Leaving the House
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Whenever my son leaves the house, Duke gets in front of him and jumps pushing him away from the door and back in the house. Daily for school, sports and to play with friends. It's a dual, "No Duke!, Back up! Sit!" Duke is also vocal with barking/whining. (A very noisy transition between the two of them and with parents help.) Soon as my son finally makes his way out, Duke is OK and settles . . . Why does he do this? Will he ever get used to Dylan leaving the house without him as routine? He is fine whenever my husband and/or I leave. Do you suppose Duke thinks my son is his equal? Like he's being controlling or posessive. Has anyone had similar behavior? :confused: Any advice?
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I have never seen a basenji do this…but herding dogs, yes. It is one of those behaviors I would want to keep from happening, while I trained a replacement behavior. In this case, when your son is leaving, I would put Duke on a leash and step on it, so he can't approach him. Meanwhile, at a different time of day, train him to sit/stay in a certain place so someone can come and go thru the door.
This behavior is most likely a habit, a game, and a way that Duke gets attention, so you definitely have to keep him from doing it, or it will never go away. IMO, it is not about control or posession. My interpretation would be that he likes your son, doesn't want him to leave, and this game delays his leaving, and he gains some extra attention from your son before he walks out the door.
Good luck :)
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Start off by checking her for physical problems that would cause a breakdown in house training. Primarily urinary tract infections, and Fanconi syndrome. If she is healthy, you will have to go back to treating her like a puppy, i.e. never let her out of your sight. She is either in a crate, or on a tether (leash or houseline) attached to you.
As far as being disobedient…well, yeah...she is a basenji...see about 90% of the messages on this forum, and you will find a common thread ;)
Honestly, Basenjis are one of the *easiest breeds to housetrain..they really like to be clean. There are exceptions, of course...but if it seems like she is urinating (or defecating) in the house to get attention, then she probably is. That isn't really a housebreaking problem...it is a management problem. Did something in the household change, or could she perceive that something in her life changed?
Good luck, these dogs can be really frustrating some times...I hope you will hang in there, and if you are really ready to find her a new home, please contact Basenji Rescue and Transport (BRAT).
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Whenever my son leaves the house, Duke gets in front of him and jumps pushing him away from the door and back in the house. Daily for school, sports and to play with friends. It's a dual, "No Duke!, Back up! Sit!" Duke is also vocal with barking/whining. (A very noisy transition between the two of them and with parents help.) Soon as my son finally makes his way out, Duke is OK and settles . . . Why does he do this? Will he ever get used to Dylan leaving the house without him as routine? He is fine whenever my husband and/or I leave. Do you suppose Duke thinks my son is his equal? Like he's being controlling or posessive. Has anyone had similar behavior? :confused: Any advice?
I am saddened to bring this up again, but this afternoon, Duke did the unthinkable . . . bit my sons barefooted friend and neighbor on the ankle. We were all in the backyard, when both kids decided to go out of the yard. Duke was aggressive when the boy crossed the underground fence. It was painful as you could see the bruising just above the ankle bone. His tooth grazed the skin of this little precious child. As he was crying, I picked him up, carried him in the house to evaluate what happened. Washed, iced and Dermoplasted the 1/4 inch abrasion. Yes, skin was broken, but no bleeding. It may have been the location of the would, on the bone. (ouch!) :( I know we never resolved this behaviorial problem with Duke. He just goes nuts when people leave the property from yard outside or from house inside.
Afterward, I went to see his mom and apologized for Dukes behavior problem. I told her I WILL get help from a behavioralist. She is a dog person, has a large dog and was understanding. She looked at her sons wound and - dismissed it, "not terrible", but I feel real bad, because it was caused by my boy, Duke. Boys mom thanked me for coming forward, and reminded son to make sure Duke isn't present when he exits premises. Which is exactly what I would have done, if I knew kids were going out front. (kids just do-when their older)
Now I know Andrea has a link for behavioralists on the forum. I will look up and edit this post with an update. I feel horrible and needed to vent - thanks.
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Hi Jill, sorry to hear this happened, and I'm glad at least that the mother was understanding… I know it doesn't make it better but you obviously felt bad about Duke's behavior... so it would have just made things worse to have been berated by her. good luck....
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Oh Jill,
I know you feel awful, but you'll get through it. Duke is a good boy and you'll find the solution with a good behaviorist. ((Hugs)) -
Oh, Jill…I am so sorry...what a bummer, but at least the other Mom understands. You can't ask for more than that :)
The website is www.iaabc.org
Let me know if you don't find anybody you are happy with, we might be able to work something out, as I am not THAT far from you.
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Jill-((HUGGS))))) to you :( I know first hand how awful it is to have your precious dog bite someone. You can't help but feel horrible. You're not alone & accidents do happen & you can't prevent them all. You can only do your best to help Duke calm himself & it looks like you're already doing that.
Good luck & we're all here for support & venting if you need it :)
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Thanks for all your support. And thanks for re-posting the IAABC link, Andrea. I found a gentleman in my area but his site indicates he's not available at this time - he posted 2 other referrals. I called one, and still waiting for a return phone call. Will get help with this matter soon. It's too important and will be a relief to overcome to live more peacefully. Duke is a lover boy, but the aggression with this problem is disheartening. It's bad for everyone. I'm so glad that Daisy is calm. (((HUGS)))
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I would definitely keep him away from any other kids other than your own. Not all parents are as understanding. Your letting the dog control the situation. You control him.
Someone I work with, forced someone to put their dog down because it bit her son bad (drew blood & stitches).
I would not tempt fate till you get a grip upon your dog.
Also maybe have your son do training with your dog to show he is in command?
Maybe crate him with people over?
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Jill
Check out this website. This is how I found my animal behaviorist & dog training school.
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Jill
Check out this website. This is how I found my animal behaviorist & dog training school.
Did you email them to ask where there was one in your area. The website appears to only have classes in Wisconsin?
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Yes I did & they have referrals in lots of different states. :)
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Wow that's just terrible and you really are lucky that the boy's mom was understandable and a dog person. At least she knows you're going to get the training.
I was watching an episode of Dog Whisperer and the family dog was doing the same thing when the two young boys would leave for school. As suggested in the previous post, Cesar had the owners put the leash on the dog and keep him away from the door and the children. They left the house calmly and the dog had to stay in a sit/calm position. The dog could no longer claim the door as his own possession nor the children.
Good luck and I'm sure glad the child's parent was understanding.
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I was watching an episode of Dog Whisperer and the family dog was doing the same thing when the two young boys would leave for school. As suggested in the previous post, Cesar had the owners put the leash on the dog and keep him away from the door and the children. They left the house calmly and the dog had to stay in a sit/calm position. The dog could no longer claim the door as his own possession nor the children.
Ohh - in a perfect world…How long did the dog stay on leash with sit/calm position? I cannot imagine myself doing this 10 times a day. I need to zip it out of protocol for him. This is why I need a behaviorist. I have tried/done everything in my training "book" lessons and still do not have control with this issue. When Duke has an agenda, he is relentless. Yes, I do need "in-home" help. Technique sounds easier than it is. I've tried multiple techniques. I need someone to guide me with one that will work with my stubborn little Duke. :eek: I sort of hoped that having another B (Daisy) would help him. She is wonderful in many ways with Duke, but not with this one very "bad" habit. I will post as we progress. Thanks to all for words of wisdom and encouragement.
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Crate training could really help in this situation
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Crate training could really help in this situation
Yes - he is crate trained. He eagerly waits in his crate when we leave for work every morning. He is a well trained dog - but the anxiety he experiences causes him to lose control and become deaf with all obedience commands. :confused: I'm sure a Behaviorist is in order.
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Thought I should post an update here. The "BIG problems with Jack" thread brings to mind a posting here.
About a week after I left messages, the Behaviorist called me back. They also do animal rescue, so they may have been pretty busy. Anyway - I spoke to Carolyn for about 20 minutes on the phone. She said she'd be happy to come over for a $95 visit, or I could take some instruction on the phone for free. Basically, she told me to do what Andrea initially advised. Put Duke on a thin, almost ribbon thin 10 foot lead with no hand loop. He is to have this lead on in the house at all times. That way when someone is coming or going from the house, the lead will be easy for us to step on and reel him in,so it's short enough for him to sit, and cannot lunge forward. We are to stay calm and quiet while asking Duke to "sit" or "down". She said with consistency, this will blow the wind out of his sails. But it will take quite some time because he has done the wrong behavior for a long time. We're still working on it. But, I think he's getting used to being stopped short with the comings and goings here.
