Hi folks,

I'm currently visiting my parents and thought I'd take the opportunity to seek some help with an ongoing problem they're having with Bryn, their boxer. They got him about a year ago from the dogs' home. He had been a stray and was about 18 months old. Ever since they got him he's been very well behaved in the house and garden, and is calm when tied up, but from the start he was completely wild if taken out on a walk. This led us to think that he'd never been walked by his previous owners.

He used to bark at everything, pull (he's pulled both my parents over at times - he's big for a boxer), go round in circles on the end of his lead, etc. They've been taking him to training classes religiously for a year and his behaviour's much improved - he's still a bit silly, but he walks fairly well to heel now and doesn't bark anywhere near as much.

The one problem that's never improved is probably the reason he was a stray in the first place - he runs away. If he gets off his lead or manages to sneak out of an open door he just legs it. He'll stop and sniff around, but if he sees one of us or hears us calling him he just grins and runs off. We usually have to chase after him and shout a passer-by to grab him for us. At first we thought that he just needed time, but all his other behavioural problems have improved so much and this has not. It's almost like a habit - he just switches off and runs. He's crossed main roads and it's just luck he's not been killed or caused a pile-up. There are one or two fenced fields where he is let off, but it's still very hit and miss whether he'll come when called or not.

He ran away again this morning (luckily he ran past a school and a man taking his son to school caught him) and we're all at our wits' end. I keep telling Mum and Dad to give him time, but there's been so little improvement and his running away is so dangerous they're getting very fed up with it. The only time he showed any improvement was when a friend of the family gave them an e-collar (I know how controversial they are - I've been reading threads on the forums about them. I didn't know about this and I have very mixed feelings). However after he'd dunked it in the canal a few times it stopped working and now he's running away again as much as ever.

So - does anybody have any tips for stopping this dangerous habit? He's not at all motivated by food when he's outside, and he's quite independent so he doesn't pay much attention to us even if we've got treats. Mum's talking about getting another e-collar, and even though I've always been against them I wonder if it might be the only option to avoid him getting run over or causing an accident.

Mum and Dad have had dogs for years and years, and have had boxers before, but none of us have ever encountered a problem like this.

The main reason a dog will stray is because it's either bored or anxious, what actually motivates him? If anything at all? He may have been left in a home for long periods of time before being placed with your parents...

Have you thought about taking him to agility? Boxers excell extremely well in this

Our old girl does this when she off in the fields although now shes 7 she's slowed down alot. We use to take her for walks on long/extendable lead so she couldnt run off and after a while she settled and now although she doesnt always come when called if we walk off she does follow and doesnt run to far from us when off lead.
Our youngest has run off a few times from the garden if gate is open but luckily she doesnt go far and there isnt much traffic where we are, usually with her, a rattle on food bowl brings her running.

He seems to have alot of energy to burn, maybe he needs to have alot of runs in a safe area(hopefully he will be to tired to run out then!!!)

I wonder if it was boredom in his previous home that started the habit and now it's pretty ingrained? It's like this strange blind spot he has, where he's very definitely runningaway - if he thinks you might be following him he doesn't stop and sniff around, he just runs!

He does get a fair bit of exercise with Mum and Dad - Mum is retired and keeps ponies, so every time she goes to feed them she takes him with her and walks home the long way to give him more of a walk because she has to tie him up in the field. Dad walks him when he gets in from work too (in a fenced field where he can be let off), and they sometimes do agility at training classes (sometimes he's brilliant apparently, and other times he just wanders off).

We haven't found anything that motivates him much outdoors - he does try to play with his lead, but if you let him off he doesn't want to play - he just wants to leg it! And he's not bothered about actual toys.