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).
Tips
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Good way to distract a basenji…
Take a old sock and tie up one of your basenji's favorite treats and see how long it takes to get the treat....
About 8 minutes for my 'B' lol but it did get him to stop obsessing on the family of rabbits that just fond a home in the bushes in front of my building.Anyone have any other good ways to distract a basenji.......
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For my boy, hiding his favourite toy and then asking him to look for it will keep him busy for awhile. Or sometimes we play "hide & seek". I'm always the one who hides!
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Nina Otteson toys and their wobble kong full of treats and kibble!
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For my boy, hiding his favourite toy and then asking him to look for it will keep him busy for awhile. Or sometimes we play "hide & seek". I'm always the one who hides!
That funny, I hide treats in my place and my 'B' Max always finds them, but there is also one he never eats. The one I put on top of the umbrella I keep behind my door. He just sits and stares at it. I think because that umbrella fell on him when he was a pup or basenjis really do dislike rain ha
I give him the treat and he's happier then ever and we end up going on a good walk. Smart dogs, good tip. I will try your hide & seek thing… -
Still best tip if you have a basenji… Go for a walk together....