Hi everyone im a newbie :)

[kingvelox]

I wonder if this thread is going to be renamed the tassel thread? lol. Thanks guys for plenty of input. Ill start posting some pics of the inside of my house for some potential "dog rooms" later on, and of course the TASSELS… I think I'ma gonna needa lotta helpa LOL. Good thing I am doing alot of research on the breed. I think its only the right and responsible way to do it. :)

[kingvelox]

I counted no less than 11 items where tassels are involved….and thats just in my family room! Possible safe location... laundry room?

[lvoss]

Gosh, I can already see all the places my basenjis would go. I could just imagine them photoshopped into the pics.

[kingvelox]

perhaps a cleaned up laundry room without the clothes and accessories with a pet gate along with a big crate?

[lvoss]

And depending on the basenji, child safety locks on the cabinets. My 12 1/2 year old loves opening cabinets and drawers. He doesn't often do anything with the contents but loves to get into them none the less. My problem is that my girls do like to mess with the contents and though they do not open cabinets and drawers they take advantage of his opening of them.

[kingvelox]

;) was just thinking about child locks as well! I guess Im starting think like a b pup. LOL. But I wonder if that laundry room is a big enough space to keep during the day?

[nomrbddgs]

Considering a crate is probably smaller than your laundry room-it should be just fine. Just make sure you have a check list whenever you leave-

• garbage pail up-check
• doors and drawers closed and locked-check
• old rugs that I don't care about being used-check
• tiles on floor (or linoleum) solid with no rips-check
• no foam or fluff present to make into confetti-check

And that's just a start to my check list-LOL

[Basenjimamma]

Laundry room looks great..make it his/her room, a happy place while you are gone..if problems arise crate him..in my opinion, you should alawys crate train them anyhow, should the need to be crated arise, like if you are gone and a dog sitter is having him, or if you travel and stay in a hotel with the dog..the crates can be positive, our podengo goes into it all day long just to lay down, he also eats in his and knows as soon as I am in the kitchen fixing their brkfst or dinner to run into his crate and sit..he loves it.
Now, many dogs hate theirs, but if you start out when you first get them the odds are better for liking them, I think.

[Shaye's Mom]

If you can crate your B, it is probably a good thing, provided he/she doesn't have to be in it for long. Both of mine roam free, and although there have been "issues," they pretty much leave things alone - mainly because I've dog-proofed the house. We do have two pillows with tassels, but they like laying their heads on them, so they've not chewed the tassels off yet. I would suggest always leaving bathroom doors closed, and remembering that if you have a basenji, you always need to keep them on leash outside, and watch when you open your doors - one of mine can be two rooms away, and at the sound of the door, is right there, trying to escape. Like most people on here, I would suggest if you are going to get a basenji, visit with people who own one, or just keep reading all the posts on this forum - you will get a great preconception of what they are - we secretly don't think they are "dogs" at all, but a species all their own.

[kingvelox]

Yes. It seems crate training is super important as safety to the dog. As to B escaping, I am not too worried as at my house there is a inner court yard that has another door leading up to my front door. Usually when people ring the door bell, they ring the outside bell. I though have to go through 2 doors, which is great especially if the dog escapes from one door, he is stopped at the other ;) That portion I am pretty confident.