R 2 better than 1
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Since you have mentioned it in alomst every post - I take it walking the basenji is a problem and you worry that adding another would also be a probelm? :O)
There are a ton of videos on how to train a dog to walk on a leash using positives.
Here is a link to the video links - hope it works. If not - just google walking a dog clicker, scroll to the link that says videos.
Since she has had 10 months to practice bad walking and the possible male quite possibly has 3 years worth - it will not be a quick fix. So while you are learning I would use a gentle leader on them to keep you from being pulled hiter and yon.
I currently walk 4 basenjis on flexi leads at the same time, most often alone. Three of them wear gentle leaders. I feel good when I am walking them and had I been more adament about :no bunnies" etc I imagine I would feel great walking them - however I ask so much of them normally that I usually allow them to be dogs on the walks - to a degree.
I do not think you should fear walking the dogs and I imagine that the more the girl is worn out - the less excited she will be on walks in the long run.
Remember - every interaction with your dog - someone is being taught - either you are teaching them to do/be how you want or tey are teaching you to let them do what they want.
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Actually, Elsa has not been walking poorly for the past 10 months … when we first got her at 8 weeks, it was the dead of winter, so we let her out in our fenced in yard to house break her. We started taking her on long walks this spring when she was atleast 7 months old. We walk miles a day ... taking her out 4-6 times a day. Our breeder, said that this age is a tough age on the leash. This is our only frustration. Every other basenji quirk is a joy to us. When we met the 3 yr old male, she walk well ... he was a show dog and used for breeding ... I fear issues around raising a dog for show/breeding that I don't know about.
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Tanza … I am not raising a show dog ... nor a bog for breeding purposes ... what I meant to say is that this 3 year old male has been raised as a show dog ... when we met him last week he could not "sit" on command ... his command language appeared to be different. Even the breeder said that he has not learned a "sit command" ... Will bringing a dog into my house that was raised as a show-dog bring challenges I am not prepared for? Will I have to train him with a whole new set of thought processes? I think I would rather raise another puppy than teach a 3 yr old new tricks!
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Trog is a terrible puller when walked alone so I normally walk him with one or all 3 of my show dogs. They trot along nicely on a leash and he falls in step with his pack not pulling at all, but as soon as I try to walk him by himself its back to pulling. I will have to take a look at that link.
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I walk 3 all the time on a tri-lead with no problems. The 3 year old may actually get your youngster to walk better, he is used to being on a lead. And teaching a dog to sit is just adding to the things he has already learned, not like learning another language. He has learned to "stand", he can learn to "sit", and 3 is still very young, in terms of learning ability.
The important thing is that your girl liked him, and he liked her. Often people get a second dog and have to work for many months to get them to play and like each other.
I have brought intact males into my home, one did lift a leg near my sofa, I gave a sharp "NO" and he never did it again. The other never lifted a leg in my house at all.
Your issues are all valid points, but none of them are insurmountable!Good luck to you!
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Regarding the marking in the house. +1 on what Tanza said. I have 2 intact males in my house - Brando who is 5yo (that came to my house at 2yo), and now Ozzy, a 6mo puppy. Neither has ever marked in the house. And Brando never marked in the house when my youngest b-girl, Liyah, was in heat last year. Now marking the yard, whole different story. The girls mark over each other and Liyah also marks over the boys :rolleyes:. Brando marks over all of them - especially Ozzy.
My 5yo basenjis, Ruby & Brando, were retired show dogs when I got them at 2yo. I had no difficulty in teaching them anything I wanted them to learn (sit, down, stay, etc…). I still do some training with them every day. A couple pluses were they came leash & crate trained.
Any new dog you bring into a house (be it a puppy or adult) will need time to adjust and may fall back in house training, etc. so there will most likely be some retraining necessary anyway. IMHO, it really all hinges upon how consistent you are with the things you want them to do and learn.
Oh, and regarding walking 2 - I had no problem ever walking Ruby & Brando - as they were already well leash trained. Does that mean they don't ever pull? No - all bets are off if a rabbit or deer crosses the road. Could I train them better for those instances, yes. Also, I don't require my dogs to walk perfectly by my side - they are allowed to be out in front if they aren't pulling. One thing I typically do is let my b-kids run in the yard for about 10 or 15 minutes before I take them for a walk. That way, they burn up some energy before we go for a walk.
If you already have a puller, I would work with the puller separately - sinbaje is right about checking out that link or doing a search - also, lots of good books on training out there. My youngest b-girl (1.5yo juvenile delinquent) can be a puller. I would typically take her for a separate walk (a training walk), before I would take her with the adults on a walk. With Liyah, I have taken an hour to do 2 miles before because I would not let her pull. But then I would come back, get the adults and would walk all 3 together - with regular leads (and martingale collars). Really did wonders doing the training walk first. When Liyah joined the other 2, Liyah would be allowed to be up front with the adults if she didn't pull - if she did pull, she would have to walk beside me. She definitely would catch on.
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@elsa's:
Tanza … I am not raising a show dog ... nor a bog for breeding purposes ... what I meant to say is that this 3 year old male has been raised as a show dog ... when we met him last week he could not "sit" on command ... his command language appeared to be different. Even the breeder said that he has not learned a "sit command" ... Will bringing a dog into my house that was raised as a show-dog bring challenges I am not prepared for? Will I have to train him with a whole new set of thought processes? I think I would rather raise another puppy than teach a 3 yr old new tricks!
Again, you already said that you wanted to have him neutered and if the bitch is spayed (you have not said either way), then the fact that he was used for breeding will not be a factor…. until at least Basenji breeing season... also known as "rut" season. And understand that being used or not, being neutered or not 80% of Basenji males know breeding season and will exhibit different behaviors during normal Basenji breeding season.
Show dogs learn to stand, however that said, they should really also know how to sit? Just because they show is no reason not to teach them other basic obedience commands? So, not sure why the breeder did not do this? Again, that said, as they say.... it is NOT that hard to teach an old dog new tricks...:p
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I agree that two are better than one - we got a b mix to keep our girl company when she was 9 months old, and it cured LOTS of her issues.
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In my opinion I wouldn't consider getting another until your 'problems' are resolved. Having a second could help but on the other hand things could get worse! It's a good idea to hve the dog to stay for a while as the breeder suggests.
I would think that the fact that the breeder says he might 'mark' means that he does so already because, as Tanza says, it is not an automatic thing for males to do so. Some do and some don't! The same goes for bitches.
Tanza makes a very good point about some male basenjis behaviour in the mating season whether neutered or not. They can become extremely restless and noisy and refuse to be confined at that time. It can be a great trial if you have close neighbours!!
