IMO it is a myth that Basenjis cannot have good manners on a walk. Yes, great if you can do off leash, but when circumstances dictate that a leash is necessary then walking calmly without a lot of drama and pulling should be achievable. Personally I do not like long lines or flex leashes. Or allowing dogs to eat whatever they find on the ground, which can in some cases earn you a trip to the vet or worse. Like most dogs, Basenjis are not overly discriminant about what they will ingest. A short leash and being observant can protect them from unwelcome outcomes. Mental exercise will also go a long way with any dog. But one should have a definite opinion about who is running the show, and it should not be the dog....they are quite willing to take up the position should you abdicate.
Issues with walks
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Same thing here with Kananga. He gets very distracted and won't always walk consistently. Mostly wanting to stop and inspect everything insight.
A lot of times I'll take him out to go and you can tell he has something else on his mind. He'll be sniffing around and look at me, next thing I know he's jumping up and trying to go backwards (thinking he'll get out of his collar). He makes it seem as if it's torture being outside. But I think he catches on to different scents and wants to move to a different area. Strange, but I learn to deal with it.
These guys just seem so much more alert compared to other breeds. Always monitoring everything that moves and making sure the area is safe if they're not familiar with whatever they are seeing.
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So far, when our puppy plants her little feet and refuses to go, a slight tug on the leash and the word "come' will make her start again - when she is just too distracted by noises, birds, cars, bicycles, people walking by, leaves blowing, strong winds, etc. ( in other words everything) it is sometimes a constant tug, walk, come, tug, walk, come, tug, walk, come, but try as she may to refuse, we just keep on walking, and she has to follow - if I had to pick her up we'd all be in big trouble, because I don't see me carrying her on my shoulders, ever.
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I'm so relieved to have read this, I thought we were the only one experiencing this. We've only had Kairoe for a week and we think he's still adjusting and a little freaked out by what he sees. We're trying to get him used to our surroundings but we also think it's the cold that stops him from going for a walk. He'll walk but it's a continuous process of tug, come, walk - every few seconds?
However when we let him go (with him dragging the leash) he walks and follows us eventually. Of course, it's just a little scary he might take off! =S -
Things have improved some - with a little encouragement Gossy will make it around the first block with no problem but the second block I still have to carry her about halfway and then she'll continue on. She doesn't do this when we go for a walk at the park so there must be something that she smells/senses around the neighborhood.
I think she just likes being in the backyard (creatures to chase, rabbit droppings to eat, neighbor dog to tease, plants to dig up, etc) so much more than going on walks where I'm the one in control -
Otis is the same way. We have only had him for a week but the first couple of days he would come with me on my hourly walks and he seemed to love it, except for when a car came(which is rare, very silent neighborhood during the day). But yesterday and this morning, he will not budge off of our walkway. I thought it was rather weird, hence why I am on here trying to figure it out.LOL He also seems to get very nervous when he hears other dogs bark, I don't know if this is common, but I am thinking it is. Since he doesn't bark, in his mind it is a weird behaviour….and I love that he doesn't bark
Basenjimamma
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Gossy still hasn't gotten much past the first block on our walks - the other day she saw a neighbor in his driveway on the next block and wanted to investigate so of course we walked that way but then suddently she realized she was on a different block and "whoa there this isn't right" :(. I hope she'll be more willing when they finally finish the bridge across the highway and we can walk to the other park. On the other hand she gets exercise nightly running several laps of the B-500 in the yard (this is her first spring here and already she's worn a racing track through the grass and one flower bed :p)
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Were Otis came from the street in front of house did not look like there were a lot of cars that went down the street. The house look like it sat on more than city lots kind like out in the county. The drive was a ways up to the house. When Jaycee first came home not to sure about cars and the loud ones she really did not care for. Then after first few days almost like she wanted to chase the cars. We put a stop to that she never off leash but we made her understand that was a really bad NO. After week of really correcting her that stopped I was very thankful. The puppies were always kept in the house so they really did not know what a car was. just to the vet and back it helped Jaycee with riding in our car. We take her in the car as much as we can. There was a couple of dogs next house when we were there that barked but we could not heard that in the house so I not really sure that any of the puppies really knew what a dog barking was I am sure this was really new to them. Our daughter walks Jaycee about every eveing with her girl freind and she has two dogs that bark more then they should but anyway. Jaycee has gotten use to them barking and now she looks at them like they are crazy. We have been very lucky so far as to not have any trouble walking but she hates the wet grass. When we take her out to potty she will stand on the sidewalk or drive's unless you go into the grass and just make her go. Sunday yard was wet and Jaycee took a pea on the driveway. I have never had a dog do that in my life but at least it was outsideso she was still a good girl. That was wild. Does Otis do that sound that they make when they are happy. We get that a lot from her in morning and when kids come home and my husband. Jaycee can take a nap and she gets up run to you and wag her tail so fast and make that sound we all love it. That is cool.
Rita Jean
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Rita Jean so far no noices, happy that is. I think he is so busy looking at our other dogs that he doesn't think of making sounds, he does wag his tail though a lot and it is so cute. He dpes still act really scared when dogs bark but I think/hope that will get better as he gets used to it. He is very curious to water, maybe because I made him take a bath. 'cause they all found something stinky in the frontyard and they rolled in it…well if you're going to do that you will get a bath. Now he "helps" me water the flowers and give the chickens water, he doesn't want to get wet, but is very curious. Still no luck with walks though. I have him signed up for puppyclasses, and yes it is a t petco, but I figured better petco than not at all, they (petco trainers) told me they train with positive reinforcement and treats so I hope it will turn out OK.
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Basenjimamma thats great about the water not what they found but o well. Yes I have found Jaycee not really crazy about the water like get me out of here. However when you wash your hands and I rinse them really well she will come running and wants to lick the water off your hands strange. I do not know if there anything wrong with Petco classes you will be there. We have to get Jaycee into class I think it will help. I would love to see Otis and the chickens I am sure get laugh lots and lots that would be fun to see.
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Seems typical with Basenjis that they can have issues with walking. I know now that it's nice out, there is a ton of wildlife out in the open on our walks. I don't think Kananga can go more than 5-6 seconds without being distracted and forcing me to do the tug/"come" routine.
Fortuntately I have access to trails nearby (walking distance) that are usually very deserted. But the wildlife is usually out in full force. Lots of birds, ducks, rabbits, deer, etc. I'd love to let him loose and see what he could get, but it would be mighty difficult to get him back.
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Wow, that sounds really cool, but you're right, how hard would it be to get them back onthe leash…impossible? I am determined to get Otis to love walks as much as I do, even if it takes time to instll that love.
basenjimamma
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Had an interesting walk today. I went with my mother's two dogs through the same trails I typically walk Kananga. I had no issues at all this time. I think it was because he felt he needed to follow the "pack" the entire time. Less stopping and getting distracted. It was a nice hour of walking without many issues.
Oddly enough he's not very tired. They other two dogs (Springer Spaniel & Border Collie) were exhausted by the end of the walk. Basenjis and their endless energy.
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Jaycee may get distraced but just a pull on her leash and she ready to go on walking. For a young pup she walks really well and stays with us. Could be one reason birds, rabbits and squirrels do not seem to make her go after them could be because I feed them all. Jaycee can look out our front door and see them we can as alittle 1 squirrel up to 40 and birds lots an lots and we have 3 or 4 bunnies. Then we have this one awful chipmuck I got rid of them but we have one again. They do not like human hair and they leave when you put hair around your house.
We even have a white squirrel he is odd but Jaycee has seen this even since she came home that could be why our walk is easy not really sure. I know our shiba was hard to walk when she was a puppy see rabbit and you better be ready to go and hold on tight. Jaycee has really been easy to what she was.
The kids have ben walking jaycee a little bit futher each day on each walk and she is comming home tried and ready for a nap short but still nap. -
I wanted to revisit this topic and see if I could get some input. Otis has been doing better on his walks, and has almost walked the whole way( about 45min-1 hour) without stopping one single time. Yesterday, a whole other story..he walked like normal and then STOP, he wouldn't budge..I could've pulled until his head popped of his shoulders (I didn't) and he still wouldn't have walked…then all of a sudden he took off, and ran to the point of pulling me almost to the gound, i.e loosing my balance...after a while he slowed down and we continued. He did this several more times and our 20 min walk ended up taking 45+ minutes, which is not a big deal persay, but it bothers me that something is worrying him that much outside. It was a little windy, but trust me at 90+ degrees (at 7:30pm), a little wind is a godsend..if you kow what I mean. I don't know what to do, should I keep on pushing him or should I let him "win" and not walk anymore that particular time? When I walk him and my son is in his stroller that is when he seems to walk the best, maybe he is "following" the pack, like Kanagan said. Another thing, he pants a lot while we are walking, because it is hot, right? But once we get home his panting stops as soon as he is in the door, unlike my other dogs that will keep on panting for a long time afterwards.
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I wanted to revisit this topic and see if I could get some input. Otis has been doing better on his walks, and has almost walked the whole way( about 45min-1 hour) without stopping one single time. Yesterday, a whole other story..he walked like normal and then STOP, he wouldn't budge..I could've pulled until his head popped of his shoulders (I didn't) and he still wouldn't have walked…then all of a sudden he took off, and ran to the point of pulling me almost to the gound, i.e loosing my balance...after a while he slowed down and we continued. He did this several more times and our 20 min walk ended up taking 45+ minutes, which is not a big deal persay, but it bothers me that something is worrying him that much outside. It was a little windy, but trust me at 90+ degrees (at 7:30pm), a little wind is a godsend..if you kow what I mean. I don't know what to do, should I keep on pushing him or should I let him "win" and not walk anymore that particular time? When I walk him and my son is in his stroller that is when he seems to walk the best, maybe he is "following" the pack, like Kanagan said. Another thing, he pants a lot while we are walking, because it is hot, right? But once we get home his panting stops as soon as he is in the door, unlike my other dogs that will keep on panting for a long time afterwards.
Were you walking him on concrete or pavement? He may have been burning his foot pads on the hot concrete/pavement….. And Basenjis do not pant as much as other dogs, not unsual for them at all to recover quickly... and again to address the hot pavement theory... that would make him pant if his feet were burning from being to hot
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I wanted to revisit this topic and see if I could get some input. Otis has been doing better on his walks, and has almost walked the whole way( about 45min-1 hour) without stopping one single time. Yesterday, a whole other story..he walked like normal and then STOP, he wouldn't budge..I could've pulled until his head popped of his shoulders (I didn't) and he still wouldn't have walked…then all of a sudden he took off, and ran to the point of pulling me almost to the gound, i.e loosing my balance...after a while he slowed down and we continued. He did this several more times and our 20 min walk ended up taking 45+ minutes, which is not a big deal persay, but it bothers me that something is worrying him that much outside. It was a little windy, but trust me at 90+ degrees (at 7:30pm), a little wind is a godsend..if you kow what I mean. I don't know what to do, should I keep on pushing him or should I let him "win" and not walk anymore that particular time? When I walk him and my son is in his stroller that is when he seems to walk the best, maybe he is "following" the pack, like Kanagan said. Another thing, he pants a lot while we are walking, because it is hot, right? But once we get home his panting stops as soon as he is in the door, unlike my other dogs that will keep on panting for a long time afterwards.
It almost seems typical of the breed. I have the same problem. Every now and then Kananga will do great outside. But recently he has had another episode where he is refusing to walk, even to go outside for his routinely bathroom trip. He will only walk a certain way and has a worried look on his face. Very odd. It's almost as if these dogs have a 6th sense and are getting worried about something we don't know.
The weird thing about panting with my B is that its rather inconsistent. I took home on 2 walks this past weekend. One on Saturday, one on Sunday. Both walks were identical in distance and time of day. The one on Saturday results in no panting. He didn't even act like that was much exercise. On Sunday it was a ton of panting and he was exhausted when we got back. I almost thought he wouldn't make it back. He kept looking for shade to stop in. Temperatures were similar both days and both days were sunny.
I'm starting to just accept the fact that Basenjis are too strange to try and figure out. :rolleyes:
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Mine used to hate the hot pavement and so walks on hot days are done early morning or when it's cooler in the evening.
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both our b's walk nicely when they want and then chase anything that moves when they want. some walks are NICE and some are not near at much fun at all. time of day doesnt seem to matter. when they get really excited about seeing a rabbit, squirrel, person, paper, opossem, turtle, bird,dog, etc they will pant and pull. then i tell them to leave it and stand still for a bit and they calm down. most of the time.
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My B walks on the cement, doesn't seem to mind it. It has been over 90 every day now, and will continue to be here in Florida, so that's good. She used to pull and strain all the time, no matter what she was walking on because of any little distraction. But since we got the Easy Walk Harness this is no longer a problem. If she sees something she wants to run after, she cannot do it, and gives up really quickly because she "gets" the fact she has no control. She pants on her walks because it is really hot, but also stops right away once she's in the house. Of course when she comes in she usually runs for the water bowl.
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I wonder if Pat might be correct about the hot pavement. It would stand to reason that if it was bothering his feet, he wouldn't want to walk. Also, then take off running so he is touching the ground less. Was he walking on the road or was he walking on dirt/grass beside the road when he was behaving that way? For me here in Maine, in the summer because of the hot pavement, the b-kids get walked really early in the morning and then when it is dark at night.
I also know in the summer that the humidity really affects Ruby and there have been times that when I walked her during the day (on the sand on the side of the road), I could walk her 1 mile from the house, but I would end up having to carry her back as she would just plop down. After carrying her a couple of times, I decided to only walk her at night in the summer.
Brando doesn't care about the humidity and so far Liyah doesn't seem to mind it…but it really gets to Ruby (maybe because she has a thicker coat).
