I took him to a dog training class and asked the trainer about his behavior. He assured me that his "defensive mode" was just him being protective and curious. My dog is toy driven, so he advised me to distract him with a toy or pet him to let him know that everything is okay. Thank you guys for the comments! I have invested in a harness, and I've noticed that he seems to walk with more ease when wearing it. He still sniffs around (but from what I've read from the comments, it must be pretty common).

I took him to a dog training class and asked the trainer about his behavior. He assured me that his "defensive mode" was just him being protective and curious. My dog is toy driven, so he advised me to distract him with a toy or pet him to let him know that everything is okay. Thank you guys for the comments! I have invested in a harness, and I've noticed that he seems to walk with more ease when wearing it. He still sniffs around (but from what I've read from the comments, it must be pretty common).

Hi, my basenji mix (yellow lab, pit) is always on high alert on our walks. He is neutered, so I know he isn't looking for a female. When I say he's on alert, I mean he's constantly sniffing at the ground, ears pulled back and body stiff. He is wary around strangers -unless you give him food- and loves to chase things. He may of caught a scent of an animal, but the thing of that is I change different routes to see if I can get him to actually enjoy the walk, but he always reverts back to that defensive mode.
His tail also straightens out (it's usually curled to the left) and the hair on it stands up like how a frightened cats does. Is there anything I should do? I find that his leash training is still in progress because he just loves to tug and pull to get me to run with him so I've been focusing on trying to get him to at least walk at a normal pace.
I have tried giving him treats and water on our walks, but he doesn't accept them. He just kind of brushes me off and instead looks around as if trying to find something.

Hi, I've had my basenji mix (part lab/pit) for about nine months. He just turned one late April. One of my major concerns is his bowels. When I take him out in the morning, he poops three times, and it's always solid but then turns soft on his third squat. It doesn't come out like mush pattities or anything. It retains normal shape but is just really soft. Another thing is as soon as he eats, he has to go outside. It's like everything goes straight through him. Not to mention his farts. He can gas you out of a room in seconds. I've tried all sorts of different food brands (of course not straight away, I always slowly introduce new food), and it doesn't seem to have an effect on him. Even at his current age, he still has accidents inside of the house. He has no problem with holding in his pee, but his poop on the other hand... Should I take him to the vet?