[QuickSilver]

I always keep treats with me on walks, and we practice recall almost every day. That's usually one of our games. Thor will walk a little bit away from me, I call him back, and he comes barreling as fast as his little legs can run. That's part of what disturbed me so much when he didn't return - he'll stop sniffing a roast beef sandwich to come back to me, so I don't know how scared he must have been to stay away.

I think I am pretty good on obedience too. For instance, I make Thor sit/stay before he gets to go out of a door or gets his leash taken off. So on a trip to the park, he sits/stays for my apartment door, for the lobby door, for the car door, and in the park.

That's not to say he's the best trained dog you've ever seen, he's not. I would say he has almost zero "biddability". His attitude is 100% different if he thinks he's getting a treat.

There are two larger fields that I can take him to, though they are much further away. I could temporarily keep him on lead until he sorts himself out. For people who never let their dog off lead, do you not play fetch with your dogs? Or do you have yards? The parks I take him, all the owners take their dogs off lead, but their dogs are not running out into the street either.

Thor is also invariably the smallest dog in the park. I'm starting to wonder if this is because it's not safe for such small dogs to be outside. It makes me so sad for Thor. He is ALL doggy, and he is in this tiny little body.