[Sandy]

Kiada that sounds great!!! I shall give it a try if/when he runs off again. I had a Patterdale Terrier and nothing would distract him when exploring on his own, so, one day, when we were on our way up here to Scotland, he got out of the parked car and ran full pelt around a park and large pond, all the shoulting calling excited calls did nothing so I through myself onto the ground much to everyones amazement and he came straight back!!! Felt a bit silly but it worked, sadly he got out our front door and was killed, I dread someone letting our dogs out by mistake, they are locked into the back garden. We heard a dog being run over last night, it was horrid, hope they are ok but I fear the worse for the poor whipped!!!!!! Dog psycholodgy IS the thing!!! THanks

[warmglo]

Ben's running off is a self rewarding habit. Somewhere new to explore, fresh, readymade treats on the ground... no wonder he doesn't want to come back - that means going home! The treats you take just don't interest him enough  You need to go back to basics, even tho he returns readily at home and on normal walks. I would suggest that the strongest habit will be formed if you change his feeding routine, using his dinner as the reward for regularly returning, and for following your change of direction when you play 'no, I'm going this way!' Start off at home/garden, progress to local walks, then push the envelope to car journeys, although I would not let him off a long lead for a while. Sounds a bit restricting I know, but if you give him the opportunity - even once - the habit is broken, self rewarded again, and you're back to square one. Letting him off before he is ready is setting him up for failure. Leave the remainder of dinner for when you get in the car, the best bit, like a chicken wing or similar. And good luck!

[knightquest]

That's good advice warmglo. I have an Alaskan Malamute. They are renowned for not coming back! He is NEVER off lead around cars. He has been knocked down by a car once and it will not happen again. He just managed to slip past me as I got him out of the van. He was fine but I cried my eyes out. There i'm not ashamed to say it!

Quest will go to any living thing for fuss and attention especially people. Although he has been badly attacked by two different Staffordshire Bull Terriers he now approaches other dogs looking to play. Having his testicles off helped with that problem a bit as he was quite aggressive after the attacks. My point is that you cannot run the risk of losing him for want of a lead.

I am a great believer in giving exercise on lead anyway. If you get him into the habit of thinking that being with you and paying attention is his job. That in itself is tiring and really rewarding for dogs....they love knowing what to do.

Hope he continues to improve 

Oh and one other thing......hope I don't upset anyone but sending a dog away to be trained only gets your dog working for the trainer. No guarantees for the owner.

[Sandy]

Thanks, I would cry my eyes out too!! I still get a lump in my throat for the dog we had to have put to sleep due to being ill, he was wonderful, never any trouble. Ben has come back prompt every time now for weeks, in fact since I posted the article, he loves attention too and has a blanket he makes into a dummy and sucks it, it's cute!!!!! We tend only to let the dogs off the lead in the Forest away from roads or livestock, fingers crossed all is good.

[doganjo]

hope I don't upset anyone but sending a dog away to be trained only gets your dog working for the trainer. No guarantees for the owner

Not strictly true - depends on trainer/owner/dog.  If proper hand over is done it can be very successful.  My friend's dad felt he was too old to start training both his two Springers for work so bought a pre trained dog and a part trained bitch - they both work well for John.  In my own breed the top trainer in France, Patrick Morin, breeds and trains hundreds of Brittanys to sell, and they work successfully almost every time.  So it depends how good the trainer is, how receptive the dog is, and how good a handover is done.

[knightquest]

Fair point doganjo. We have a pet shop in Birmingham and the calibre of some of the dog owners beggars belief. They are walking adverts for e collars..................Not for the dogs, for the owners! And probably wired to the mains and not batteries 

These type of dog owners can bring you down.

Ian

[Sandy]

Me and Doganjo had that conversation earlier, some people think dogs are just 1 to be seen and not heard and 2 to be got out when required to give some fuss to!! We have been lucky so far with our pus that have been sold, mind you, they are still at that cute stage so any destruction is forgiven, when they look fully grow but are teenagers then it is a different story, like human teenagers!!

[knightquest]

rather have dogs than kids..............

Ian

[doganjo]

Well I've got both(as has Sandy) and you usually have similar problems with both - and you never stop worrying about them even when they grow up!

[knightquest]

Yep, we've got dogs and kids too. Love all of them to bits! They are two girls 27 and 24 and a son 17.

Daughter asked when she was younger who we would get out of a fire first. She was a little put out when we said the dogs but her therapist has sorted her out now.

That was a joke by the way. She hasn't seen a therapist 

[doganjo]

I'd get the dogs out first too - kids have a self preservation instinct and know what to do in a fire - or should do   Mine are son nearly 38 and daughter nearly 40 - boy that makes me old

[warmglo]

Any Grandchildren Doganjo??? Is that one in the picture? My kids are  27(son), and 26(daughter), my step children (yes - I took on more - a testament to my insanity!) are 22(girl), 19(girl), and 18(boy). I also have a grandaughter of 5. I love kids, but couldn't eat a whole one!

[doganjo]

Any Grandchildren Doganjo??? Is that one in the picture?

Yup, that's the firstborn - Beth is 11 now (god I AM old!! ), Keir is 8, Katie is 3 - No1 son hasn't started yet - well not that we know of   Been trying to do some matchmaking but think we've hit a wall - have we Val?

[Sandy]

I am so far away from mine but my eldest is 10 years old and I would love them to come to stay here, my daughter from Austrailia is sending her 2 girls on the plane from Astrailia, I hope they can come over when they are older and stay, if we have the room as this B&B is always busy!!!!

[doganjo]

my daughter from Austrailia is sending her 2 girls on the plane from Astrailia

Is Amanda not coming over too?