Issues with walks

[wizard]

Just wondering if anyone has encountered this behavior before and what you did about it … this past week Gossy has suddenly and abruptly started to refuse to go on walks. Ever since she arrived here I've been taking her out for walks (short ones on the very cold days). But now she'll seem somewhat excited to go out the door but will absolutely balk before we get very far (sometimes just barely make it across the street, sometimes before we hit the end of the driveway). She sniffs at the bushes and trees by the house and then head down the driveway but then all of a sudden she'll put on the emergency brakes and I can't budge her. I drove her to a nearby park the other day and she was fine there.

[Janneke]

Tillo has something similar.. He is excited to go out, but just outside the house he stops.. Most of the time he needs some time and continues to walk after a few minutes. He's fine then.. When I don't want to wait I carry him for a couple of meters and after that it's ok.. On our way back he walks extra fast at that part of our walk..

He probably doesn't like the smell there or something like that…

[ljsabo]

I experience very similiar things as Janneke stated above. My B Berkley at times will refuse to walk. I personally think it is eithe due to smell or hears something that frightens him as he will make this scared look. I do the same as Janneke, I pick him up, talk to him a bit and within about a couple minutes he seems fine. I do have to say though, there are times when I have to carry him longer because he will stop dead in his tracks and simply refuse to move. I also carry treats in my pocket because I have learned this helps too. I never truly know why he does this though??

[tsjoe007]

Same here with Bendji: suddenly he stops, sits down and starts looking around… After a while, when he looks at me I tell him: "Come on Bendji" and he starts running untill the leash stops him. Then he walks for 2 min. and the whole thing starts over again. So now our 10 min. walk to the grocery store takes a little longer ....:D

[sherryclarke]

I have the same problem too. A book I was reading suggested that a B's natural slightly suspicious nature comes from the fact that they're still pretty primal little dogs, and the slightest unexpected smell, sight or sound might be a lion ready to eat them up. With Bassit, I just tell her that there aren't any Lions in this part of Canada. I've also had to resort to carrying her when the brakes are on and she won't move. (like, for example, down our front steps, which she's terrified of and refuses to walk down herself, despite all the treating and cajoling I do. However, since we're pretty close to a major street, I like the fact that if she somehow slips out the front door she'll be too afraid to run!)

[wizard]

I wonder if maybe she's developed a dislike of cars (while not overly busy we do usually encounter cars on our walk and she does get a little goofy then).
Yesterday she went for a walk just fine – maybe because the road was wet and sloppy from melting snow

[sonoran]

I am SO VERY HAPPY to read this although I am sorry you are having these problems. but my Basenji does the EXACT SAME THING! so silly of a habit…sometimes he just turns completely around and seemingly does not want to walk. he has also laid down and looked up at me. You know the Pygmies in Africa carry their Basenjis at times around their necks, legs hanging over their shoulders. Perhaps it is a natural thing for them to feel not to want to walk long distances, save their strength for the hunt...well i like to think that anyway. I tried carrying Sonar around my neck but I'm 5 foot 8 and the drop is pretty far if he decides to go...otherwise it is a fun thing to do.

[wizard]

I've carried Gossy on my shoulders but she doesn't like it if I go too far. She also has a tendency to try to stand while on my shoulders and then I have to put her down.

[sonoran]

If that's a picture of Gossy, she is a beauty. Do you have more than one Basenji? I'd like to get two but live in a townhouse and the new one might be a bit more active than Sonar.

[Kananga]

Same thing here with Kananga. He gets very distracted and won't always walk consistently. Mostly wanting to stop and inspect everything insight.

A lot of times I'll take him out to go and you can tell he has something else on his mind. He'll be sniffing around and look at me, next thing I know he's jumping up and trying to go backwards (thinking he'll get out of his collar). He makes it seem as if it's torture being outside. But I think he catches on to different scents and wants to move to a different area. Strange, but I learn to deal with it.

These guys just seem so much more alert compared to other breeds. Always monitoring everything that moves and making sure the area is safe if they're not familiar with whatever they are seeing.

[Shaye's Mom]

So far, when our puppy plants her little feet and refuses to go, a slight tug on the leash and the word "come' will make her start again - when she is just too distracted by noises, birds, cars, bicycles, people walking by, leaves blowing, strong winds, etc. ( in other words everything) it is sometimes a constant tug, walk, come, tug, walk, come, tug, walk, come, but try as she may to refuse, we just keep on walking, and she has to follow - if I had to pick her up we'd all be in big trouble, because I don't see me carrying her on my shoulders, ever.

[-ClarEmmKai-]

I'm so relieved to have read this, I thought we were the only one experiencing this. We've only had Kairoe for a week and we think he's still adjusting and a little freaked out by what he sees. We're trying to get him used to our surroundings but we also think it's the cold that stops him from going for a walk. He'll walk but it's a continuous process of tug, come, walk - every few seconds? However when we let him go (with him dragging the leash) he walks and follows us eventually. Of course, it's just a little scary he might take off! =S

[wizard]

Things have improved some - with a little encouragement Gossy will make it around the first block with no problem but the second block I still have to carry her about halfway and then she'll continue on. She doesn't do this when we go for a walk at the park so there must be something that she smells/senses around the neighborhood.
I think she just likes being in the backyard (creatures to chase, rabbit droppings to eat, neighbor dog to tease, plants to dig up, etc) so much more than going on walks where I'm the one in control

[Basenjimamma]

Otis is the same way. We have only had him for a week but the first couple of days he would come with me on my hourly walks and he seemed to love it, except for when a car came(which is rare, very silent neighborhood during the day). But yesterday and this morning, he will not budge off of our walkway. I thought it was rather weird, hence why I am on here trying to figure it out.LOL He also seems to get very nervous when he hears other dogs bark, I don't know if this is common, but I am thinking it is. Since he doesn't bark, in his mind it is a weird behaviour….and I love that he doesn't bark

Basenjimamma

[wizard]

Gossy still hasn't gotten much past the first block on our walks - the other day she saw a neighbor in his driveway on the next block and wanted to investigate so of course we walked that way but then suddently she realized she was on a different block and "whoa there this isn't right" :(. I hope she'll be more willing when they finally finish the bridge across the highway and we can walk to the other park. On the other hand she gets exercise nightly running several laps of the B-500 in the yard (this is her first spring here and already she's worn a racing track through the grass and one flower bed :p)

[Rita Jean]

Were Otis came from the street in front of house did not look like there were a lot of cars that went down the street. The house look like it sat on more than city lots kind like out in the county. The drive was a ways up to the house. When Jaycee first came home not to sure about cars and the loud ones she really did not care for. Then after first few days almost like she wanted to chase the cars. We put a stop to that she never off leash but we made her understand that was a really bad NO. After week of really correcting her that stopped I was very thankful. The puppies were always kept in the house so they really did not know what a car was. just to the vet and back it helped Jaycee with riding in our car. We take her in the car as much as we can. There was a couple of dogs next house when we were there that barked but we could not heard that in the house so I not really sure that any of the puppies really knew what a dog barking was I am sure this was really new to them. Our daughter walks Jaycee about every eveing with her girl freind and she has two dogs that bark more then they should but anyway. Jaycee has gotten use to them barking and now she looks at them like they are crazy. We have been very lucky so far as to not have any trouble walking but she hates the wet grass. When we take her out to potty she will stand on the sidewalk or drive's unless you go into the grass and just make her go. Sunday yard was wet and Jaycee took a pea on the driveway. I have never had a dog do that in my life but at least it was outsideso she was still a good girl. That was wild. Does Otis do that sound that they make when they are happy. We get that a lot from her in morning and when kids come home and my husband. Jaycee can take a nap and she gets up run to you and wag her tail so fast and make that sound we all love it. That is cool.

Rita Jean

[Basenjimamma]

Rita Jean so far no noices, happy that is. I think he is so busy looking at our other dogs that he doesn't think of making sounds, he does wag his tail though a lot and it is so cute. He dpes still act really scared when dogs bark but I think/hope that will get better as he gets used to it. He is very curious to water, maybe because I made him take a bath. 'cause they all found something stinky in the frontyard and they rolled in it…well if you're going to do that you will get a bath. Now he "helps" me water the flowers and give the chickens water, he doesn't want to get wet, but is very curious. Still no luck with walks though. I have him signed up for puppyclasses, and yes it is a t petco, but I figured better petco than not at all, they (petco trainers) told me they train with positive reinforcement and treats so I hope it will turn out OK.

[Rita Jean]

Basenjimamma thats great about the water not what they found but o well. Yes I have found Jaycee not really crazy about the water like get me out of here. However when you wash your hands and I rinse them really well she will come running and wants to lick the water off your hands strange. I do not know if there anything wrong with Petco classes you will be there. We have to get Jaycee into class I think it will help. I would love to see Otis and the chickens I am sure get laugh lots and lots that would be fun to see.

[Kananga]

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.

[Basenjimamma]

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