I doubt if Mr Mouse even needed to put in an appearance very often. Just his presence would have been enough!

I rarely bring toys on walks as I think hunting and running around of their own free will is much more stimulating for them.

My Slovak would much rather be hunting than playing with a boring ball anyway. She'll retrieve but doesn't have much enthusiasum for it. She is, however, an excellent hunter and pointer!

We have collected hundreds of them over the years and really done our bit for tidying up the countryside. Unfortunately Ollie has also sneaked into gardens and stolen balls too. This picture shows me returning a buoy he stole from a garden 2 weeks ago. You can just about see his disbelief that I won't let him have it!

I agree hunting would be much more stimulating, but I don't want my 44kg dog off hunting on his own, out of my sight. Ollie is an excellent hunter and pointer of balls.

Oh that's great! A huge great boat buoy! My old GSD once walked home about a mile with a huge great square carved table leg in her mouth!

I'm lucky with Bo, she never goes out of sight. She will range quite a way from me but never where I can't see her.

Is Ollie interested in birds/rabbits/etc.?

He would be if I didn't maintain his interest in the ball. I decided to wean him off it which took about 6 weeks. He got very hunty and was disappearing off hunting, which I really don't want. When I decided the ball was the better safer option, and put it back in my pocket, it was as if it had never been away. Now he is back to ignoring all wildlife and obsessing about where my hand is in relation to my pocket.

He does occasionally run on ahead in the woods, but never very far and he is always straining his ears to listen for the whistle. On the first pip he is turning back and by the third he is thundering back towards me thinking "BALL!!!" I prefer it this way.

Yes - Prince goes off and finds mischief if he doesn`t have a ball. If he has a ball he is responsive and well behaved. I think it`s because that is something we do together so he keeps me in the equation.. possibly.

It makes for a much more enjoyable walk, doesn't it?

Surely all training is based on "dependence" of something as a reinforcer?