This is quite an interesting thread. My approach to Rufus's recall has completely changed since I got Cruella as a trainer. I realise that although a lot of advice I have been given was relevant for the majority of dogs, it was not relevant for Rufus. Rufus has always been obsessed with undergrowth, and dense woodland is his absolute favourite. Even now on the new regime he finds the attraction quite difficult to resist, but we do go off lead almost everywhere. When she saw the strength of his hunting instinct, she was able to identify where I could manage better. We do not use food or treats, which suits Rufus, and hardly call at all. I have found the secret is to give him enough scope to have fun, but enough concern about my whereabouts to want to find me quicker than he ever would have done previously. The only place I would not let him off is woodland near maize, because these two types of terrain are too difficult for him to resist. In the last week, using Cruella's methods I have called him off squirrels, cats, phessies and bunnies, but only where the hunt was getting too serious. I wish I had found Cruella 3 years ago! One of the most interesting things was restricting walks, where possible to under an hour and a half, as the longer he is out and tempted, the more he needs to hunt, a bit like an overexcited child. This suits both of us nicely!
