Skip to content

Training Blog

Basenji Training
  • http://www.michaelbaugh.com/?p=248

    Really interesting blog about positive reinforcement training :) I would love to hear some of your thoughts!

  • Yeah, I still lurk around here. So much good advice!

    I can't help but reply to this. I started my B-mix out with a supposedly "positive only" trainer for his first class. Really, it was positive rewards and positive punishment, and made my dog more reactive. I think he also picked up on my discomfort with screaming at him, yanking the collar, etc. After the conclusion of that class (I regret not trusting my instinct and just quitting), I joined this forum, in hopes to understand my dog better because I saw that he was not responding to traditional training methods.
    I also found this video:
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWSJVwZybwo
    We started with that, and now my dog knows at least 20 commands/tricks. Our relationship is 1000% improved, even if he still has some quirks. This youtube trainer (channel name Kikopup) has videos for teaching everything, and how to do it with no intimidation. In my horrible collar correction class, I had a dog heeling, head down, eyes glazed over. Who really wants that???? I now have a happy, tail-wagging, heels-before-I-ask dog because he associates heeling with rewards and praise.
    Sorry for the huge post, I just had to bump this up.

  • ToughAndPrissy, glad you found something that helped your b learn as well as bond to you. Welcome!

  • This a very interesting article, Andrea. I'm not a professionla trainer and only have little experience in the field of professional dog trainers here. Those I do know mainly use positive reinforcement but I also know some old school trainers who while professing to now use positive reinforcement do rather confuse the two.

    I love and totally agree with his statement that 'training is not something we do to our dogs: its something we do with them'. This I think sums up completely the way we need to train our Basenjis for the best results.

    Toughand Prissy, thank you for posting that excellent video link.

Suggested Topics

  • Kennel Training

    Basenji Training 24 Nov 2020, 15:47
    0 Votes
    20 Posts
    3k Views
    Yay!!! 👊😊👍
  • Crate training

    Basenji Training 31 Mar 2019, 04:45
    0 Votes
    9 Posts
    4k Views
    Exactly as it should be ! Happiness well deserved :grinning_face:
  • Recall training

    Basenji Training 24 Mar 2011, 15:48
    0 Votes
    4 Posts
    3k Views
    I also have a Verizon air card USB - the video may use it all up. Also, instead of using the laptop with the air card, I used my home computer to call it up and found you have to subscribe to something in order to watch - it's my policy not to do that. So, even though the video may be great, you do have to sign up with something to do so.
  • Whistle training

    Basenji Training 19 Mar 2011, 17:16
    0 Votes
    8 Posts
    3k Views
    @agilebasenji: for this sort of thing (big value treats over long time period), the best thing i've found to use is frozen liverwurst. i buy it, slice it and put it in a small container (the leftover cream cheese containers work GREAT for this) then put the container in the freezer. the pup gets to lick the frozen stuff for her high value treat - LOTS of treat over a long time, but not lots of calories or lots of treats in the tummy. the dogs at my house swear liverwurst pupcicles are wonderful. sometimes they will try to nibble, but given it's frozen and in a small container, it's hard to get lots of treats. I will try this, but I myself love liverwurst. Hopefully I will not eat it all before getting to the park. At the park today, I was about 75% successful with the whistle/treat recall. Not bad for the first time out, I think. Especially because there were easily 20 dogs there, and Kipawa is Mr. Social and has to visit with all of them.
  • Alone training

    Basenji Training 10 Nov 2009, 08:14
    0 Votes
    71 Posts
    29k Views
    Just curious - have you tested the drug yet? How is it working? I take it you can read norwegian as you live her. If you want to, I can email you som info I got after a session with Gry L?berg regarding my Giants seperation anxiety, it has a training program in it, and some general info.
  • Leash training

    Basenji Training 20 Mar 2007, 16:36
    0 Votes
    42 Posts
    27k Views
    These front-attaching harnesses work really well in my experience. As soon as the dog starts to pull, it will turn itself towards you, slowing it down. Otherwise the dog has every bit of freedom to do what it wants.