Dear Anne,
This post set me to laughing as I think it is such an accurate
assessment of the ability of some Cavaliers to learn arboreal
behaviors. I don't know if everyone has one, but I have one like your
"Glory" who can climb anything given enough things in the space which
she can line up to get from one surface to another (or enough horizontal
foot holds to get her going). It IS truly amazing to watch them plan
this out. I, too have a perimeter stockade fence outside the chain link
for just this reason. I have heard that placing plastic bottles on the
tops of the chain link hanging down and banging if touched discourage
this behavior....haven't tried it.
I think I must also agree with Greg that it is a learned behavior, for
in socializing our pups (now seven months old) it has never occurred to
me to stop them from exploring UP; and both of them can get over the
gate between the kitchen and dog room (even though the bars are
horizontal)....if they find something to push against the gate upon
which to jump and launch themselves. Interestingly, I use Rover Pet
fencing (which I love and which IS horizontal bars) for our pups and
while they didn't learn it as small puppies some Cavalier doubtless
"taught" them how to do this. I DO think it may be a good thing to
train pups to NOT climb. However, Greg, what do you do with those who
have already learned this from a prior climber? <G>
Suze at Llawen Cavaliers
Anne Shapiro wrote:
> Dear Liz: I find that books on Cavaliers also tend to omit this breed's talents in
>the areas of balancing on the backs of chairs and couches and their love of walking
>carefully on fully loaded tables.
>
> It is easier to deal with Cavaliers if one thinks about them as part cat as they
>have at least some feline behaviors. And yes, some but not all, can climb fences.
>Actually, they partly climb, partly jump depending on the heighth of the wall. One of
>our dogs could scale a 5 foot high chain link gate with ease-didn't get her anywhere
>as there was quite purposefully a perimeter block wall fence beyond the chainlink
>fence-we'd had Cavaliers for a number of years and had been warned. Besides, her only
>goal was to get into the house so she only went to the back door and threw herself
>against it repeatedly until let inside. The other dogs would watch with awe as Glory
>got over the fence but were not able to quite duplicate the feat.
>
> However, all of our dogs have been able to jump 3 foot anythings from the age of 6
>months or so. And what Cavaliers are particularly adept at, clever things that they
>are, is figuring out how to climb higher and higher by jumping or climbing from one
>object/chair/stool/table/wall to another. So, while they cannot actually jump from
>the floor onto the bookshelf, they can figure out how to go from the floor to the
>ottoman to the chair to the sofa table to the bookshelf. You can just see the wheels
>in their brains turning just as soon as they spy the box of biscuits or the tray of
>cheese or the cat on the shelf.
>
> Perhaps the authors of Cavalier books feel that the breed might be less desirable if
>this ability to become the next Sir Edmund Hillary were widely known. You just get
>used to it and learn to Cavalier proof your enviornment both inside and outside.
>
> And it does keep you in stories to tell at dinner parties...
>
> Anne Shapiro
> Shadowlawn Cavaliers
> Las Vegas, Nevada
>
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