Let me in or I'll poop

Basenji Training

  • @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:


  • Yeah and it can be tricky since if I don't grab it right I end up jabbing my finger tips straight into his pointy teeth..ouch for me. But I don't want to hurt him either and last night he did yelp twice so I'm not sure if it hurt him. As soon as he yelped, I let go and he opened his mouth and took out his tongue. I looked to make sure he didn't bite it.


  • 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!

    LOL LOL…I bet he learned his lesson :D


  • @jys1011:

    LOL LOL…I bet he learned his lesson :D

    No, I bet he didn't ;) He is my MOST resistant student!


  • @Quercus:

    No, I bet he didn't ;) He is my MOST resistant student!

    :D Too funny Andrea! I also have one of those students and I "understand" the resistant type - LOL! Parachute collapse. :D


  • @Duke:

    :D Too funny Andrea! I also have one of those students and I "understand" the resistant type - LOL! Parachute collapse. :D

    Ha, ha! :D


  • Double ditto…I put up the dog rules on a bulletin board but ALAS he just doesn't GET IT :mad:

    ie-use the same command dear...use a watch exercise when you see a dog coming your way...do a uturn if the dog is too close to do a watch exercise. Praise for going potty...NADA :D

    Does anyone know of HUSBAND TRAINING classes at Pet Smart :D :D

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    @erica-ruth said in My basenjis have a new yard, but won't poop there. Any recommendations?: I can set my watch by second poop My first ever Basenji, Donner, back in the very early 1980s learned from very young that as soon as he'd emptied, we'd turn and head back home. Lady, who arrived in the household just four days after Donner and long before we totally dog-proofed the garden, so walks were necessary, did her business as and when she needed to. But Himself no - to prolong the walk he'd hang on for (sometimes) miles ! When the first litter came along, we did totally fence the entire garden so as to keep the pack safe. It was only later, after several litters developed a penchant for fresh vegetables straight off the plant, Brussel Sprouts, sweet corn, cucumbers, raspberries etc, that we had to fence off the vegetable garden to protect it from the marauding hordes. The herb garden had to be isolated too, or we'd have even sweeter smelling puppies than normal.
  • How I 'trained' my Basenji 'Antigone'

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    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
  • How trainable are Basenji's?

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  • He's got it…

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    soulmateS
    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
  • I can't wait

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    @Buana: Together with Janneke.. we must get a lot of pics… :D No kidding. Good luck to you both (and the dogs of course) :)
  • Poopin' in the crate…

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    youngandtiredY
    Sounds like a typical B to me with the pooping on the B training manual. You sure you don't have my B, she is quite smart also. Be patient your B will get the idea, and being home next week so you can work with her/him will help. They are very smart, my B learned pretty fast, and when she would go outside I always gave her a treat that she liked. You have to have the treat in your pocket and give it right away after he/she goes to potty, they only remember 30sec. after the fact. Good Luck!