Biting: positive reinforcement?

[basilboy7]

@khanis:

Think of your Basenji as a cross between a toddler, a cat, and a monkey.
Once you grasp that, you will have the training down pat! lol

Just like a child, your puppy need lots and lots and lots [did I say lots??] of positive reinforcement.

Good luck!

Well every time he goes pee or poo outside I say in an excited voice "good boy basil!"… with children I can say "oh wow, I see that you're helping your friend... great job!"... a dog doesn't really understand that. I just don't understand how to apply it to biting is the problem. Another example... I work with a child with down syndrome and we have a difficulty getting him to eat a good portion of his lunch. I will use a treat like food that he likes (pretzels, goldfish) to get him to eat his main meal... like veggies and meat. If he eats a piece of meat or veggie then he gets one treat. This I would consider bribing but a kind of positive reinforcement. With Basil biting... if I give him a treat for not biting... won't he think he's just getting a treat for no reason? Like there isn't a direct relation to the behavior. Does anyone understand what I mean?

[QuizBasenji]

I do understand what you mean! (And Butu was a pain on feet too!) Have you tried a pig's ear or a rawhide treat, or even a toy he can mutilate? With Butu, it was his Goggie (a soft dog toy with a squeaker..) If I could divert his attention with Goggie, he got a treat. He now trashes a Goggie (he's on his third…) or a rawhide ring...

[agilebasenji]

@basilboy7:

Well every time he goes pee or poo outside I say in an excited voice "good boy basil!"… with children I can say "oh wow, I see that you're helping your friend... great job!"... a dog doesn't really understand that. I just don't understand how to apply it to biting is the problem. Another example... I work with a child with down syndrome and we have a difficulty getting him to eat a good portion of his lunch. I will use a treat like food that he likes (pretzels, goldfish) to get him to eat his main meal... like veggies and meat. If he eats a piece of meat or veggie then he gets one treat. This I would consider bribing but a kind of positive reinforcement. With Basil biting... if I give him a treat for not biting... won't he think he's just getting a treat for no reason? Like there isn't a direct relation to the behavior. Does anyone understand what I mean?

But your pup understands the tone in your voice.

Also, can you narrow down his behavior right before he attacks your feet? Is it when he just wakes up? around 6pm every night? right before dinner? after dinner? etc. if you can do that, you can then re-direct his behavior before the nibble-fest begins and reward him for doing something else. Sitting nicely comes to mind.

I also think he's not getting enough exercise/mental stimulation. If he were getting more exercise, I think you'd see a decrease of this behavoir. But, positive does not equal permissive and were he my puppy, I'd try giving him a time-out for this behavior. 3-5 minutes in the crate is plenty of time for a time out. But also increase his excercise/training/mental stimulation.

[basilboy7]

@agilebasenji:

But your pup understands the tone in your voice.

Also, can you narrow down his behavior right before he attacks your feet? Is it when he just wakes up? around 6pm every night? right before dinner? after dinner? etc. if you can do that, you can then re-direct his behavior before the nibble-fest begins and reward him for doing something else. Sitting nicely comes to mind.

I also think he's not getting enough exercise/mental stimulation. If he were getting more exercise, I think you'd see a decrease of this behavoir. But, positive does not equal permissive and were he my puppy, I'd try giving him a time-out for this behavior. 3-5 minutes in the crate is plenty of time for a time out. But also increase his excercise/training/mental stimulation.

I'll increase his exercise, I think his biting happens after he wakes up and after he eats because that's when he's most hyper. I try to play with him using his toys or have him run around following me in the back yard but he always seems more interested in biting. I could try to use this time to leash train him because I have more control over where he goes and what he does. Also, I thought you weren't supposed to use the crate as a tool or time outs or discipline because it's supposed to be their safe haven?

[sinbaje]

If you keep moving when he is biting your feet STOP and act as though you are a tree trunk. Do NOT move until he ceases chewing which he will because you are now a boring and immobile silent object. Yes, you might have to wait a bit and endure the biting without reacting but it will stop. And yes, bitter apple can help make it stop more quickly.

The minute he ceases on his own, you click and treat, throw a toy or you do anything that tells him the very nanosecond he stops chewing on his own he is the best boy in the world. Caveat - if you choose to use words (which to a basenji pup is quite low on the currency scale) you need to remain calm, cool and collected. Talking to a hyper pup in a sing, songy baby voice only incites further hyperactivity.

You want to reflect the calm behavior you desire. Dogs are very good at mimicry.

[agilebasenji]

@basilboy7:

I'll increase his exercise, I think his biting happens after he wakes up and after he eats because that's when he's most hyper. I try to play with him using his toys or have him run around following me in the back yard but he always seems more interested in biting. I could try to use this time to leash train him because I have more control over where he goes and what he does. Also, I thought you weren't supposed to use the crate as a tool or time outs or discipline because it's supposed to be their safe haven?

No scolding or fussing, just put the pup gently in the crate so he can "reboot" so to speak. If you've made the crate a rewarding place to be, using the crate for a short time out should not cause him to hate his crate. Otherwise, you could remove yourself, but leaving a b puppy in a room by himself is not too wise. I actually remove myself when my dog decides she'd rather not do a training session with me. (But she's 4.) No fussing, no scolding, no begging to play with me, I just quitely walk out of the yard and leave her by herself for a little while.

otherwise, Linda gave some great advice.

[DebraDownSouth]

Y'all make me laugh! OMG, and we love them why?

@MacPack:

It has been many years but I still remember eating dinner, sitting on our feet. There is a reason they are called "ankle biters" as puppies.

@khanis:

Think of your Basenji as a cross between a toddler, a cat, and a monkey.
Once you grasp that, you will have the training down pat! lol

I have never had an ankle biter puppy, so I have lucked out.. not any breed. But we did have a rescue lhasa that would truly bite passing feet. I set her up at dumped a glass of cold water on her twice and that was the end of that. I would never recommend doing that to a pup. This dog, however, was slated for euthanasia and had a multitude of issues and that one put my child at risk…so flame away, we were able to find her a home where she lived til she died.

[Rivermoon]

Since you can't yet take him out to class, maybe you could get a trainer to come to the house. It will be a bit more expensive than taking him out to classes, but well worth it.

[basilboy7]

@Rivermoon:

Since you can't yet take him out to class, maybe you could get a trainer to come to the house. It will be a bit more expensive than taking him out to classes, but well worth it.

I'll ask around.. thanks for the idea!

[basilboy7]

@agilebasenji:

No scolding or fussing, just put the pup gently in the crate so he can "reboot" so to speak. If you've made the crate a rewarding place to be, using the crate for a short time out should not cause him to hate his crate. Otherwise, you could remove yourself, but leaving a b puppy in a room by himself is not too wise. I actually remove myself when my dog decides she'd rather not do a training session with me. (But she's 4.) No fussing, no scolding, no begging to play with me, I just quitely walk out of the yard and leave her by herself for a little while.

otherwise, Linda gave some great advice.

Okay, that's a good idea then… I think it could help him calm down.