I am new to the forums. My basenji is 1 yr old and this is our 1st dog. Rocky will not go pee or poop unless he is about 2 blocks from home. When we tie him in the backyard he does not do his business so when we get home we have to walk him to his favorite spots far away. This is ok unless there is a big time crunch. How do I get him to have a fav. spot or area in hte yard?
When my two were indoor dogs for 3 years in a condo community, we had to walk and poop everyday. I always had to have them poop in specific areas so that the other people living in the community wouldnt get mad.
Here are the things I did to get them to poop immediately on our walk. I fed them after work. So the routine when like this. I came home. Peed both in the back yard as soon as they were let out of the crate (gigantic). Then they immediately came in to eat. I do not free feed because of Beta's food aggression and my fat cat experiences. Once fed, we immediately went for our walk.
They both walked together on a splitter leash and I kept the leash short for the first half on the walk. If they pulled, I stopped and stood until they would both sit and look at me. Then we would continue. They recognized early on that walks required them not to be lunatics on the leash at first until they went potty. I didnt let them sniff the grass or pee everywhere. We just walked in the road until they got to the spot I wanted them to use. That was the first grass they touched. I usually could determine where the spot would be based on (please excuse my crassness here ) there ahole. I would call it the eye jokingly with my husband. I think the key with this was not letting them wander in the grass until it was time.
The rest of our walk (a circle) was long leash the whole way back to the condo. They understood that business came first, and then free range sniffing because I wouldnt have to worry about them going in someone's yard.
Plus! Coordinating poop pickup by yourself with two basenjis on a spliter leash should really be considered an art form!
Doing this with my kids made it much easier on me and I enjoyed our walks together.
Caesar always likes to walk it out a bit when he is preparing to go. I found early on that a slight tug when he is preparing will turn him around and change his direction. If I give him a slight tug each time he turns, he will poop closer to me than far away. Beta would just unleash her business when it was time without any need for pacing.
So what do you think about that? It was my routine. I never let them pee in our front yard because the other dogs in the neighborhood would try to mark their scents. I used stinky plants and flowers in our beds to keep animals away from the yard. What are those flowers called? The little yellow and orange hearty small round flowers contruction people use in landscaping? They are also used to line gardens to keep rabbits out? Anyone know what I am talking about? Chresanthemum? Is that it?
I used stinky plants and flowers in our beds to keep animals away from the yard. What are those flowers called? The little yellow and orange hearty small round flowers contruction people use in landscaping? They are also used to line gardens to keep rabbits out? Anyone know what I am talking about? Chresanthemum? Is that it?
Marigolds maybe? I use them around the border of the veggie garden to make it semi-bunny proof.
thats it,marigolds!
I had the same problem with my guys, but I cannot walk them here, we have no safe areas, and I live in the suburbs. We have screaming neighbors, coyotes ready to snark you or the dog, and also the occasional loose dog.
So I would wait till Angel, a mix who hates everything,had to go so bad when I got her to where I wanted her to poo, she was ready!! I also keep a small lower, cement floored hall; paper covered! Samuel even if he is in emergency mode, to do stuff, seldom goes inside, he runs out does business and runs in! gg No sniffs if he has to go!! I just picked a good spot close to house, picked up a poo on the paper, put it out there and Angel went there. Its hard to get them to do what they do not want too do!! ggg Carol
I am so relieved to read about the Basenji spin, I was at first worried that Beeji had a twist in his guts or was just having a fit, but then realized he just has to spin. I can tell when he is going to poo since he spins but he hasn't exactly picked one spot to go. We have about four places that he will use but all at different times. Go figure.
I too believe in the poop and scoop and though it is not fun, I do it. Lots of folks here in the neighborhood don't do it and some even look at me like I am nuts for picking up. I sometimes wonder what they are thinking!!
The only challenge I have with the spinning is that the poo doesn't wind up in a single pile but layed out in a circle so I have to stretch a bit.
I have taught Beeji to stand still once he is done. I wait till he finishes and does his kicking thing. (do all Basenjis do that? He kicks dirt and grass etc up with his back feet sort of in the general direction of where pooed. He also does this when he pees.) Anyway after the cat kick as I call it, I tell him to stand and then I slip the lead around my wrist, get the plastic bag and do my part! Then off we go.
I like the idea of a short tight lead till he actually gets to the business of pooing. I will try that in the morning.
What a hoot a Basenji is. Even my mix can make me wonder so I can't imagine a full blooded B and me!!! But it might be fun. After all, I'm finding with Beeji, he is sort of like chips, you have a hard time stopping with just one!!!
Aloha,
The only challenge I have with the spinning is that the poo doesn't wind up in a single pile but layed out in a circle so I have to stretch a bit.
Since Max often had loose stools due to inflammatory bowel disease, I would take paper plates in a plastic bag on our walks. When he would start the basenji spin, I would reach down with a plate. I got pretty darned good at catching everything 
Of course, sometimes the neighbors would look at me funny. But that was easier than trying to get it up off the ground if it wasn't firm. One time, a young boy was with his dad who was doing some construction on a house by me, and he had his dad's megaphone he was playing with. He started giving a blow by blow description over the megaphone of me following behind Max trying to catch his poop. Now that was a little much :eek:
Jazz doesn't spin while she goes, but before. She remains still to poo, which makes clean up nice and easy.
That's also how she lets me know she needs out to poo. If she only needs to pee she just runs to me and acts very restless, but if she has to poo she stands in front of me and spins.
When I first adopted Beta as a rescue, she would walk or pace and poop becuase she was scared of the area around her because it was unfamiliar.
Since Max often had loose stools due to inflammatory bowel disease, I would take paper plates in a plastic bag on our walks. When he would start the basenji spin, I would reach down with a plate. I got pretty darned good at catching everything
You gotta love little boys!!
I am sitting here laughing out loud with tears running down my face!! The visual of you keeping a paper plate in position….
Oh my, I needed that laugh. I have no clue what Beeji would do if I tried that. I had a friend who had a Samoyed and when she went, my friend would place a sheet of newsprint under her. Upon finish, roll the print and bag it.
This morning we went on a nice long walk and Beeji found a new place to poo! It is even farther away, but then it was my fault for walking so far (he says)
At least I'm getting exercise! I should take some before pics of me now and then this time next year. After a year of daily long walks, I should notice something!!!
Aloha,
hmm I was having a hard time getting Bindi to poop in the back yard, she was doing fine for the first week, she kind of went in the same places for the most part, she changed them every now and then, but now I can't get her to poop out there
she's not really leash trained yet and often is too distracted by traffic to do her thing in the front yard 
maybe she feels the back is her play spot? yet she poops right next to the toys in the living room sometimes sigh
I hope she poops outside soon, she's been holding it for most of the day
~Kat
