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I failed as a mother and a dog owner…long...positive advice needed :(

Behavioral Issues
  • I do hope whatever trainer your able to get, can help you work with your b in your home.
    Its always best if that can happen.

  • I really have nothing further to add and I'mm sure with the help you're getting this can be resolved. I agree with what has already been said and that it was purely a reprimand and natural to Tosca. As the others have said there is no point beating yourself up about something that could have happened to any one. I once adopted a dog who when he came treeated my small children as people to be disciplined when he thought they were naughty (often just invading his space)

    It took us exactly a year to resolve the whole thing mainly by establishing the childrens control by hand feeding him (they took turns) Until we considered him reliable we kept a basket muzzle on him but didn't separate him from the children. It was also a matter of teaching the children too to respect his space. I know your little one is as yet too young to expect him to understand but as somebody else said time will resolve this and not much either.

  • Just wondering how things are going?

  • Thanks for asking :)
    Things are going ok…Colton is healing well, he got his stitches out yesterday, so he no longer looks like Chucky :P You can definitely still tell it was a bite, though, which is embarrassing when I take him anywhere.
    Tosca is doing ok too...her vet visits have been fine (we have to go 3x in 10 days per law) but she is going crazy with no walks for 10 days. Monday can't come fast enough in that regard!
    It hasn't been too bad, though, keeping them apart. It sucks, but it's been managable with rawhides, and rotating her between outside, and up/down with DH or I, whoever doesn't have Colton at the moment.
    I have called 2 behaviorists, but so far we are playing phone tag. One I am hoping to talk to on Sunday, the other might have to wait until after the weekend. I was sick Tuesday and Wednesday so I didn't get calling as quickly as I should have. The first was recommended by Shawn Smith, and the second from my vet. After I speak to them in person, I'll try to decide who would be better for our situation. Hopefully we can get whoever it is in quickly and get working on this...so far it's been manageable, but certainly not easy. Especially with winter coming, and we can't put Tosca outside as much.
    So overall we are managing just fine, and waiting for more news...I'll update again soon :) Thanks to everyone who helped me...it's great to have such wonderful support!

  • Do you not have a large crate for Tosca?
    Not sure what kind of rawhide, but I am of the "should be banned" group. One of my worse experiences with dogs was watching a dog strangle and die a horrible death with FIVE of us trying to hold him down to get the wet sticky rawhide chunk out. It was traumatic to put it mildly.
    http://www.ehow.com/facts_5901278_bad-bones-long-period-time_.html

  • Let me know how your consult goes with the trainer :) you can email me at quercusbasenjis at gmail dot com

  • Thanks Quercus…if you don't mind, I will do that :) Also, if you don't mind, I might email you and ask you which seems better. I have one name I got from Shawn Smith, but she admitted she doesn't know this person in real life. I also got another name from Tosca's vet. Her vet is not all that familiar with Basenjis, but said she thought hers would be better because she had heard of the person from Shawn, but thought hers would be better for aggression issues. Both the vet and Shawn told me to look at their certifications and decide, but I have no idea what I am looking for.
    Therefore, if things are still unclear after speaking to these people on the phone, I might ask your opinion if that's ok :)

    DebraDownSouth...we do have a large crate, but we can't keep her in there all the time. We already work full time, so I can't imagine locking her up for so long, that's no life for Tosca either. As for the rawhides, I know they are not the safest thing, but we take what precautions we can. She only chews them for awhile each day, not hours on end. Also she is supervised, and I am watching for her to bite off any big chunks and things like that. I often have treats nearby and "trade" her if she gets a chunk off. I know they are scary, when we first got Tosca and didn't know any better, we let her have them and didn't take chunks away, and she did start choking once. Luckily DH was able to get it out just fine. Right now, I think with our precautions the benefits outweigh the risks, but that's just me. I know a lot of people use them, and others are hesitant :)

  • Jylly18…. I think you are doing all the right things to work through this!

  • Quercus…did you get my email? I hope the address worked...I spoke to both of the trainers, but have no idea what to look for in terms of certification and stuff. I didn't know if I should put the names on here publicly, so I emailed you. Just wondering if you had any input on which to choose, and wondering if you had heard of one of them.
    Hope you don't mind my email, and thanks in advance for any advice you can give!

  • I hope it all works out for all of you.

    Rita Jean

  • @Jylly18:

    Quercus…did you get my email? I hope the address worked...I spoke to both of the trainers, but have no idea what to look for in terms of certification and stuff. I didn't know if I should put the names on here publicly, so I emailed you. Just wondering if you had any input on which to choose, and wondering if you had heard of one of them.
    Hope you don't mind my email, and thanks in advance for any advice you can give!

    I emailed you this morning :) Sorry about the delay!

24/25

5 Nov 2010, 05:03

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    Basenjis are known for chewing and even my older/elderly dogs must be crated because of it. I was hoping it would lessen as they got older-it has somewhat but not totally. They like to chew the cover on the sofa and chair! Jennifer
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    @sharronhurlbut: With rescue dogs, we make walking them together a big deal..several times a day. Letting them sniff the "leavings" of the other, and just getting them out together and moving. It might help. Sharron, thanks. Yes we do walk them together as well as seperately. They do seem to get on well but i don't think they have sorted out who is the dominant one. I can't say at this point either. When play fighting he certainly makes lots of noise, whilst she is silent. He looks to be in charge sometimes, however if she silently draws her lips back and stares at him he backs off or lets her clean in his mouth/ eyes etc. If Kwame wants to sleep, she is a terrible torment and pokes and prods him, he gets very whipped up and goes for her but it's like water of a Ducks back.
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    Behavioral Issues 15 Sept 2009, 19:58
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    LOL Arlene, some spammer hit it, I opened it and didn't notice the dates. Okay so any idea what happened?
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    Thanks for your replies. I guess in the spontanaity of the moment I did as I do with my other dogs, a no and then a quick taking the thing away since I'm boss and I'm the owner of everything ultimately. I do believe Rowdy was not being the bad growling type bite – he took his front teeth and nipped at my arm, pinching it, but it hurt! I will try to work on the "leave it" command, since I taught that to my mom's poodle and it worked well. Rowdy is smart and is finally getting some of the house rules down. Though he's sneaky when he isn't resting beside you and you forget to watch him... :)
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    Behavioral Issues 27 Feb 2007, 03:26
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    I crate mine when I go to work or leave the house. I am in total agreement with BDawg. It's safer for your dog and your sanity to have them sleep in the crate while you aren't around. I agree. I now take Caesar and Cairo to work with me and all they do is sleep. Caesar and Cairo are in a kennel when I am out of the house. There is always an adjustment period where there is a bit of whining, but it is a nice thing to train them to do if you go out of town and have to have them in a kennel.