I've been doing rescue and breeding (not Basenjis, and not for 20 yrs now)... and I have to say that among responsible trainers, rescues, breeders and professional veterinary behaviorists, you won't find any who will say under 8 weeks is okay for any breed... and for many, 10 to 12 weeks is recommended. It is in fact illegal to take puppies under 8 weeks from some states and it should be in all of them. Call a few dozen rescues and ask them how many animals they deal with that have issues started from being placed too young. It is good you are working on things, just hopefully the physical responses won't continue. No breed needs to be swatted or even mildly hurt for training. Basenjis even less so than many. It hurts your relationship with the puppy, and you are punishing a baby for being a baby... there is no "rebellious thing"... just normal behavior you have to patiently train away from.
9 months puppy started to chew on skirting boards
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Okay so my pup is 9 months now and I thought we had the chewing business nipped in the bud but it turns out, yesterday he started to chew on the end of the skirting board. Please can someone advise how I can say and make him understand "don't do that" or that "it is wrong to do".
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Try just spraying it with Bitter Apple !
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Agree with the bitter apple, however that said, never stopped my pups. At 9 months he should be mostly done teething, but the back teeth are the last to come in. Does he have bones to chew?
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@little_t I've had three Basenjis and in one way or another they all chew. I've used bitter apple and it works to a point. It depends upon how determined, or frustrated the dog is. Two things I'd suggest...
One, watch your pups mood. Boredom, loneliness, or change in routine can all cause a bit of anxiety in a dog. They have in mine. The current two get rather aggravated if we miss either of our two walks a day. Logan is also always hungry. Always. I have to watch his weight pretty close. He's triggered to chew when he's hungry and frustrated.
Two, I use redirection in addition to bitter apple. In other words replace what you don't want them chewing on with something they can chew on. It should be something they love too. Some folks here use beef bones. I use elk antler splits.
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@jengosmonkey - Totally agree .... I am lucky that we have been able for many, many years to have a doggy room.... so it was decided from the beginning that it was their room... if it was in the room it was theirs.... yes they would chew... and because we had big windows, window sills were a great thing to teeth on. In fact our very first two pups in 1991 had a crate in the laundry room with a doggy door to outside. At that time we had no base boards and they decided that stripping the wall board and wall paper was a good thing to strip... that did stop when we put in baseboards... LOL but that was our choice. We also learned very early on that if they were loose and we left the blinds down, they would be "gone"..... they want to see out... ergo... blinds are up, period... LOL
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@little_t I think @JENGOSMonkey hit the mark when he mentioned two issues: boredom and exercise. The best way, perhaps the only way, to ensure that your Basenji will not misbehave is to make sure that he gets enough exercise.
Walks are paramount! Walking is an instinctive bonding period for canines. Those they walk with are considered part of their pack. Their family. Utilize the time to introduce and reinforce training while you walk and you will also be claiming the alpha spot in the pack. Your dog will respect your relationship more because your guy will understand it better.
Walks aren't all that's needed though. Keep your dog engaged and attentive by providing a variety of outings (when your schedule allows). Not all dog owners are fans of trips to the dog park, but allowing your dog to form relationships with other dogs can help them to be healthy mentally. So can trips to local hiking spots. Or walks in new areas. Or time with you at a local outdoor event. I try to mix it up for my B. We will do repeats, but the repetition is random, so my girl never expects what we will being doing.
Meanwhile, if you are present when your dog becomes destructive, a firm "no" is typically quite effective. You do have to be present at the moment. Telling your dog "no" after the fact is only confusing for your boy. It has to be a "caught in the act" response for your pup to connect the action with your instruction. Otherwise, you really can only use prevention as a defense, but your dog might just resort to attacking a different target.
Exercise could very well solve all the problems.
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At 9 months (now 9.5) its seems Sanji entered another chew stage, esp. when he's frustrated. Particularly in the morning or afternoon when he thinks we're supposed to be going for a walk. Is this something they don't outgrow?
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You make a rod for your own back if you get them in to too strict a regime ! Walk at different times - keep him guessing.
They finally get the message that I am bigger than they are and it is my house - so chewing stops except when desperately frustrated - if something is going very wrong. Mku no longer chews (22 months) and Kito very rarely (10 months) - so you don't have long to wait !
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Maybe this is connected to your issue on the other thread? He wants to walk because he's on the prowl for girls? Regardless, as Zande says, it is your house, so it's your rules. Be sure he understands what they are, and what is "legal" to chew.
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Management is the greatest tool for preventing this kind of behavior.
Also, as others have mentioned, exercise and wearing them out energetically is very useful as well.
If they have access to an appropriate toy to chew on, are managed correctly, and get enough daily exercise, you shouldn't have too many problems.
