Does anyone have a link to that Basenji Canine Freestyle Video?

@erica-ruth said in My basenjis have a new yard, but won't poop there. Any recommendations?:

I can set my watch by second poop

My first ever Basenji, Donner, back in the very early 1980s learned from very young that as soon as he'd emptied, we'd turn and head back home. Lady, who arrived in the household just four days after Donner and long before we totally dog-proofed the garden, so walks were necessary, did her business as and when she needed to. But Himself no - to prolong the walk he'd hang on for (sometimes) miles !

When the first litter came along, we did totally fence the entire garden so as to keep the pack safe. It was only later, after several litters developed a penchant for fresh vegetables straight off the plant, Brussel Sprouts, sweet corn, cucumbers, raspberries etc, that we had to fence off the vegetable garden to protect it from the marauding hordes. The herb garden had to be isolated too, or we'd have even sweeter smelling puppies than normal.

@congosworld:

Once Congo is exploring a new place or tired of doing what we ask, food is not a reward. We've used everything from bacon to steak to dog treats to kibble. Even if he happens to come when we call, he'll ignore the food and look at us with disdain. :p His primary motivation is movement.

One of the things I have noticed by reading this forum is that many people don't know how to do positive or "reward based" training very well. You are trying to condition the response, not feed the dog. Failure to move to an intermittent reward system can result in failure of the training to "stick". What keeps people at slot machines? Wondering if the next time will be the "payoff"! Works with dogs, too! And it isn't just about how salient the food is, although that helps with early training. Anything can become boring or "less desirable" than freedom as it becomes commonplace. There is more value in something that is rarely available, so if you want really yummy treats to have an impact, use them sparingly. (I believe this is the foundation for the "really reliable recall")

I would add, don't "wear out" the dog by picking at him all the time. If you are at a social gathering, it might make sense to give him a short run, then confine him while you socialize rather than letting him wander around and constantly having to call him back. Then when you have time to give him your undivided attention, give him another opportunity to enjoy his freedom, possibly as a reward for obeying a few commands before you release him. The worst thing you can do is allow him to think that obedience is "optional". It is just too easy to teach a dog he doesn't have to be bothered when he doesn't want to, even if that isn't your intent.

Good basic article on retraining:
http://www.dailypuppy.com/articles/how-to-rekennel-train-your-dog/04ec74fb-b362-ce00-c71d-aaa079b7417e

I do something similar to that, Quercus. It is almost like a game. I take a small piece of a treat and make him sit next to the door. Then, when I am ready to go, I toss it across the room and he goes running after it. By the time he finds and eats it, I am gone. Of course, I am in the same stages of leaving him for short periods (no more than 15 minutes- very beginning) and seeing how he does with not tearing the house completely apart.

I started with a cat toy with a pl bag tied on the end to see if they would be interested before i went any further. The I used an old fishing rod with rope tied from there. Kind of worked the same as a lunge whip. (I'm too cheap to buy one if I don't absolutely need one)