(In the above picture I cheated--I had a treat in my hand.)
(Food overrides all rules.)
If there was a squirrel in the vicinity, however, he would be GONE. As in GONE WITH THE WIND (or at least across town).
We had an experience with a squirrel the other day. Generally, when I'm bringing him in from being on his tie-out he's so frantic to get inside that he races up to the door and dances around waiting for someone to open said door. I don't have to hold his collar, and he can run as fast as he likes to the door.
But two days ago, he saw A SQUIRREL. I had already let go of his collar, because 99.9% of the time he DOES run to the door, and...well...he was gone.
Gone as in to the apple orchard, where he proceeded to fling himself at a tree and stare up at the wild creature in its leafy depths.
Fortunately the rule that 'food trumps all reason' still held, even though he KNEW that I was trying to catch him and spent about seven minutes playing keep-away. I pretended to have a treat, his overwhelming greed overcame him, and the game of keep-away was concluded.
(And yes, we were on a tennis court in these pictures--it's a great place to let him run and teach him to come when called, because of the fences. AND IT'S FREE. :D)
Your hostess,
The Fox