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How trainable are Basenji's?

Basenji Training
  • J

    Hello, I'm new to the forum and am about to purchase my first dog, I have been looking at getting a Basenji for years and have a few questions.

    1. How trainable is this breed? My best friend has a Boxer, most obedient dog I've seen. Listens to every command without hesitation, never gets into trouble at home and always listens when he hears "No". Are Basenji's able to get to this level of obedience with firm proper training? All I ever hear is how rebellious this dog is and how much trouble it can get into.

    2. What kind of training do Basenji's best respond to? How well do they do around other dogs? Other people?

    3. If anyone has any stories of a worst case scenario with a rebellious dog turned obedient and well trained I would love to hear it, as well as how long training took to stick with this breed.

    Thank you!

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  • AntigoneA

    How I 'trained' my Basenji 'Antigone'

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    Good Morning Debra, I do not feel as if have to defend why my HUGE dogs from the Dog Pound hated their crates. I still have an assortment of dog and cat crates from huge to small. Whenever my Basenji went to the Vet (which was often as she was a Cancer survivor and also had a seizure disorder which meant she had to take Phenobarbital 3x per day) of course she went in her crate. She didn't like it and complained until she fell asleep but she was in her crate. Big dogs from the Pound hate crates as it makes them feel extremely nervous as the crate is often like their cage in the Pound. Furthermore, it is not really safe to take a big dog that you don't know that well and put him in a crate; a great way to get bitten. I have had Malamutes, Rottweilers, Rough and Smooth Coated Collies, a Bull Mastiff and 2 Akitas. I know dogs. People call me when there is a Wolf or a nice dog that has been dumped by its owner and I usually end up rescuing it and finding a new home for him. I rarely get females for some reason. Regarding Amanda, she is the least famous person I know, I was not trying to impress anyone, I just included her as we rescue horses together and I got one of my Wolves from her. My Horse charity is a Charity. It is by Law and I am able to accept donations as I do what I say I do which is Rescue, Rehab, Re-Train and Re-Home horses. The rehab can take years and I have one 'Lifer' because she is so messed up health wise she will never have a saddle on her back because she weighs 950lbs and she should weigh 1100lbs. She has Gastric Ulcers from being drugged at the track. She is the 'Secretariat' great granddaughter. The Rescue is a 501©(3) Public Corporation and we pay taxes to the State and the Feds. That is why we are allowed to accept donations. I pay $1450.00 PER MONTH to BOARD the horses in the rescue. Donations have been down, clearly due to the economy but the horses get all they need including their joint supplements. Crate training is not something I find important for inside the house. In the car, yes! My big dogs have always ridden in their huge crates in the back of the car and fell asleep. We used to walk to the Vet. Antigone really hated being confined and let me know only the way a Basenji can, she shrieked just to let me know she was still the Alpha. I know how to use crates and I use them in the car but not in the house. My dogs and cats were all very long lived except for Howly so I think I can say I KNOW HOW TO KEEP THEM SAFE, HEALTHY, HAPPY, AND WELL. :) Antigone
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    @DebraDownSouth: Okay that is pretty funny! Glad the judge passed her. Hey, perhaps the judge appreciated the intelligence to go check something out then resume business? Thanks everyone. She had really lovely runs all weekend (except Sunday's Std run) and I'm so very, very proud of her. She went through a fear(?) period on courses towards the beginning of the year, so she's come a long way. And, DDS, no, agility judges do not appreciate creativity on course. If you don't believe me, ask Jet the trying. :D Of course I always thought maybe the judge watching Jet would think "Gosh, that really is a nicer course."
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    He's got it…

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    I've got two B x's and I really feel your pain about trying to train them both at the same time! As others have said, it's best to try to get some alone time with each of them and then work them together….. As for when out walking, I have the same issue...our first born is much better behaved, except when they are together in which case he just stirs up trouble with the other one. What we have found works the best is to take them down to the park on leads, and then let the better behaved one off the lead and attach his lead to the others lead (so it's now twice as long) and do a few laps of the park with one off lead and the other on a long lead. Once we've gotten them around a few times and they are both a bit more settled we let the other one off. This works brilliantly. Once they are both off, they behave fairly well and come when called. If we started off with them both off they just tend to wind each other up and end up running around like crazy animals. As far as getting them to 'leave it' when off lead....I have had some success with this, although not always (foster rubbed his face in something very gross just the other day YUCK). I find a very stern 'leave it' works most times, however if it doesn't, I get as close to them as possible and clap my hands really loudly followed by a 'leave it' as loud as I can. I think this just shocks them and gets their attention away from whatever disgusting thing they were looking at. Best of luck to you!!!
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    If your dog doesn't like being crated then maybe creating a "safe place" for when kids visit that the dog can be where it can have some time away from the kids.