One step forward, one step backward

I've been trying to get the auto check-in idea through to Grouchy, but I think we're starting at too hard of a level.  This is difficult because on our 2 walks yesterday, he did really well!  On our morning walk, it was just Grouchy and me and I had hot dogs.  He checked in with me at least once a minute, I think this is OK for me, every 10 seconds really does seem frequent.  On our afternoon walk, this time with Sassy too, Grouchy checked in too!  Not as frequent but not bad.  Our morning walk was at the Sand Plains loop, which had a dog walk it just before we got there (we saw the dog leave, we almost ran into it but I saw it first and Grouchy and I backtracked til we could cross paths unseen).  Our afternoon walk was at the Skidmore campus and there were few distractions around, being winter break and cold and all.  Although, at the end of our walk, I spotted a couple walking their dog too.  By some miracle, or the miracle of salmon jerky treats, both Grouchy and Sassy were so focused on the treat, they didn't notice or react to the dog.  I think this worked because we WERE doing auto check-ins just previously, and a good long stretch of them too!

So the backwards step was on this morning's walk.  Again, both Grouchy and Sassy, but at a very familiar loop trail by the mall.  Grouchy was only focused on sniffing the trail, I could tell there were dogs there probably yesterday.  So, I tried a few times just stopping and waiting until he looked back at me to give him a piece of salmon jerky and then proceed.  He never got the idea though.  Just kept focused on the trail.  In hindsight, for training purposes, I should have started trying to get his attention earlier, and perhaps stopped the walk if he didn't give it.  But, it was the only walk they were going to get today, I didn't have unlimited time, and I had Sassy with me.  So, what's the best solution in this case?  I'm not sure and this could be a very big problem, because, ideally, I would be able to take them each on separate hour long walks 2x a day.  But that is unrealistic, way too much time.

Meanwhile, Sassy was left alone for ~ 1 hour - after having been walked off-leash at the dog park for an hour.  In that hour, she pushed the slow cooker into the sink, somehow pushed the lid off to the counter and ate the leftover chili.  And then ate a bag of butterscotch candies, shredded some cardboard, tried some of my supplements and decided they weren't good enough to eat I guess, shredded some Ziploc baggies too.