I thought it was time for a preliminary report on the progress of our new training approach for the pups. To recap...

Problem: The pups were being slightly unruly when turned outside. With Aisha being the worst offender, they'd run off to the neighbors and not respond to us when we tried to call them home.

Previous Approaches: We have tried everything from tying them up, to electric shock collars with little no to lasting improvement in behavior.

Current Approach: We turn the pups out individually. The worst offenders, Mer and Aisha, are outfitted with a cow bell that allows Tyler and I to locate them while they are outside. A silent dog whistle is used to alert them that a command is being issued. And, when they either respond to the command or return to the house, they are rewarded with a peanut butter puppy treat.

Results:
Shiro has had a marked improvement under the new system. He goes outside for 10-20 minutes. Then, scratches at the front door when he is done and wants to come inside. Although, he was naughty and ran over to the neighbors' yard this morning, he did come back at a dead run when he was called.

Kain has continued his normal good behavior. He goes outside and returns to the house when he has completed his business.

Mer has also shown improvment. I haven't caught him sneaking off to the neighbors yet. He seems to limit his roaming to the woods. He also returns within 10-20 minutes looking for a treat. Since he doesn't scratch at the door, the cow bell helps let us know when he wants back inside.

Aisha has also shown a LOT of improvement. She still treks over to the neighbors' yards. But, she has started to respond to our commands when off the leash. We figure getting her to come back is half the battle. Once we conquer that, we'll return to defining her boundaries. The cow bell also helps us keep track of her while she is outside. This helps increase our odds of recovery.

Overall, the pups seem to be responding to the new approach. For their last two outings, they've been able to go out unsupervised. Which, has been very nice since the temperatures have dipped to well below freezing.