When you are dealing with something that an animal is afraid of, the best approach is to find his "comfort" distance from the thing that scares him. A busy street makes this a bit more difficult, as you have to find a way to give him that "distance". If you have a car, maybe transporting him to a less busy area might make a good start. Perhaps a side street, where he is comfortably away from busy traffic. You could then walk toward the busy street, pausing as soon as you see some sign of anxiety, and retracing your steps just little until he is in his "comfort zone" again. Gradually…...with the use of bribery and rewards......ask him to approach closer to the scary stuff. Liberally reward him for being there, then retreat. The idea is to not force, let him decide when he is ready. If he feels he can retreat at any time, he will have more confidence. This approach may take awhile, but is less likely to create a permanent aversion. (it works well with spooky horses).
Recommend a reputable breeder "near" NYC?
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Hey there folks!
Since this is my first post, let me introduce myself. I'm Danny from Brooklyn. At 33, I'm an entrepreneur in progress living with my GF. We've been considering a puppy for a while now, and after a TON of research, a Basenji is at the top of our list. We're looking for reputable breeders within a reasonable distance of NYC (we're totally willing to travel a ways, so "reasonable" is relative) who might be willing to talk to us and eventually arrange a visit to learn more about them, to see if we might find a fit for our home.
Does anyone have experience with a breeder in the Northeast who would be good for us to reach out to? We have family in DC and Pennsylvania as well, and we're happy to go for a drive/weekend trip in the other direction. We're also open to adoption, but we do know that we want a puppy.
Thanks!
EDIT: We found a pup from a breeder in VA and will be picking him up in a few weeks.