Best training treats for Basenji night-shift owners

Night shifts and a one-year-old Basenji — that's a real challenge, because Basenjis that age have energy to burn and a short window of cooperation before they get bored and start making their own decisions. The most effective training treats are pea-sized, smelly, and high in protein — something the dog inhales in one bite without losing focus, and something noticeably more exciting than their regular food. To point you toward the right option: how much does your Basenji weigh, what are you working on right now (recall, loose-lead, general manners?), and any dietary restrictions or sensitivities I should know about?

Recall with a Basenji — you've picked the hardest possible thing, which means you need the highest possible value treat. Two 10-minute sessions is actually fine for recall work; short and sharp is better than long anyway with this breed. But because your time is so limited, you also need something with a long shelf life that you can leave out on the counter without thinking about it. Are you doing the recall training on-lead first, or have you moved to longer lines or off-lead in a secure space?

That scent-lock is the Basenji factory setting — you're not doing anything wrong, you just need a treat that competes with whatever is on the ground. My recommendation is Ziwi Peak Air-Dried Beef Dog Treats. They're made from 96% meat and organs, they're intensely smelly in the best possible way, and they come in a resealable pouch that sits on your counter indefinitely without refrigeration — which matters when you're coming off a night shift and don't want to think. Break each piece down to pea-size before your session. The smell alone tends to cut through scent distraction in a way that softer, blander treats just don't. For a 10kg Basenji working on recall, these sit at the top of what you can realistically use.

It's a fair concern — Basenjis do habituate to food faster than most breeds. A few things help: keep the Ziwi Peak strictly for recall sessions only, never for anything else, so it stays rare and high-value. Rotate in a second treat (cooked chicken, plain cheese) for lower-stakes training so the premium treat stays novel. Because you're only training twice a day for 10 minutes, you're naturally limiting exposure, which actually works in your favour here. If you do notice her enthusiasm dropping after a few weeks, a short break of 5–7 days and then reintroducing them usually resets the response.

Good luck — Basenji recall is genuinely one of the harder things to train, but two focused sessions a day with the right treat gets results faster than you'd expect. Keep the sessions ending on a success, even if that means making the last rep easy.