Help!
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Even when he's been outside playing and running around with the other dog, he's still wound up. Or he'll calm down for a bit and is right back at it. Walking him is somewhat difficult with the roads and weather. We live in a rural area. I walk him around the property.
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Young Basenjis have so much energy, and you have a teenager! A teenage Basenji needs lots of exercise. I walked Spencer, but that wasn't enough when he was young. I had to take him to the dog park and let him run, run, run offleash. On weekends, I would take him to a nearby school and he would race from one end of the playground to the other again and again and again. (Unfortunately, they now lock the gates, so there goes that great solution.) Exercise is a must. A tired Basenji is a good Basenji.
Good training will do wonders, too. Spencer did not excel in puppy class. He started puppy kindergarten at four months, and he was by far the unruliest dog in the class. We flunked. He would sit and lie down for treats, but he wouldn't heel or stand quietly by my side. At six months, I got a really good trainer, and it made all the difference. Every dog trains at his or her own pace, so sometimes, you have to respect that.
Exercise, training, gentle but firm discipline and clear expectations will help a lot, but the biggest help of all is time. Acceptance helps, too. Basenjis have selective hearing and a mind of their own. Sometimes, it's easier to change our behavior than theirs (keep trashcans tightly closed, clothes out of reach, crate him or put him in another room when you're eating). I'm no expert, but my wild puppy grew into an amazing dog, and yours can, too. Good luck to you both!
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It sounds like he needs more mental stimulation and work on impulse control. I would take Clay up on the offer to send you contact info on good trainers in your area that will help you work on things besides just sit, down, stay and help you get on the right track for having a companion that you enjoy being around.
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YOur sweet baby has turned into an overactive teen. I agree with all who say exercise, exercise, exercise, both physical and mental. Indoor fetch, hide the treat, a kibble dispensing ball for his meals will keep him busy for a while too. I have a friend with a mix, abut the same age, and the same issues. I keep telling her the same thing, long walks (an hour or more) or dog park if at all possible. A "walky-dog" and a bike if you can do that safely. 'One year old basenji, free to good home' ; we certainly saw that add in the paper many times, and collected several of them ourselves. Others we would call and talk them into keeping the dog another 6 months, telling them they were just experiencing the worst age!
I'm sorry, I imagine winter up north makes it difficult to get a dog tired out! Mental training, find the toy, find the treat, those things tire them as well so well worth the effort to get him involved. good luck.
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I can't offer any more advice than that you've been given. A 'basenji-wise' trainer, lots of exercise and 'thinking' games.
I'd just like to say that he sounds like a normal Basenji who has not been correctly trained (wrong trainer) and a family who were not well advised in the early puppy stages.
You and he urgently need good training. Be patient and you'll end up with a delightful Basenji!
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Kipawa went through a rambunctious stage at 13 months - he didn't do anything bad, but he seemed to be 'testing' who the boss was. He was reminded, consistently. (Grin) At 15 months he started to show very nice maturation qualities and a complete understanding of his place in our family pack. Be patient, be consistent, give him lots of exercise and really praise him when he is good.
