When you are dealing with something that an animal is afraid of, the best approach is to find his "comfort" distance from the thing that scares him. A busy street makes this a bit more difficult, as you have to find a way to give him that "distance". If you have a car, maybe transporting him to a less busy area might make a good start. Perhaps a side street, where he is comfortably away from busy traffic. You could then walk toward the busy street, pausing as soon as you see some sign of anxiety, and retracing your steps just little until he is in his "comfort zone" again. Gradually…...with the use of bribery and rewards......ask him to approach closer to the scary stuff. Liberally reward him for being there, then retreat. The idea is to not force, let him decide when he is ready. If he feels he can retreat at any time, he will have more confidence. This approach may take awhile, but is less likely to create a permanent aversion. (it works well with spooky horses).
Rainy/Cold/Snowy Geo Region
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Hi All,
I'm new to this forum. I'm looking to add a dog to my family within the next year, and I'm interested in adopting a Basenji. I have read on them extensively, and feel I have a good understanding of the types of dogs they are. Obviously, each is individually different, so I'm taking that into consideration as well.
Overall, they seem like they would fit my day to day activities, and my personality. I'm hoping I can do the same for one. My only reservation right now is the fact that I live in Colorado. I'm very, very active all year round. I'm hesitant on deciding on B simply because this place gets SO much snow, and it seems to only be getting worse with each winter. In addition, our summers here are getting very wet, too. Last month we had 3 weeks straight of non-stop rain… which is unusual, but seemingly the NEW norm.
Regardless of the weather, I'm hiking, camping, swimming, or running. I would like a companion to accompany me outdoors, but I don't want to subject a dog to this type of weather if they're known to be hesitant toward it. In your experience, do they adapt pretty well? To give you an idea, Denver & mountain towns usually see multiple weeks of negative degree weather, and rain at least twice a week in the summer (usually on & off). Is it typical to own a B if living in such a region? I haven't found much info on this, other than owners describing short bathroom breaks, and sweaters (or boots) for them when it's cold. Has anyone had a B out for long periods of time in cold weather or snow?
Thanks so much for any information/advice!