The NILF program is exactly the sort of thing your basenji needs. She has hit teenage time and like human teenagers is pushing authority. In this case, don't push her off the couch or yank the afghan from under her or any of those sorts of manuvers. Start by getting her attention just before she is going to jump onto the couch by offering a treat diverting her attention away from the couch. If she decides to come for the treat, she gets it, and then gets to be on the couch as a double reward; if she decides to complete her jump to the couch instead, she doesn't get the treat. Once she starts to look at you first ("asking permission") before she takes the couch then the reward becomes the couch. And to get her off the couch, use the reverse. Offer her a treat in such a way that she has to get off the couch to get it and click as soon as she decides to get off Once she understands that, add the "off" word. You might have to use treats just for this exercise that she wouldn't get any other time to make this more enticing to her. You might also want to introduce mat work so that she has to go to her mat or afghan or whatever, on the floor, instead of getting on the couch in the first place.
'Beavering' problem
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if bitter apple doesn't seem to work for you,( i had a non-B dog who "beavered" the floorboards but LOVED bitterapple..) you could also try mixing some hot sauce 50/50 with water in a small spray bottle and lightly misting the areas he chews… that worked for my boy!!!
another one that is a bit.. "out-there" would be applying a tiny amount of Vicks Vapor rub to the chewed areas. my B HATES mentholated things and will avoid at all costs.
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I had a rottweiler who was a beaver. LOL love your term! Beavering. She ate the rockers off my rocking chair. Mostly she ate window frames. I kept a big supply of wood fill, filled them in, repainted.. on regular basis. I tried to block them, but come on, who wants every window sill blocked. Finally I just learned to shut the doors and moved the couch to block the ones in the living room. I had tried every spray, hot sauce, (I even did vicks, which worked but then I had the smell too … ick), nothing stopped her. Like your dog, sometimes it went for weeks, then boom, beavering.
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Thanks for all your replies. We have thought about a companion but aren't in the position to do that just now unfortunately.
Where could I get bitter apple spray from, might give that a shot. Currently take to putting scrap bits of wood in for him to beaver on. Probably not the best thing to do but not as much munching on the house when it's there instead!
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Caz - you can get Bitter Apple from Amazon.co.uk
I also think a 50/50 of vinegar might do it - it helped mine when she was in our new flat.
Nice to see someone else from Scotland here!!
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Do you crate your dog? That would solve destructiveness while you are out of the home.
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Hi Schouiffy, up in the far north here
Kipawa, we tried crating but he got far too distressed with it that I wouldn't want to leave him unsupervised as he's end up doing himself a mischief.
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Not everyone is a fan of rawhide, but my Tucker does fine with it. Have you tried giving your B something else to chew on aside from the scrap wood? Nylabones are seemingly indestructable and my B loves to burn off some chewing energy on them. He also used to eat a lot of rawhide…before the muzzling... Try giving him something else, more natural, to chew on as a replacement to the door frames. You can also try blending up your food leftovers, putting them in a kong and freezing them overnight in the freezer. I know tons of folks who do this for their dogs to preoccupy them.
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Our Dino, our first Basenji, had a thing for one particular post on the patio cover in our yard. We finally had to replace it and put a metal flashing around it. Didn't matter what we sprayed on it, and he didn't beaver the other posts! Attached is the Polaroid pic we took of it right before replacement, with Dino supervising.
Terry
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Forgot to mention, he was 7 years old when this pic was taken! So, no, he didn't grow out of it…
Terry
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Terry, that is hilarious, sorry! LOL. I had a square, wooden coffee table when I first got Shadow. The table ended up being oval, but he has never chewed up anything like that since. It may be the smell of that particular post, or product.
Caz, is it one particular spot, or just random spots that he chews on?
My one girl hates the smell of toothpaste, so I sometimes use that if she decides something is yummy to her.
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Fan of rawhide…. hm. It kills dogs. I wouldn't say it is issue of being a fan, it's an issue of seeing a dog choke to death, a horrible death, the kennel owner literally mauled trying to get it out of his throat. It is many vets and professional links I provided stating they are, in fact, too dangerous to be worth the risk. If you use the huge ones and watch every second, remove as they start to unknott, remove before they actually get any off... they say fine. But most are sold to be consumed. Glad you have been lucky, but I try not to give my dogs high risk things when so many safe ones are available. And yes... nearly 30 yrs later I can still see every minute of that incident play back in my head.
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Terry, your story is wonderful and from that photo, I'd say Dino was an Olympic Medalist at Beavering!
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What a great picture Terry..pretty amazing woodworking there.
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I agree rawhide shouldn't be sold for dog chews.
There are so many other things that will work for our beloved b. -
Terry, that is some pretty impressive beavering!
Nomrbddgs, there's not a particular place just pretty much every door frame or facing in the hallway and his bed.
He adores dried pig ears and big marrow bones but won't touch them if he's been left them, he'll only eat when you get home.
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Terry…
LOL...Ok, my kids "beavering" hardly seems like "beavering" at all when I see your pic. :D:D Excellent work Dino! -
My rottie removed the rockers from my rocking chair, lol. But that is very impressive for sure.
