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  3. I failed as a mother and a dog owner…long...positive advice needed :(

I failed as a mother and a dog owner…long...positive advice needed :(

Behavioral Issues
  • J

    Thanks Quercus…if you don't mind, I will do that :) Also, if you don't mind, I might email you and ask you which seems better. I have one name I got from Shawn Smith, but she admitted she doesn't know this person in real life. I also got another name from Tosca's vet. Her vet is not all that familiar with Basenjis, but said she thought hers would be better because she had heard of the person from Shawn, but thought hers would be better for aggression issues. Both the vet and Shawn told me to look at their certifications and decide, but I have no idea what I am looking for.
    Therefore, if things are still unclear after speaking to these people on the phone, I might ask your opinion if that's ok :)

    DebraDownSouth...we do have a large crate, but we can't keep her in there all the time. We already work full time, so I can't imagine locking her up for so long, that's no life for Tosca either. As for the rawhides, I know they are not the safest thing, but we take what precautions we can. She only chews them for awhile each day, not hours on end. Also she is supervised, and I am watching for her to bite off any big chunks and things like that. I often have treats nearby and "trade" her if she gets a chunk off. I know they are scary, when we first got Tosca and didn't know any better, we let her have them and didn't take chunks away, and she did start choking once. Luckily DH was able to get it out just fine. Right now, I think with our precautions the benefits outweigh the risks, but that's just me. I know a lot of people use them, and others are hesitant :)

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  • tanzaT

    Jylly18…. I think you are doing all the right things to work through this!

    Pat Fragassi

    Tanza Basenjis

    www.tanzabasenjis.net

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  • J

    Quercus…did you get my email? I hope the address worked...I spoke to both of the trainers, but have no idea what to look for in terms of certification and stuff. I didn't know if I should put the names on here publicly, so I emailed you. Just wondering if you had any input on which to choose, and wondering if you had heard of one of them.
    Hope you don't mind my email, and thanks in advance for any advice you can give!

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  • Rita JeanR

    I hope it all works out for all of you.

    Rita Jean

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  • QuercusQ

    @Jylly18:

    Quercus…did you get my email? I hope the address worked...I spoke to both of the trainers, but have no idea what to look for in terms of certification and stuff. I didn't know if I should put the names on here publicly, so I emailed you. Just wondering if you had any input on which to choose, and wondering if you had heard of one of them.
    Hope you don't mind my email, and thanks in advance for any advice you can give!

    I emailed you this morning :) Sorry about the delay!

    Andrea Walters

    Quercus Basenjis

    NW Ohio

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  • B

    Dog Behaviorist/Trainer needed

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    D
    @elbrant With my first B (who educated me on the art of the basenji lol), I did not initially give him enough walks. It really didn’t do either of us any good lol. A tired basenji is a good basenji rings true and also a tired basenji is a happy content basenji :) It also does the humans a lot of good to get out in nature and walk, both mentally and physically. Good long walks and mental stimulation are probably the easiest fix for most problems. One thing that is also important is to get past the “master” phase / idea. Many dogs adore their owners as their master and just want to please their owners. I think the crucial stage with a basenji comes somewhere around the two year stage, where I reach a “special understanding” with them. There is this bond and understanding where they start to trust and understand that I am the ultimate master of them, but without trying to quash their unique spirits. So on the big stuff they have to trust me, but they can still get away with the small stuff. It’s really hard to explain that to people who have not experienced that as new owners. If they get past that difficult stage they will be hooked, but it isn’t always easy to believe that you will get past it and some just don’t want to put that much effort into them. I remember my first basenji and wondering why I had such a strange and crazy dog. Which then made me read and research what was “wrong” with him lol.
  • fjd89F

    My dog bit me.

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    DebraDownSouthD
    :::Note: I’m not a professional trainer, I have a degree in psychology and im a teacher; a dog is like a 2-4 year old. Every dog is different though, maybe I’ve just gotten lucky, but what I’ve been doing has been working for me; maybe it will for you.::: LOL, not luck... good common sense. We do basic training to get solid responses in controlled environments, which gives a good base for expanding it to other situations. Like eeeefarm, I don't thing animal aggressive dogs need to socialize with strange dogs. I keep them separated. For the unexpected, working at home on basic commands (Leave It!, "look at me" to focus on you and understand the other dog is off limits, solid 100 percent down-stay) can help you avoid your dog getting revved enough to bite. That means you have to stay on top of things, change directions if necessary, and be firm and loud in asking others to not approach with their dog. Training is wonderful bonding, and it exercises their brains. http://www.clickerlessons.com/index.htm
  • H

    Need advice with random chewing while at work.

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    D
    Basenjis are known for chewing and even my older/elderly dogs must be crated because of it. I was hoping it would lessen as they got older-it has somewhat but not totally. They like to chew the cover on the sofa and chair! Jennifer
  • J

    There was a little dog…

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    J
    Thanks for your replies. I guess in the spontanaity of the moment I did as I do with my other dogs, a no and then a quick taking the thing away since I'm boss and I'm the owner of everything ultimately. I do believe Rowdy was not being the bad growling type bite – he took his front teeth and nipped at my arm, pinching it, but it hurt! I will try to work on the "leave it" command, since I taught that to my mom's poodle and it worked well. Rowdy is smart and is finally getting some of the house rules down. Though he's sneaky when he isn't resting beside you and you forget to watch him... :)
  • D

    1st time dog owner

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    MantisM
    I crate mine when I go to work or leave the house. I am in total agreement with BDawg. It's safer for your dog and your sanity to have them sleep in the crate while you aren't around. I agree. I now take Caesar and Cairo to work with me and all they do is sleep. Caesar and Cairo are in a kennel when I am out of the house. There is always an adjustment period where there is a bit of whining, but it is a nice thing to train them to do if you go out of town and have to have them in a kennel.
  • BettawhippetB

    Dog agression?

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    my dog plop herself down when she sees another dog or person. I believe she does this in play.