2yr old Basenji nipping problem HELP!

[joli78]

our Basenji Koufax recently got kicked out of daycare because he kept nipping at the workers (to get them to play). They said he also has issues with nipping other dogs.

Koufax is a such a great dog he never growls and only nips to get you to play. He is never aggressive over food, toys…anything out of possessiveness.

I dont think Koufax knows when to stop playing when he is in the "zone". Sometimes the other dogs growl and he will keep trying to play. How do we train him to understand enough is enough? Its like sometimes he has no stop button. Im afraid he will get badly injured all in the vain of just wanting to play...

My boyfriend has all but given up on daycare and thinks Koufax needs a playmate aka another basenji(female puppy pref). Is this a good idea? Will Koufax annoy them... or do basenjis adapt better to other basenjis? Has anyone out there added additional basenjis to the family or had a basenji that just wont stop playing?

[sharronhurlbut]

What does Koufax breeder suggest?

[MacPack]

When we got Eddie he was almost 3 and friendly but not well socialized with other dogs. He did the same thing, nipped to get someone to chase him. If the other dog was OK and willing to chase him and they played well, fine, but if not, I leashed him and gave a time out. It took a long time but he finally stopped nipping so much; but he also became less playful. He only knew one way and has not really learned any other play patterns. He still will nip a little to get play started, but if the other dog growls, he will stop.

As for nipping humans, he needs to stop, he could nip the wrong person and be labeled a biter and get a fine. We call it a nip, but many feel that if a dog has his open mouth and teeth on them, it is a bite. I have heard (never used it myself) that a citronella spray is very useful in stopping nipping. Doesn't harm the dog, just makes them go "yuck".

But as Sharron said, if you have contact with his breeder, ask what they suggest.

[agilebasenji]

I'm going to suggest (surprise!) Control Unleashed. If you are fortunate, you can find a CU class. If you cannot, there are 2 CU dvds, a CU book and a CU list through yahoo groups. You can find the book/dvd through dogwise.com or cleanrun.com. If you get the book, read it at least twice. I'm going to suggest lots of Whiplash turn, Leave it, Relaxation Protocal and the OFF SWITCH games. I put the Off Switch game in all caps for a reason as I think you will benefit greatly from this, but do the others too.

[joli78]

Thanks so much guys! We will try some of these suggestions and keep you updated on the results

[DebraDownSouth]

Well, ouch… Cara is extremely mouthy and does the nipping for Arwen to play. Arwen puts her in her place fast, so that helps. I have worked on her having a very soft mouth, and she leaves no marks, is careful. But she will hold my hand in her mouth as she goes to sleep rubbing me with her tongue, lol. I do love it.

However, teaching no bite is critical if there is a problem. My friend Kathy worked with a few of my friends who had problems with mouthy nippers. Hope this article helps. If not, you can write her directly.

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=1128&S=1&SourceID=47

You also have to teach him a new way to get attention. Such as come SIT in front of you. THEN PLAY. Nip? Ignore.
http://k9deb.com/nilif.htm

[Buddys Pal]

I was just watching Uzie play, and was reminded of Buddy and B's in general. Uzie jumped and nipped the withers of his housemate Candi and though she is very forgiving, the nip only got the play to an escalated non-play and growl that I extinguished right away before any aggression. That is the B way of playing. Another B may be the best answer for you if you can manage. Playing is better exercise than any walk on the leash we can give them anyway. They tire themselves out, and Bingo, you got happy, napping Basenjis.

[Kananga]

My B is also a bit nippy at times, but he's learned (over time) to be more gentle. I think Basenjis in general have this type of mentality with playing (as it seems common within the breed). I suppose the key thing is managing the behavior and not letting it escalate to being too rough.

I agree on the last post about playing vs. walking. I can take my Basenji on a walk for a solid hour and he won't be very tired. Encourage a few B-500s and play a few games with my B and he'll be napping in no time.

I think the short bursts of high intensity exercises become more effective at wearing these guys out. Just my opinion though.

[Kipawa]

@Kananga:

I agree on the last post about playing vs. walking. I can take my Basenji on a walk for a solid hour and he won't be very tired. Encourage a few B-500s and play a few games with my B and he'll be napping in no time.

I think the short bursts of high intensity exercises become more effective at wearing these guys out. Just my opinion though.

I totally agree. In the course of Kipawa's day, we go to an off-leash dog park so he can run like crazy. For the evening walk, we do controlled leash walking. He is definitely more tired after the off leash play time where he runs like a bat out of hell!