@sandy-hovis said in Hello from Doug and Atlas:
Basenji’s are one tough little cookie with all their idiosyncrasies....it almost seems you don’t teach them, they teach you the how to’s of what not to do with a Basenji..... These little guys and gals, are amazing to me still. I marvel at how smart, agile, fast, stealthy and beautifully regal they are..2 years in and still learning.
.....and I wouldn’t change a thing.
I think it's easier to think of a Basenji as a member of a family of dogs who by breeding have learned to hunt and problem solve on their own, as opposed to those dogs bred to work closely in conjunction with humans. For the former, ignoring you and figuring things out for themselves is a survival skill, though not always one we appreciate in the moment! LOL
He is such a pretty pretty boy!
If the price of having him registered is neutering then forget the papers. Who cares? It's also quite possible that he'll end up being quite the specimen and your breeder or some other breeder will want him intact. It's hard to say at this age but he is super handsome. And he looks like he's already in charge! LOL
No reason to neuter a male Basenji. No reason to spay a female either but there can be some inconvenience. What's funny is that these days it's more likely to see a contract provision prohibiting spay/neuter than requiring it. Times have changed as we understand the issues more fully.
@eeeefarm said in 6 month B constantly trying to eat things on the street:
@DonC, you are right that attention is key, but in this case paying attention to the dog at all times when walking is absolutely key. Letting him get used to scavenging on walks will be self rewarding, and something that should be avoided. Best not to use a flex lead so he is close at hand and can be observed. Apart from anything else, it is dangerous for a dog to pick up things on the road. Poison or splintered chicken bones can be the result. The person on the end of the leash needs to be guarding against this.
I guess I failed to express my points very well. Yes you do not want your dog eating things from off the street. But I don't think you solve this with a shorter leash. I think you address it with training. That's going to take longer but will yield more satisfactory results. If you can get your Basenji to pay attention to you when you're walking the battle is mostly over. If they think the rewards are better if they do what you want them to than if they just go off and scavenge then they'll do what you want them to. If not they won't.
My guess is that currently we have a dog straining on a leash in front of their owner with their nose to the ground, ready to grab anything that looks like it might be interesting. What you'd rather have is a dog trotting along looking at their owner and forward. That doesn't mean they shouldn't get to sniff. There is for sure a time and place for that. Just not walking along the street.
@jchung said in New (adult) basenji biting:
@donc Thank you for your insight. I am giving her time and space, but I live in a big city and worry about what will happen when we go on walks (as you said, a Basenji is not like a Golden Retriever, but most people walking on the street don't know that).
Well you can use this to your advantage. Once your dog settles in and is comfortable with you, ask a friend or neighbor, preferably someone comfortable with dogs, if they would be willing to give your girl some treats that she likes. Start inside and then move outside. In this way your dog starts seeing strangers as a good food source and not a threat. When she's comfortable doing this, try it with strangers when you go on a walk or to a new place -- say a farmer's market. Just be clear when asking to tell them what you're doing.
From what the breeder has said she's just a shy dog who is having trouble adjusting to such a new situation. I'm sure she'll turn into a lover. Shy dogs often do.
I'm sure everyone has had this experience. LOL Liking trying to get dogs who dig not to dig, trying to stop this behavior is going to be hard. There is a saying that for training some breeds "the fastest route is the longest way". Unlikely you are going to find a magic and quick solution.
Actually it sounds like you are having some success using the clicker in training. If you can keep that up and have him pay attention mostly to you rather than to the things on the street you'll solve the problem. However, to be honest I have a 2 1/2 year old female who does the same thing -- food scavenged on a walk seems to have particularly high reward for Basenjis -- and I haven't really tried to alter it. She's particularly prone to putting everything and anything she finds in her mouth and, most importantly, I'm struggling to get her to pay attention. The attention part is the key. Once that happens then training for all types of things becomes possible. Without it pretty much everything is difficult. (FWIW she does fine with It's Your Choice games and is used to shaping behaviors. But that is indoors and/or at home. Walks are a whole different adventure.)
Here would be my suggestion: You say the clicker is working. Take it with you on your walks. When your pup looks at you click & treat. Do that until your pup decides you are the center of the universe and is constantly looking at you. Then start teaching him to heal. It will take some time and effort but your problem will resolve.
Sorry to hear you're having this issue. I'll second or third the idea of giving the dog some time and space. And it would be helpful to know the history.
In the meantime, just stick with food and avoid trying to play. Play can be mis-interpreted as aggression. Also cut the dog some slack. If someone grabbed you out of your home and stuck you somewhere else you might have some issues as well. These guys are not cardboard cut-outs.
I would say that biting with strangers can be an issue for the breed though most of the time it's not. Keep in mind that being friendly with strangers in an African village is not going to be a survival skill. Ordinarily there isn't a problem but if people think a Basenji is going to act like a Golden Retriever, and behave as if they will, that's when problems can occur. That's the intersection of a clueless person and a nervous Basenji. As the dog figures out that you can be trusted it's unlikely you will have an issue. But be careful when introducing new people into the mix. (Which BTW is what is happening now).
So sorry. Poor baby.
Agree with Tanza that this would be for a vet. Could be a staff infection. If the dog is having an allergic reaction then when they scratch they open up the skin to staff, which of course is everywhere. Staff can spread very quickly so you want to get on top of it ASAP.
But it could be other things and I'm not a vet.
@kayg said in Food recommendations for anal gland issues:
Thanks everyone! I think after reading these responses I am going to avoid any more anal gland expressions because I don’t want to make the issue worse. I’ve only been giving him pure canned pumpkin/100% pumpkin. It has helped but didn’t solve the issue. He doesn’t have problems with loose stools- the stools are always formed well, but they are just soft and airy and not firm.
Diet can do it. You may want to experiment with a different kibble. It's possible that your little guy is having trouble digesting the food and dogs, like people, can have food allergies. In this regard. some of the "higher" quality dog foods can cause digestion problems. We've had good results using Hills Prescription Diet I/d as a supplement rather than the pumpkin. We just add some to the kibble and it seems to help avoid issues. Probably other alternatives as well.
Best case you cut back on the food and the problem resolves itself. You might want to do that before seeing the speciality vet. You haven't mentioned color. I ran across this description of "Poo Hue". You might find it helpful. https://www.thedrakecenter.com/services/pets/blog/get-scoop-what-your-pets-poop-telling-you
I'm still not clear -- maybe a reading comprehension issue -- what made you think he had an anal gland issue.