New update: Tika is no longer in heat! Yay! Remy got neutered and is doing great! We got a dog trainer to come in assess the situation and she thinks it is starting to improve compared to how I described it when I booked her to come. Only Maia seems to need the muzzle, she seems to be very unsure of the puppy. We are working with her to build her confidence. The puppy doesn’t seem to have any stress with Maia around and won’t start anything. The muzzle is on just in case when I am home alone as I don’t want anything bad to happen when if I can’t separate them. The puppy is getting lots of training time to help her learn how to behave properly. With 2 people here we can have the girls on short leashes and they are fine together. They did have a small altercation of snarling but no biting and no one got hurt. The older female backed down and walked away. As much as I want her to be the top dog it seems that the puppy has a much more dominant personality. If they figure out the pack hierchy hopefully everything will settle down. The trainer says there are no pack instincts in domesticated dogs, but after having 6 basenjis I can’t agree with that in regards to basenjis. We can walk the girls together without muzzles now so I think things are more positive and they seem to be improving every day. When Remy is healed from his neuter I will get the puppy spayed and hope that calms things down even further. So far there is a lot more peace in the house. Please anyone let me know if there is anything else I should be doing to keep these girls on track. Thank you for all your advice and guidance! I am so grateful for this forum as what is normal for other dogs is not so much with these guys!
Basenji
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Are basenji good apartment dogs, and are they easy to train?
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They can be great apartment dogs. Are they easy to train? Depends on who is doing the training and how well you are diligent in training. Remember, a tired Basenji is a good Basenji... you must work both their body AND mine. Be sure to go to a responsible breeder... and there is loads of information at www.basenji.org
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I love our Basenji, but my own opinion is that they are not easy to train.
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Each basenji is different. Some are easier to train than others. Sometimes it is better to adopt a young adult (especially your first basenji) because you will have a better idea of the problems/behaviors you are getting. As Pat Fragassi mentions, a tired basenji is a good basenji. Do a search on "reasons not to get a basenji" and read as much as you can.
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I read somewhere that a basenji goes through life thinking "What's in it for me?" You will forever be trying to out smart the cutest, most intelligent, ornery dog ever.
When I sold puppies, I told people, "I never sell a pup to dumb people." Many still wanted one. Some decided a basenji was not for them - imo, this did not mean they were dumb, it meant they were not baseni folk, and that's ok. I heard one gal, as she was leaving, tell her husband "Why would anybody do this?"
If you decide you might be a basenji person, visit some, and really quiz the owner on what their life is like.
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They can do well in a small house, but need walks AND exploration AND interaction with other dogs. Movement is not enough, you need to let them use their mind. When on leash our 2 sisters can sniff all they want, even if it means we do one mile in an hour. They will be tired afterwards.
Trainability: depends on the individual, the age, the human. On YouTube or dedicated fb-pages you can find basenjis showing perfect obedience, even stunningly choreographed doggy dance routines. Will take time and effort and patience. We found that if we treat them along the lines of how you would interact with a 3 year old child, all goes well (most of the times anyway). -
@rugosa You nailed it!!! The cutest, super intelligent and emphasis on ornery!!!
Love Love Love our girl....
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@ktiefen1 You would be correct!!
Potty Training eventually came easy because ours is so treat motivated....lol.
Basic obedience is a challenge for us......ahe is definitely her own girl....and please dont disturb her sleep. You could lose a limb. ::)))))
