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Play mouthing & ending play time

Behavioral Issues
  • Our 9 week old basenji loves to chew. For the most part, we've got this under control (by watching him carefully and replacing stuff he can't chew with stuff he can). Where we don't have this under control is when is comes to chewing us: every time he gets excited (ie play time) he starts nipping at us. He's not being aggressive, but it's still behaviour we'd like to "nip" in the bud. Lots of people seem to have had success with ignoring their dog for a little bit whenever he nips, so we'd like to try that, but we're unclear on a couple of points. First, how long do we ignore him for? And second, often he'll miss when he nips, sort of like snapping but much slower. Should we ignore him for this or wait until he actually connects?

  • How is your pup doing?

    Jennifer

  • On all but the mouthiness front, he's amazing - he's friendly with people and other dogs, he loves to sit in our laps (for now at least), and he's doing well in the basic commands we are teaching him. We're so happy to have him around! But ignoring him has given mixed results and little progress in the last week. Remi just turned ten weeks so we are not too worried yet. At the same time, it sure would be nice if we could solve it sooner rather than later. Also, any suggestions on your dog's favourite chew toys are welcome. We've got Remi some nylabones to gnaw on for the moment.

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    female til she squeeks and then lets go of her. Sometimes he uses this method to drag her out of the room. She has never done this to him.
  • Simple question about playing bitten each other

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    thanks clokatys, i must to say that here we got 35-40 C i think 95 F -104 F and even we get at 44 at top 111F So when its to hot my girls sleep on the floor getting fresh .. inside the house of course or inside a cartoon box that they like and even with these hot weather they take some sun baths. But they dont like so much the comfort beds at the day because is too hot. So i cant explain to me leaving them inside a crate, i think is too hot. I even let a fan directly to my bed so they can go there and sleep with the air. I let almost daily the tv or the computer with the radio on, so they got the same noises that get when im there. And i left some clothes or pijama over my bed in case that the smell give some comfort. I adopted Laika because dont want that Maca was alone all day sure, i dont have such advise here or i were getting a male. They sleep all day and are very happy at nights getting outside the house to walk and getting some fresh. The house is so hot on the second floor, but the first floor is more fresh and they spent the day on that place and can go outside to make pee well… Maca does, Laika dont.. Or can go to check the lizards or the neigbours dog, we have 5 months on these new house and some days i left separate.. pff i must do that today.. Maca was anxious and i fail to read that.. just know writing i get the idea that i must left one inside and one outside on the garden, that have a little roof to give shelter from the sun and the rain. Well, so i thinks is too hot and boring having them crate.. so i separate them when Maca is anxious and these is the days that i must do that. Will carry on checking their plays and stoping when is too much. I notice too, lately that sometimes one invite the other to play rolling and showing the belly so the other grab the neck of the one showing belly or try because the other escapes and then they switch. Some times Laika do that, i mean push Maca with her side and then Laika seek the belly position to escape asap. The day they fight was when i was leaving the house to work and was on january i think was the strees of the new house, i must left separte and fail to recognize that. I need to learn to read them. I hope wont find any injury bad. On weekends i spent all day at home and they sleep and play or go to take sun baths or follow me while i do my house chores and get happy at the door to take walks that days. Will carry on checking his plays.. will make a video so you can check the kind of plays, sure all with hunting practice..
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  • Bed time troubles…

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    Thanks for the advice foschatt! As I mentioned, my family went out of town for two weeks to Sweden. While they were away Dallas continues to sleep in my room while the other two dogs slept in my parent's room. Dallas' behavior greatly diminished during the two weeks. The first 3 mornings or so he would whine & pace. However, as he realized that the other dogs were not being fed until I got up either, he started sleeping in more. I really do think he wakes up & wants out when he hears my step dad getting up for work. My stepdad feeds the other two dogs [we tried having him not feed Dallas] around 5 AM when he is getting ready for work. Therefore, it is someone being up that has been causing him to wake up & whine to be let out. There is still a chance I may start putting him back in his crate to sleep. Problem is, he is kept crated during the day so I don't really find it fair for him to do both. I'm still working on it I suppose… He's gotten better but now that they are back in town he has already begun to regress. sigh Around 2 AM my stepdad let our family dogs out & in the process Dallas woke up & basically wouldn't go back to bed afterwards. I let him outside to pee for like 15 minutes. However, when we came back into the house he kept whining & pacing again. He didn't end up finally falling back asleep until after 3 AM! I am quite tired this AM I must say...
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