Let me in or I'll poop

Basenji Training

  • He only came once and didn't do much training but play and admire Champ. Yeah I know what are we paying for. But now he's gonna do this, no fee, and will show us about crate training, walking and using the citrus collar for the nipping. We will see more this Sun. when the introduction has now been done and the real "trianing" can begin.


  • Weellll…..you get what you pay for ;) Honestly, don't let him do anything to your dog that you are uncomfortable with. Anyone can call themselves a dog trainer, and sometimes owners are too embarrassed to say 'stop doing that to my dog'. But you have to be your dog's advocate, and protector. Some training methods can, and do make behaviors worse that people were trying to fix.


  • @luzmery928:

    Let me give you the run down…When my daughter comes home he jumps at her and nipps her anywhere...If she plays, he'll play nice but might start nipping if he gets really excited..he'll jump up and nip. When we pet him, he dosen't usually nip but might start licking then he'll start the nipping. If someone new comes into the house he'll jump up and nip. But he dosen't nip if lets say we take away a toy, carry him, nothing that to my experience would fall under the aggressive category. Even if we pull something away from him, he won't nip at us per say but will kind of nip to just play

    Well here's my 2 cents and mind you I'm not a professional trainer either. The behavior Champ is having with your daughter sounds like the exact same "crap" my Duke would do to my son (8 yrs old) last year. This forum wasn't around when I was going thru this. But here's what I did, based on advice I got from Jean Skaggs. She really knows Basenji behavior. I told my son to just get up and walk away slowly. No eye contact, no verbage, no interaction or even a reprimand. Otherwise, the basenji is being rewarded with even negative attention. If they get nothing for bad behavior, they get no attention-reward, and stop the behavior. Only desireable behavior should get them attention-reward. He's been in tears over this and I didn't like to see my boy mad and frustrated. I've had to remind-remind-remind my son of how to handle Duke's crazy behavior. I've even had to teach his visiting friends.

    You might want to follow some nipping advice I got from Ms. Skaggs that is listed on the Basenji Companion link: http://basenjicompanions.org/tips/aggression/nipping.html
    Jean's approach for nipping worked like a charm for us. Everyone had to be on deck for this to work.

    Good luck with this one.


  • @Quercus:

    Weellll…..you get what you pay for ;) Honestly, don't let him do anything to your dog that you are uncomfortable with. Anyone can call themselves a dog trainer, and sometimes owners are too embarrassed to say 'stop doing that to my dog'. But you have to be your dog's advocate, and protector. Some training methods can, and do make behaviors worse that people were trying to fix.

    Oh no, you better believe noone will be doing anything that we are not comfortable with. We will be present throughout his entire training/playday (I think the guy is doing this more for his own entertainment/research). We'll give him a trial basis since he can help with some details we might be over looking. But no Champ is our priority and we won't be embarresed if it means the best for our B


  • @luzmery928:

    Oh no, you better believe noone will be doing anything that we are not comfortable with. We will be present throughout his entire training/playday (I think the guy is doing this more for his own entertainment/research). We'll give him a trial basis since he can help with some details we might be over looking. But no Champ is our priority and we won't be embarresed if it means the best for our B

    Just have to say, if you're not comfortable with him from the outset, don't give him a test drive. You could end up with a more messed up dog than you started with. There are lots and lots of good trainers out there-go with someone you're comfortable with.


  • Thanks Duke for this respond since I have not read threads concerning older kids and B's. I am definetly going to check that link out. My daughter is so frustrated by his behavior. We were trying to figure out y he is this way with her and thought maybe it had to do with the fact that she did not spend alot of time with him and he wanted to play nut yeaturday when she came home from school it was unbearable for her so she had to go in her room and well he peeded and pooped because he was left alone. So then I thought maybe it's because he thinks he's her owner since we play and cuddle with him and she is often doing her own thing (teenagers) so last night we all layed in bed together and he was left on the floor. Eventually he was allowed on the bed and they played for a while, he tried the nipping but eventually gave up and layed doen right on her chest. Oh by the way our little Champ no longer responds to the water bottle. He has realized it is just water and can be licked off so now HE LIKES IT!!!AGHHHH…tonight I'm stopping at a pet store for some bitter apple.


  • @nomrbddgs:

    Just have to say, if you're not comfortable with him from the outset, don't give him a test drive. You could end up with a more messed up dog than you started with. There are lots and lots of good trainers out there-go with someone you're comfortable with.

    Believe me I lost sleep because of this and my thought were no I don't want to use him. Although this is also due the fact that I was against crating (He will be bringing a crate with him) but my husband seemed to like him and he was recommended through the rescue so we'll wait and see. I would like to think that I know my B by now so I'll definelty be looking for any signs he might not be comfortable as well. Thanks for your concern and I will be sure to stop anything before it gets to the point of causing any negative response from my B and from us.


  • Crate's are fine,try not to be too uptight. (If they're crate trained properly) The trainer should be putting something in the crate to distract him when he's in there. (maybe a kong toy with a little bit of peanut butter stuck way up inside. This works as distraction for most dogs but not all. If he has severe anxiety this probably will not work.) If the trainer just throws him in there without trying distraction-get rid of him-he's not there to help your dog. Just to let you know, most dogs will eventually think of the crate as a den. (I say most because even though I am a trainer and a behaviourist my female B still poops in her crate and then disposes of it. She hates the crate!! That's does not mean she is not crated when I need her to be. She is crated when we travel, at dog shows, and in hotel rooms for the most part. I don't let her get her way all the time!)


  • @luzmery928:

    Thanks Duke for this respond since I have not read threads concerning older kids and B's. I am definetly going to check that link out. My daughter is so frustrated by his behavior. We were trying to figure out y he is this way with her and thought maybe it had to do with the fact that she did not spend alot of time with him and he wanted to play nut yeaturday when she came home from school it was unbearable for her so she had to go in her room and well he peeded and pooped because he was left alone. So then I thought maybe it's because he thinks he's her owner since we play and cuddle with him and she is often doing her own thing (teenagers) so last night we all layed in bed together and he was left on the floor. Eventually he was allowed on the bed and they played for a while, he tried the nipping but eventually gave up and layed doen right on her chest. Oh by the way our little Champ no longer responds to the water bottle. He has realized it is just water and can be licked off so now HE LIKES IT!!!AGHHHH…tonight I'm stopping at a pet store for some bitter apple.

    If the scenario with your daughter is similar as it was with my son - it is likely because he gets attention from her. (even negative attention = reward to basenji) My guess is she responds to his behavior like my son did possibly with pushing and anger with words and eye contact?? Basenji thinks "If I nip, I get attention." (reward). If your daughter paid no attention when Champ nips, say she comes home, hangs up coat and sits at kitchen table with her books and ignores Champ. Champ goes away. Give him a few minutes of being good leaving her alone, then ask her to give Champ a nice hello and pet. If he nips again - same routine, no attention. I had to remind my son repeatedly to do this routine because his first instinct to being nipped is to retaliate with aggression. There are many training tips on the Basenji Companions website.


  • Yeah well Champ dosen't give up. She's done the ignoring but he dosen't stop. Only option is to go in her room. I mean he'll even start taking her books if she's doing homework. Maybe a baby gate will help in this case since he can't get to her but still see her. We can use it as a time out.


  • Nomrbddgs…yes I completly agree about the toys, distraction, in the crate. This is something I am going to discuss with the guy when he comes Sun. I'm not gonna allow for him to tell me what to do only on his terms. We will work together. I have finally come to accept the crain..well at least enough to work with it and am glad to know that not all dogs like them and this is o.k. I just keep telling myself it is good for us all and hey I'm sure my daughter dosen't like all our rules but we do what's best.


  • Does anyone reading these strands think that this might be a dominant behavior? Like Champ is trying to win dominance over the daughter? Our B did this with my son (who is 7) for a while until we practiced some things that teaches the dog is not the dominant one over ANY human in our house. It almost sounds like the same scenario.


  • Along with no-bite methods, of course. Which we just held her snout firmly and told her no bite and stopped play which worked for us.


  • yes I believe it's also a dominance behavior with him (I don't like that word it seems ike he's being aggresive) but anyway I also held held snout when he did this (also hard to do-that B is quick)and he tested me again and I did it again except this time he let out a yelp but I don't think I hurt it at least I hope I didn't. Two yelps and he stopped the nipping. But see we are not playing with him so we ignore but he keeps it up. Is my B the only one with sharp teeth, cause these nips hurt and because they hurt it's nearly impossible to ignore.


  • Well, if the water bottle doesn't work anymore, how about coins taped inside a tin can that you throw down on the floor. It is supposed to startle them and change thinking direction. Otherwise, somewhere in this forum was a suggestion to use those caps that you buy at carnivals, especially if you don't want to keep getting up. You just throw them on the floor and they make a loud pop sound. Sorry luzmery928, I'm all out of ideas. Please don't try an idea and give up too quickly - choose one that seems workable from the start and stick with it for atleast week. Also, get bossy ;) and make everyone in the house follow your rule on it. Good luck!


  • thanks. Well I'm now moving on to the bitter apple and that can idea sounds good. I will update.


  • I want to make sure you understand you don't spray the bitter apple at the dog…you put it on whatever the dog is trying to chew on :)

    And just to be perfectly clear...ignoring the behavior means silently GET UP, leave the puppy. If you just stay where you are, yes, he will continue to bite.

    And, no you aren't the only one whose puppy teeth hurt like heck. My husband just got bit on the nose because he decided to cuddle an excited puppy next to his face??? why...I don't know!


  • Well thanks for telling me that cause I thought the bitter apple was used like the water spray. (Noone worry I would have read the instructions before use). Well them I guess I better buy the family size so we can bathe in the stuff. I do think the gate will work well with the nipping so we can get up and seclude him from us, like a time out.


  • @spitfirekrl1:

    Along with no-bite methods, of course. Which we just held her snout firmly and told her no bite and stopped play which worked for us.

    A lot of people recommend this…but in the case of my worst play biter, it just made him more wound up. But for some dogs, that is all the correction they need. I have found that with most people if they are complaining about play biting, they have one of these over the top, play biting maniacs like my first Basenji was.


  • @Quercus:

    I have found that with most people if they are complaining about play biting, they have one of these over the top, play biting maniacs like my first Basenji was.

    You are describing Duke! :eek: He just kept getting more, and more wound up when I tried to closing his muzzle - it made his/my problem worse. All the screaming "NO BITE!!" and muzzle holding for nothing - It just made me mad!! :mad: At my wits end, the passive aggressive approach worked best. :) Glad he finally has some respect for us now - :rolleyes:

Suggested Topics

  • How I 'trained' my Basenji 'Antigone'

    Basenji Training
    25
    0 Votes
    25 Posts
    21k Views
    AntigoneA
    Good Morning Debra, I do not feel as if have to defend why my HUGE dogs from the Dog Pound hated their crates. I still have an assortment of dog and cat crates from huge to small. Whenever my Basenji went to the Vet (which was often as she was a Cancer survivor and also had a seizure disorder which meant she had to take Phenobarbital 3x per day) of course she went in her crate. She didn't like it and complained until she fell asleep but she was in her crate. Big dogs from the Pound hate crates as it makes them feel extremely nervous as the crate is often like their cage in the Pound. Furthermore, it is not really safe to take a big dog that you don't know that well and put him in a crate; a great way to get bitten. I have had Malamutes, Rottweilers, Rough and Smooth Coated Collies, a Bull Mastiff and 2 Akitas. I know dogs. People call me when there is a Wolf or a nice dog that has been dumped by its owner and I usually end up rescuing it and finding a new home for him. I rarely get females for some reason. Regarding Amanda, she is the least famous person I know, I was not trying to impress anyone, I just included her as we rescue horses together and I got one of my Wolves from her. My Horse charity is a Charity. It is by Law and I am able to accept donations as I do what I say I do which is Rescue, Rehab, Re-Train and Re-Home horses. The rehab can take years and I have one 'Lifer' because she is so messed up health wise she will never have a saddle on her back because she weighs 950lbs and she should weigh 1100lbs. She has Gastric Ulcers from being drugged at the track. She is the 'Secretariat' great granddaughter. The Rescue is a 501©(3) Public Corporation and we pay taxes to the State and the Feds. That is why we are allowed to accept donations. I pay $1450.00 PER MONTH to BOARD the horses in the rescue. Donations have been down, clearly due to the economy but the horses get all they need including their joint supplements. Crate training is not something I find important for inside the house. In the car, yes! My big dogs have always ridden in their huge crates in the back of the car and fell asleep. We used to walk to the Vet. Antigone really hated being confined and let me know only the way a Basenji can, she shrieked just to let me know she was still the Alpha. I know how to use crates and I use them in the car but not in the house. My dogs and cats were all very long lived except for Howly so I think I can say I KNOW HOW TO KEEP THEM SAFE, HEALTHY, HAPPY, AND WELL. :) Antigone
  • Halti's

    Basenji Training
    16
    0 Votes
    16 Posts
    5k Views
    LyshL
    @CanisBasenjius: Lysh, You didn't say why the trainer suggested a Halti. To what end? I normally only recommend the Halti to owners of large dogs who are having serious pulling or reactivity problems. If Hope pulls, I prefer the Sense-ation or Wonder Walker to the Easy Walk, as I do not like the martingale effect on the EW and feel it gives less clear feed back and they seem to require more frequent adjusting for fit. WRT spitting out treats I have two thoughts: Try higher value (think real food, like boiled chicken) She may be slightly anxious and unable to accept food One of my dogs is an anxious fellow and usually cannot accept food in certain environments because he is too "on". It took roughly 2 years of living in our new neighborhood before he could accept food on our walks. Just a thought there. It took me a long time to realize that's what was going on with him. She has a lovely play style. Lots of give and take. Love that! Hi Thanks for the information. I agree with you and wasnt too interested in using a Halti on her and would prefer the easy walker etc. The reasoning she suggested we try the halti is because she wouldnt settle down and was basically like a fire cracker on the end of the lead no matter what you did and no matter the treat value, her food, liver treats, meat etc. But i took into consideration that it was a new place, other puppies and her 2nd outing and that shes a basenji, possibly even that she was bored. (maybe the trainer hadnt as all the other puppies where much more "easier" to calm down?) I think she was overwhelmed by everything as-well because by the next lesson, she was top of the class and even demo dog. She was calm and happy and vocal when she wanted to be. She done everything to a T. So we did not bother with the halti. Now that she is fully vaccinated and we have been out and about i walk her in a harness and she is a perfect little puppy apart for the occasional "omg its a bird" … yank! she even does anything strangers ask of her (sit, drop, stay etc). She accepts food whenever we are out and gladly ate her lunch at our recent fundraiser pet markets event for the RSPCA (attached some pics) Im very happy with her progress and we are starting puppy primary school for 6wks next month and then we are beginning agility and obedience classes. :) [image: attachment_p_120540_0_hope.jpg] [image: attachment_p_120540_1_pig-ear.jpg] [image: attachment_p_120540_2_poser.jpg]
  • Doggie door and 'litter' box

    Basenji Training
    8
    0 Votes
    8 Posts
    2k Views
    KipawaK
    That's what our cat door is. I guess I can use it so long as it doesn't become too much of a squeeze for my future B.
  • Pooping in crate - why?

    Basenji Training
    9
    0 Votes
    9 Posts
    3k Views
    bellabasenjiB
    Congrats… Now you have a happy Basenji and a tree smack dab in front of your front door!!! LOL What we do for these little beasties...:rolleyes:
  • First time 'off leash'

    Basenji Training
    28
    0 Votes
    28 Posts
    11k Views
    lvossL
    What is a "training leash"? Is it a long line? Long lines are great for teaching loose lead walking and working on recalls. Many people seem to think that walking a dog off leash is a good thing, when in reality it is in most places breaking the law. There are some places that you can walk your dog off leash without being in violation of the law but in many places there are not many safe places that you can walk your dog off leash. As Janneke said, a real benefit to working on a long line on recall is that if your pup ever does get out then you have a tool to get him back. Name response, coming to his name with various distractions and in various places could very well save his life some day. You can play the come game in the house having people in different rooms call his name and give a treat if he comes. You can work on a long line outside calling him between two people. Only treat if he comes when called not if he is just running back and forth between you. As for him listening to you, are you taking him to training classes? What is your role in training him? The more you work him, and the more consistently you work him, the more he will listen to you. You can start really by just taking a handful of one of his meals and just ask for some basics before giving him the main meal. Sit, down, stand, I practice targeting, what ever you may be working on until you have used your handful then when you are done ask for a sit and then you can give his bowl.
  • Here a Poop, there a poop,…..everywhere a ....

    Basenji Training
    7
    0 Votes
    7 Posts
    4k Views
    MantisM
    How exciting! Caesar never had training problems, but Beta was a wreck. She was an angel the first 6 months and then she began peeing in any room that i wasnt in. At the time i had a townhome where the bedrooms were all upstairs. I had the stairs gated and my basenjis had full roaming of the living room dining room and the kitchen which was visually blocked by the kitchen countertop from the living area. Once Beta hit 6 months she began changing or adjusting to the home and the other animals (Caesar and the 4 cats). She became snarfy, she became food aggressive, and she started to sneak out of my sight to pee on the kitchen floor or in Caesar's bed. The downstairs wasnt huge, so I didnt understand that the area was too big for her. In her case, she was asserting herself as alpha to the other pets in the house. Beta had a very difficult life before I adopted her and it took me 2 years to finally teach her that you pee only on grass. I am not saying that your pup is pooping for the same alpha reason, but here is what I had to do to get her to stop. I was so frustrated and knew that she was no where near ready for basic training. I knew she was adjusting. I understood that what she was doing was behavioral not physical. I brought in a trainer who becan to work with her because I was out of ideas. He suggested that the area she had to roam in was too large even though it seemed incredibly small to me. He told me to keep her harness and leash on inside the house. This made Beta aware that I was on top of her. If she went into the kitchen, I was there holding the leash. If she was in the living room sitting, I was there. Sometimes I just attached the leash to my pants to make it easier. She never peed in front of me and basically stopped the behavior because I was with her. The other major thing I found that helped Beta with settling down was exercise. She required a lot more exercise than Caesar. When I moved to a place with a fenced yard or took her to the dog park she could just burn that energy off. I found with Beta, that treat training would just not work for her. She would get extremely excited about treats, but her behavioral problems were mostly affected by my actions and attention. Food didnt matter. Caesar was really easy with training because I adopted him as a puppy. I could use the crate for time outs and he understood and would improve. Beta lived in a cage for over 1year and a half straight which was too small and in her own filth. I couldnt and wouldnt use the crate as time out for her. She liked going to the crate, and going to the bathroom in her crate was easier for her because it was her environment for so long. Her problem was adjusting to the world outside. So, restrict the area and keep a leash on her. She may be getting too much free roaming space too soon. Can't hurt to try it. She will soon forget what she was doing. And dont forget to get that Natural's Magic (I think that is the name) for pet smells in the carpet at your pet store. This should keep her from revisiting the same spot if she is doing that.