IMO it is a myth that Basenjis cannot have good manners on a walk. Yes, great if you can do off leash, but when circumstances dictate that a leash is necessary then walking calmly without a lot of drama and pulling should be achievable. Personally I do not like long lines or flex leashes. Or allowing dogs to eat whatever they find on the ground, which can in some cases earn you a trip to the vet or worse. Like most dogs, Basenjis are not overly discriminant about what they will ingest. A short leash and being observant can protect them from unwelcome outcomes. Mental exercise will also go a long way with any dog. But one should have a definite opinion about who is running the show, and it should not be the dog....they are quite willing to take up the position should you abdicate.
Issues with walks
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Seems typical with Basenjis that they can have issues with walking. I know now that it's nice out, there is a ton of wildlife out in the open on our walks. I don't think Kananga can go more than 5-6 seconds without being distracted and forcing me to do the tug/"come" routine.
Fortuntately I have access to trails nearby (walking distance) that are usually very deserted. But the wildlife is usually out in full force. Lots of birds, ducks, rabbits, deer, etc. I'd love to let him loose and see what he could get, but it would be mighty difficult to get him back.
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Wow, that sounds really cool, but you're right, how hard would it be to get them back onthe leash…impossible? I am determined to get Otis to love walks as much as I do, even if it takes time to instll that love.
basenjimamma
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Had an interesting walk today. I went with my mother's two dogs through the same trails I typically walk Kananga. I had no issues at all this time. I think it was because he felt he needed to follow the "pack" the entire time. Less stopping and getting distracted. It was a nice hour of walking without many issues.
Oddly enough he's not very tired. They other two dogs (Springer Spaniel & Border Collie) were exhausted by the end of the walk. Basenjis and their endless energy.
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Jaycee may get distraced but just a pull on her leash and she ready to go on walking. For a young pup she walks really well and stays with us. Could be one reason birds, rabbits and squirrels do not seem to make her go after them could be because I feed them all. Jaycee can look out our front door and see them we can as alittle 1 squirrel up to 40 and birds lots an lots and we have 3 or 4 bunnies. Then we have this one awful chipmuck I got rid of them but we have one again. They do not like human hair and they leave when you put hair around your house.
We even have a white squirrel he is odd but Jaycee has seen this even since she came home that could be why our walk is easy not really sure. I know our shiba was hard to walk when she was a puppy see rabbit and you better be ready to go and hold on tight. Jaycee has really been easy to what she was.
The kids have ben walking jaycee a little bit futher each day on each walk and she is comming home tried and ready for a nap short but still nap. -
I wanted to revisit this topic and see if I could get some input. Otis has been doing better on his walks, and has almost walked the whole way( about 45min-1 hour) without stopping one single time. Yesterday, a whole other story..he walked like normal and then STOP, he wouldn't budge..I could've pulled until his head popped of his shoulders (I didn't) and he still wouldn't have walked…then all of a sudden he took off, and ran to the point of pulling me almost to the gound, i.e loosing my balance...after a while he slowed down and we continued. He did this several more times and our 20 min walk ended up taking 45+ minutes, which is not a big deal persay, but it bothers me that something is worrying him that much outside. It was a little windy, but trust me at 90+ degrees (at 7:30pm), a little wind is a godsend..if you kow what I mean. I don't know what to do, should I keep on pushing him or should I let him "win" and not walk anymore that particular time? When I walk him and my son is in his stroller that is when he seems to walk the best, maybe he is "following" the pack, like Kanagan said. Another thing, he pants a lot while we are walking, because it is hot, right? But once we get home his panting stops as soon as he is in the door, unlike my other dogs that will keep on panting for a long time afterwards.
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I wanted to revisit this topic and see if I could get some input. Otis has been doing better on his walks, and has almost walked the whole way( about 45min-1 hour) without stopping one single time. Yesterday, a whole other story..he walked like normal and then STOP, he wouldn't budge..I could've pulled until his head popped of his shoulders (I didn't) and he still wouldn't have walked…then all of a sudden he took off, and ran to the point of pulling me almost to the gound, i.e loosing my balance...after a while he slowed down and we continued. He did this several more times and our 20 min walk ended up taking 45+ minutes, which is not a big deal persay, but it bothers me that something is worrying him that much outside. It was a little windy, but trust me at 90+ degrees (at 7:30pm), a little wind is a godsend..if you kow what I mean. I don't know what to do, should I keep on pushing him or should I let him "win" and not walk anymore that particular time? When I walk him and my son is in his stroller that is when he seems to walk the best, maybe he is "following" the pack, like Kanagan said. Another thing, he pants a lot while we are walking, because it is hot, right? But once we get home his panting stops as soon as he is in the door, unlike my other dogs that will keep on panting for a long time afterwards.
Were you walking him on concrete or pavement? He may have been burning his foot pads on the hot concrete/pavement….. And Basenjis do not pant as much as other dogs, not unsual for them at all to recover quickly... and again to address the hot pavement theory... that would make him pant if his feet were burning from being to hot
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I wanted to revisit this topic and see if I could get some input. Otis has been doing better on his walks, and has almost walked the whole way( about 45min-1 hour) without stopping one single time. Yesterday, a whole other story..he walked like normal and then STOP, he wouldn't budge..I could've pulled until his head popped of his shoulders (I didn't) and he still wouldn't have walked…then all of a sudden he took off, and ran to the point of pulling me almost to the gound, i.e loosing my balance...after a while he slowed down and we continued. He did this several more times and our 20 min walk ended up taking 45+ minutes, which is not a big deal persay, but it bothers me that something is worrying him that much outside. It was a little windy, but trust me at 90+ degrees (at 7:30pm), a little wind is a godsend..if you kow what I mean. I don't know what to do, should I keep on pushing him or should I let him "win" and not walk anymore that particular time? When I walk him and my son is in his stroller that is when he seems to walk the best, maybe he is "following" the pack, like Kanagan said. Another thing, he pants a lot while we are walking, because it is hot, right? But once we get home his panting stops as soon as he is in the door, unlike my other dogs that will keep on panting for a long time afterwards.
It almost seems typical of the breed. I have the same problem. Every now and then Kananga will do great outside. But recently he has had another episode where he is refusing to walk, even to go outside for his routinely bathroom trip. He will only walk a certain way and has a worried look on his face. Very odd. It's almost as if these dogs have a 6th sense and are getting worried about something we don't know.
The weird thing about panting with my B is that its rather inconsistent. I took home on 2 walks this past weekend. One on Saturday, one on Sunday. Both walks were identical in distance and time of day. The one on Saturday results in no panting. He didn't even act like that was much exercise. On Sunday it was a ton of panting and he was exhausted when we got back. I almost thought he wouldn't make it back. He kept looking for shade to stop in. Temperatures were similar both days and both days were sunny.
I'm starting to just accept the fact that Basenjis are too strange to try and figure out. :rolleyes:
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Mine used to hate the hot pavement and so walks on hot days are done early morning or when it's cooler in the evening.
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both our b's walk nicely when they want and then chase anything that moves when they want. some walks are NICE and some are not near at much fun at all. time of day doesnt seem to matter. when they get really excited about seeing a rabbit, squirrel, person, paper, opossem, turtle, bird,dog, etc they will pant and pull. then i tell them to leave it and stand still for a bit and they calm down. most of the time.
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My B walks on the cement, doesn't seem to mind it. It has been over 90 every day now, and will continue to be here in Florida, so that's good. She used to pull and strain all the time, no matter what she was walking on because of any little distraction. But since we got the Easy Walk Harness this is no longer a problem. If she sees something she wants to run after, she cannot do it, and gives up really quickly because she "gets" the fact she has no control. She pants on her walks because it is really hot, but also stops right away once she's in the house. Of course when she comes in she usually runs for the water bowl.
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I wonder if Pat might be correct about the hot pavement. It would stand to reason that if it was bothering his feet, he wouldn't want to walk. Also, then take off running so he is touching the ground less. Was he walking on the road or was he walking on dirt/grass beside the road when he was behaving that way? For me here in Maine, in the summer because of the hot pavement, the b-kids get walked really early in the morning and then when it is dark at night.
I also know in the summer that the humidity really affects Ruby and there have been times that when I walked her during the day (on the sand on the side of the road), I could walk her 1 mile from the house, but I would end up having to carry her back as she would just plop down. After carrying her a couple of times, I decided to only walk her at night in the summer.
Brando doesn't care about the humidity and so far Liyah doesn't seem to mind it…but it really gets to Ruby (maybe because she has a thicker coat).
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Thanks for responding y'all. First off, we do of course have roads made with the ever so common concrete/asphalt, however Otis will walk ( when it suits him to walk that is..) in the grass on my left side, so he does seek out grass as supposed to manmade materials to walk on..interesting. As far as cool down he is very good at cooling down fast, I guess tha is the african in him..lol. We do walk either in the early am, like 6 or so, or in the later evening, after 7 but it is still fairly warm out, but that is as good as it gets, I can't make it cooler. It agree with it seeming as if they have 6th sense or something, he acts as if something is coming to get him, but nothing is. Like yesterday, he was finally walking along fine, and then he stops to I guess check out the people who's house we were passing, out of nowhere he takes off and I swear if he didn't have a greyhound type collar on he would be gone by now, split seconds later a huge gust of wind comes and rustles the trees, kind of leary..it is almost as if he sensed that was about to happen..does that make sense? It didn't help that everybody had their sprinklers on yesterday, and as you all know, they all sound differently..that bothered him immensly.
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All need to be aware of the hot concrete/pavement. For example, take off your shoes and walk where they are walking… if it is too hot for you, it is most likely too hot for them
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Forgot to mention, when I let them out in the back yard, in the heat of the day..our Schnorkie (schnauzer/yorkie glorified mutt) Luna loves the heat and can stay out all day if you let her, so essentially Otis wants to be out too, and he will lay himself down on the very hot concrete patio in the sun and sunbath..he doesn't even pant, it is amazing to me..
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My girl always have done that… laid on the hot concrete patio.... my boys never did... they would lay inside and watch the girls while camped out on the air conditioning vents...gggg
But that is still different then walking on hot pavement/concrete. Even things like sand/dirt get hot to the feet. Remember, dogs will sweat through their feet, that is why to cool them off you should stand them in water....
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Jaycee on Sunday was on the deck sleeping in the hot sun. However when we did class on Sunday my husband took his shoes off and was on the pavement with her to see if it was to hot. Trainer ask him if he had shoes Steve told sure do but if it is to hot for my feet its to hot for Jaycee.
Rita Jean
