My Basenji-Shepherd mix is 4-years old. Her obsessive running is wearing her out. When she spots something of interest...another dog, bunny, person walking by...she has to run laps. She used to run laps circling the house until we put up a fence. Now her laps are smaller around a tree or just a large circle in the yard. On the days that she runs excessive laps she can hardly stand up by evening. She is a terrific little dog but her high-strung behavior is taking a toll on her joints. Anyone solve this problem with their dog?

Haven't dealt with that problem in particular, but with all obsessive behavior the trick is to interrupt the behavior and offer something more rewarding for the dog.

If you rely on her running in the yard for her exercise requirements (and it sounds as if she's getting plenty) you might try snapping a leash on her and taking her for a walk when she begins to run around. You might even try giving her a backpack with a small amount of weight in it so she feels like she's doing a job, which will re-direct her mind from "I don't know what I'm supposed to do so I'll run in circles" to "My job is to carry this back pack while we go on our walk." It's weird, but I've seen a lot of dogs react so positively to the back pack idea...especially dogs that have been bred to perform certain tasks but are only required to sit around all day.

I wouldn't give her a lot of attention while she's running around, but I would try to stop it as soon as you can and take her inside for awhile, or for a walk on the leash or do whatever you can to take her away from the area where she does it. If she runs herself to exhaustion, it's certainly not good for her and anything you can do to totally remove her from the situation long enough to re-direct her attention would help.

You will still have to deal with what triggers the behavior, and help her learn how to appropriately respond to people, dogs, bunnies etc. Spending time in the yard with her while she's on a leash might help. When she sees something and wants to run, you will be able to control her and help her learn to respond calmly (or not at all). She can work off the extra energy by chasing balls for you when she does well.

Thank you for your suggestions. You know....we have a backpack that we used very successfully when we began walking her off leash. People can't believe that she is the same dog that they see in our yard going bonkers. We can walk for 2 to 3 miles on neighborhood streets, off-leash and definitely in control...our control. I am going to try her in the yard with her backpack as well. Having a job really settles her down. We have put a backpack on her in the house when we have company but I have never used it while she is in the yard! Thanks!!

i haven't heard that one before.. have you tried to consult to any vet?

[wishbone]

Wow, your buddy is really loves to run. Why not enroll him in agility class? I'm sure he's gonna love it and will show more, and also you will learn how to deal with his excessive running behavior and for his health.

I think she would be great at agility. I need to look into a class. I wanted to be sure she would behave well off-leash before I signed her up.

[lil mutt]

maybe using a leash can help solve the problem...