Thanks for the responses, glad I wasn't the only one feeling 'paranoid' about it.
A question about socializing a pup
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Books that I have read state that a dog should be introduced to other dogs/cats before 10 weeks or else they might have a more difficult time adapting to other animals. Is this true with Basenji's? I have already spoken with my vet and he doesn't want to give the pup all his shots at once. Im not comfortable introcucing my new pup with people/other animals until he has all his shots. This will take longer than 10 weeks. Should I be concerned?
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I strongly recommend that puppies attend Puppy Kindergarten classes. These are classes that focus on puppy socialization. You can begin attending most Puppy Kindergarten classes after your puppy has recieved its first set of puppy shots.
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My concern though is that not having completed all of its puppy shots, could the pup be more prone to infections.?
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Usually, puppy kindergarten classes require that the pup has had at least two rounds of vaccines. Your breeder will probably give one round while he or she still has the pups, and then your vet will most likely give one before your class starts.
I have taken all of my puppies through kindergarten at the center where I teach…they are usually around 10-12 weeks when we start. I feel they are pretty safe having had two rounds of vaccines to be around other vaccinated puppies. But that is my opinion only, and I am not a veterinarian. If you find a training school that you are happy with, you could ask them about their requirements and suggestions.
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Quercus~
I have decided to enroll my pup in puppy kindergarten. They enroll at 10 weeks. According to the trainer they only allow pups who have received their 2nd set of shots and you must have a copy of the vet records.
By taking your basenji's to puppy kindergarten were you successful in training or did your Basenji train you? From all the reading I've been doing, numerous people say that Basenji's are difficult to train. Do yours sit on command? Come when called? Can I expect my dog to listen when I command it or will it just do what it wants? :eek:Thanks!
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My answer to your questions would be, sometimes.
Puppy kindergarten is a good start but in the classes I have taken the focus is not commands but socialization with dogs and humans. You do get a start on the basics but will need to continue with it.
As for the dogs responding to the commands, it depends. Training a basenji requires a sense of humor. I have been giving rally obedience a try and agility. We have good days and bad days. Mine seem to catch on pretty quickly to the different things we try but they get bored or experiment to see if they will get rewarded for trying something else. Patience is another thing that training a basenji requires. I remember one day in Rio's graduate puppy class where she decided the only thing she knew how to do was jump up on my folding chair and sit. My instructor had a great sense of humor and said it was about time Rio remembered she was a basenji.
Lisa
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Well, yes and no
Basenjis are easy to train, using positive methods, but they still often decide they don't want to cooperate unless there is something in it for them. So, yes mine sit when I ask them to. And yes, they usually come when called, but I work on it a lot ....and I would still never trust their recalls off lead. But I also train animals as a career....so I have some experience 
I think most people are perfectly capable of training their basenji to the point of having a fairly well mannered dog. Some basenjis are more willing to be trained than others -
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And I forgot to add...that when owning a basenji...the word command should just be dropped from your training language It is really more like a request, or a suggestion -
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And I forgot to add...that when owning a basenji...the word command should just be dropped from your training language It is really more like a request, or a suggestion Nicely put! I guess commands are out of the question.
I will make sure to keep treats close by when wanting something:D -
All dogs have a critical development period, this has established by many very reputable researcher as being during the 8 to 12 week age. During this period, the dog learns more about being a dog than any other period. There are many books on the subject, especially regarding bonding during this period. Is there truth to this 8 to 12 week period for basenjis, by all means! Basenjis deprived of interaction with other dogs during this period tend to be anti-social. Please socialize your puppy with all aspect of environment you plan expose him to. Make sure he / she has a positive experience. Continue this socialization long after the twelve weeks. We have found that basenjis often go thorough another imprint period at 10 to 18 months, when the adult hormones begin to peak.
As far as the vaccines are concern, these stimulate the body to produce antibodies. The goal with the series of vaccines is to continue this stimulation over a long enough period to trick the body to think it is under constant attack and thus should continue producing these antibodies all the time. While being stimulated, the pup is protected unless he is unable produce enough antibodies to fight off a serious attack. It is possible even a well vaccinated puppy can succumb to a disease, thou the odd are very minimal. How much stimulation there after is under debate, thus our current once a year booster. As for the pup’s first vaccines, there is much debate at to the effectiveness. A lot depends on when the mother stops nursing. The mother passes along maternal antibody in the milk to protect the pup, so the pup does not have to produce these on there own. There is a concern the pup may not produce their own antibodies when still protect by the mothers milk even if vaccinated. This is the reasoning behind not exposing your puppy to possible infections until the second shot. This exposure means more than just keeping him away from other dogs which maybe infected, it also means staying out of the area which infected dogs may have been and being careful of where your shoes have been.
We give our first vaccine at 7 weeks or so, depending on when mother totally stops nursing and follow up 3 weeks later for the second, thus two vaccines by ten weeks. We place our puppies at ten week. As far as staggered individual vaccines components, this is another debate. The theory is that we are asking the pup's body to produce antibodies for too many diseases at once, an over stimulation which is not natural, and can be stressful to the immune system. The other side contends we have years of vaccination which has proven this is not an issue except in a very very small portion of the population. Vet’s tending to side on caution, and their income. It’s been a very interesting debate.
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That is very informative. Thank you!
I have contacted my vet regarding vaccines. The pup will be brought home w/ only its first shot at 10 weeks of age. After discussing vaccines w/ my vet he recommends that we give the pup its second shot but than wait then after a month or so for rest. There was talk about a parvo shot and kennel cough. Reasons being I plan on enrolling it in puppy schools which require these shots.
Maybee it is just me being rather overprotective. With so many diseases out there I would rather be safe than sorry. Plus this is going to be my first dog . -
I got Jazzy her kennel cough vaccination before puppy class, but haven't done it again since as she is just at home with us. I don't think you can be too careful with the puppies.
BTW, Jazzy did very well in the obedience portion of her puppy class – even got cookies for the best/longest sit/stay. As for the socialization, well, let's just say she "did not play well with others." LOL All the other puppies were wiggling and playing and leaping and bounding. Jazzy walked regally amongst them, looking down with disdain, with her little back hair bristled. On occasion she would let another puppy sniff her, and maybe even lift a paw for a moment of play. What can I say? My girl has always been a genuine b*tch! LOL
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Now that is too funny!
Sounds like a true Basenji. I have read many articles about their temperment and that seems to be the general conclusion. Basenji's think that they are superior to other breeds. HA! Im going to love this. :p
I do hope that I can train my dog. I know it will be a little harder to do. :rolleyes: I am up for the challenge though! -
Karen Overall is a Veterinarian Animal Behaviorist - DVM, PHD, yadda yadda - here are her thoughts:
Chapter 14 - Prevention of Behavior Problems
Early Intervention: The Role of Training
…........"If a dog is participating in a current
vaccination program, if it is well nourished and cared
for, if no other animals present are overtly sick, and
if good hygiene at the site is practiced, puppies can
start in a kindergarten style class as early as 8
weeks of age. Early exposure and enrichment should be
encouraged. There is no reason to isolate or restrict
them until they complete all vaccinations; in fact,
there are data to indicate that pups that are exposed
with the above restrictions have better immune
responses when challenged. The earlier exposure to
social and training situations occurs, the lower the
probability of problems developing. At VHUP we start
puppies as young as 8 weeks in a companion dog class
designed for pups from 8 weeks…......"
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As for the dogs responding to the commands, it depends. Training a basenji requires a sense of humor.
That is SO true. I enrolled my dog in puppy playschool around 12wks, which helped lay the foundation for socializing. It was a bit rough to start, my guy needed to be pack leader of puppy playschool, but with continued exposure he simmered down. I then continued through OB 1, 2, 3, and he recently achieved his CGC. Tucker will respond to voice commands and hand signals, but it took ALOT of hard work and ALOT of humor to get to this point.
some nights I could of held an entire ham in front of Tucker and he'd STILL ignore me. other nights I barely had to ask, and he did everything perfectly. I found my guy learned quickly, but got bored even more quickly. I always had to "step it up" to keep Tucker challenged. all in all though, I really enjoyed training my dog, and still continue to practice daily.
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jessi76~
Your basenji completed all the classes?!?! Thats great!! I have been wondering how my puppy will do. (I dont have a basenji yet but will be getting one this year as soon as the litters born)
You said as long as you keep them interested…what do you mean by that? I understand that they sometimes become less interested in doing what you want them to do. What tips could you give me so I can be prepared.
Thanks. -
yes, my dog has completed all the classes offered at the training school I use (OB 1, 2, 3 and took-and passed-the Canine Good Citizen test).
The best advice I can give is find the right trainer, who ONLY uses positive reinforcement. Small classes worked well for me. To keep my dog "interested" I had to almost make the commands seem like "his idea". As long as you have fun training, always end on a good note, never force anything, and have high value treats to use in conjunction w/ training, you should be just fine.
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yes, my dog has completed all the classes offered at the training school I use (OB 1, 2, 3 and took-and passed-the Canine Good Citizen test).
The best advice I can give is find the right trainer, who ONLY uses positive reinforcement. Small classes worked well for me. To keep my dog "interested" I had to almost make the commands seem like "his idea". As long as you have fun training, always end on a good note, never force anything, and have high value treats to use in conjunction w/ training, you should be just fine.
Thank you for the tips!
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I agree about using positive reinforcement training with a basenji. Also, while you are waiting for your puppy to come home, you can start doing research on trainers in your area. Ask if you can observe some of their classes, both at the puppy kindergarten level and the later levels.
Different trainers and schools offer a different range of classes. I currently take mine to what I guess could be called "continuing education". We took all of the classes offered, some of them twice, and now are in the extended class that changes locations every week to help the dogs learn to work in different environments. My husband thinks I am a bit crazy though since we are currently both doing one night of obedience and one night of agility and in September I am adding one night of Rally, he is going to take ceramics.
Lisa
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Vaccinations should be no more than 2 1/2 to 3 wks apart ever. So if your breeder gives shots at 6 to 7 wks, by 10 wks they can have 2nd set. Frankly, if you use a GOOD vaccine like progard that should give as close to full immunity as it gets. Sadly, lots of vets use cheap vaccines that give little to no immunity and have pups at risk.
But yes, the earlier you socialize the better. We didn't get Sayblee til she was almost 15 wks and while I don't blame ALL her dog aggression on it, her lack of socialization was obvious.
