Just this one place !

Reuben used to be the devils own for taking himself off on walks , always came back but it worried me . Now he is very much improved except for this one place on a walk which I love and am loathe to give up . It is always at the same point , up until this point he is attentive with excellent recall but then once we reach this spot, he flies off . He comes back guilt written all over his face , I do not chastise him because he comes back to me and is not gone for long . I hadnt been on this walk for ages until yesterday , thinking he may forget , oh yes ?? That didnt work :facepalm: Once back with me , he reverts to his former self , good as gold , so do I ignore and allow this little interlude of hunting for a few minutes , stop going altogether or try putting him on lead until we have gone past this particular spot ? Any suggestions gratefully received , thanks xx
 
Do you reward him heavily for returning for coming back to you?

As I'm sure you are aware I have this a lot with Cassie, and it used to worry me no end. But the best thing I took from gundog training was getting the courage to "go with her". It's been ongoing training, the most powerful reward being that she gets released to do it again, the thing she lives for.

I 'm sure I go on about it a lot!

I think I would go there with the aim that you are going to work on this behaviour and maybe not to walk as such?

And I also do what Fiona does above. A lot :)
 
Maybe do some retrieving which he really loves?
We do ! There are several places along the walk where I can throw his dummy/ball down the bank into the wood for him to find , he always waits in anticipation for the ` game ` to start , drooling with excitement . The point at which he takes off is just beyond the retrieving area , so I will let him have his fun, then slip his lead on until we are well past this point . Knowing my luck , once released he will double back and do it anyway :facepalm: Fingers crossed this doesnt occur to him :fingers:
 

Candy

Biscuit Tin Guardian
I've been thinking about this and just wondered if Reuben sees it as a game that you and he play just in that place. He disappears for a while, you call, he comes back, you give him a treat? The reason I ask is that Joy has a thing that she only does in the one place, always on the outward walk, never on the return. Basically she lingers further and further behind me on this particularly long straight bit of towpath, I eventually call her with massive enthusiasm, waving my arms and jumping up and down, then she comes flying towards me at top speed and gets loads of fuss and treats. If ever I forget about it she does the famous hard sit and stare. She is very much a little creature of habit and she loves the games we have together and this one doesn't cause any problems so I happily go along with it. Might Reuben be doing a similar thing?
 
@Candy , you know I think you could be right with your idea :nod: He doesnt come when I first call him, but he isnt far away , I can hear him crashing around in the woodland bank , but when he does appear, it is with pure joy on his face so yes, thank you , I reckon it is a game he loves to play xxx
 
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