Booger the Bully… need advice please

Basenji Training
Log in to reply
  • AndrewA

    I need some advice on what to do with Booger.
    He will be 2 in January, and we started coursing him this summer. We went to 2 practices, where he ran alone & with Zip. (Zip is MauiGirl's female)
    He ran with Zip in August for his ASFA certification, and also ran against Zip at an ASFA trial in late October. So far, so good. Good follow, enthusiasm, etc.
    However, last weekend at an ASFA trial he turned & bumped Zip, and coursed her for a bit. It didn't progress further, so the judges decided to keep the lure running, and they finished out the course. Booger was dismissed for interference. The judges said it is likely it was play rather than aggression since they spend so much time together.
    This weekend we attended an AKC trial. Yesterday he got the first leg of his JC with a beautiful run, and today he failed to get his second leg because he lost the lure & wandered around for a minute before picking it back up & finishing well. After the trial, I decided to practice him with my 11 month old, both to practice her as well as see how he would act.
    The lure operator complimented Lola, but in the middle of the run called Booger "a bully." He was bumping into her for the entire second half of the run (after he stopped to take a poop! Oops!). At one point, he knocked her over & she rolled. Fortunately, she is used to it as she is little & gets bowled over a lot during play. She finished beautifully, ignoring Booger as best she could, but Booger antagonized her for the whole second half!!! He was very keen on the lure yesterday, but today seemed to be less interested in it & more interested in everything else.
    He loves to run, and I will continue to practice him as well as run him in Singles stakes in ASFA. Any advice for how to refocus him on the lure? Or should I just let him keep doing fun runs & singles stakes at ASFA events?
    Since he enjoys it, I don't want to stop completely, and I have no problem with him never winning ribbons or titles. The down side to him running singles is that there aren't many basenjis running in our region. Currently its just Zip & Booger. Lola will start running in mid December & Riley (MauiGirl's other b) will start running in January. Taking Booger out really limits the competition, but I can't have a bully on the field!!! Help!

    Carrie & the Brindle Babes, Callie & Lola (Not Andrew)

    0
  • lvossL

    Some dogs never really gain focus, some just need more maturity, and some just can't focus for an entire course. If you have some straight racing in your area, you may want to see if he is more focused on the short straights. Try him by himself and see if there is a difference in his focus. Also because the straight racing uses a squawker it sometimes increases the dog's interest in the lure.

    It is a good idea to keep him in singles or practice until you see improvement in his focus otherwise he will just learn that it is okay to do it.

    0
  • tanzaT

    For now, if he were mine, I would just continue to practice him and run singles.. and your are totally right, no Bully's on the field…..

    You may just find that it is the time of year that is distracting him... many B Boy's are "stupid" during breeding season, neutered or not.... my boy, neutered at 3yr, knew quite well that it was breeding season and still does at 17+.

    Do you run him with a muzzle? Many times that will help to keep the focus on the task at hand instead of bumping and playing...

    Also the fact that you are running him with his housemates/friends that he typically plays with, is also a distraction (possible)... and if he is not totally focused on the lure then he thinks they are out there for play time.

    I would (if mine):
    1. Put on a muzzle if he is not already wearing one
    2. Continue to practice him alone and ask the lure operator to keep the lure right under his nose... even to the point of letting him almost catch it... to get him really focused on it.
    3. Don't run him with Lola as being a housemate might keep leading to him wanting to bump and antagonize her
    4. Wait till well after breeding season to see if that changes anything in his focus

    And in the end, some are just like that... my OJ has never coursed (except the other dogs...ggg)... he was sure that the only reason that he was out there was to bump and run with the others (I only ever let him run with bitches that I knew in practices and would not be put off if he did that)... and when he ran alone, he would get totally distracted if the lure was not right under his nose.

    Pat Fragassi

    Tanza Basenjis

    www.tanzabasenjis.net

    0
  • AndrewA

    Thanks for the advice! I heard a lot about muzzle use this weekend, and how for many basenjis its like "focus time" when the muzzle goes on. I'm definitely NOT going to run him with other dogs for a while. He was an a-hole this weekend. I was aggravated that he was messing with Lola so much… she was having a fantastic run otherwise!

    Carrie & the Brindle Babes, Callie & Lola (Not Andrew)

    0
  • nomrbddgsN

    Some dogs, as the others have said, just run better by themselves. I'm not very fortunate as mine, for the most part, won't run away from me, but I'm working on it. We wear muzzles up in Canada and after they get used to them, they get excited when they see them come out.

    Arlene, the Basenji Brats with the Boxenji![](images/smilies/biggrin.png "Big Grin")

    0

Suggested Topics

  • E

    In need of a little assistance

    Basenji Training
    58
    0 Votes
    58 Posts
    30k Views
    E
    im sure it will :)
  • M

    Books or videos? Need some info

    Basenji Training
    7
    0 Votes
    7 Posts
    4k Views
    lisastewartL
    I train all mine with the plastic bag or fur lure on the end of a lunge whip from the day they arrive at my place. After a few weeks of solo training, I add one of my older dogs so they get used to chasing with another dog. Most trials are going to be a significant distance away for you. You might contact some of the coursing clubs and get on their various yahoo groups etc to see if anyone is traveling from your area that could provide transportation to some of the practice runs. I would recommend looking atl locations for LGRA/straight track racing in canada as that is a good way to learn follow and focus before starting to course.
  • thunderbird8588T

    Advice needed please

    Basenji Training
    17
    0 Votes
    17 Posts
    4k Views
    thunderbird8588T
    @Patty: Shelley - I agree that Howards' was the better reaction but as I said it's understandable that you were worried because of your previous experiences. I hope now by everyones' comments and advice that you now realise that this is no major problem? Malaika is a different baby and she's yours to shape into a lovely girl - the good thing is that you've seen the worst and have the knowledge to avoid it!! Talking about growling - here's a laugh, Adonis, our Fula Tri, was excelled in obedience competition but from the age he started to the age he died he accompanied all his obedience actions with a low growl saying "I'm only doing this because you want me to." He had the sweetest temperament with young and old, known and unknown and the growl never meant "I'm going to bite you." :D:D Adonis sounded a real character and what a name, no wonder he had big ideas ;)
  • J

    Naughty Basenji need advice

    Basenji Training
    16
    0 Votes
    16 Posts
    6k Views
    C
    @jinxed_1980: Beau has decided to take things out of the garbage in protest of being gated in the kitchen. The wierd thing is it is only in protest, he doesnt eat anything he just takes it out of the garbage usually the diapers and strategically places articles around the kitchen. Dogs don't do things "in protest". He is probably bored and just finding a way to entertain himself. That or he has learned that this behavior gets a reaction from you. Dogs are natural scavengers so he is only doing what dogs do. I'm surprised he doesn't eat it. Mine are inveterate trash hounds. Just get a good covered can so he cannot do this. Another thing he does is when he gets seperated from me he poops… He could have just went outside and did his business but if i leave for the gas station he will find the energy to realease another present for me on the kitchen floor. You might need to do a little remedial alone training. Sounds like it might be nervous deification. That or he learned not to poop in front of you, and is waiting for you to leave. I hate crating him and i dont think he likes it either, and i feel like a bad mommy. He screams and crys if i crate him up and i can hear him half way down the block when i come home from the gas station, so yeah thats a no go. This tells you he is not adequately crate trained, as others have said. Start from ground 0. Make the crate a super neat place where great things happen. Start by delivering rewards whenever he approaches it. Work up to him going inside, then inside with the door swung closed, then clipped, then inside door locked and he stays there a few seconds, etc. Also he wont be a good boy on the leash. I dont know how many dogs i have leash trained ( i have worked at kennels and doggy day cares and a vet) i know i know how to leash train a dog… Beau aint havin it. He even gives me the dirty eye when i correct him or suddenly change directions to get him to pay attention. The methods you're using are older, less effective ways of loose lead training. I suggest you get a Sense-ation harness or a Wonder Walker and sign up for classes with a good, positive reinforcement based trainer who can walk you through a good, fun way of teaching your boy to walk politely on lead. Good luck
  • B

    Well needed exerise

    Basenji Training
    7
    0 Votes
    7 Posts
    4k Views
    renaultf1R
    @ComicDom1: MacPack, thanks for the info on the walky dog. I watched both movies where they are riding the bike and the dog is attached. While I would like to try something like this with my Basenji, I am somewhat nervous because I fear either my Basenji or I will get hurt if the dog just stops dead in his tracks, sees prey and decides to try to bolt and take off after it, or sees something else he wants and either bolts forward or sideways. Do you have any personal experience using this Walky-Dog attachment? Thanks, Jason I haven't used this attachment, but still run Ruby on the bike. The reason you won't lose your balance with the Walky Dog is because it is attached to the seatpost - your center of gravity. Put it on the handle bar stem and that would be a different story. The other key thing is with the Walky Dog (and the way I run Ruby) is that they can't get to the wheels of the bike. Honestly when I run Ruby, I don't feel like she is even attached to the bike - there is no pulling. The one thing I found when running Ruby is that even if there is prey that she might be interested in, she is moving forward and in a manner that doesn't allow freedom to go in another direction. I've encountered rabbits, squirrels, deer and cats and never had her try to chase off to the side. If they are in front of her, she will pick up speed, so I try to match her speed. She's looked at them, then looked at me and all I've said is "keep going or forget it" and there has never been a problem. Mostly she is looking ahead and having a blast running. We run a steady pace on the flats of about 14 - 16mph (11mph up hill - great for her, but it nearly kills me :eek:)…I'm sure she could go faster, but we go about 4 - 6 miles so I don't want to completely wipe her out. You want to tire out a basenji - a bike is a great tool!
  • spitfirekrl1S

    Need some advice…

    Basenji Training
    12
    0 Votes
    12 Posts
    5k Views
    QuercusQ
    <> He may not find a kong with PB all that important. I am sure there is something out there, that he would find rewarding enough to go into the kitchen when he KNOWS he is going in for the day. Try a raw marrow bone...like a knuckle or femur that you can get from a butcher. Try not feeding him at all, until he goes into the kitchen in the morning...if he wants to eat, he has to go into the kitchen. Other than that, it sounds like you are handling it very well. He may have to wear a lead to get him into the kitchen, then you can remove it. I imagine he was allowed to pretty much do whatever he wanted in his last home...so he is confused with the new restrictions, and boundaries you have put in place (ones that he should have had from the beginning). It is hard when a dog has to start from square one, especially when they have learned that using their mouth can get them what they want. Good for you for hanging in there. He will eventually learn that he has to cooperate. I would definitely use his food for reward for good behavior. Doesn't mean you have to withhold his food if he doesn't cooperate...but you can use his food to help him realize what you want him to do.