoe also steals sunglasses, which are endangered around her, and also she has been known to leave teethmarks in cell phones.

While I know the Dog Whisperer would tell me that I have it all wrong, and probably do, my Zoe Cairn Terrier is a personality, a character, a mischievous creature who is not a lot like most other dogs.