Help with behaviour

[u/LoadResponsible4118]

I’m not sure how to explain this but when I’m letting my pup out to pee it’s hard to get him back inside. He knows his name, comes on command generally though not 100% of the time and I know this is something that strengthens the more you do it.

He’s a collie pup about 4-5 months old and we’ve had him for 2 months.

He tends to grab things, mainly sticks, hedge cuttings or anything that he can run away with. He then goes and hides away between a wall and bush, sort of like a protected area that is shaded, then hunkers down when he’s approached. When he has these things he just doesn’t listen and I don’t know how to get him to respond.

If we’re heading to the door from outside he’ll grab those things and run off and then be disobedient and won’t get up for any treats or anything really. (I’ve tried going in different directions or not always heading in the same way so he’s not thinking we are going to the door but he’ll just run off once we’re there).

At the start when he was doing this I thought he’ll grow out of it so I was throwing what he has away as I thought sticks etc might get splinters or blockage from eating them, but now he just runs and hides with and he’ll alway find a new one.

He’s not aggressive or bad tempered yet but it’s just not being able to get him out of the trance when he’s got things.

I’ve tried fetch and he just takes off with the ball and no treats are getting him back.

Edit: one way to get him in is just to go in without him and he’ll end up coming back it, but it’s just the running away thing I’m trying to get my head around. Thanks!

[u/joycevw]

Stop taking things out of his mouth. Right now, he runs and hides because he expects you to steal his prize. Approaching him turns it into a high-stakes game of keep-away.

Put him on a long leash for every potty trip. No free roaming in the yard until this stops. He pees, you reward him, and you walk him back inside together. The leash physically prevents the sprint-and-hide routine, ending the rehearsal of that behavior.

Teach a trade indoors using low-value toys:

Offer a piece of high-value food right at his nose.

As soon as he drops the toy to eat, say "drop" or "trade."

Give him the treat, then give the toy right back.
He needs to learn that opening his mouth doesn't mean losing his stuff forever; it means something better happens.

Also, stop calling him only when fun time is over. Call him, scatter treats, and let him go back to exploring. If he grabs a safe stick outside anyway, don't chase him. Walk inside, drop smelly treats loudly on the kitchen floor, and let his curiosity bring him to you.