I have been lucky so far with my dogs, but when I got my basenji I took extra care to always trade. If I wanted her food/toy, I would trade it for a treat of equal value. If I wanted her off my lap or away from a sleeping spot, I would say "go down, let's get a treat" instead. Even then, there's no guarantee, and the fact that you managed to turn things around is impressive! I love that clip from the couch when he refuses to let go until you relaxed your muscles and softened your voice. My basenji taught me the same thing, and it's really nice to be able to correct my dog in a calm "teacher voice" instead of raising my voice or tensing up.
I have an 8 month old Border-Heeler who is the love of my life, and out of the blue she growled and snapped at me over her food dish. This broke my heart more than anything else. Thank you for your encouraging video. I will try not to take it personally., and have patience I hope she is a better 'teenager' to me than I was to my mother! Peace & Prayers.
Thank you for sharing your story. I felt exactly the same way. I was perplexed and heartbroken... Argo really pushed my buttons when he was a teenager and I would say postpone a walk or make time for yourself if and when you need it. Self-care is also important and better for your relationship with your fur-baby in the long-term. Peace & Love
Argo is so handsome. Good job handling the resource guarding. Basenjis can be a challenge, especially when people use more negative training methods. In the late nineties I took my first basenji to a “traditional” trainer who trained retrievers and using those techniques is a big regret of mine. Since then, I use positive reinforcement with my basenjis and it works just as well or better.
I’ve been binge-watching basenji videos as I am considering adopting a young male who has been returned to a shelter three times. Your videos have put my mind at ease a bit. Most say basenjis are difficult to train, can’t be let off leash, not the right breed for those with no prior basenji experience. I’m single, recently retired, and have all the time in the world to devote to a four-legged companion. Thank you for showing me what is possible. You are a wonderful, caring alpha and Argo is adorable! 💖
Thank you so much 💚 Did you manage to adopt the young Basenji male? A lot of mental and physical stimulation will be important and also you will most likely have to overcome or adapt to some pulling while they are on leash because they have such a strong hunting drive. Wish you the best and let me know how it's going.
This is great to see. I love the bond you created with Argo. After losing my 14yr old Husky in 2020, I'm finally bringing home my Basenji girl pup this Saturday. I'm so excited for the journey and will be sure to continue to watch your videos!
@@Astr0venus What a fantastic name! We were recently at a dog-friendly art installation called Gaia. I will post it in our shorts... How's Gaia Althea doing?
I love these dogs. My mom has owned 3 of them, and they all had different temperments. Her first was a lot like Argo and took a lot of work to get him to not have food aggression. Her second one is probably the chillest Basenji in existence. Will let you touch him whenever or take his food, and he won't care. He loves just about anyone. She recently got a female pup as a companion for the second one. She's much more like a typical Basenji and is a handful to train. They are very intelligent dogs and require a lot of attention. Anyways, great job on Argo! Hes a beautiful boy.
Thank you for sharing your story. Basenjis truly are one of a kind and each one has their own temperament. It's such a refreshing change when I meet an extremely chilled and gentle Basenji.
You’re doing really well here so congrats on that. These food aggressive behaviours will happen though if owners are not aware of whats happening the rest of the time. Unfortunately we can’t switch the animal part of them on and off. It’s always on and they won’t just be fur babies and snuggle bugs like we wish😂 they’re animals and respond mostly to status indicators
this is a nice video.. not sure what kind of bone that is .. just a suggestion, to be very careful with raw hide when softened they can lodge in the tough and choke the dog to death.. PS i raise basinjis
Thank you for the suggestion. Argo once choked on a bully stick when he was 2 years old and that's when I stopped giving him these tough chews. Raw marrowbone is his main "chew" now
Thank you for sharing your life with Argo, this was a great video. Basenji's offer so much love, entertainment and of course some challenges along the way. Love you and Argo!!!
You guys are gorgeous! I have a 1 yr old Border Collie who low growls when someone gets near her food or a toy. My issue is I have kids who dont always understand personal space. Zoe goes for training on Monday
I have basenji mix dog. She is almost 1 year 8 months old I still see her behavior sometimes resembling Argo. I agree with you 100% on food aggression. It is challenging.
Hope you are able to manage the issue with her. Sometimes it is better to simply leave a dog alone to eat in peace unless there is a valid reason to get them to stop. What's most important is that this aggression doesn't escalate and creep into other aspects of her behavior.
Silky! So handsome and dignified! 🤗 Argo isn't too shabby either. 😁 Primordial dogs are SO beautiful yet SO willful! Argo is NO exception. Amazing progress you made with him. My problem/challenge is my 1 year old American Bully (63 lbs/28.5 kg) has decided he doesn't want to share me with a chihuahua (8 lbs/3.6 kg) I watch pretty regularly. He goes brezerk if he sees him trying to join me on the couch or seeking my affection. From what I understand, this indicates some type of dysfunction in mine and his relationship. I am finally starting to unravel the riddle enough to get a grasp on what the underlying issues might be.
Thank you for your video. My Basenji is 14 weeks old and recently displayed his food aggression. It was a rather scary moment, kind of like Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. I'll try your method and I'll be wearing my thick welding gloves. 😂
No, you shouldn't need the gloves! 😂 I go into more detail in the description of this video. You want to get to a point where you do not need to interrupt his eating unless it is necessary (like picking up chicken bones while on a leash walk). Be patient and you will get there. Enjoy your little Prince!
Great video and beautiful pup. My wife and I will be getting a Basenji at the start of 2022. I was hoping you could share with me what you are feeding Argo. I tend to get way ahead of things when planning and I am trying to figure out what type of diets are working well. Thanks! Bless.
Thank you! It is great you're doing your research and making sure you're as ready as possible for the Basenji pup. It's always better to get tips for feeding from your breeder if you're going down that route as they will know what has worked for their pups and their parents. For over a year now, Argo has been on a raw diet (homemade) which he has thrived on so far. Argo was previously on kibble which he did great on for most of his young life but he began having health issues. The raw diet fixed that. Many B's also have cooked meals too which I may do in the future.
In the beginning you should always use the exact same food as your breeder uses, because a sudden change can upset their stomachs. If you're going to change to a different brand or type of food, you should gradually mix the new food into the old so that their bodies have time to adjust over a couple of weeks. Like Argo, my basenji thrives on a raw diet as well. She's turning 7 this year, so it's been over 6 years of raw diet. I'm hoping to get a second basenji this season as well. I've had dogs for 20 years, but I'm still just like you when it comes to thinking and planning for the new arrival! I think that's natural when you're waiting to get a new family member.
Perhaps you can figure out a way to desensitize your B to people. I would often ask strangers and kids to treat Argo and pet him under careful instruction so he doesn't associate all of them as a threat.... Hope I can eventually have my second and third B 😊
Thank you for the feedback! Less words, in the training example or when talking to the camera? This is our first vlog so hopefully our videos will evolve and improve as we post more content. In terms of actual training, I use far less words with Argo these days.
I've heard with some dogs the talking helps them understand and feel secure :) I am not so sure about basenjis, but border collies especially I have seen this with.
The bone is what would generally trigger resource guarding as it's a food item they can carry away and "claim". Notice how the paws would often wrap around the bone to keep it in place. Argo never had a resource guarding issue with food or water in a bowl, I could pick it up and take it away without an issue.
Basenji's are generally more challenging to train for obedience compared to other breeds because they require an almost unique approach or mindset. Argo is a typical independent Basenji with a strong prey drive and loads of energy. I actually find house training pretty straight forward. There is no destruction at all when left alone. THE REAL CHALLENGE IS OUTDOORS AND OFF LEASH. Basenji puppies are known to destroy things when left alone, but that is common in many breeds. They should grow out of being destructive by the time they are an adult, if not, then it is likely they have not had basic house training or been mentally or physically stimulated enough. I do know of some Basenji's with separation anxiety too and that often leads to destructive behaviour when left alone. But once again, that factor is not unique to Basenji's.
