lvoss, thank you very much for that link. It was very informative and lots of good advice. I got carried away and read and watched other of her training hints. What a super site!
Lots of questions about puppy aggression
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So, Jackpot and my mother in law are getting along (Yea!) He no longer growls or tries to bite her. We spoke with the behaviorist/trainer over the phone this morning and she told us to flip the puppy on this back and tell him to be nice (trainer mentioned how important it is to make sure that he knows he is not the dominant one)…it only took 1 time of doing this before he let my mother-in-law pet him. Now he's snuggling up next to her (boy these dogs are little heat seekers aren't they!)
and MIL is able to take his bully stick away from him with no problems! He is also figuring out that MIL is a source for hot dogs (which is Jackpot's new favorite treat)...so I'm sure that is helping out the budding relationship. LOLI wonder if Jackpot was just feeling grouchy and on-edge on Tuesday when she came over for the first time because of the vaccinations and too much stimulation those first few days.
We will have our first in-person consult with the trainer/behaviorist tomorrow and we are going to work on socialization, basic obedience, etc...but things are looking up and I just wanted to give you guys a little update. We have a long road ahead of us...but I'm optimistic & willing to work hard!
Thanks all for your advice and words of wisdom!
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He no longer growls or tries to bite her. We spoke with the behaviorist/trainer over the phone this morning and she told us to flip the puppy on this back and tell him to be nice (trainer mentioned how important it is to make sure that he knows he is not the dominant one)…it only took 1 time of doing this before he let my mother-in-law pet him.
Did the trainer indicate what you should do when he gets bigger?? I'm not sure I'm totally on board with this method. If he encounters somene other "new" person and he's a lot older you will not be able to easily flip him on his back & might actually get bitten in your attempt to do so.
I would have much rather seen some advice that was centered on helping the dog get comfortable with the new situation with positive praises & rewards.
Just my 2 cents
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I guess I should correct myself. The advice came from my bf's relative who used to be a dog trainer (retired now). I agree with you that it wouldn't be easy to do when the dog gets older…
We have a consult with a behaviorist tomorrow and I'll ask her what she thinks and how we should handle it in the future.
Geez, I feel like I'm not able to do anything right
I hope I get the hang of things soon! -
I guess I should correct myself. The advice came from my bf's relative who used to be a dog trainer (retired now). I agree with you that it wouldn't be easy to do when the dog gets older…
We have a consult with a behaviorist tomorrow and I'll ask her what she thinks and how we should handle it in the future.
Geez, I feel like I'm not able to do anything right
I hope I get the hang of things soon! Make sure you mention to the behaviorist that you got and tried the advice of flipping him over. That is a pretty hot button among trainers right now. That would absolutely be considered a force technique, and could make an aggression problem worse.
Don't feel bad about learning new things
When we know better, we do better -
I think all new Basenji owners have the general feeling that they are doing everything wrong. Haha. You aren't…you are just living with a basenji & they, as you have heard, are unlike other breeds.
I watch Dog Whisperer a lot & although many individuals on this forum do not like him, I think he has really good techniques & I use [or try to…] on Dallas. One technique for when a dog shows he doesn't like someone is to just stay calm & have them near the person but essentially let them approach the person when they are ready. If you force it, they aren't going to respond well.
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Hello Quercus? I saw that you were viewing this thread. Since private messaging is disabled, I am trying to find you to find out where you are located in Ohio. I am around Youngstown, Ohio.
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Hello Quercus? I saw that you were viewing this thread. Since private messaging is disabled, I am trying to find you to find out where you are located in Ohio. I am around Youngstown, Ohio.
Hi Cyrus,
We are west of Toledo. If you go to my profile, you can access my website, then contact me via that
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The discussion about breeding has been moved into its own topic.
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Aloha,
Jaberi is 3 1/2 months old now we have had him since he was eight wks old. We have noticed in the last 2 weeks he is nipping more than usually and being more aggressve with it. I have tried giving him his chew toys to distract him, for about a minute then he is back. Jaberi right now is acting like a two yr old with his temper, I do practive calm-assertive with him.
Any suggestions. One thing Monday he can final go out for walks Sunday is his third shot Thank God!!!!
HELP!!!!
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we got our pup from the same breeder and i can deffinately tell he wasn't well socialized either…he has a total been around nothing but a pack of dogs attitude, cause he plays so rough and is very alpha male........and he also seems like there's just some people and some dogs he doesn't like...it's wierd to have such a picky dog.......he doesn't like old ladies and corgies, everyone else is cool
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we got our pup from the same breeder and i can deffinately tell he wasn't well socialized either…he has a total been around nothing but a pack of dogs attitude, cause he plays so rough and is very alpha male........and he also seems like there's just some people and some dogs he doesn't like...it's wierd to have such a picky dog.......he doesn't like old ladies and corgies, everyone else is cool
Your pup is from Phil in Colorado, right?… The pup (Jaberi) from Hawaii is from him also?...
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That is a real same, this breeder didn't do right by the dogs or by you.
The dog we just got from the paper, Harley, was from a puppymill and he is just the sweetest boy, but the old owner did all the right things at the right times for this boy.
I didn't realize that b's have a timeframe for learning to accept new things.
itsn't that what you said Pat? re socialization
Besides getting these dogs into a gentle basic obedience class, what else can they do? -
It is true that all dogs have a window for socialization that once closed it becomes much more difficult to introduce new things. There is a great collection of information and suggested reading at this website.
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THANK YOU. I am going to keep it.
Not having bred a litter, or really had many puppys to rehome, this is all new and good stuff for me.
Laugh.
Yes, you can still "learn" me basenji stuff.
Thanks again. -
No Jaberi is from Nancy in Kula,Maui. He really is a loving dog. But he will start nipping and then his aggression become more & more. I have tried chew toys, saying ouch loud/ yesterday I tried picking him up and walking & talking to him and it seemed to break the mood. We are also going to buy baby gates and find a palace that will become his (alone) place. I am open to suggestions.
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You keep saying that he is aggressive but you are not saying what he is doing that is aggressive. Nipping and rough play is not unusual in puppies Jabari's age. They need to learn what is appropriate and what is not. If he doesn't respond to the "ouch" and cessation of play then you need to be able to give him a time out and redirect his energies into an appropriate activity.
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Yes he nips and the more you tell him "NO" or try to redirect him he gets more & more biting harder/rips clothes. I have started picking him up and taking him in another room. Sometimes it helps re driect his thoughts. He is a sweet dog most of the time. He is most aggressive with my husband and he is also the one the one he shows the most attention. Do you think putting him by himself will help.
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When I use the term redirect, I mean have toys and chewies that are easily accessible and can be substituted immediately instead of the puppy biting at you or your clothing. Though restraint, picking up, can break the pattern of the behavior, it would really help if you can help teach Jabari what is appropriate behavior.
What toys and chewies to you have? How does Jabari respond to them? Do you use interactive toys with Jabari? Kongs, Stuffed Bones, or Busy Buddies?
Are you working with Jabari on skills like a down or a sit that you can ask him to do before he reaches such a level of stimulation that he begins nipping? Having treat jars placed strategically around the house can really help. That way you can reward him when you see him chewing a chewie or playing with a toy. You also have them handy to redirect behavior using basic obedience commands and reward the good behavior.
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lvoss has excellent advice. Treat all good behaviors and stop the play when teeth contact skin. You don't want him to think it's OK when his teeth touch you - especially as a puppy. Also, hard as it is - everyone should be on board with the manners training program. Same verbal commands, etc. I remember those puppy days. They get into a "terrible two's" mode - testing the boundries, figuring out what they can get away with - only to find out what's acceptable and what's not. Lots of luck - you'll get thru it soon.
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I really appreciate both of your advice. I have tons of chew toys, but haven't tried the knogs or busy buddies or putting treats in jars around. Believe me I will get some tommorrow. I know this is all a puppy stage, but never had a puppy that got so aggressive. The walking has helped alot. So again thanks for the help.
Mahalo,
