Let's also consider that when you chase your dog, the dog thinks it's a game and will run away from you. Like... "you can't catch me!" Man, Basenji's can bolt! On the other hand, when you are the one running away, the dog instinctively joins you because you are part of the dog's family/pack. This is not to be confused with a learned command to chase an assailant, in Police work, for example. That would be a totally different game of chase.
Silent Recall
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Re-reading Control Unleashed put me in a training mood. Considering her "default" behaviours got me thinking. So today, when Perry and I went walking in the hayfield, I decided to experiment. It didn't take him long to figure out that if I was standing still rather than walking, it was a cue. The first time he came back to check me out, I watched him and waited until he offered a sit and eye contact. I gave him a reward. Rinse, repeat. By the end of 15 minutes, I had a dog that would race back to me any time I wasn't moving. I won't say that is going to work when he is distracted, but it is a really good thing to set up as a cue for a recall, since he often ranges pretty far…...although still in sight......when we walk in the field, and if he is upwind on a breezy day it is hard for him to hear me call him. Perry is normally pretty good at checking to see where I am (he has become more vigilant, because I hide from him when he is distracted), so I expect with a little more practice this is going to work really well.
A further bonus is that this dog adores carrots. So basically a low cal/no cal reward which I don't mind giving frequently when we are training new behaviours.
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That's a great way, I am trying to use Kaisers defaults to help me tune him in situations to get what I want without him knowing it. Basenjis do keep you thinking.
Jolanda and Kaiser
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Two things I'll probably never get Oakley to do:
1-come to me off leash
2- eat carrotsLmao…
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Thanks for posting, very helpful.
We have 2 B's, that usually keep an eye out for us, but they can be distracted of course (OFF course…?). At this point they are fine on recall: I have linked it to the command Kijk! (Look at me!) and I show a hand or both hands next to my head as a sign that a treat is waiting.
At the end of an off leash walk, I kneel down with the leashes in my hand - that will usually be enough to bring them to me.
And they love carrots, too! And broccoli and andives, and lots of other vegetables and fruits. -
I think that is great fun training. I honestly always use verbal recalls, but have always taught tricks and the rest with both verbal then hand signals. With these 2, since they rarely LOOK AT ME when running in the house or outside, not sure if I can get much luck with a silent recall but if I back it with a treat.. maybe they'll learn to look at me occasionally on their way to the trash, table top or counters.
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My basenjis ate my copy of Control Unleashed.
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My basenjis ate my copy of Control Unleashed.
She was just digesting all the good information in the book!
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My basenjis ate my copy of Control Unleashed.
Did they manage to "digest" the contents?
Oh, I see great minds think alike!
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If Ava ate it, she would probably throw it up to show her disdain. "Control me? I think not."
Spencer was trained for silent commands and responded well to them. I haven't been doing that with Ava, but I'm going to start clicker training silent commands today. Thanks for bringing it up– great reminder that it's good to have that option!
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I have done it this way with Voodoo from the first day I got him. Works well if there isn't anything special around, but like you said, it isn't very usefull when they find something that is more intresting.
If he sees a rabbit, I can stand still for a long time, he wont come to me then. :p -
If he sees a rabbit, I can stand still for a long time, he wont come to me then. :p
Yeah, rabbits certainly rate higher priority. As do deer.
One little trick I know from way back when I was a teenager walking dogs for folks, is that if an untrained dog accidentally gets loose and wants to play "keep away", a good trick is to lie down on the ground. Almost invariably, I find the dog will come to check you out. If your timing is good, you can then grab him. But most aren't fooled more than once.
