WWe recently adopted a three year old male basenji from a breeder who had to keep him crated the majority of his life as she worked long hours and the other dogs would pick on him constantly.
When we got him it took a month to straighten him out. He did not get out in the world much to Say the least. He has a very gentle a sweet disposition.
The problem is when we go on walks every time he sees something new, he insists on planting his but down and must watch what is going on. At first it was cute, but now has become somewhat annoying. Everything is a new experience for him and he insists on taking it all in. He wants to stop to meet people, other dogs, watch kids play, and sometimes stop and stare at handicapped people walking ungainly, which is embarrassing.
In basenji fashion he focuses totally on whatever it is. I don't want to drag on the cement and hurt him. He goes so far as to lay flat so I can't move him. I can pick him up and carry him, but he is a big lug, almost 30 pounds. My back cant take carrying him got long?
Any ideas how to get him moving again?
Does he like food? (I'm guessing he does, at 30 pounds!!). Clicker train him to target and walk by your side on command. (teach him to target your hand or fingers). And put him on a diet!! (use low cal treats for training, cut down on his daily groceries.) 
He's just really big, 30 pounds of muscle. I will try the clicker training.
He makes our girl look small, she's 25 pounds. He is a lug of a dog. We had a couple of basenji breeder friends over the other day and they commented they have seen even bigger males than him!
They did say he could loose a pound or so, but he is no way overweight or fat.
Butu does the same - anything new he's got to stand and stare….we are getting on much better since he got a new harness and learned the word 'Engage'...your boy is very beautiful....what's his name?
eeeefarm - we are doing clicker training too. How do you get from the instant 'Click, then treat' to 'Click, wait and treat' when your dog gets bored and does something else after one second?!
His name is Shadow and the first day he claimed "me" . He is permanently attached to me, where ever I go my Shadow follows (not joking). It's very flattering, but my family is not so thrilled. He seems to be a one person dog.
i have a friend that had a large full African basenji. i'd tease her by saying he was an industrial strength basenji. <gg>even so, your new pup is a very handsome boy. Have you read Control Unleashed? Pay careful attention to the Look at That game. this will help put strange things into the context of something he knows. You click for him looking at X. but if you're doing it right he will have to turn his head back to you for the treat.</gg>
eeeefarm - we are doing clicker training too. How do you get from the instant 'Click, then treat' to 'Click, wait and treat' when your dog gets bored and does something else after one second?!
To me, clicker training is just to teach the dog what is wanted. Once the behaviour is on cue, no more click/treat. Save that for teaching something new. And reinforcement with rewards when the response is correct should be gradually faded to intermittent. (Casinos know what they are doing!). Be careful of inadvertently rewarding unwanted behaviour, and don't be afraid of a correction if the dog blows you off when he knows what you want. (this can be as mild as turning your back…..."too bad, no reward"......to something a little more direct, depending on your dog and your own philosophy of training. I am not averse to using aversives!! But I realize some people are.....
Sometimes you just have to deal with a situation in the most direct manner, especially if there are safety issues. Sure, pick the dog up and walk away, if that is what it takes. But distraction or redirection of attention is usually possible. Anything from a loud whistle to a squirt gun can have the desired affect. (a key word that is associated with a favourite treat will work, provided you save it for rare occasions. Anything that is too easily obtained ceases to have value. That is something many trainers of dogs......and educators of children......have failed to grasp.)
edited to add, yes, "Control Unleashed" is full of valuable information. "Look at that", once understood, should redirect your dog's attention to you immediately.
To me, clicker training is just to teach the dog what is wanted. Once the behaviour is on cue, no more click/treat. Save that for teaching something new. And reinforcement with rewards when the response is correct should be gradually faded to intermittent. (Casinos know what they are doing!). Be careful of inadvertently rewarding unwanted behaviour, and don't be afraid of a correction if the dog blows you off when he knows what you want. (this can be as mild as turning your back…..."too bad, no reward"......to something a little more direct, depending on your dog and your own philosophy of training. I am not averse to using aversives!! But I realize some people are.....
Sometimes you just have to deal with a situation in the most direct manner, especially if there are safety issues. Sure, pick the dog up and walk away, if that is what it takes. But distraction or redirection of attention is usually possible. Anything from a loud whistle to a squirt gun can have the desired affect.
edited to add, yes, "Control Unleashed" is full of valuable information. "Look at that", once understood, should redirect your dog's attention to you immediately.
A lot o great information here. Thank you.
I'm sure with all the suggestions geven her and time it will change: our Binti came from the breeder at 1,5 years and had little experience outside the 7 other B's and a big Bordeaux (which her father used to lie on on cold days…) So she was a bit shy or reserved for months - now she is much more daring in her interactions (and much more mischievous too).
I rarely use a clicker. I admit I use it when I am having issues training and know I am missing something. The clicker helps to focus better and get the command learned.
I am going to duct tape my mouth/hands about this poor boy maturing in such an environment, but I do feel sorry for him that so much is new. I suggest that if you see something you KNOW he has to watch, use the "WATCH" or "LOOK" command so his fixation is YOUR idea. Learn the LEAVE IT command to get him moving. With 90 to 130 pound Rottweilers, I can tell you the leave it command or "look at me" were simply not an option in training. Mary Woodward has lessons so simple you'll feel faint. The long haired Rottie in her pics has impeccable pedigree, btw… and we nearly stroked when she was born. Mary saw her, fell in love, spayed and has made her life an incredible joy. (Side note, that was 13 yrs ago. Fortunately we now have a test for long hair which is a recessive, so breeders can now avoid it.)
There is no way I am going to use any negative training when he does this (not that we ever do with any dog). Or suggesting that any one here is suggesting so.
I really feel bad for him , but we are both very happy with each other. He saw a baby and just had to stop and look at him. People actually have stopped mowing yards or come over to meet him. He is very sweet to people and most other dogs. Definitely a gentle soul that must be treated with care.
He had to learn Togo up stairs , sleep in a bed, play with a dog toy, tear up tissues, go on a walk, ride in a car. Even getting used to being constantantly petted.
It's a brand new world for him and he is the most appreciate, non destructive basenji I ever met. We love him to death.
He has horrible claustrophobia issues from being crated most of his life. We tried crating him once while we were at work. We have a heavy duty metal bar crate with big springs. We locked in the crate and put up baby gates in the kitchen. When my wife came home he had bent the bars of the crate and door. Ripped the springs of the crate, uncoiling them. Cut his mouth all up, knocked the locked baby gates down, and pooped all over our house.
I talked to a very nice lady at Brat. She told us that he had spent enough of his life behind bars and we need to give him a chance and let him free. We reluctantly did so and he had multiple potty accidents in the house, but was non destructive for the most part.She said we needed to just get our schedules together and he would be fine. We took him to a vet and they said he was in perfect health and very well behaved.
As the Brat person told us he straightened out in a month. It was hard, but he has turned out to be the best basenji we have owned. He is a gentle giant.
The crate situation sounds a lot like what I went through with Perry. He had seen a lot of crate time before I got him, and he will not tolerate being left in a crate now. Fortunately, he is also the least destructive Basenji we have owned, and like your guy had a few issues with soiling in the house before he adjusted. I think the "potty accidents" were due to separation anxiety, and once he became familiar with our routine we ceased having issues. Now he lobbies for us to go out, because he gets his treat filled roller ball to play with when we do.
I think your boy is beautiful, and I agree, he does not look overweight. Hopefully the need to study new things will decrease as his new life becomes more "normal" to him.
Hi! just reading thru this and all the suggestions are great, but if I may back up a bit….Why rush mother nature???? If he has been crated and not familiar with the world, why not make and allow the time for the guy you adopted? Let him learn by watching and you in return can gain tremendously by allowing the trust/bond with him. Let him watch the handicapped, bicycle, whatever, praise him (verbal or otherwise what ever is rewarding for him) after a reasonable time for not 'over-reacting' and then he would be more inclined to go with you and finish the walk. Uzie was rescued under similar circumstances and though I 'worked' with him, I had to allow him TIME-time for maturity, learning curve, environmental enrichment etc. It is different in every dog, human, animal............Patience.
