Letting Beattie off the lead on a walk is becoming more of a game of 'cat and mouse' nowadays.  The problem is not that she runs off - she usually stays quite close, unless she finds something dead to roll about in, and then she will not come if I call.  I usually have to walk back and shoo her away.

No, the fun begins when I try to put her back on the lead.  She very quickly senses that I am trying to catch her and she will lay down as if she is submitting to the inevitable, but you can see that she is poised, muscles as taut as a clock spring, ready to fly as soon as I go near her!  I know it's going to happen and as soon as I put out my hand to catch her collar, she is off, up and running and barking excitedly!

The first time this happened, I found a stick which I would not give her until she would let me put on her lead.  That trick worked twice, but she had now got wise to that particular gambit and the third time she was not playing ball.  The stick was not a powerful enough reason to allow herself to be caught.  In desperation, I shouted at her, 'Do you want to see mummy?'

Poor A hates being called 'mummy' but Beattie knows the word and immediately she looked interested and I had her on the lead very quickly.

Yesterday, I was having the same problem but I tried a different tack.  I had 'treats' with me, but even a biscuit, which she loves, was not inducement enough to be captured straight away!  We had to go through the little charade where she would try to snatch the biscuit away from me and I held on tight with my other hand hoping to catch her by the collar.

Eventually, she gave in, but I had the feeling that it was her deciding to be caught and not being lured or tricked into it!  It's as if she was saying, All right, I've had my little game, now we can go home!'

In this game of 'cat and mouse', it seems to me that the roles are reversed!