Happy Jack often carries things around inside his mouth and pretends he doesn't have anything. Usually we can tell by the way he acts. He looks at us suspiciously, dances around too happily, doesn't have his mouth open or isn't panting. His behavior gives him away every time.

"Have you seen my Cairn Terrier puppy photos yet? How cute do you think I am?"   Happy Jack Once he had a live baby mouse concealed in his mouth that he brought in from outside. He wasn't acting like his normal self which gave his mouthful of mouse away. A few other times, he had concealed dead mouse and all you could see was a tail hanging out of his mouse.

Imagine my husband's surprise when he bent down to remove what he thought was a string hanging from the corner of Happy Jack's mouth and discovered it wasn't a string at all but a dead mouse.

I have trained both of my Cairn Terriers to drop whatever they have in their mouth by simply doing the same thing each time it happens.

Now all I have to state is "Drop It" in a stern voice and 99% of the time they will open their mouth and spit out whatever they have inside.

Occasionally I have to insert a finger in their mouth to get out whatever it is in a hurry especially if it is something I think might harm them if swallowed.

Dogs will be dogs. As humans we just need to learn to read their behaviors and teach them what is acceptable per human terms. They want to learn and they certainly want to please us.