You've all, no doubt, heard me bemoaning DIll, my cocker spniel, and his complete lack of recall. I can not find the treat which will make him reliably come back. Food, squeaky toys, tennis ball, tug-toy... loves them all but none will bering him back.
At night, he will not come back in from his nighttime trek round the garden until I go and fetch him. he actually runs away from me when I call/whistle him in.
Last night I went through the whole call/whistle/mutter obscenities routine. Today, rather than fetch him, I stood st the back door and said, in a normal voice, D-I-L-L and the little bugger came haring down the 150ft garden at top speed. Why? because when I ask the boys to take him for a whizz round the block, I spell his name out and he clearly now recognises what it is and what it means.
So, I now have something powerful enough to bring him back. Unfortunately, the reinforcer is a sodding walk which makes it impractical and, when out on a walk, useless.
How on earth do I train a gifted and talented dog who actively chooses not to come back? And how do I get a more useful reinforcer?