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Clicker training

Basenji Training
  • EdwardE

    Hello everyone!

    this is my first thread on this forum and like to say hello…I will be in august owner of a red&white basenji..at this stage the puppy is still one month so I have to wait at least 3to 4 weeks before picking it up...so meanwhile I've been doing my homework to understand more and more about this breed since I've been living with miniature pinchers forever and since last october lost for ageing my last female at age 16... so now its time to turn page for a new chapter called Basenjii...

    I live in South Italy close to the seaside and this where I'am writing from... in Italy basenji owners are not many...it seems to be a dog that is not very popular so to have a answer in the local forum for a question as "clicker training" has not produced much effect and seems that no one has used this method consistantly enough to have background results data for Basenji...maybe training with the clicker is so distant from uman relationship way to deal that is ignored or hard to apply from Basenji owners..(!?!)...even doing a research on this forum no topic came out for help.....

    The question is this...has and does anyone apply the "clicker training" since ever had their dog and with what results...what actually can you get the basenji do with this system? or do Basenji learn better as any dog dose with the "...shouting & ignoring & treat method"..?

    Please if anyone can spare some advice... even if I do know that every Basenji will be one of a kind ...sofeel free to come on board I will be gratefull to learn more on Clicker training appllied to Basenji...

    ciao and thanks...
    Edward

    ps.... hope my english writing is ok....

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  • JazzysMomJ

    Edward, welcome. {and your English is fine}.

    I've done a little clicker training with Keoki, my six month old Basenji. This has been my first attempt, as it never occured to me to try with my two year old.
    Keoki has been very responsive. I use the clicker to get his attention focused on me so that I can give some other command. He will come running across the yard to sit at my feet if he hears the clicker! Actually, a few times I've forgotten to bring the clicker with me and have tried to imitate the sound – and he still comes running!

    There are some on this forum who use clicker training more extensively, and I'm sure you will get great answers.
    I'm not quite sure what you mean by "shouting & ignoring & treat method". I don't think that sounds like something we'd use much here in the US; not people who are serious about training their dogs anyway.

    And congratulations on getting your new puppy {soon}. I hope you will come to love this breed as much as the rest of us!

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  • lvossL

    Edward,
    Positive reinforcement methods like clicker training work wonderfully with basenjis. All four of my basenjis are clicker trained. I guess you could even consider Sophie to have started before birth since I was clicker training her mom while she was pregnant with the litter. The purpose of the clicker is to mark the behavior that you want so you could also just use a word like "yes" or "Yay" or "good dog" followed by a treat.

    I use clicker training to train a variety of behaviors such as sit, down, attention, name response, stay, stand, go to mat, front, point, hand targeting, and the list goes on. I also use it in agility training.

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