@eeeefarm said in Wet weather exercise:

@Scagnetti said in Wet weather exercise:

I wouldn't be able to achieve the high-level of behavior I desire to create without using a crate, and I don't know of any professional who can, with any breed, much less a Basenji.

No question, Basenjis can be difficult. Personally I think they are less of a challenge than most scent hounds.

I'm editing this post because this is turning into a thread hijack, but suffice it to say IMO the mental leash is stronger by far than the physical one, and if you can get your dog on your wavelength then anything is possible. The more practice the dog gets in controlling himself rather than being controlled the better he will fit into the household. As I said previously, they don't learn when they can't make mistakes.

I'm not sure what this is in reference to. I made no mention of a leash and a mental leash isn't going to do what a crate does. Although I think the mental leash, as you call it, is necessary as well, but it's not the same as a crate, they accomplish different things. The concept of self-control in dogs is absolutely paramount, but that concept isn't a tool, the crate is a tool that can do so many things so very effectively.

I would've liked to know what your original post said, perhaps there would be more context for me regarding the thrust of your point about a mental leash.

And I feel I should say this: there are a million ways to effectively train a dog. The tools used, the exercises done, and the focus given on specific skills, is all individualized to the dog in front of you. What works for one dog may never work for another dog. Another element is the trainer and how they act and live and what they project. The advice I give on this forum is general good practice information and standard behavior modification protocol. When I have enough information to give specific advice, I do so. But most of the time, and especially with puppies, there are just standard exercises that need to be done, and crate training is one of them. I don't say this is true of you, but most people who are against crates, don't know how to properly use them or even what they're used for. When someone does in fact want to know how to effectively use a crate, I'm happy to explain how.

@t89rex said in Wet weather exercise:

Thank you all for your replies. And it's always good to hear different views.

Longer term I certainly don't intend to crate him when I'm home but I can see the value in (a) getting him comfortable in there for when I do need to crate him when I'm out and (b) using it to get myself a little breathing room while he's settling in, so training for a dog who's happy in his crate is definitely a priority even if I hope not to have to do it all that often.

Once he's had all his shots and is close to adult size, I intend to run with him in the mornings (I usually do about 10 km) and give him a hourlong evening walk which I hope will give him enough exercise and entertainment to keep him settled during the work day. That feels like it might be close to a year before he's up to that kind of exercise load though so it's great to have some strategies for his puppy phase.

Very smart! Walking a puppy is often the worst way to exercise them.

I would suggest taking the dog to an enclosed area like a fenced off back yard or a giant field with a long lead, and do engagement work, i.e. chase with food with the dog activating you.

How it's done:

Have a bowl with some treats (I do this with their meal) placed where it's easy for you to access but impossible for him to reach.

Take some food in your hand and wait for him to look at you. Once he gives you eye contact, run backward, away from him and let him chase you.

When he catches up to you, stop and give him food. Then wait for him to give you eye contact again and run when he does. Keep doing this, running around, feeding him until the food's gone.

This teaches many things, one of them is that the dog learns that his behavior and actions have a direct effect on you and what you do.

When the dog learns that he's the one making you move, he loves it and really gets into the activity.

Another thing this exercise does is strengthen your relationship; this is invaluable.

Also, this activity will help get your dog used to following you and running to you instead of away from you, making the recall process a little bit easier because the dog already knows how to run back to you and already loves doing it.

If you're serious about training, and care about communicating with your dog, you can use markers (or a clicker) in this exercise, if you've already charged them. Before you start the session use your begin marker (mine is "ready"). Whenever the dog looks at you mark it with your positive marker (mine is "yes") and then run. And when you've come to the end of the session, use your finished marker (mine is "all done").

There is no doubt that this is an athletic endeavor. I've seen several people hurt themselves badly by tripping over themselves, and have heard of other people hurting themselves by running into something, which is why you need an open space for this exercise. A field with a long lead is usually the solution for apartment dwellers.

All the best.