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NOW I know!

Basenji Training
  • If you remember, a couple of days ago I posted that my wonderchild Kipawa out of the blue played fetch with me in an enclosed tennis court. Well, rewind to that…

    ... it wasn't a miracle, folks. Turns out that FoPaws (Kevin and Therese) play fetch with their pups. And the great vet visit yesterday? Well, again due to Kevin and Therese (and their vet) who make the first visits to the vet a fun and respectful event for all of their dogs. So no wonder everyone at my vet's office was so taken with Kipawa and his behavior. Thank you Therese and Kevin!

    So for those looking to get a basenji and wondering about why and where to get their dog from, those are just a couple of reasons why buying from a reputable breeder is so important. Visit the BCOA website for the names of breeders in your area, and visit those breeders at dog shows. Talk to them. Get all the information you can about their breeding programs and ask lots of questions. You will be very happy you did.

  • Thansk for the advise and Great that you found a good breeder :)

  • Fetch is a great thing for your basenji to learn and I would reinforce that behavior OFTEN! I taught Zest to fetch and she loves to retrieve so she can get her treat. The fetching has been so very, very handy in agility training. And in keeping her out of trouble. She has brought me meat wrappers in our dog yard (it's very windy here and we end up with many "interesting" things in our yard) and has even brought 1/2 dead rabbits to me on 2 different occasions. yuck, i know, but who knows when bringing momma something might save her life. Reinforce that fetch!

  • Well said and advised Fran!

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    Let's also consider that when you chase your dog, the dog thinks it's a game and will run away from you. Like... "you can't catch me!" Man, Basenji's can bolt! On the other hand, when you are the one running away, the dog instinctively joins you because you are part of the dog's family/pack. This is not to be confused with a learned command to chase an assailant, in Police work, for example. That would be a totally different game of chase.
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    @zande said in Korben biting our feet and I don't know how to stop him.: Positive punishment is giving in to him. You are giving him exactly the attention he is seeking. Basenji do not like being ignored or shut out. That IS a form of punishment to them ! Agree, they don't like to be ignored. That comes under the heading of negative punishment. But there are things they like less. Depending on the dog, the skill of the trainer, and the punishment meted out, positive punishment can be extremely effective, but timing and choice of consequences is critical, so it's not something I recommend. Punishment is a loaded word, but it is the word used in operant conditioning. It evokes some terrible, painful consequence, but might be something as mild as a well aimed water pistol, which for some Basenjis (and some cats) would be reason enough not to repeat the action that caused it.....while with others it could turn into a game of trying to nail the feet and escape the spray. Without knowing the dog it's hard to guess what the result would be, which is why I am not suggesting it. The very best form of positive punishment is self inflicted, e.g. electric fence for livestock, invisible fence for dogs (if they don't learn to run through it), because of the consistency which a human trainer may lack. The consequences for most are unpleasant enough that they don't care to repeat the action that causes them. Horses seldom challenge electric fence if it's working properly, although some seem to detect when it is turned off!
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    Excellent video. It made me laugh! Now I know why Nilo is acting that way at the park: all those smelly rear ends…much more attractive than mom's face ;) Thanks a lot for the link agilebasenji.
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    but I was concerned that too many treats was not good. Depends on what you use for treats. The treats should be tiny – like pea size or smaller. Sometimes I use "Carry-Outs", which are soft and maybe an inch long; I get about 6 treats out of one of those. Or I use puppy kibble -- a different brand than what I feed Keoki -- one piece of kibble is the whole reward {ya gotta wonder why Gypsy -- 70 lbs-- would even care, but she responds very well to those tidbits!}. And I only give food treats as a reward for behavior, never just to give the dogs a treat. If I want to give them a treat because they are so darned cute, I give them chewies of some sort, or a peanut butter stuffed {okay, not stuffed but you know....} bone to work on. They do not get those type of things every day.
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