Basenji Training

Thanks Susan, I'll try that as well. Nige already chewed through a bit of his. When we walk passed this darned male Shepard mix that is always left outside, unattended, off leash, in the yard that backs up to open space trail, Nigel spins around and catches his leash or his easy walk in his mouth. It takes a second for me to calm him down and have him sit and shake for a treat or to just keep walking while I stare the dog down and tell him to go home.Hopefully that makes a better fit. Take care, Greg

And you might want to try putting it outside and try getting her to go on it there and then try moving in inside….

I saw a thread in Books (I think) called Basenji Owner's Manual that some of the members are saying is pretty good. Keep in mind that Lilu is part Shepherd too. She may end up with some behavioral traits of that breed as well. Surf the puppy sections too…lots of great information there.:)

Welcome to all of you. So exciting with a new pup.. Look through the puppy threads and also the training threads..lots of info to read.. Where in TX are you, I am in Houston, if you are close, it would be fun to meet up..

@Tayda_Lenny: Thanks for the recommendation - Ive never heard of equine pine before but i went to the tractor supply website and there is a store about 20 minutes from me so I'll go check it out! I think it is a good idea to try ….. better IMO then paper if it works for her

I can see why you are proud that is a large WAY TO GO. Zest your great. Rita Jean

That was very nice for a first try. She will improve greatly as she becomes more seasoned. Beautiful little gal. You're doing well with her. Heck, just getting a Basenji to do all that is a triumph. I thought it was cute how she went around to greet the judges. Such a little ambassador.:D

Yay glad to see some more local interest! As far as training, there is a group called SONG (Sighthounds of North Georgia) that does informal practices once a month or so depending on man power & weather. These practices are a great way to introduce a new dog to the lure. However, for most dogs its an instinctual thing & they don't need much training. Lola & Callie both caught on to it their first time. I just let them both watch other dogs doing it first, then let them go & they did their thing. Website for SONG: http://www.nghounds.info/index_files/Page430.htm It doesn't get updated frequently, but go to the lure coursing practice tab, scroll to the bottom & there are instructions to get on the e-mail list for upcoming practices. Hope to see you lure coursing soon!

how can you weave such stories and have no pictures!! ?? ;) we need pictures….

One of the games my instructor plays during graduation class is Musical Settles. Kind of like musical chairs except the one eliminated is the one whose dog lays down last after the owner sits, which is the only cue the dog gets. My basenjis have always done poorly at this game because they hate laying down on cold ground and though they will offer a sit, down is usually more than they are willing to do. Which is okay with me, we always kick butt at the recall game, basenjis are wicked fast! Anyway, at one of the many graduation days that we have attended we amazed everyone by making it all the way to the final two and then even more amazement when me and Nicky won. That was the only time my instructor made a basenji related comment which was, "See how practice and reinforcement pays off, the basenji won musical settles!"

I've heard good things about it. I read some of the author's articles in CleanRun. I did not buy the book. I asked a friend about it and she told me it was good, but basic.

Congrats Sophie ! Kathryn and all the Jaroufa Hounds Home of UKC Kiroja Chicago Hood at Jaroufa,SGRC2,JOR.ORC #1 2008 LGRA/NOTRA

@Ann: Hi Dan. Thanks for your feedback. Noel will be 5 in November. (I don't know how she spent her first 4 years.) Our fence is 6' so other dogs can't get in…it's her reaction to them that could cause problems. I'm sort of a hyper worrier since Noel has a weak front leg. It was badly broken in December and, when there's squirrel/dog activity around the yard or in the alley behind us, she forgets about her leg and goes into a full run and jump mode. It's great to see her fly over our 2' stone ledge and run the periphery of yard like a guard dog or chase a squirrel back to its tree, but if left outside alone all day there's the potential that she'll overdo it and tire out her leg to the point of pain. I know I'm sounding over-protective...The vet recommends plenty of exercise but in small doses to avoid the fatigue thing. (I'll be posting some queries soon in relation to this!) OK Ann, now I see your dilemma here. This is a tuff one keeping a Basenji still or low activity especially when you're not there. The only other thing you could do is set up a kennel run or large dog pen to reduce the area. see this picture. http://www.seefido.com/html/dog_kennel_runs_pen_fence_.htm

@Basenjimamma: I agree, training has got to be the biggest part in this equation, then the type of harness/collar. Ultimately do we not want the dogs to obey what we want them to do, as supposed to have a gear that forces them to do what you want them to do? Yes, training is key. But not all animals respond the same way to the same thing. Sometimes it is trial and error as to what works best for which dog. In my house, it is individual even with the types of treat that work - Ruby prefers cheese, Brando beef liver, and Liyah chicken. IMHO, same with collars and leads.

Actually I have bought the muzzles in Austria at that shop: http://www.sofahund.at And yes, the dogs can open their mouths while running. This is the reason why I searched to find these muzzles. They also have the plastic-coated wire muzzles with the wire across the head. Regards, Esther

Sometimes it's more a matter of teaching us than teaching them :D

I can't really afford to go down there and take time off work, but it is tempting. My club has weight pulls up here though, so if we have some extra money this weekend that's what I'll be doing. lol I wouldn't expect many, if any Basenji people at the Oberlin trial. You're more likely to see a few folks though at the trials in the Dayton area. (Yellow Springs, Fairborn, etc.) There is an ASFA trial south of Detroit the second weekend of October. I'm planning on being there if you want to come? :)

Both of my Basenjis - aged 4 and 2 – sleep ALL THE TIME. If they are not actively playing, they are napping. They go to bed between 10 and 11 PM, and unless I have someplace to go in the morning, I just open their crate in the morning and they usually come out around 9 AM. They'll go out to potty, come in and eat, and within half an hour or so are in their chairs napping. If the weather is good, they'll head out to sleep in the yard where they will remain for hours on end. They love to sleep!

An Akita was the first dog we noticed that about. It was only a 10 month old, but it ran right next to Shaye, touching her all the way and looking down at her, and kept turning her to the right - I don't really know whether it was trying to get Shaye back to the place we were sitting or whether it was an aggressive move, but the result was the same. There is a Shepard here in the neighborhood we live in. When the man who walks it passes by us, he has to practically get down and physically hold the dog, because it tries to charge Shaye, ears back, hackles up, barking its head off. I don't know if it's like that with other dogs. At the park, there was a young Shepard who initially started playing with Shaye, but when Shaye went up like she does and came down around the dog's neck area, it lowered to the ground, bared its teeth, growled and scared me to death, I thought I was about to see Shaye get picked up and shaken to death in those jaws. It was not in a playing mood any more. So, I figure better safe than sorry. The man who owns the Akita who was herding Shaye told me Akitas are bred to be guard dogs and are naturally aggressive in initial meetings - so why he had that dog at a public park is beyond me.

Yay Rocky, that's my boy! Congrats Kathryn, and thanks for all that you do with him. I'm so glad he has such a wonderful home that lets him do what he loves to do! He finally gets the trophy that he technically earned last year too. lol