Wouldn't feel bad about the behavior of your basenji. I got mine six years ago and he acts a lot like yours. I kennel trained him and when I have company he goes in the kennel till he settles down. When I let him out I just tell people to be still till he checks them all out then he is fine. A lot of times he acts like he is going to attack me if he doesn't get his way vicious snarls and all, but I have learned it is just that an act . He also acted vicious around other dogs but after introducing them properly he gets along great. We have recently got him a new basenji mixed sister to play with, after the snarls and viciousness he loves her very much. I wouldn't be afraid to rehome your basenji, it at least give someone a chance to see what they can do.
Just need to vent
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What Champ is really try to do is get your attention. He wants more of your attention at that moment. What things do you do with him to give him attention during the day? Many of the behaviors you describe are ones that mine do when they feel like they are not getting attention. Often times a short one on one training session so they get my undivided attention and earn some treats will do the trick. Sometimes a jaunt in the backyard to chase the hose or a game of got your tail. There are many options but they all mean taking 10 minutes to really give some personal attention to them. I have also found that a weekly training class really helps to cut down on these behaviors. They really like knowing they have a job or at least a day to look forward to working with me. I always tell my puppy people that they will have an easier time with their puppy if the pup has a job to look forward to. It does not have to be a training class but you should have time set aside to do something with your dog.
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Well I take him for a run in the am for about an hour. But not this morning because it was raining….hey that explains his morning behavior. Yesturday I took him for about 45min walk before cleaning and working out. I play with him constantly throwing the ball, chasing him around the house. Maybe it's me that I've spoiled him and because I give him all the attention all the time he thinks he should always be this way. GREAT I"VE CREATED A MONSTER. The training sounds good though, can this also help with the nipping, he's calmed a bit but still continues doing this most of the time.
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Training can absolutely help with the nipping. One thing that I start with my puppies before they ever go to their new homes is rewarding "four on the floor". Since puppies usually jump up when they nip, I reward them for keeping four feet on the floor when a person approaches. If they have their four feet on the floor when I approach they get treats, pets, let out, etc. This is also part of the dog manners class I attend. When we work on greeting behaviors the rule is four feet on the ground for attention from strangers. This takes a lot of self control especially from a very excited puppy but as they learn to master this they also learn how to calmly interact with humans.
When you are doing laundry or other housework, you can keep a Champ's breakfast or lunch in a bowl nearby and click him for sitting or laying down while you do your chores. Just click and toss him his kibble where he is laying. He should pretty quickly catch on that laying down and staying calm really pays.
A more structured way of going about this would be to teach "Go to Mat". http://www.dragonflyllama.com/%20DOGS/Levels/LevelBehaviours/TL9GoToMat.html
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Sounds like some these things could easily be resolved…like the laundry for instance I only fold laundry in my bedroom with the door closed. If I need to be with the Bs because they can't be left alone then I fold laundry in the living room & put them in the expen (not the crate) so they can still move around and be "with mommy" but not into my stuff.
The exercising on the floor..well guess what YOU may actually be giving him the signal that you WANT to play. For instance when C3 wants to play with Topaz he'll grab a fav toy of hers & drops on the floor & looks at her to see if she's going to play. Sometimes he'll lay on his back with his paws up in the air to see if she'll come to play with him. So again, not his fault if you're sending those signals to him
Again if you need to be in the same room with him without him "in your way" than put an expen around him so he can still romp around but stays out of your way.We have 2 expens one inside the house that is very versatile & can take to any room in the house and one for the outside in the backyard either to close up the yard so they can run around like crazies...sometimes they need to be off leash to burn some energy.
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Just think, when he slows down with age (yeah right) you'll look back and laugh and wish he was young and spry again!
They slow down? Do you think my 4yo will? I can still hope, right?:rolleyes:
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jys1011-where can I get an expen? is that better than a baby gate?
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My 9 year old is still the worst about getting into trouble when he wants attention. So if you are waiting for your dog to calm down when it's older, it will probably be a long wait.
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This is an X-Pen. It will make a 4 foot x 4 foot square pen for the dog.
http://www.petedge.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=4107&itemType=PRODUCT&iMainCat=0&iSubCat=0&iSubSubCat=0&iProductID=4107&AS=1 -
Ivoss I think this is better than the crate looks good to keep him out of my hair, literally. Their are different sizes which one do u use?
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The expen helps when they don't want stay in another room alone or you don't want to leave them in another room alone. We have several baby gates so that they are in my sight at all times…like if I'm in the kitchen I use the baby gate so they don't go wandering off to the living room. If I'm in the living room I use the baby gate to make sure they stay in the living room.
They're both useful but the baby gates stay put. The expen helps if you need something more adaptable like when folding laundry
or when my husband was trying to assemble something with screws & parts & such 
Believe me you will find BOTH very useful
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Thanks well 4 sure the baby gate will be used this weekend and I will definetly keep in mind the epen…wondering if I can put myself in there while I'm doing my floor exercises...lol
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I'll comment on a bunch of things at once!
The crate thing and punishment. Turn it into something positive-put him in there with something he likes-presto it's not punshment anymore! (works for some-but not all dogs)
Slow Down?? (that's why I said yeah,right) It doesn't happen! I'm laughing with you all not at you.
Hope your's isn't a climber. I put Sugar in an x-pen for 1/2 a second-she climbed out! I'm going to look for one with a lid that ties down-or something! (I wonder if it's a tri-thing)
As for the socks, shoes, etc. I don't leave ANYTHING down. It becomes fair game! Not the remotes, not paper, nothing. One thing-if you give your dogs pigs ears, rawhide, stuffed animals-just remember what they are made of -leather and fabric. So anything similar is also fair game. (don't get me wrong-Mine have a basket of stuffed toys, I just don't leave anything out I don't want chewed. Although my couch cushions are looking pretty sad with rounded corners and missing stuffing. Sigh…Guess I'll have to make more)
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about the crate..this I know but how else can I punish him especially when I am ready to jump out the window.(won't do much though, I live on the first floor)
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wondering if I can put myself in there while I'm doing my floor exercises…lol
I didn't want to ADMIT IT but I guess I have to now since you did :eek: :eek:
LOL I have put myself in there when I want to do scrap booking while watching TV with the Bs so it's not at all a BAD idea!I ditto everything Arlene has said. There is NOTHING on the floors & I mean NOTHING. It's just like when you have a toddler in the house. You keep nothing within reach. I use a 48in high expen which works well both inside & out. And I have had to resort to putting Vicks Vapor Rub on the couch corners because they were looking "rounded" too LOL LOL!!
Anyone who sits on my couches suddenly feel their sinuses cleared :eek: :eek:
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OMG that is too funny..the whole putting urself in the expen
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Hope your's isn't a climber. I put Sugar in an x-pen for 1/2 a second-she climbed out! I'm going to look for one with a lid that ties down-or something! (I wonder if it's a tri-thing)
I don't think it is a tri thing. Each of Sugar's cousins from my Magic litter could and would climb a barrier by 5 weeks old. At a lure trial a couple of weeks ago, a woman commented that our dogs were like popcorn because when my husband would open the top of the x-pen Rio would pop up and out into his arms.
Here is a link for a top, http://www.petedge.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=3290&itemType=PRODUCT&iMainCat=0&iSubCat=0&iSubSubCat=0&iProductID=3290&AS=1
It is not just climbers you need to be aware of though. In house where the x-pen is not staked down they can push them up and escape under them. Nicky would push the whole x-pen until he could leverage it against a wall to get out.
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<<it is="" not="" just="" climbers="" you="" need="" to="" be="" aware="" of="" though.="" in="" house="" where="" the="" x-pen="" staked="" down="" they="" can="" push="" them="" up="" and="" escape="" under="" them.="" nicky="" would="" whole="" until="" he="" could="" leverage="" it="" against="" a="" wall="" get="" out.="">>
Yep, that is Querk's technique too! Nicky and Querk sound SOOO much a like :)</it>
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Well that's out then. Champ is a wannabe escape artist (he hasn't learned how to climb) but I can see him pushing the expen throughout the house causeing a bigger mess. I look at him when he's wilding out and I just give up most times. He looks at me like what mommy let's play. What else to do but grab them, give them a huge hug and accept the fact that I'm owned by my B not the other way around. It's crazy how nuts he gets me but I love him more each day. I love holding him and kissing him, even chasing after that little brat has made life somehow better. This morning he ran into my daughters room and took her sock (what a shock it was on the floor) so I chased him and grabbed the sock, well he stormed back into the room as soon as I had pulled the sock out of his mouth and grabbed another one and started running around the house and I couldn't help but laugh. Little stinker!
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It sounds like Champ would really benefit from a good positive reinforcement training class. It would give you a vocabulary to communicate with him and some good techniques to divert some of this behavior.
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Yes we are planning on doing this real soon. Have someone who is good with dogs give us some basic lessons for a few weeks starting next week and are also looking into going to the petsmart classes.
