When you are dealing with something that an animal is afraid of, the best approach is to find his "comfort" distance from the thing that scares him. A busy street makes this a bit more difficult, as you have to find a way to give him that "distance". If you have a car, maybe transporting him to a less busy area might make a good start. Perhaps a side street, where he is comfortably away from busy traffic. You could then walk toward the busy street, pausing as soon as you see some sign of anxiety, and retracing your steps just little until he is in his "comfort zone" again. Gradually…...with the use of bribery and rewards......ask him to approach closer to the scary stuff. Liberally reward him for being there, then retreat. The idea is to not force, let him decide when he is ready. If he feels he can retreat at any time, he will have more confidence. This approach may take awhile, but is less likely to create a permanent aversion. (it works well with spooky horses).
Senji and his "nephew" the papillon puppy
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My nieces (ages 10 and 12) wanted the kind of dog that they could carry around…a toy breed. I warned them multiple times about the responsibility that goes with taking care of a dog. My brother and his wife got Senji after they got married. After the girls were born, I ended up taking him, because they weren't paying enough attention to him. He started getting frustrated and destructive. Senji is 13 1/2 now. I told them that I would NOT be babysitting for them every time they go on one of their frequent vacations. Last month, we slowly introduced the 2 dogs at my house. We spent the night at my brother's house 2 other times. Senji, so far, has just ignored the puppy. If you think basenjis are fast, you should see this papillon! He's like a little furry blur! I think that Senji knows that this dog is "family" now, but the little bugger is trying to exert his dominance. Last weekend, he peed and pooped on Senji's blanket.
I'm taking my mom for a vacation next month. We haven't had a vacation in ages. Senji will be staying at my brother's house for the week. I hope those two dogs tolerate each other! The thing that bothered me the most is that they didn't think things through. They got this dog from a pet store. My sister-in-law claims she spoke to the breeder, but I don't think they knew what they were getting into with a Pap. That dog is NUTS! It's already "humping" everything in sight, and he's only 4 months old! And we thought basenjis were bad! -
I have a vision of chaos in your brother's household when you're away. Puppies are just enough to manage. It's good that you've gotten Senji introduced. Maybe it won't be so bad.
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If Senji was mine he would not stay there I would get a sitter or do something else. You really need to think about Senji 13 1/2 and a little puppy after you Senji could really get upset. What ever you do I wish the best.
Rita Jean
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Hi Elena,
my parents have had 3 Papillons and all have been and one still is a great dog, so dont worry too much, i'm sur the little one will calm down eventualy
They are very intelligent and highly trainable, Reuben has easily learned basic commands and my dad is teaching him agility at home. He is on a waiting list to go to proper agility classes as he thrives on it.
He was very lively as a pup but calmed down as he got older , he is two now and a very good dog.
