Winner pics

[Janneke]

@nomrbddgs:

Sorry Janneke, Barbara is still feeling her way around..

That's ok :) ;) I enjoyed the pics :D

@nomrbddgs:

Tillo is very nice. What I first learned when starting to show Basenji's is that you should get them used to different people handling them. Including people with glasses, hats on, people who smoke cigarettes/cigars, funny smells, sights, etc. That way they get used to a bunch of different people.

Tillo loves everybody.. Ok.. he doesn't like smokers.. :) (neither do I.. ;))
It's more that he gets all excited when he sees all the other dogs etc. and he decides he really can't stand still and pay attention. When he finally does.. It's not because he wants to..

..we need to practise.. ;)

[Janneke]

@Quercus:

Janneke..I hope Tillo has worked out his table problem. A couple words of advice, because I have been there….oh, boy, have I been there! Querk pretty much put an end to his show career because he rumbles on the table...every time....he never snaps, but it was just too stressful to me to know that he was going to 'complain' every time I put him on the table.

Anyhow...try not to get nervous about it, because the minute you do, he is going to feel really worried and feel the need to growl. This is so easy to say, and so hard to do! As a pp said, practice, practice, practice somewhere that you feel totally at ease...and then use that practice to help you stay relaxed at a real show.

I found that as I realized my dog was quite nice, and had a chance to win, I would get more nervous, and that would make his behavior worse....if I thought I didn't have a chance to win, I wasn't nervous, and he behaved beautifully....ironic!

I like the idea of spraying DAP on yourself...I also used yoga breathing techniques to stay calm, and sometimes used the rescue rememdy on myself!

Also, remember fall/winter is the hardest time to show basenjis because of the testosterone poisoning ;) Also, was this his first indoor show? That can be alarming to pups as well; you know, sounds different, smells different, everyone is jammed together.

He is lovely dog...I sure hope he can get past this and you two can have a successful show campaign.

Thank you for your post.
Tillo is very friendly to everybody, but I think he doesn't like the fact that he was being 'forced' to stand still and being touched.. He gets all excited on these indoor shows. This wasn't his first indoor show and he always gets excited when he sees, hears and/or smells the other dogs.. The last 4/6 weeks he started to 'complain' about standing still too long (in shops, during training.. and yes.. on shows). We ignore this and praise when he 'shuts up'. It's getting better….. So I hope it's just a phase. But it's not working on shows: Tillo all excited.. not wanting to stand still.. (and letting us know that by whining) ..a nervous handler.. and THEN being lifted on that table and being touched! :mad:

Pff.. I think we need a show break ;)

I have a question: We always bring his crate and he's fine in there. What's better to do: leave him in there until he has to go into the ring or get him out way before so he can see where he is..?

[lvoss]

You may want to try frequently rewarding him for staying still before he gets a chance to complain. You can then start building up time between treats once he gets the idea that standing still will get him a reward.