Running off!

[aManicCookie]

So I have an issue. Gryff likes to run off sometimes when he gets distracted. I know it's not a big deal to take him out on a lead when he bathrooms but how do I play fetch or ball with him in the yard... Suggestions?

[Mac's Mom]

My husband put a steak in the middle of the yard with a very long cable attached to it. You can buy something similar as a kit at pet stores.

Mac can run the entire perimeter of the yard on this. Good luck.

[DJEtzel]

buy a check cord from petsmart or buy some rope from the hardware store and attach a clip. I use a 50' check cord for playing ball in the yard. Don't allow him off leash if he doesn't have a solid recall.

[Castlemaid]

Work on keeping him engaged - let him fetch a few balls to blow off some energy, then work with him to keep his focus on you all the time. Get a two tugs or two balls on a rope, and play crazy with him. Keep everything close to you, play tug like crazy. Let him win and make a big deal out of it, then before he even has a chance to turn away from you and get distracted, whip out the other ball and let him drop the first one, and start playing with him again. If he wins and turns away from you, get his attention back immediately by backing up and calling his name - gets him in the habit of him coming to you! Re-engage play. Keep these sessions short at first, one or two minutes - this is intense and will exhaust him mentally - stop before his focus peters out.

Play like this with him several times a day, extending the time you expect un-interrupted focus. If you want him to be focused on you, remember to stay focused and engaged with him yourself.

My Gryff so enjoys this kind of engagement, he is constantly bringing me sticks and toys and tries to push them into my hand. Just yesterday we were walking trough a field, and I had a tug in my pocket, and he knew it. He gave me eye contact heeling without me asking him for it (and me trying to send him out away from me) because playing with me is a greater draw than anything else. This was developed over time by a lot of play sessions like I described above. If your Gryff knows to out on command, then you can move to just playing with him with one tug or ball. When he outs, reward him with re-engaging him right away, and he will learn that outing is part of this game.