Adolescence and rebellion ...

I imagine this must be very frustrating for you @Holly Chocolate Loveheart.

Plum used to show interest in the majority of people/dogs when she was younger and as she got older it improved but I still think she goes through phases where something that seemed very reliable starts to wobble.

After she finished her season (10-11 months) I thought she would take off into the distance with the sheer joy of being unleashed but she completely surprised me by staying pretty close to me for months, someone commented over the rec at how focused she was on me. I think it was because every walk she'd had for nearly 4 weeks was on lead so there was zero self-rewarding, for anything.

Then after a few months she became a bit wayward again, venturing further afield, greeting other dogs a bit more, and people. I just practised keeping her near me when other dogs/people came into view with treats, 'find it' games and 'touch.'

At the moment she's back to keeping close on the whole apart from when she catches a scent and goes off to find it. Often I can distract her but sometimes I can't unless I put her on the lead when I see the twitching nose or walk past places I know she likes to disappear.

My long ramble is really to say I think our dogs are always works in progress, what might be working beautifully now, may wobble a bit tomorrow. Don't lose heart, just hang on in there and keep practising and if you accept there might be further wobbles over the years it may not feel as frustrating when they come!

 

@SwampDonkey

 

My Edie has a ball-with-a-bell-in-it. She only has it thrown for her on walks and she would kill or die for it! Sophie doesn't really see the attraction, but a bit of cocktail sausage, or sometimes a bit of dries cat food works every time (so far!) I try to give a different treat every so often, to keep her on her toes. Squirty cheese works well.I also walk a different route every day and sometimes suddenly launch off on a different track calling them both as I go. They (so far) come a-running to catch up. Not easy if you only have one or 2 places to go, but you could try suddenly running or going back on yourself. Do it when there are no distractions as well, so it becomes a habit. Reward, reward, reward and vary everything - the rewards, the walks, the fun things you do to play.

 

Yep, agree with this, and with all the advice from others @Holly Chocolate Loveheart . Cassie, who is now 21 months, is not that interested in toys on walks either, so I have gone down the playing "find it" games route which she loves, often investigating hiding places of her own accord, before I've hidden anything! The beauty of stuff like that is that it keeps them near you, and with the about turn walk they have to think for themselves where you are. You can often spot another dog before they do!
Total Recall is a brilliant book, if Cassie's recall shakes a bit I refer back to it and work through the exercises again, usually to good effect.
Good to read you've made progress already!

 

I don't know, that could be quite good fun and certainly not what Holly would expect

 

Fantastic and well done