Hardest thing to teach a Basenji.

[Guest]

Stay…..
I think my Basenji see the world as he should. I'm just trying to teach him to stay... Best thing we can teach a dog is to stay.
Any tips?

[eeeefarm]

Clicker training works well for this. Once he gets the idea, lengthen the time before you click and reward, then put it on cue and stop using the clicker. Fade the reward to intermittent. And do your training in a place with no distractions until he is pretty reliable. Then you need to proof it using distractions until he is pretty solid. It's still unlikely you will get 100% compliance when there is something very interesting to tempt him. They are not Border Collies! :) (I would be amazed if my Basenji managed a long down or long sit with me out of sight, without extensive practice, and even then…..)

I am assuming you know the basics of training this command. If not, I can elaborate. I do find it easier to teach something like "place" or "mat", so he has a spot to be at first, then teach "stay" at that location, then generalize the command to other places. I also like to use a less formal command (I use "wait") when I just require a momentary pause, and when I invoke "wait" I don't care if he stands, sits, or lies down, his choice. Usually with "stay" I give a position command first, e.g. "sit".

[Buddys Pal]

@eeeefarm:

It's still unlikely you will get 100% compliance when there is something very interesting to tempt him. They are not Border Collies! :) (I would be amazed if my Basenji managed a long down or long sit with me out of sight, without extensive practice, and even then…..)

I also like to use a less formal command (I use "wait") when I just require a momentary pause, and when I invoke "wait" I don't care if he stands, sits, or lies down, his choice. Usually with "stay" I give a position command first, e.g. "sit".

I CONCUR!!! and yes, wait is a great one, it helps when you don't want them rushing through the door. I have Uzie at 90% compliance on this one, but I have to admit that his housemates help out a lot since they are not B's and are 110% compliant….stay means stay, and wait is just being polite and waiting for permission. "Waiting" for the food bowl is a good practice time!

[eeeefarm]

@Buddys:

"Waiting" for the food bowl is a good practice time!

Oh, I do that one all the time! It is good for building their self control. I also make him wait as I place his roller ball on the floor when we are leaving. He has to get an "O.K." before he is allowed to push it to get his food. Sometimes I make him wait until I am outside the door and about to close it before I release him. A wonderful tool for separation anxiety dogs, as by that time he is so focused on getting his ball he doesn't care one whit about my leaving…...the sooner the better! :)

[agilebasenji]

google "Overall's Relaxation Protocol"

I used this with my youngest basenji and after doing the RP, "stay" was easy.

[Chealsie508]

I found stay a harder one…I use clicker training

I do find "come" much harder!

[Kananga]

@Chealsie508:

I do find "come" much harder!

I've been working on this the most. You can almost see the look on their face when you "ask"…. "mmmmmm nope". Arms crossed and all.

[dcmclcm4]

Charlie D. and I took our 2 adult Bs, our first Bs, to training classes in the 90s. The dogs reluctantly passed but it was suggested that we retake the classes. The stay was the hardest command! One B had a high prey drive and wanted to go after the small white fluffy dogs and the other one was so friendly and had a thing for larger dogs that he would sit in the ring and turn his head around to watch the large dogs in the other ring. Once the teacher had to come up and wave her hand in front of his face to distract him! I think he wanted to be a large dog. He later earned his CGC although was told he was too friendly and both became excellent lure coursers with titles. We never did retake the training classes. I do not think I could take the embarassment!

Jennifer