He is a lurcher and that is what Lurchers do Eventually he will give up unless someone accidentally leaves food out for him to get.

Put an agility course up in your back garden, brush poles on bricks or tins for jumps, an old sheet sewn onto a hoolahoop for a tunnel, the brush handles can also be used for groundwork.

That is how I got one of my sons toilet trained, it was a good summer and he used to wee outside, when the weather got cold he started to use the toilet.

I put a paddling pool up for the dogs, Cyril thought it was his new toilet.

Oh the monkey

That's why I stopped using a paddling pool it became more of a piddling pool.

Glad he's not the only paddling pool piddler!

Unfortunately our back garden is a very small patio and decking area so agility is out of the question. I do manage a game of ball in there if I stand in the conservatory to throw it..also he has discovered the girls blow up cow which they are supposed to sit on and bounce on it but never really have. He loves to wrestle and shake it so I play 'ball' with that. Tonks cannot play though because she would pop it!

When I first got Cyril he was just a skeleton bundle of energy, didn't know how to rest. Not wanting to do a lot with him I taught him to jump up and down the bench seat, then over the arms all on command. This really helped him focus. To make things a little different I put a pole between 2 garden chairs, they were put on the legs not the seat to start with, again go him to jump over it both ways on command then put it up to the seat.

Only one jump is needed, doesn't matter what it is, the learning to jump on command exercise the brain and the effort of jumping is physical exercise.

I should give it a go this week when Merryn is at preschool and there is only Carys to knock over. he really does need to learn to jump on command. At the moment I am trying to teach him 'up' to get into the boot of cars...he can do it...but refuses to unless a treat has gone in first. I do find it hard to concentrate on training with the girls around. Even though they will help with bits I've started him on during the evenings. They get him to sit and stay while they out his food down and then say take it. He is learning 'touch' which they like doing with him.

Unlike Tonks at his age, Remus will lie down and slew in the day time..Tonks was on the go all the time unless crated or cuddled into submission. I think because of this, and having a family now,I have been pretty lax with training...just teaching him basics like recall....and problems shooting issues where I can.

Hi I think you have a little character,and he will always do the opposite of what you expect him,In human terms you would say he is an Enigma a one off Gemini54

It isn't easy to train a dog when you have 2 small children, what may help is to use Tonks to teach Remus sometimes. eg you want Remus to sit, so have them near you, give the command to sit, when Tonks sits reward her then use the normal method to get Remus to sit. They do learn a lot quicker if there is another dog doing it at the same time unless you have a dog like Cyril, he was a disaster

Yes I have done this already and the look on Remus face is priceless, especially if I ask them both to do something that I know he can do (like sit) and he doesn't. I praise Tonks and give her a treat..I should film it because I don't think he could get his ears or highbrows higher or his eye wider if he tired...and then of course he sits down very quickly.