Park life

Yesterday, while filming a short item for BBC South News in Farnborough I witnessed a very strange event. In the middle of the park was a beautiful Wire Fox Terrier apparently doing a perfect sit stay. In the car park some distance away were two women sitting in a car who the dog was watching intensely.
My husband and kids were keeping warm in the car, eager to get off to the cinema and they were watching this scene while I was doing my interview. Eventually curiosity got the better of them and they decided to ask the women what was occurring.
Turns out this happens most days. Their dog decides he's not coming home and does this sit protest for sometimes several hours. If they approach, he runs off and sits a little further away. He isn't remotely interested in food so that hasn't worked. Their only hope is if someone with a dog comes along, he'll then either run over to the dog and make friends and then can be caught or he'll be afraid of the dog sufficiently to run to the car for safety.
Isn't it amazing that they've put up with this situation without stopping letting him off the lead in the first place or investing in a Flexi lead!
They confessed to some days giving up, going home and coming back a bit later when they hope he's got bored. They say he used to run after the car and jump in if they started to leave, but even that has stopped working recently.
What would you advise them to do next?
They confessed they have vented their frustration on him when they have finally got him back so that may be part of the syndrome.
I don't have their contact details but I guess we could always leave a copy of the magazine in the car park for them to read as they do seem to spend a lot of time there!
What would you tell them to do.... sounds like something like doggie Relate is needed!
Beverley Cuddy, Editor