Getting enough Exercise- off leash

Basenji Training
Log in to reply
  • L

    Hi Basenji People!
    We do not have a B yet- in March we will be getting our pup!

    I have heard not to have Basenji's off leash- if this is the case, how do you give them enough hearty exercise? We live in the country, so there are plenty of places to go where there is no danger of cars (but probably lot's of woodland creatures to chase).

    Please let me know how you do it!

    Thank you!

    0
  • BigVB

    For me it was easy I just bought him up with another dog that was trained to do as commanded . I should be ashamed of myself as I have not had one one on one training session with him but he sits stays and comes to my signal. I have found if you get them young and work them with a good dog they pick up good habits. I feel they do there best when they can exercise but just don't let them chase things of it will end with trouble.

    0
  • eeeefarmE

    Most people don't let them off leash except in fenced areas. It is possible to teach a Basenji to be reliable off leash…...depending on the dog. My very first Basenji was solid on recalls, but my others have been variable. Starting young is the best advice! Coming to you should be the most attractive thing in their world. Figuring out how to make it so can be challenging! For your dog's safety, best to err on the side of caution.

    Alternatively, you can give good exercise with a bicycle, or jogging, or on a long line.

    "In order to get along with a Basenji, you have to be at least half as smart as the dog!"

    0
  • K

    Lots of recalls just for the favorite treat, every time. Once that's consistent, slowly decrease the treats per recall.
    I did this for a 13 year old at my Husband's family farm. He ran free with the other dogs for as long as he wanted.
    I also did this with a pup, who has the same recall at the farm. Ironically, at our home (an acreage) she has no recall…

    0
  • agilebasenjiA

    I used to link 2 15foot leads together.

    0
  • DebraDownSouthD

    I fortunately have a large fenced area, but when I lived in an apartment, I took my dogs out on horse lunge lines connected so they had about 40 ft.

    Debra

    0
  • Buddys PalB
    First Basenji's

    @agilebasenji:

    I used to link 2 15foot leads together.

    this response is viable for someone without a fenced in area. Or just buy one piece of lanyard rope, maybe strong yet light for rock climbing or boating, as too light a lanyard could get tangled around legs and or lacerate a leg/paw. so a round rope, tie it to your belt or waist, and the object of interest can be one of those fly chasers, https://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?&id=OIP.M62a79714798d7469f1c32c3074b62ccco0&w=300&h=300&c=0&pid=1.9&rs=0&p=0&r=0 (akin to a cat toy) (make one on the end of a fishing pole….) a Frisbee, ball whatever. to get your puppy used to dragging something around, let a leash be dragged in the home under supervision of course to prevent chewing. I have found that most puppies will follow you closely outside before they get big and brave! Being tethered to you outside of his crate around the house is a good way to prevent toilet mistakes, get used to you and commands etc: see Dr sofia Yin http://drsophiayin.com/perfectpuppy/for/dog-puppy-owners

    0
  • K

    We have our 2 B's as much off leash as possible; we check for traffic and game. They are fine.
    Train on recall from an early start, always carry treats and let your B know you carry them.
    If off leash is not possible, we let them sniff around as much as they like, so they work their brain, which tires them.
    When there's space and no other dogs, we use flexilines.

    0
  • Buddys PalB
    First Basenji's

    @Knipper:

    Lots of recalls just for the favorite treat, every time. Once that's consistent, slowly decrease the treats per recall.
    I did this for a 13 year old at my Husband's family farm. He ran free with the other dogs for as long as he wanted.
    I also did this with a pup, who has the same recall at the farm. Ironically, at our home (an acreage) she has no recall…

    just to add to this for 'the favorite treat', I added a whistle sound so that even to this day 5 years later, if I blow the whistle, he comes, I pay with a treat….99.98% reliable!!!! even when they are visiting Aunt Annette who gives them treats and it takes a good 3 minutes to get back home! (all three actually! since I live on 10acres unfenced and really nice neighbors)

    0
  • AlexA

    We only let Chance and Kiya off leash in the backyard and we do take them on long leashed walks to the park, which is good for us and them. Basenji's are sighthounds, so any sight of a squirrel or a bird will send them on a chase.

    Basenji Forums Staff

    0

Suggested Topics

  • S

    Any leash training tips?

    Basenji Training
    21
    0 Votes
    21 Posts
    5k Views
    elbrantE
    @malik said in Any leash training tips?: so she isn't able to sniff around where I can't see. Honestly, "doodle's" nose is becoming legendary. I'll think she's smelling the bush (or urine on it) and she'll come out with a bagel in her mouth! (yes, this actually happened!) I have learned that she can find all manner of things that are clearly obvious to her nose and undetectable to my eyes. If your pup is intent on what she's smelling, there's a reason for it.
  • N

    How do I get my basenji focused on me?

    Basenji Training
    6
    0 Votes
    6 Posts
    2k Views
    N
    Thank you very much for the info and the sites you have sent, and sorry for the delay in replying (my computer was down for a while). I am going to start with the Relaxation Protocol and see how it works. Also I have just started the Control Unleashed book so I am going to see how it goes too. By the way, how long did your basenji take to start showing selfcontrol?
  • N

    Lost on the other side of the leash

    Basenji Training
    7
    0 Votes
    7 Posts
    2k Views
    N
    Thanks a lot, a lot! I am going to make a couple of phone calls since there are two trainers that I see are not too far away. It might work! I will let you know :)
  • dmeyD

    Off leash??

    Basenji Training
    46
    0 Votes
    46 Posts
    35k Views
    LindaHL
    We were very selective with the places we let Maxx off lead. We own acreage south of Phoenix, Arizona that is 5 miles from any main road, and requires traveling nothing much more than a goat trail for the last mile or two. We used to go out there and let Maxx off lead. He was very good about staying close…he'd stop occasionally and look around to make sure he could still see us. He was also good about coming back to us when we called him. We found another place on the Oregon Coast where there as a very deep beach far from a road, and since it was after Labor Day, the beach was empty of people. He had a ball chasing sea gulls...that is, until he finally figured out he'd never be able to catch any! Again, he was good about coming back when called.
  • G

    Getting Involved

    Basenji Training
    2
    0 Votes
    2 Posts
    3k Views
    AndrewA
    There are several different sports you can get into with basenjis, with varying degrees of work and effort on your part. Lure coursing is a lot of fun, and is pretty much an instinctual thing with basenjis. If your basenji has high prey drive (rips your arm off to dart off after squirrels while you're walking, etc), s/he will probably enjoy lure coursing. Since its instinctual, there's not a whole lot of training you can do, or need to do. Getting started in lure coursing… go the akc website & do an events search for Lure coursing tests & trials in your state. It helps if you're willing to travel to surrounding states, as there aren't a ton of great places for coursing, so you could also search nearby states at the same time to find events. Also, go to asfa.org and click on the events link there. AKC & ASFA are 2 different lure coursing bodies, so the points you accumulate in one are not applicable to the other. By looking at events in your area, you can find names of the clubs that host events in your area. From there, google them for their website & contact info. You'll be able to find people in your area who can help you further. Just doing an event search on ASFA & then googleing the host clubs, I actually found the Basenji Club of Southwestern Wisconsin http://www.bcosw.org/ and the Midwest Coursing Club http://midwestcoursing.homestead.com/. Those should be a good start for coursing. If you want to get into agility, google agility training facilities in your area. Agility takes a lot of hard work and training for both you and your dog. You won't be ready to compete for a while, sometimes people train for a couple of years before they compete. However, its a GREAT learning and bonding experience for both you and the dog. Its a lot of fun! There's also straight racing and oval track racing. I don't know much about those, but google NOTRA & LGRA & you'll find websites for both. Again, look for events in your area & then contact the host clubs. There are a ton of events, and you can learn about most of them at akc.org. There's scent tracking, conformation, weight pulling, etc etc. You could also look into getting a Canine Good Citizen & visiting nursing homes or children's hospitals. I'm sure somebody who lives in Illinois will chime in with what they do locally.
  • abby_basenjiA

    Leash training

    Basenji Training
    42
    0 Votes
    42 Posts
    26k Views
    K
    These front-attaching harnesses work really well in my experience. As soon as the dog starts to pull, it will turn itself towards you, slowing it down. Otherwise the dog has every bit of freedom to do what it wants.