When he 'acts' ready take him off the chain and walk him by. If he still 'acts' ready it may be his time. It is baby steps from there. The only issue with using an object to start them up is they may be starting for the wrong reasons. With that said, everyone knows an 'old guy', and everyone points toward the same goals but uses a different route to get there. I have never used an object to start one but that does not mean it can't be done successfully. And this may for my own personal warm fuzzies, but I like to think he is out there starting up because he wants to start from deep within, not an external motivator. But like I said, I have never done it so I can't say right or wrong, yes or no, or even good or bad. Good post and interesting topic. EWO