@DebraDownSouth Thanks Debra, you've given me a lot to think about. I think I'll start immediately with the "leave it" training at home and then get in touch with some trainers/behaviorists in my area. I'm not expecting any miracles here but, like you said, even just learning to ignore other dogs would make such a difference.
Dog Behaviorist/Trainer needed
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@dagodingo said in Dog Behaviorist/Trainer needed:
walking the dog for at least 3-5 miles a day over three or four walks and keeping a good structure to the day might solve the problems.
Awesome advice! I have increased the distance(s) that I walk "doodle" over the past several months. She was a good dog before, now she's advancing to "amazing!" No more lunging at the squirrels, geese, heron, and rabbits in the area. "With me" (aka heel for Game of Thrones fans) is spot on in or out of the house. "Leave it" applies to stinky things I don't want her to roll in, other dogs, fire ants, chicken bones, etc., etc. "Wait" is a dead stop in her tracks. If I stop moving she does, too. I'm impresed with the changes. (LOL, guess I wanted to brag a bit...)
Such good advice!
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@elbrant With my first B (who educated me on the art of the basenji lol), I did not initially give him enough walks. It really didn’t do either of us any good lol. A tired basenji is a good basenji rings true and also a tired basenji is a happy content basenji
It also does the humans a lot of good to get out in nature and walk, both mentally and physically. Good long walks and mental stimulation are probably the easiest fix for most problems.
One thing that is also important is to get past the “master” phase / idea. Many dogs adore their owners as their master and just want to please their owners. I think the crucial stage with a basenji comes somewhere around the two year stage, where I reach a “special understanding” with them.
There is this bond and understanding where they start to trust and understand that I am the ultimate master of them, but without trying to quash their unique spirits. So on the big stuff they have to trust me, but they can still get away with the small stuff. It’s really hard to explain that to people who have not experienced that as new owners. If they get past that difficult stage they will be hooked, but it isn’t always easy to believe that you will get past it and some just don’t want to put that much effort into them.
I remember my first basenji and wondering why I had such a strange and crazy dog. Which then made me read and research what was “wrong” with him lol.
