Rusty is an approximately 2 year-old Jack Russell mix that I adopted from a local shelter about a month ago. He ended up in the shelter after being taken as a stray running the streets. He gets a high-quality dog food (Blue Buffalo), along with a variety of treats and the occasional table scrap. He free feeds [this will be changing soon for other reasons], so I know he isn't hungry. He has his puzzle toys, we play fetch and other games together regularly and he has plenty of chewables (rawhide, marrow bones, hooves). Twice a week he goes to doggie daycare.
He goes to obedience school, and is an excellent student. He knows the commands leave it and take it like a pro. You can even put a goodie on his paw when he is in a down/stay and he won't touch it until you tell him to take it.
Unfortunately, all that wonderful training goes out the window when we are walking. We don't have a fenced in yard, so all of our time outside is spent walking - two 30-minute (minimum) exercise walks and 5-6 potty walks daily. His nose is constantly to the ground, and if he finds something he thinks is yummy, there is no stopping him - short of physically restraining him from getting to it or pulling him away from it. And I'm sure I don't help matters, because I panic at what he might be picking up. So we end up with a battle of wills - him fixated on what he wants and me fighting to keep him from it. I know there has to be a better way. (I realize he had to do this to survive as a stray, but that's not his life anymore.) And I'm hoping you all can help me find it!
My dog is a scavenger
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