^{Eleven-year-old Tucker needs an incentive to stop exploring and get back in the car.
(Photo provided)}

The Dog Charmer by Tom Shelby

Labradoodle Needs Help Ending Walks

Dear Tom,
We take our 11-year-old Labradoodle, Tucker, on daily off-leash walks through the woods. He gambols off, runs back periodically to check on us, then eventually, energy depleted, walks back with us. Lately, regardless of where we are, he falls behind us to sniff and explore for the last hundred feet to the parking lot, then slowly circumnavigates the parking lot and surrounding woods, deliberately ignoring us and the commands he usually obeys, until he’s completed his exploration.

How can we get him to revert to his old behavior of obeying the command “car” and jumping in?

Susan

Dear Susan,

As it is with most people, wisdom comes from age. And so it is with our four legged family members. At age 11, Tucker has the equivalent wisdom of a 70-year-old person, and is totally aware of when the fun and interesting walk is coming to an end. He’s also aware that there are no real negative consequences to his ignoring you and elongating his pleasure of “reading” the environment with his nose.