Trainers in San Diego

[Zande]

All a really good trainer will (should) do, is train YOU to train your dog. I am unclear why you think a trainer will be any help ? Its you the Basenji has to learn to live with - and you with her !

Patience, understanding, seeing the dog's point of view and having a sense of humour, all help.

She may well react to a trainer and learn to obey and conform, but as soon as you get her home, things will fall apart. You need to want to work WITH and not against your Basenji. Life with one is always a compromise -

[NTASD]

@zande In fact as mentioned to @eeeefarm one of the biggest hopes I have for a trainer is that a professional will help train US as a family how to be more unified and consistent with her.

[NTASD]

@donc Thanks again for the suggestions and if you do find someone, please let me know. I agree that starting now may be a little early. I'm searching now because I don't know how long it will take to find someone and then I don't know the schedule of the trainer, so I'm just trying to get organized so that I can be ready when she is.

I'll try the Esbilac and be more patient.

"I think the only thing better than shoes for these guys when they are young are shoe laces. Walk into a room with a bunch of Basenji puppies with shoes with laces and you'll walk out with shredded laces. They are like mammalian piranha. LOL Laces survive ten seconds top."

This is troof! I try to keep my shoes away from her, but when I walk into the room she's in and I have shoes - her eyes light up and wild horses couldn't drag her away!

This forum has been a little unkind to me - that's ok. I'm a nube to Bs and I guess everyone here is an expert, but I will give thanks to whoever posted the trick about rubbing Vapor Rub on your feet to stop the biting. The girls tried that last night and MAGIC! She took one whiff and in disgust snorted loudly and hasn't touched their feet since. 1 Challenge solved!

[tanza]

@ntasd - Sorry if you have received some "not so nice" responses. But it would really help to understand how your pup was raised by the breeder, which is why I asked if you contacted the breeder. If these pups (your pup) was separated from Mom and the other littermates early (before at least 8wks) then they missed out on social time and learning behaviors.... were they raised in the house with people and access to the daily time with family (humans)... as at that time the humans act as other puppies and correct them when going off... They need human time and litter time.... if you want to look for a "trainer" go for a behaviorist...that will work with you, family and pup. I don't have any recommendations but you need to interview them and look for one that does understand hounds.

[eeeefarm]

Agree with tanza about the possibility (probability?) that your pup missed out on early socialization, which could be part of the issue. You mentioned earlier that you had had a Jack Russell. They can be difficult and stubborn, but are more "normal" dogs, and it's also hard to compare because even within breeds there is a lot of variation in how they respond to training. If you think some responses have been harsh, well, on internet forums people often say what they think without sugar coating and it may come off as insensitive. Believe me, it isn't meant that way on this forum. Members usually have the dog's welfare top of mind and may be blunt if they are concerned.

A caveat: trainers are not magic, some are better than others, and in the end although they can give direction it's your commitment that will make the difference with your dog. I have been involved with both dogs and horses for a long time, and have drawn conclusions from my own experience. Most of my own difficulties can be attributed to the person I see when I look in the mirror! We all make mistakes and I have found that I learn from other people all the time, never too old to find a new approach to a problem. So please take any and all advice as it is meant to be helpful. You may find some gems to keep and for sure you will find others to discard.

[senjisilly]

The local breed club in southern California is the South Coast Basenji Fanciers. Contact them to see if they can recommend trainers or provide help. It's been awhile since I participated in any event they put on. They put on an occasional meet & greet and hold puppy matches (mostly for show practices) in north San Diego and Riverside counties. I live in RB. Here is a link to their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/SoCalBasenjiFanciers/

[NTASD]

@senjisilly Lynn, you're the best!

[DonC]

I have two recommendations for slightly different things.

For puppy socialization Kamp Kanine. For individual classes, which is what I think you're looking for, Getpawsitive. Both have been vetted and neither use negative training methods. (Interesting in that I didn't know they offered agility training, which can be a nice outlet when your little girl gets older).

Having said that, I still think you need to give her some time. At nine weeks you may be overwhelming her with too many demands. I wouldn't worry about having her set in her ways. Basenjis are life learners -- for good or for evil! LOL

[NTASD]

@donc, You sir, are a gentleman and a scholar. You also Rock! This will give me time to visit both and get a feel for how they do things.

Thanks!

[klangill]

@NTASD Did you end up finding anyone in SD County to help with your little girl? We just rescued a 10-month old B mix and she is (as you say) kicking our butts... I feel like we need a trainer to train us!

[JKent]

Jane Castell is a dog trainer (and possibly a behaviourist but not certain) and an experienced Basenji owner. She is based in Ireland but offers Zoom consultations.

https://www.imdt.uk.com/find-a-qualified-imdt-trainer/eire/dublin/jane-castell

[Zande]

Some Basenjis, believe it or not (!), are simply not food orientated. In any case, vary the treats too much and you end up with a very finicky small dog. Personally, I have never come across a trainer who really succeeded with Basenjis. You just have to figure things out and you will prevail in the end !

[senjisilly]

@klangill
I asked in the Facebook San Diego (CA) Basenji Meetup group about trainers. A member recommended Crewsn K9 Academy. https://www.crewsnk9academy.com/

I posted early in this thread about checking with the local breed club, South Coast Basenji Fanciers, for advice.