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Walking Kipawa - need your ideas

Basenji Training
  • We now have a greyhound style collar, and that is working extremely well for tugging. However, Kipawa spends most of the walk sniffing the ground. I'd like his head up more.

    So, ideas from you folks on what to do? The new collar does go quite high up on the neck, but his nose is doing most of the work on our walks.

  • Mojo is a sniffer too. Cannot keep him from it. We live on the California Delta, and have a lot of ducks in the area- he sniffs them out of the bushes and tries to chase them. Lucky for them they can fly!!

  • I notice that Sonny often walks with his nose on the ground when we go for our early morning walks for some reason…the bad thing is he isn't very good at it....he walks into things all the time :p

  • In your puppy classes are you doing things like "watch me?"… or have you tried doing targets? If you search the Forum, lvoss has posted many time about using a target (usually a finger). Or both can be done with clicker training. Also, many of us have this problem with puppies when we first want to show them... nose to the ground in the show ring (a big no...no... LOL). I use the watch me command along with a short correction and then praise when the head come up....

  • I do 2 kinds of walks with my dogs, both do no permit pulling. On most walks, I like to use a longer leash and I allow them to sniff and do whatever… it is what is fun for them. On exercise walks, I make them heel and keep head up. That way they get that sometimes they can meander and sniff, other times it's business.

    I have never tried it, but I suspect you can teach sniff, then NO SNIFF lol.

  • A treat in your hand, making your pup watch you when you walk, will help.
    But I do think our dogs need to get a chance to just walk/sniff…

  • There is a 3 part series of videos on You Tube about loose lead walking that is good, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSmOOcELgxU

    The high rate of reinforcement for head up should really help.

  • @lvoss:

    There is a 3 part series of videos on You Tube about loose lead walking that is good, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSmOOcELgxU

    The high rate of reinforcement for head up should really help.

    Thank you Ivoss. I will watch those.

  • @sharronhurlbut:

    A treat in your hand, making your pup watch you when you walk, will help.
    But I do think our dogs need to get a chance to just walk/sniff…

    Yes Sharron! When I hold a treat in my hand he really has his head up. I will work on this with Kipawa.

  • @DebraDownSouth:

    I do 2 kinds of walks with my dogs, both do no permit pulling. On most walks, I like to use a longer leash and I allow them to sniff and do whatever… it is what is fun for them. On exercise walks, I make them heel and keep head up. That way they get that sometimes they can meander and sniff, other times it's business.

    I have never tried it, but I suspect you can teach sniff, then NO SNIFF lol.

    We do both on our walks, free leash and then heeling. But I would love him to have his head up more during free leash walking.

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  • Walking

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    DebraDownSouthD
    @ryanp said in Walking: @ktiefen1 Hello - would you please share the type of harness that the behaviorist recommended? I have two basenjis and they're hunting instinct for squirrels and cats is taking its toll on my shoulder and back. Thank you! Behaviorists aren't in agreement on much of anything. Gentle Leaders have a lot of fans, but I'm not one of them. I believe in going back to step one and teaching your dogs not to ever pull on the leash. If someone is disabled or for some reason really needs one, that's different. But training your dog is best. If I had to use one, I'd back it with a harness or collar, especially walking 2 dogs, since getting out of one might be easier. Should add some DOGS need harnesses, not collars or head harnesses if they have neck injuries or even some eye issues. And even though I am not a big fan, they can provide more security. This article is from professionals and they prefer harnesses, as well as tell you how to choose: https://activepet.co.uk/dog-harness/ Abstract The effect on intraocular pressure (IOP) from dogs pulling against a collar or a harness was evaluated in 51 eyes of 26 dogs. The force each dog generated while pulling against a collar or a harness was measured. Intraocular pressure measurements were obtained during application of corresponding pressures via collars or harnesses. Intraocular pressure increased significantly from baseline when pressure was applied via a collar but not via a harness. Based on the results of the study, dogs with weak or thin corneas, glaucoma, or conditions for which an increase in IOP could be harmful should wear a harness instead of a collar, especially during exercise or activity.>> https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16611932 For harnesses, there are currently a lot of articles about research on harnesses, which work best with the least inhibition to natural movement. This is a great article on it for anyone on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/notes/tierphysiotherapie-brigitte-jost/reflections-on-chest-harnesses/1369929759778331/
  • In need of a little assistance

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    E
    im sure it will :)
  • Naughty Basenji need advice

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    @jinxed_1980: Beau has decided to take things out of the garbage in protest of being gated in the kitchen. The wierd thing is it is only in protest, he doesnt eat anything he just takes it out of the garbage usually the diapers and strategically places articles around the kitchen. Dogs don't do things "in protest". He is probably bored and just finding a way to entertain himself. That or he has learned that this behavior gets a reaction from you. Dogs are natural scavengers so he is only doing what dogs do. I'm surprised he doesn't eat it. Mine are inveterate trash hounds. Just get a good covered can so he cannot do this. Another thing he does is when he gets seperated from me he poops… He could have just went outside and did his business but if i leave for the gas station he will find the energy to realease another present for me on the kitchen floor. You might need to do a little remedial alone training. Sounds like it might be nervous deification. That or he learned not to poop in front of you, and is waiting for you to leave. I hate crating him and i dont think he likes it either, and i feel like a bad mommy. He screams and crys if i crate him up and i can hear him half way down the block when i come home from the gas station, so yeah thats a no go. This tells you he is not adequately crate trained, as others have said. Start from ground 0. Make the crate a super neat place where great things happen. Start by delivering rewards whenever he approaches it. Work up to him going inside, then inside with the door swung closed, then clipped, then inside door locked and he stays there a few seconds, etc. Also he wont be a good boy on the leash. I dont know how many dogs i have leash trained ( i have worked at kennels and doggy day cares and a vet) i know i know how to leash train a dog… Beau aint havin it. He even gives me the dirty eye when i correct him or suddenly change directions to get him to pay attention. The methods you're using are older, less effective ways of loose lead training. I suggest you get a Sense-ation harness or a Wonder Walker and sign up for classes with a good, positive reinforcement based trainer who can walk you through a good, fun way of teaching your boy to walk politely on lead. Good luck
  • I need help having two problems

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    IMHO, please be careful with the alpha roll over, I used to do that when I first started dog training many years ago, I eventually had an aggression problem with the dog, got bit pretty good. I guessed it was my fault and never rolled one since. I never used pacifiers with my son, so no dog troubles there, but his blanky got stolen often. gg It sure cannot hurt to put the litterbox there and see what happens, its easy, fairly clean, and better than cleaning the rug often. You could also try using a scatter rug over the other rug, see if that helps any! I have one spot where one of the dogs, having gotten too excited, peed, they still go there if excited. I love my dogs, oh well its only in the hall. ggg Good luck, hope you find a solution! Carole
  • Need some advice…

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    QuercusQ
    <> He may not find a kong with PB all that important. I am sure there is something out there, that he would find rewarding enough to go into the kitchen when he KNOWS he is going in for the day. Try a raw marrow bone...like a knuckle or femur that you can get from a butcher. Try not feeding him at all, until he goes into the kitchen in the morning...if he wants to eat, he has to go into the kitchen. Other than that, it sounds like you are handling it very well. He may have to wear a lead to get him into the kitchen, then you can remove it. I imagine he was allowed to pretty much do whatever he wanted in his last home...so he is confused with the new restrictions, and boundaries you have put in place (ones that he should have had from the beginning). It is hard when a dog has to start from square one, especially when they have learned that using their mouth can get them what they want. Good for you for hanging in there. He will eventually learn that he has to cooperate. I would definitely use his food for reward for good behavior. Doesn't mean you have to withhold his food if he doesn't cooperate...but you can use his food to help him realize what you want him to do.
  • Walking more than one at a time

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    WrobelzooW
    Thanks for the opinion. I will give a head halter a try.