Different Strokes…..

[eeeefarm]

@agilebasenji:

But I also keep hearing Bob Bailey talk about training all sorts of interesting animals (cats, ravens, dolphins, chickens, military bomb dogs, etc) to perform reliably by using only operant conditioning.

Remember that operant conditioning includes both reward and punishment. I haven't looked at the video, but I am guessing this is training by positive reinforcement only? (basically what clicker training is). Perfect for teaching new behaviours. "Chicken camps" are popular for people learning the timing necessary for effective use of a clicker.

As far as effectiveness goes, contrary to popular opinion, positive punishment is extremely effective if the timing is right. Problem is, most of us don't want to use it. Which is fine, most people don't employ it correctly in any case. Positive reinforcement is absolutely the way to go for training new behaviours…....but what to do to extinguish bad behaviours? That is the tricky bit. Ignoring something that is unwanted is fine, if you can. If the problem is serious, however, it may be necessary to try to prevent or eliminate it. I think that is where e-collars came in, to keep hunting dogs away from unwanted game. I really can't think of a method that is likely to work for that purpose that doesn't involve some type of punishment. (the "nature of the beast" comes into play here. If you are dealing with a "biddable" dog......Border Collie, Sheltie, GSD......your disapproval......a form of punishment in itself I suppose......would likely be incentive enough. Not so much, for most sporting dogs)

I know a lot of dog people. From observation, I would say consistency is the key to a dog/handler relationship. Regardless of the training method used, if the animal always, always knows where he stands, he has a much lower stress level and a better relationship with his trainer than the dog who is subject to an erratic, inconsistent handler. Skinner's experiments would bear this out.....

[agilebasenji]

I believe he said he'd used only +reward for training the bomb dogs for the military, but the military wanted believed the dogs would be more reliable if they'd encountered +punishment, so the Baileys did one test with +punishment but Bob Bailey felt it was totally unnecessary. Of course it's been a while since I've watched it, so some finer details may be off.

"
I know a lot of dog people. From observation, I would say consistency is the key to a dog/handler relationship. Regardless of the training method used, if the animal always, always knows where he stands, he has a much lower stress level and a better relationship with his trainer than the dog who is subject to an erratic, inconsistent handler. "

Yes, consistency is a cornerstone of training. Seems I heard about a blind trainer in one of the chicken camps. The trainer was consistently late with giving clicks, but the chickens learned b/c of the consistency. Took longer for them to learn, but learn they did.

[Patty]

eeeefarm, I didn't mean an invisible fence but a proper electric fence designed tpo keep stock (sheep in my case) on a part of a field. I had a Basenji slip the leash and plunge straight into the flock. He didn't even seem to notice the jolt!! Luckily it was a young dog and he merely chased the sheep rather than hold on to one. He was 'well trained' on a recall and eventually paused when my huisband gave the command and we managed to grab him.

What a coincidence that you mentioned NCS - yes I've had one and totally agree with you!! I swear never again!

Agilebasenji - I've tried the Illusion collars (CM) and have found them effective in getting my b's to walk to heel and no cruelty involved. For them to be effective you have to have a goal in mind and want a Basenji who does walk to heel. Personally for their normal walks I'm quite happy to have them on ordinary collars of various sorts. I tolerate some pulling as long as its not so much that I lose control. I enjoy a Basenji quartering and stopping to have lots of sniffs around. Our walks are pleasurable and we're all very miserable if we can't take them!

[eeeefarm]

Patty, you have sheep. Do you also have Border Collies? I had one…...no sheep.....but what a great dog, and talk about instincts! My neighbour had sheep for awhile, and sometimes a lamb would get through the fence into my field. My dog, without training, would circle the lamb, lie down and put the "eye" on it, and freeze it so I could catch it. What a fantastic dog he was! Best dog I ever owned. Whatever I wanted, if I could make him understand he would do it for me. No treats required. He would work his heart out for my approval. I loved that dog, but for some reason my Basenjis.....worse than useless most of the time on a farm.....have always had my heart. I wish I liked to hunt. It would be good to use that aspect of them, but for now the companionship and entertainment my guy supplies in abundance will have to be enough......and it is.

[DebraDownSouth]

A part of me agrees about keeping their natural instincts/uses. But intellectually I know the actual practical side is limited. If dogs were kept only for their purposes, most breeds would be extinct. Few "pet owners" want those herding/guarding/fighting/boar hunting/badger hole whatever abilities. Much of those abilities make for poor pets. We do fake things like sheep herding trials and pretend it is the real thing. We do field trials and pretend it is real. We do a lot and pat ourselves on the back claiming we are keeping their original purpose, and it is false for the most part.

In the end, animals, including dogs, are bred to fit new situations and needs. I have no desire to ever hunt (in fact it is against my personal and religious beliefs except when your actual life requires it). I don't want Basenjis bred to be like small coatless Golden Retrievers. I like their quirks and personalities. But if they lose their hunting skills beyond their natural ones most dogs have, oh well. If I were in Africa and needed those skills it would be different. But what I need is a good companion animal. I am much more concerned we breed for health than ability to hunt.

There are breeds where the working/pet or show lines are so divided you can almost not recognize them. But a club that forbids entry to a show dog has missed the boat. Hell, they missed the freaking OCEAN the boat is on. The goal should be to have both working and conformation.

One breed that comes to mind is the Jack Russel. What makes that dog great for work makes it a terrible pet for most owners and ends them up flooding rescues. The animal aggression of Pit Bulls has gotten them banned in many countries and on the hit list for most insurances here in the states. I have moderated PB boards and I know totally how the "guardians of the breed" feel about breeding animal aggression OUT of them. Yet their beliefs will result in more and more BSL.

So yeah, for those needing a dog to hunt, why not get a dog from hunting breeds? Or if your dog from any line has instinct and ability, train it. But for 99 percent of the basenjis in this country, hunting ability doesn't enhance their value as a companion animal.

[eeeefarm]

@DebraDownSouth:

We do fake things like sheep herding trials and pretend it is the real thing….....But a club that forbids entry to a show dog has missed the boat. Hell, they missed the freaking OCEAN the boat is on. The goal should be to have both working and conformation.

I'd like to point out that many of the sheepdogs that do trials are working farm dogs that the rest of the year are working sheep "for real" on their owner's farms. There is still a need for a good herding dog, and the club that I mentioned doesn't want to lose that in their dogs. They are passionate in their beliefs, since they have seen so many other breeds spoiled by confirmation showing. The International Sheep Dog Society is so sure that a true Border Collie is the only dog capable of higher level trialling that they allow "Registration on Merit" for an unregistered dog. If he can cut the mustard in a test of his ability, he becomes a registered Sheep Dog. At the Kingston Sheep Dog Trials, which typically has over 100 dogs entered in Open, any dog can compete. It is not limited to Border Collies, and occasionally you do see another breed in the beginner levels. In the Open, it is all Border Collies. Other herding breeds simply don't have what it takes. (yes, there is always the exception that makes the rule, but I haven't seen it yet)

I agree that most don't need a hunting Basenji. My contention was that neglecting that aspect of the dog will sooner or later fundamentally change the breed, which may be just fine with most people. I'm old enough that such changes are unlikely to make any difference to me. But it's a little contradictory to preach "keeping the breed pure" and not oppose changing it by selective breeding that alters its fundamental nature. As well cross it out to a poodle, or whatever else has the traits you would prefer to see in your pet Basenji. JMHO. BTW, Poodles were once great huntiing dogs. Some people still use them, a bit like Basenjis!

http://www.fieldandstream.com/blogs/hunting/2010/04/chad-love-finest-gun-poodle-around

[Patty]

Yes, eeeefarm we do have sheep (mainly Beulah Speckle Face) but because we only have under 200 we don't keep more than one BC nowadays. Although she is not a youngster she is still not trained as well as we would like. Probably because she was 14 months when we had her. She is a bit strong for our flock but she learns daily. My OH used to also compete in trials with one of our previous dogs but not evry BC is ideal for that and Fern certainly is not.

I agree that Border Collies are a lovely breed but there is never anything but a Basenji for me ( not that I let Fern know! - she thinks she might be a Basenji any how!).

Not quite true that a Basenji is useless on a farm. In the past we have used them to help with the rounding up but these were ones who were reliable with sheep. This is not a trait that has been inherited in any of our current Basenjis.

[dcmclcm4]

I met a woman at the ASFA II in Lexington KY many years ago and she owned a Standard Poodle that hunted. I almost did not recognize the dog as a Poodle because the coat was different than what I was used to seeing in the ring!

Jennifer

[agilebasenji]

I took Digital and Jet out for a herding test once many years ago. Diggie showed quite a bit of interest in that new game. It would have been fun to see how far I could have gotten in training with him. Diggie has always been marvellously talented with anything asked of him. He will also do a slow border collie stalk of the goats next door. I shroud try to film that sometimes although he now does it less than he used to

[eeeefarm]

None of my Basenjis have shown herding instinct, but to be fair they haven't had a lot of opportunity. Perry is interested in the horses and loves to greet them (and steal their carrots, if he can!), but they are a little big for a small dog. They were even a challenge to my Border Collie, but when all else failed he would get them moving by a nip at their noses. He was well aware the back end was dangerous! I have a picture in my mind (didn't have the camera with me) of him flying through the air snapping at my gelding's nose when the horse had been ignoring him…..

On the subject of temperament, and my recollection that my earlier dogs were if anything better than today's........I had lunch with my niece today and asked her if she had the same memory as I did of my earlier Basenjis. She remembers a very tolerant Lady, who put up with a great deal from her and her sister when they were young. This was back in the seventies. There was never any worry that Lady would bite a child. When the kids were young she put up with everything, including physical abuse, without a murmur. (I once caught the two sisters fighting over the dog, each pulling on the opposite end, literally trying to pull her apart!) When they were older and they got out of line, she would warn them, but it never went further than that. Never a problem with adult guests either, although she would help herself to their beverages if they weren't looking.