Help with House Breaking


  • Hello all,

    We have a six month old half basenji and half corgi female. She looks and acts mostly like a basenji. She can sit and shake and go down and we are working on come. The mistake I believe we made is when house breaking her we used the puppie pads. She is getting better with peeing outside but she thinks the pad is where she has to go #2. We take her out and then she can be in the backyard for a long time and then she will come in and go on the pad. We have tried the baby gate and she just jumps right over it.

    We realize we have to be the pack leader and are doing that but not in the house training part. Any suggestions on how we can change her thinking about where she should go?

    Thanks!


  • I know there will be others with better ideas, BUT I think I would put the potty pad outside the door, then each day move it farther out until it is in the yard where you want her to go. Then remove it.


  • Jazzy's mom suggested just what I was going to, some dogs it can't be a drastic move, maybe 6-12 inches at a time


  • @JazzysMom:

    I know there will be others with better ideas, BUT I think I would put the potty pad outside the door, then each day move it farther out until it is in the yard where you want her to go. Then remove it.

    I think that is a great idea! Put the pad out there while she is watching. Just a little at a time. You may have to set it IN the door the first. Lucky you that you live in Florida, so you can GET your puppy to go outside!


  • I would also try taking her on walks regularly. The exercise & marking/ sniffing should get her to go regularly if you do the walks at appropriate potty times of the day.


  • The directions on the box of potty pads I bought for my pup says that as time goes on you not only move the potty pad closer & closer to the door you take them out of to eliminate but you also begin folding it to make the area smaller. Eventually you actually move the pad outside to the area yuo want the pup to eliminate in & by that time the pad should be fairly small. Try that & hopefully it would help!

    What part of FL do you live in?


  • Thanks for all the sugestions. We haven't tried making the pad smaller and will do that along with moving it a smaller amount. We take her on long walks and she will not go…it's wierd. I am near Clearwater Florida and the temp today is 78. Sorry to all you who are living in the cold. I am traveling to Chicago next week and will get a taste of it. Thanks for the helpful tips!!


  • @Zoey:

    near Clearwater Florida and the temp today is 78. Sorry to all you who are living in the cold. I am traveling to Chicago next week and will get a taste of it. Thanks for the helpful tips!!

    Ah I live in Melbourne, Fl on the east side of the state where the temp today is around 78* as well. I love it as I am sure my basenji does as well. No cold paws/butt for him! :p


  • I was going to take some days off this week to go to Florida as my hubby had some time off - but he decided no he really didn't want to - so I'm in MN where it was -15 this weekend (without counting the wind). My basenjis are more resigned to the cold weather than everything but really don't like it much.


  • Nice place you live in Nina! Carty I envy you wearing lots of sweaters and coats and pretty scarfs to keep warm. In Zoeys world today she had a blast! After waking up and eating she decided that while I worked she would get into the bathroom where my son left the cabinet open on his way out the door to school. Oh yeah….you guessed it! Toilet paper all over the living room and a pink and blue sponge added in for color!
    Ahhh a day in the life of a puppy...I hope we all make it through this stage.
    It has been raining buckets here today so I am thankful for the puppy pads.
    On a brighter note...she learned the command down or as my son says..."get low". I know she is a bad girl wanting to be good...lol

Suggested Topics

  • Basenji help and advice

    Basenji Training
    23
    0 Votes
    23 Posts
    2k Views
    L
    Thanks everyone for your advice. I know my basenji understands and he does listen to me but he has selective hearing. We are traning on it and he is getting better each day.
  • Help Please!!

    Basenji Training
    20
    0 Votes
    20 Posts
    8k Views
    eeeefarmE
    If you really want to be sure your dog responds appropriately to invisible fence, it is essential to "proof" it properly. After you have thoroughly conditioned the animal to the fence, you need to use very high value distractions or lures while you are present (but not visible) to observe behavior. It's the only way to be reasonably sure your dog will not bolt through the fence, and then you still have the problem of other dogs or people possibly trespassing and causing a problem, since there is nothing to keep them out. In the country, invisible fence can work well, although there is still the chance that the dog will learn to run through it. My friend uses it at her farm, and one of her three dogs (not Basenjis) will go through the fence if the temptation is strong enough.
  • Help with grouchy girl!

    Basenji Training
    16
    0 Votes
    16 Posts
    7k Views
    B
    My girl athena is like that very grumpy when our boy moves or settles around her while napping, growling n showing teeth n little nips… but never towards us, By the way i was never a big fan of the brindle pups but yours is perfect, faro is the cutest lil guy ever
  • Winter break is over!

    Basenji Training
    3
    0 Votes
    3 Posts
    2k Views
    Shaye's MomS
    Tilllo is our hero.
  • Help

    Basenji Training
    24
    0 Votes
    24 Posts
    9k Views
    wizardW
    All good suggestions so far for you to try. Here's my suggestions based on my experiences. 1. When mine first came to my home I would arrange a bit of vacation time so that the first day I was with them totally, then the next day I would disappear out the door for 15 minutes and then for longer times, then the third day I disappeared for an hour or more, etc., until I could go to work for half a day then eventually for my full regular work day. This took me about a week to train the dog to be home alone. 2. The second basenji that came into my life had been broken of his crate training by an ignorant owner so I never could get him back into it. Instead I blocked off a corner of the kitchen for him with a bed and toys for him to stay in for the first several days. Gradually I allowed him more wandering room until he was trustworthy enough to have access to the whole house. This took about a month. 3. Be sure to give your dog a variety of toys and especially the kind that you can put kibble or other food in (such as "Kong" toys). Basenjis need mental stimulation or they get bored (=destructive). My current basenji gets frozen raw marrow bones when I go to work and sometimes she'll still be nawing on it when I get home. I also save old bones and fill the hole with kibble and yogurt or pumpkin and then freeze and give this to her sometimes. 4. Someone mentioned rawhide but I've never had luck with that - it's not digestable and has caused problems with my dogs (one time a piece got stuck in the digestive tract and he screamed "bloody murder" with every movement). Never give your dog a treat unsupervised until you know she can handle it or doesn't have an allergic reaction to it. Once you know its safe then okay - but even then I never give the stick type treats to mine unless I'm home to supervise. Hope this helps.
  • Leash Pulling…HELP!

    Basenji Training
    11
    0 Votes
    11 Posts
    7k Views
    JannekeJ
    I just stand still when Mirtillo pulls. He has a normal collar and leash. I wait untill he makes a turn and comes to me or makes eye contact. When he comes, he gets a treat. (just his normal kibble) When he makes eye contact I tell him he's a good boy. We are now at the point that when he comes he doesn't immediatly gets his treat, he first has to follow, sit, follow and then it's ok. On the flexi I mostly try to call him to come to me before he is at the end of the line, he gets a treat and he is 'free' again. On the normal leash Mirtillo also gets rewarded when he just looks at me and/or walks next to me. That way I'm way more interesting then the ground… When there is a dog/cat/bird and he pulls, I don't expect him to pay attention to me.. so I'm happy when he sits when I stand still and gives a quick glance at me. I also tried the method of just making a lot of turns, until the dog pays attention.. I didn't like it.. it was frustrating for me and for Mirtillo. I don't like to pull back.. I believe it is way too easy for the dog.. When I stand still, Mirtillo has to figure out how to get me walking again.. It's more of a positive game. When he pulls, I don't think... Ooooooohw.. here we go again........... But I think: ok, this is a great opportunity to get him to pay attention to me.. And I just stand still.. first he will ignore me, he will sniff somewhere else (there is no pulling anymore), then he will try to pull again to make me clear he wants to go there.. then he cries.. And then he thinks: I HATE YOU.. and he looks at me and comes to me with a face like: IS THIS OK??? And then I praise, give something yummie and we're both happy.