Skip to content

Help!

Behavioral Issues
  • Have you spoken with the breeder? And it sounds to me like he is not getting enough good hard exercise. And do you work with him daily on things like sit, down, stay? Exercise the mind is as important as physical exercise

  • Fox Valley, near Oshkosh.

  • I've heard of clicker training, but have never looked into it.

  • Even when he's been outside playing and running around with the other dog, he's still wound up. Or he'll calm down for a bit and is right back at it. Walking him is somewhat difficult with the roads and weather. We live in a rural area. I walk him around the property.

  • Young Basenjis have so much energy, and you have a teenager! A teenage Basenji needs lots of exercise. I walked Spencer, but that wasn't enough when he was young. I had to take him to the dog park and let him run, run, run offleash. On weekends, I would take him to a nearby school and he would race from one end of the playground to the other again and again and again. (Unfortunately, they now lock the gates, so there goes that great solution.) Exercise is a must. A tired Basenji is a good Basenji.

    Good training will do wonders, too. Spencer did not excel in puppy class. He started puppy kindergarten at four months, and he was by far the unruliest dog in the class. We flunked. He would sit and lie down for treats, but he wouldn't heel or stand quietly by my side. At six months, I got a really good trainer, and it made all the difference. Every dog trains at his or her own pace, so sometimes, you have to respect that.

    Exercise, training, gentle but firm discipline and clear expectations will help a lot, but the biggest help of all is time. Acceptance helps, too. Basenjis have selective hearing and a mind of their own. Sometimes, it's easier to change our behavior than theirs (keep trashcans tightly closed, clothes out of reach, crate him or put him in another room when you're eating). I'm no expert, but my wild puppy grew into an amazing dog, and yours can, too. Good luck to you both!

  • It sounds like he needs more mental stimulation and work on impulse control. I would take Clay up on the offer to send you contact info on good trainers in your area that will help you work on things besides just sit, down, stay and help you get on the right track for having a companion that you enjoy being around.

  • YOur sweet baby has turned into an overactive teen. I agree with all who say exercise, exercise, exercise, both physical and mental. Indoor fetch, hide the treat, a kibble dispensing ball for his meals will keep him busy for a while too. I have a friend with a mix, abut the same age, and the same issues. I keep telling her the same thing, long walks (an hour or more) or dog park if at all possible. A "walky-dog" and a bike if you can do that safely. 'One year old basenji, free to good home' ; we certainly saw that add in the paper many times, and collected several of them ourselves. Others we would call and talk them into keeping the dog another 6 months, telling them they were just experiencing the worst age!

    I'm sorry, I imagine winter up north makes it difficult to get a dog tired out! Mental training, find the toy, find the treat, those things tire them as well so well worth the effort to get him involved. good luck.

  • I can't offer any more advice than that you've been given. A 'basenji-wise' trainer, lots of exercise and 'thinking' games.

    I'd just like to say that he sounds like a normal Basenji who has not been correctly trained (wrong trainer) and a family who were not well advised in the early puppy stages.

    You and he urgently need good training. Be patient and you'll end up with a delightful Basenji!

  • Hey Heinz57,

    I left you some suggestions on your profile page. Let me know if you have any questions.

    Clay

  • Kipawa went through a rambunctious stage at 13 months - he didn't do anything bad, but he seemed to be 'testing' who the boss was. He was reminded, consistently. (Grin) At 15 months he started to show very nice maturation qualities and a complete understanding of his place in our family pack. Be patient, be consistent, give him lots of exercise and really praise him when he is good.

Suggested Topics

  • Desperately need your help!

    Moved Behavioral Issues
    3
    0 Votes
    3 Posts
    2k Views
    DebraDownSouthD
    Sudden behavior change at this age is almost always medical. I am glad you are now keeping him separated, but honestly you should have the first incident. After the first bite, most courts or judges would rule you knew he was a danger and he could not only have been seized, but you sued for significant damages. You are lucky no one is filing. Thyroid is the primary cause that I am aware of for sudden change. Yes, brain tumors are possible, but more likely thyroid. Some forms of epilepsy also can cause a dog to attack, but typically this is truly out of nowhere-- not like what you describe when a dog is told no about something. Pain can also do it.. sadly cancer had been found in similar situations of sudden growing aggression. The ENCOURAGING part is you had several months without problems... so again, look at the most simple... thyroid. Make sure you get a full panel, not just an in-house partial. In the meantime, understand you didn't cause this, and it may be fixable. If thyroid, it's inexpensive medication. But you won't know until you get tests runs. Hopefully those wanting him put down will feel better knowing you are acting to find out if there is a medical issue.
  • Help! My basenji is bitting

    Behavioral Issues
    11
    0 Votes
    11 Posts
    7k Views
    DebraDownSouthD
    @kjdonkers said in Help! My basenji is bitting: @DebraDownSouth No use for further discussion, if everyone outside your sphere of reference is a quack, a nut job, a con artist. Different planets. Stay healthy! Everyone outside of provable or at least probably science, especially when they peddle for money, does fit my definition of quack and cons. But I slept with a bar of soap in desperation with restless leg syndrome. I have tried things that have almost as little scientific basis, but I do so armed with knowing that. My issue is people selling things as science/proven when they aren't. My issue is vulnerable, desperate or uneducated people getting taken in by hustlers. Not a different planet, just the science based and honest part of the same one. Having seen too many people hurt, or their animals hurt, or children hurt, by false science/medicine/therapies... I am sorry that you think belief in scientific proof and honesty about what is or is not proven is wrong. If someone says to me, "I drink vinegar and it helps my arthritis, but there's no research proving it works"... good. I might even try it. But when some quack says "pay me $100 and I'll tell you why your dog bites or where your missing child is or if your husband is cheating on you or whatever"... they deserve to be horsewhipped. I am sorry if I sounded dismissive to you personally. It wasn't my intent. It was reaction to what you wrote. In general, we're on common ground. We don't have to agree on things to stay on the same planet. :)
  • 0 Votes
    32 Posts
    16k Views
    Buddys PalB
    Wow! this is one of many, many threads that I have responded to and I am very interested in the outcome of Poopydog and the nipping. As I was going through the Thread, I really had to bypass any of the responses of those who enjoy attacking one another. I sure hope this behavior did not thwart our member who really needed help. The majority are replies to one another trying to impart important knowledge or experience to someone who did not ask for it in the first place. Don't try to sound important. Everyone is, just give happy good-hearted advice and let us just not dig into the other who has a different opinion. Just dig, digs, and more digs. Really getting old….........................I know you won't miss me, but this is just too much.................................................................
  • Thunderstorm issues…help!

    Behavioral Issues
    19
    0 Votes
    19 Posts
    6k Views
    QuercusQ
    @basenji_fan: She's stay hiden for days sometimes, and wouldn't come out to eat or use the litter box (she'd just hold it), and not eating or pottying is really not good for cats I see, yes, it is important for them to eat and eliminate, for sure.
  • Where do I begin… (HELP!)

    Behavioral Issues
    45
    0 Votes
    45 Posts
    18k Views
    phoenix3P
    Opps didnt know this topic had 5 pages i properly said something that was already mentioned lol :D
  • Help with biting

    Behavioral Issues
    5
    0 Votes
    5 Posts
    3k Views
    D
    Hello I'm New , My Daisy Is A Biter. If You Touch Her Sometimes. She Seems Really Sensitive All The Time. She Can Be Fully Awake And Loving Than It Switches. She Has Gottin Us Good A Couple Times. I Don't Know Why She Can Turn Like That She Is A Spoiled Pooch. Do You Have Any Ideas What I Could Do.