Skip to content

New Girl in Town

Behavioral Issues
  • My basenji mix (photograph on my profile) comes from a home that seemed to spoil her tremendously.

    1. Roxy only has interest in eating if it's people food. I would like to transition her to high-end kibble. I have been able to get her to eat dehydrated lamb and potatoes. But, honestly, I will not be able to afford this on a regular basis. Any suggestions?

    2. Roxy jumps on people. I know (or have read in various dog training manuals) this is her trying to be the alpha, and I am not okay with it. How do I break her of the habit? I have had all of my other basenjis and basenji mixes from puppyhood, so I am a bit overwhelmed by the thought of breaking a 2 year old dog of bad behaviors.

  • @ouidah:

    2. Roxy jumps on people. I know this is her trying to be the alpha, and I am not okay with it. How do I break her of the habit? I have had all of my other basenjis and basenji mixes from puppyhood, so I am a bit overwhelmed by the thought of breaking a 2 year old dog of bad behaviors.

    This is not her trying to be alpha, it is a lack of impulse control and a long reinforcement history for doing it.

    I recommend doing some It's Yer Choice to start gaining some impulse control, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipT5k1gaXhc

    Also, see what she knows, sit, down, etc and start asking for an incompatible behavior in the situations that she is jumping up on people.

    Dr. Sophia Yin has some great video in her library for these sort of situations. Check out Say Please By Sitting, http://drsophiayin.com/resources/videos/

  • @ouidah:

    My basenji mix (photograph on my profile) comes from a home that seemed to spoil her tremendously.

    1. Roxy only has interest in eating if it's people food. I would like to transition her to high-end kibble. I have been able to get her to eat dehydrated lamb and potatoes. But, honestly, I will not be able to afford this on a regular basis. Any suggestions?

    2. Roxy jumps on people. I know this is her trying to be the alpha, and I am not okay with it. How do I break her of the habit? I have had all of my other basenjis and basenji mixes from puppyhood, so I am a bit overwhelmed by the thought of breaking a 2 year old dog of bad behaviors.

    About food, only give her the food you want her to eat… all dogs will eat when they are hungry, they will not starve themselves (of course making sure that they are in good health first). Put the food down for her... give her 15 minutes to eat, if she doesn't eat or finish it, pick it up till it is the next scheduled time to eat.

    About jumping.... does she know sit and/or down? Before you pet her or let people into the house, put her is a sit stay or down stay. No one acknowledges her until she is in a sit/down stay and remains calm. And jumping on people is not always a way of being alpha...

Suggested Topics

  • New dog aggression after neutering

    Behavioral Issues
    12
    0 Votes
    12 Posts
    10k Views
    DebraDownSouthD
    There are studies from 15 years ago about spaying at the wrong time during a cycle and ending up with a permanently aggressive female. But even with regular spay/neuters a great deal of hormonal change can cause many dogs to react. It is biological but still important to stay on top of behaviors so they don't become common. As for the fight...spayed, not spayed, neutered or not, it is not uncommon for dogs who have always been fine to have one fight and never get along again. There are some worrisome new research about reactive and fearful behaviors with neutered dogs. If anyone is interested, glad to share the links (too tired to fetch them tonight. Back to my normal backing up posts with links so that anyone wanting to read more can.)
  • Good Afternoon....new to the forum.

    Behavioral Issues
    9
    0 Votes
    9 Posts
    12k Views
    DebraDownSouthD
    I have stood out in the rain with Cara for over an hour, her screaming, crying, holding up one foot after another... over and over. And no, she ever, ever pottied. Which is why I found the concrete back porch acceptable.
  • Planing on a new member to the pack

    Behavioral Issues
    2
    0 Votes
    2 Posts
    7k Views
    tanzaT
    @Muro-Pads Rule of thumb, best to do opposites... not always a hard/fast rule, but 90% of the time. As they say "it works till it doesn't"
  • New Behavior - clacking her teeth

    Behavioral Issues
    6
    0 Votes
    6 Posts
    3k Views
    eeeefarmE
    I had a (spayed) bitch that used to do that…...usually sniffed something, then clacked her teeth. She seemed to do it more as she got older. I had forgotten about it until I saw this thread. :) In horses it is a sign of submission. Foals do it, and usually outgrow it, but I have a 25 year old mare that will still teeth clack on occasion.......usually when she is in heat and shining up to my gelding! Go figure.....
  • For those of you that have two girls -

    Behavioral Issues
    11
    0 Votes
    11 Posts
    3k Views
    renaultf1R
    @Kebasmom: don't even get me talking about the little boy who lives here. Oh the moaning and groaning…...at least he is still eating and maintaining weight. Last year he was so skinny!! Oh, the moaning & groaning…LOL...I have videos on my phone of Brando sobbing & howling last year - definitely a noisy time at my house. And, he was a rail after Liyah's season as I was lucky if I could get part of one meal in him each day. Ruby was fine with Aaliyah last year (granted Ruby is spayed - and she actually acted very motherly to her which was kind of interesting) - but Liyah was quite "bitchy" at times and Liyah mostly acted depressed. Ruby wasn't so fine with Brando though because Brando would have taken "any port in a storm" including Ruby - and Ruby wasn't interested in his advances :D:D - so I just kept him separated from the girls. All in all it was easier than I had thought it was going to be - but then again I had 8 wks of training on running 2 packs when Brando broke his leg - 4 wks felt like nothing to me by that point.
  • Our Basenji and our new pup…

    Behavioral Issues
    7
    0 Votes
    7 Posts
    3k Views
    S
    Kate i have a 2 year old Vizsla ans a ! year old Basenji when i 1st got my B she was very in charge. But now they can not be apart! My male V is very understanding V in a whole are very easy going laid back dogs . My in laws and husban is from hungary and say that V will take a back seat to almost any other dog so i feel that you will not have a problem later on. Just like w/ other V's give him 100 kisses a day and they will be happy Shannon