What exactly do you mean when you say 'ppl food'? I hope we are not talking McDonald's burgers and french fries or things from Taco Time. 
Start introducing a good high quality food into his diet. At first, just add 10 or so pieces of kibble. Every few days, increase the number of pieces of kibble and reduce the amount of people food. Also, aim to feed him twice a day - in the morning and at your supper time. I don't think many of us here do free feeding.
Kipawa gets 3/4 cup Taste of the Wild Bison kibble. To that I add fresh fruit and vegetables - right now he is loving blueberries, apple, broccoli, sweet potato, yam, cottage cheese, asparagus and string beans. I mix it differently every day to keep it interesting for him. Usually he gets the kibble with 2 or 3 of the list above.
How is his weight?
OH NO, NOT MC DONALDS CRAP!!. PPL FOOD LIKE PORTER HOUSE STAKE'S HAMBURGER, LITTLE PORK CHOP MEAT, NOT A LOT!, SOME RAVEOLI,CHICKEN , SALMON PATTIES, MAC& CHEESE(LITTLE BIT OF THAT), !! THESE THING AS PPL FOOD!. THE GOOD STUFF!, HE'S KILLING AT THE STOR! LOL !. WHAT KIND OF HIGH QULITY FOODS? UR BASENJI eats the other stuff??!! i wonder if mine will ? the picky little sh~T!!!. i have to yell & growl at him to have him eat his dog food & i hate doing that! but then when he dose eat his food i go hugging& kissing on him telling him he's a good boy u ate ur dog food!. & then he make a sound like he's sneing!,like u would take a deep breath & push it out ur nose, like that sound!!. lol!!.:(:(
& he's got food all the time for him out to get but he only eats once a day!!. i have never seen a dog eat like this before. & if im fixing dinner i'll get his plate ready & done first& give it to him but he wont touch it till me & my daughter eat!!. lmao!! i have never seen a dog do this before!!!.
weight is very good, !!not skinny like starveing!!, he's about 30 to 35 lbs./!coats in great shape too!.
For starters, don't leave food out for him to eat at his leisure. Feed on a regular schedule.
Nothing wrong with feeding a little beef or chicken - many folks feed their dogs a raw diet (in fact my vet suggested it) and there's lots of information out "there" about such a diet. And the suggestion about slowly added kibble to his food is a good one - if you want to wean him off people food do so gradually.
If he won't eat until you all are finished no big deal. But you could also simply take his dish away and when he gets hungry he'll let you know. But don't free-feed - a regular schedule is best.
i have to yell & growl at him to have him eat his dog food
I certainly wouldn't do that!
As others have said, put food down twice a day and ignore him while he eats. Give him about 15 minutes, and if he doesn't eat, pick up his dish until the next meal. Eventually, he'll get the idea that he'd better eat while the dish is down, or he doesn't get fed. I'd lay off the people food, too, while you're doing this.
Unless, of course, you want to go to a cooked or raw diet for him. There are lots of good books out there about both of these types of feeding if you're interested in learning about them.
I do not believe in free feeding. Give him his food, give him 10 to 15 minutes to eat it, if he doesn't take it away until the next scheduled feeding time. And don't understand your comment about wet food and ruining teeth? Where did you hear that? It is totally not true. And honestly, would you like to eat dry kibble your entire life? I always mix in wet food, along with veggies, fruits, meat (all people food) so that they get different things for their meals.
As far as teeth, you should be brushing them daily. That is what keeps their teeth in good shape, not dry dog food
why is it not good to free feeding?! i have always done this with all my dogs!> raw food he wont even touch it!!, im doing it slowly on adding the kibbles& less foods!. oh my god !!, they are soo much like kids then!!!. the very top person that feeds there dog veggies, is there a way i can get him to eat those things too? the chiken & steak i cook on the grill then give it to him , is that o.k. to do too?.
hi tanza!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! how are u doing >?my vet told me about wet food maken there teeth bad!, FRUITS ARE O.K TOO!??> NEVER HEARD THAT BEFORE! he wont let me brush his teeth so i give him chew bones, raw hide's to nibble on.is that o.k? & is it raw veggies, fruit of any kind!??. im going to try this then!!. i just never heard of not ffree feeding a dog before!. thnks so much all u guys!.
Would you free feed humans or human children? Does that teach them good eating habits? Dogs are not "grazers" like cows or horses. They do not need to eat 24/7. In the wild they would eat one big meal (or the other animals would eat it for them)… When you free feed, you never really know when/what/how much they are eating. And since most dogs will go off their food if sick, you don't know that either when you free feed.
As far as teeth, I totally disagree with your Vet. Wet food does not cause bad teeth. NOT brushing them causes bad teeth/gums. Dry food after chewed leaves food on the teeth/gums just like wet food. And you need to teach your dog to let you brush his teeth, so if he will not let you, that is your mistake in not training him.
Watermellon, any mellons (not grapes), bananas, oranges, etc are all find for dogs. All veggies (not onions) cooked or raw. Usually they like root veggies the best. Mine love all squashes, carrots, potatoes (cooked usually without the skin), broccoli, cauliflower, etc....
thanks tanza, im going to start doing a time feeding, & mix his food too!. & im going to start trying to brush his teeth, but brushing what should i use?> THANKS TANA!!. ,i did change my vet, i have a know one that is cool !. im going to get some wet food today for hoim & start scedualeing his feedings!. :p :o ! thanks sooo much tana.!!!.
tana, if i start to add these things in his food what is the best way to add them & how much , what should i do if he dont eat the veggies, or the fruit!, how long should i keep trying with the veggies& fruit?.
I would put him on a feeding schedule. I am not familiar with the brand of dog food you mentioned, but I would make sure that he is on a good dog food. Taste of the Wild, Ancana, Orijen, and Wellness are all good foods. I try to feed a grain free food as they do not need a lot of grain in their diet.
I feed my boy twice a day. He gets 1/2-3/4 cups a feeding.
I agree with the previous posters as well. There has been some great advice given
thanks , i will be doing this then!, & go on a schedule feeding!!.
& no grain in food!. boy they are sooo different then other dogs!!.
they are differnet, but feeding grain free is actually a good thing for all dogs and for cats even more so
We just switched to Wellness grain free low fat, and all 3 love it. Nicky had gotten stances, I was feeding her various canned foods, she would eat something for a day or two, then never again. And after years of free feeding dry kibble! Anyway, I started feeding them ll twice a day last month after she was ill, they love their 'kibble soup' but Nicky got picky. So far they like the Wellenss, either softened or moist.
thanks , i will be doing this then!, & go on a schedule feeding!!.
& no grain in food!. boy they are sooo different then other dogs!!.
Agreed- personality wise these pups a certainly gems… but no dogs should be "free fed" in a captive situation. Standard meal times aid in their digestion and energy levels. (plus it helps with the potty training/ crate training too)
I was feeding my Basenji brand blue and she started getting crystals in her kidneys. With the recommendation from my pet store owner (Pet Ranch), switched to Nature's Variety Instinct RAW. Withing 2 months…all crystals are gone. Now Basenji, Rotty, and Puppy Mastiff/Pitt all get Nature's Variety. Their coats are very shiney and teeth are so white.
