Squirrel chaser

is he interested in playing with balls or other toys? My mum's dog loves squirrels - we have had a lot of success by distracting her with the chance of a game of 'fetch'

You say that your dog is well behaved in terms of recall until you go to the park. This is probably because you have not trained him at the park.


You need to use a long trailing line so that you can prevent him from running away.

If he likes to chase squirrels then it should be relatively easy to get him to chase you whilst you run away with his favourite toy tied to a bit of string bobbing along the ground. He is likely to be more successful in catching your toy than he is the squirrels so he may even come to prefer this to the squirrels, especially if you deny him the opportunity to go after squirrels. I'd even suggest finding somewhere that the squirrels don't frequent if that is possible to start with.

When he grabs the toy play tug briefly and then let him win the toy. He will then either drop it because it is no fun anymore in which case you can pick it up and start the game again.

He may, if you are really lucky bring the toy back and ask you to play again.

If he decides it more fun to play with the toy on his own then you will need to produce a second toy and make your toy more exciting than his.

You will also need to make sure that games with you are highly valued by keeping his toys for these games and not letting him have them on his own.

Depending on how motivated your dog is to play with you you need to make sure that you end the game with him always wanting more.

I would do chase, catch and tug three times and then dismiss him (tell him "ok off you go") You keep the toy off course. I would want my dog to be slightly disappointed that I didn't want to play anymore and to hang around in case I changed my mind.

It will take a while to get to this stage with your fella because he has been having so much fun chasing the squirrels. You are going to have to work hard to compete with that. It is achievable though.

I would also take him to the park with his dinner and feed him there. No running about obviously just get out of the car, quick wee perhaps, hand feed him his dinner and come home again.

You need to look at the whole picture and ask yourself what your dog wants and needs in terms of fun, food, possessions, your attention and try to provide these things for him in the park environment instead of him getting them all at home for nothing.

Hintza wrote: »

You are not a dog!

We have had this argument before and all i know is that if you don't conform to the majority of "URBAN" pet lovers on this board then you tend to get taken apart on the forum.

My advice is sound but may not appeal to some, but don't just dismiss it because it upsets your sensibilities.

Maybe because the "urban" pet lovers on the board maybe are better people. I live in the countryside and know exactly what kind of person thinks nothing of wacking their dog/horse/child for doing something wrong and the kind of animals/people which are created by these kind of people.

Just because something works does not make it right. Hitting an animal to stop them to do something may work but for all the wrong reasons. However your of the mentality that you can not be doing anything wrong and its because we don't understand how to properly train a dog or don't understand countryside ways that we think your wrong. Hopefully eventually someone will witness what you do and report you to the RSCPA.