Good news! I got out the long leash and decided that rather than me direct them, I let them direct me. So now I walk around holding the leash slack and just follow them. Boomer adjusted to it really well. We go around and I let him lead but rather than say, "no," or, "come here," when they venture too far away, I just let the line go taut. Now ordinarily this is when they freak but I changed how I did it this time. I put my hands in my pocket so they couldn't see my hand holding the leash. I turned my back on them and yawned a few times or looked up at the sky; anything to send calming signals and to make it appear I wasn't the one restraining them. Boomer did a little dance for a while but not nearly so bad as before and eventually pooped and peed! I could even call him toward me and get him to come inside. Loads of praise and a treat for that! Tweeter was less sure about it but eventually he too pooped and peed and I discovered that what he was really afraid of was the coiled line in my hand. I wrapped most of the line around my hand rather than hold it in a coil and he relaxed a great deal. While he did pull or cower from the lead on occasion, we at least made headway. I couldn't get him to come inside but it's a start.
The one discouraging development is Tweeter's desire to pee in the house immediately after we come in, usually right after I take off the leash and am hanging my coat but before he gets back to the crate. He'll do this even if he's peed just minutes ago. During the day I let them do business and then let them walk around or explore for a bit before we come in so they don't feel that elimination is the end of outside time but at night I keep it much shorter so they don't become too alert not to go back to sleep. I'm a bit puzzled with Tweeter's relapse. To block the behavior I'm taking off the leash while holding him in my arms and then carrying him back to the crate where he's then able to hold it for at least another two hours. I'd like to be able to trust him outside of the crate, but he has no trouble peeing on the floor whenever he feels like it; even minutes after he's supposedly empty. It seems he doesn't yet think of the house as part of his den. Boomer has done this too, though less frequently. He likes to come out of his crate and then follow me toward the door but then make a detour down the side hall and go pee in another room! They used to both follow me straight out the door and then straight back to the crates but it appears they've decided the house is a place where it's ok to eliminate.
Are you single b/c the ladies will love it 