Oh NO! I am sorry about your wedding ring, but it sounds like things are improving.
That's pretty high for a crate, but we paid about $150 for the airline crates to move here (I use wire crates at home).. so they'll just be stored or sold.
Leather furniture anyone?
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I was looking at some pictures Z1nja posted and I noticed leather furniture with a basenji on it (though there is a covering on some of the furniture). Anyone with leather furniture out there? How's that working for you? Are your b's toes nicely trimmed? I'm thinking (it's time) about updating our living room furniture, but as I know there is a basenji in our future, I've been wondering how practical leather furniture is. I'd love to have furniture that the cats don't shred at, but I don't want furniture that a basenji thinks of as a chew toy.
If not leather, any good suggestions? -
We have leather sofas. We previously had fabric with removable washable covers. The covers got wrecked with the litter of puppies peeing on it and eventually the older dogs got hold of all the stuffing too. We got second- hand leather from a friend. It's now well into it's 3rd year and still going strong. One sofa gets dug on loads and our new puppy has discovered she can chew it but mostly the worst thing that is done is licking. We have 7 dogs who all lie on the sofas.
I will be replacing these sofas with more leather when the time comes but I will try to find more second hand. I'd never normally buy second hand but I also couldn't bear parting with 1000s for a new suite and having it trashed.
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When we had dalmatians their hairs would weave their way into our fabric furniture and we couldn't get it out so we switched, now every piece of in our house is leather. We do not allow our B on the furniture, but as you can guess she gets up there all the time anyway and so far no problems. We trim her nails once a week with a Dremel sander. She tried to chew the furniture makers plastic logo off one of the chairs,but she has not tried to eat any of the leather. Leather is really easy to clean just wipe the hair on the floor and vacuum it up.
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We have leather sofas though they do have a throw over the part that you sit as the dogs find the leather too cold to lie on:rolleyes: and also so they don't get scratched. None of the B's have ever tried to chew on them, really shouldn't have said that:rolleyes:.
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We first had a combo leather and fabric. the cussions were fabric and wore out after 5 yrs of the basenji 500. Last yr we went all leather. There are several different kinds of leather and when we were in the furniture store we specifically asked which would hold up best to nails and were told only buy performance leather and given a demo of a nail being run across several different types and sure enough, with the performance leather there was no trace whereas on the other 3 grades, you could see a faint or visible line. Hoping this holds up as well as the store says it will. We only have a couch and chair with ottoman, but so far so good.
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Leather is better with fuzzy blankets when its cold
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I have a leather couch and no problems with the basenjis. The only damage I have had to it was when we had the Bengal foster cats.
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I have leather and never has been a problem, I do put a throw on the couch however.. since they do like to "dig" and nest
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We have both and Otis seems to prefer the fabric one, but the leather one is a keeper if there is a throw on it. Either way, it is holding up nicely with 2 kids (5 and 9) as well as 4 dogs. We only spent about $500 for it at IKEA and I will keep on buying that type of couch until I have older kids and calmer dogs..i.e never..grr.
I will only own cars with (P)leather interior for the same reason, much easier to keep clean, doesn't take on stains as bad and looks nice.
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We have had leather through 8 dogs. None has chewed but they do like to dig. We keep blankets tossed on it for them to nest in, and I use a fitted bottom-twin sheet (color matches ) on the seat of my good couch. It's a good fit and easy to change and wash. I don't think any fabric other than kevlar would survive Topper's digging.
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Okay, unless someone can give me a horror story, I am sold on leather. Especially seeing the wonderful pictures of the basenjis enjoying the furniture carefully. I'll definitely look into the performance leather. I knew there were different grades of leather, but hadn't heard of that type.
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You do have to be careful with any type of furniture you have that there are not loose threads or irregularities that the basenji can start to worry at. My mom's basenji has excavated a large hole in her leather couch. What is worse is that he started it when my dad was home but was sick with a head cold and not really paying attention to Cole. Cole decided that if he wasn't getting attention he would go look for a way to entertain himself. By the time my mom got home from work he had made himself quite a hole. My mom believes it started with a loose thread because she had seen him working at one before on that side of the couch but had always stopped him from doing any serious damage. Now every time one of the dogs is peeved they further excavate the hole.
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Thanks, Ivoss. I could see a little thread hanging out being something interesting that a b. would go for. As I continue doing my research, I'm learning that basenjis need to have a variety of pastimes and enjoyment (toys). Does your Mom leave Cole loose (not crated) when she goes out?
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We have had a leather couch for years, 3 basenji's and one catahoula later the couch had survived, but one escaped *cocatoo who wanted up on the couch and used his beak to try and pull himself up on it left a row of large beak marks along the front of all the cushions. My husband purchased some very expensive wax which he says will hide the flaws. He has not done it yet so I don't know if it works but since it was "his" couch before it became "our"
couch I guess he knows what he speaks of. So its not always the dogs that can cause a diaster. -
We have friends who experimented with leaving their 2 adult basenjis out of crates during the days, the result was an costly repair to the arm of an expensive leather couch.
No furniture is basenji proof, but they don't seem to see it as a big leather chew, as you might expect, haha! -
So, I DID IT! We went out today to shop for a couple of books, and came back with a sales receipt (and lighter pocket) for a new leather sofa and two matching chairs. Well, you can't say it was a quick decision - I did, afterall do some research
One thing that came to my mind was to wait until my cats went to kitty heaven, and only get the couch just before getting my basenji. Then I thought to myself, well, life is short. And if we want to enjoy something we should just 'do it', because there are no guarantees in life (believe me, I know this). For those of you who don't know, my husband used to be a triathlete, but 6 years ago was hit by a car while he was cycling and is now a paraplegic, who still remains very enthusiastic and looks at all things as a challenge. I don't mean to bring everyone's spirit down, but we MUST enjoy every second of life, wherever we are. Dogs make us do that, they live and love in the moment. We can learn so much from them.
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I'll just add something here.
1. Congratulate your husband on his outlook. His positive attitude is the core of his being.
2. Congrats on the new couch. Not to put a damper on, but mine absolutely DESTROYED one that was given to me. I'm thinking of duct tape in colors as an accessory at this point because the boxer likes to lay on that couch.
3. Mine destroyed every second hand couch I brought into my home. However, a year and a half ago, I bought a new couch and they never bother it in the least!
Good luck and congrats again on the new sofa!
