How long have you had him and how old is he?
If you are crating him during the night and day, I believe that is way too much crating. How long is he crated during the day?
Have you contacted the breeder regarding this? Was he crated at the breeders before you obtained him? He may have been with his littermates and he is not used to being alone.
Jennifer
He was not crated at the breeders and was with his littermates. i'd say he's crated for 3-4 hours, let out and then crated again until i come home, max another 3-4 hours, plus crated all night. How do you know when crating becomes to much? Do i leave him out during the day or at night?
I've tried the crate in the bedroom too but I can be infront of the crate and if the door is closed he will go directly to his whining screech.
Do you have any objections to him sleeping in bed with you? We have had one Basenji in 26 years of servitude to the breed that just would not crate, tore them apart, broke a tooth, we surrendered. So he slept with us at night and during the day, since 5% of the time he would destroy something, we kept a light mesh muzzle on him and that seemed to make him content. No crate, no destruction of house or property and he slept at my feet on top of covers in the warmer months, under during the cold months. It takes a lot to make it with this breed, but they are so very worth it in the long run. But puppy behavior seems to last a lot longer with them too. Good luck.
if you let him sleep in bed with you, that will cut down the screeching at night. when you wake up in the morning, has he gone to the bathroom in his crate? or do you have to wake in the night to let him out? or is he already holding his bladder til morning? if he still needs to go out in the middle of the night, just set your alarm clock to let him out, and then right back to bed.
as for housebreaking advice, there is a lot on here if you just use the search button at the top. also, you can read here - http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/dogs/tips/housetraining_puppies.html - lots of good advice. the key is consistency and paying attention. good luck and hang in there!
As for the leaving during the day, when i come back acting all casual, do i open the crate right away? Do I acknowledge him at all?
So he is crated all day… and then crated all night?
Seems like an awful lot of crate time to me.
He left his family and is now in jail most of the time, alone. And was not crate trained so is isn't his 'safe place'. Think about it from his perspective. You may have to start over with good crate training, for many dogs/pups you can't just stick them in a wire box, you have to start slowly with treats and wonderful things, feed in the crate, make the crate a happy place to be.
So he is crated all day… and then crated all night?
Seems like an awful lot of crate time to me.
I totally agree with this, way to much crate time.. if you have to crate during the day, then at night you need to let them be with you…..
Newsom gets a thick sock full of uncooked white rice, which we heat up in the microwave. He's very good in his crate, but at night, to make him feel more comfortable, we put the warm rice-filled sock in his crate and he cuddles right up to it and goes to bed.
Can I ask who you got your basenji from? Did they give you any help with this issue?
Your basenji does seem to spend a lot of time in the crate. Open yourself up to letting him sleep on top of the bed with you. They really don't take up all that much room, and when you all sleep together it reaffirms that you are all a pack.
One of the things that I tell my puppy buyers is that if they work and the pup is crated during the day it SHOULD sleep with them at night.
It isn't fair for them to be crate that much….
and I agree... they went from being with family... TO JAIL.
Poor pup!!
sorry to hear you are having problems with Buddy, i understand what you mean by persistant and screeching 
Our older Basenji has never been a problem in the crate and has used it since we got her, i think she was born in a large crate.
However our 15 week old boy is a different story and absolutely hates the crate. He too screams, thrashes and rips his bedding up.
He sleeps in the bed with us at night and we are happy with this so no problems there.
I put him in the crate for short periods during the day but occasionaly have to leave him for up to 4 hours, either way he's screaming when i leave him and still screaming when i return. We feed him in the crate and he's quite happy when eating. When we put him in i toss some kibble in there for him to find.
As to your question about when you return, i tend to keep it low key and let him out a few minutes after i return, i don't rush to him.
When i crate him when i'm in, just to work on it i try to release him only when he's quiet.
Sometimes crating hurts you more than them. I would also agree that there is too much crate time going on. After the other pups left Rose began to put on a show that would do her mother proud in the crate. She would scream, holler, and carry on. I began to take her everywhere I possibly could with me in the crate. She has settled somewhat, but still needs work. But, if someone is at home she is not in the crate. She also sleeps with me at night. Eventually your puppy will get used to the crate, but I would try to limit the exposure to the crate at night since the puppy is crated during the day. Some basenji's can be left out all the time without destruction, or minimal destruction. I can leave Sugar and Shadow out without issues, and while Johnny is only just over a year, I can leave him out for the most part. If you need help, your breeder should be able to give you advice. If your breeder cannot give you advice, you can always ask here! Good luck!
One of the things that I tell my puppy buyers is that if they work and the pup is crated during the day it SHOULD sleep with them at night.
It isn't fair for them to be crate that much….
and I agree... they went from being with family... TO JAIL.
Poor pup!!
Exactly Kathy, that is what I tell them also
Unless you have a specific reason why not to, I think it's a good idea to let your B sleep on your bed at night, especially if they are crated during the day. Not all will appreciate it (I've read some Basenjis preferring to sleep in their own dog bed or crate), but most will thoroughly appreciate being close to their owners while they sleep.
I have had zero issues with my B sleeping on my bed. He has his own spot away from me where he'll go right to sleep when its bedtime. Every once and awhile I'll wake up with a paw in my face, but that's not typical with him. You can tell this is what makes them feel at home. Even if you're gone for most of the day (working, etc), at least they know they can expect a solid 7-8 hours+ of time with you while they sleep.
both jonny and HAnsel sleep in bed with our son. BOTH dogs SCREAM and go nuts when we crate them. at first we just had jonny. about 6 mo. later we got HAnsel. we went through 4 crates.. hansel just chewed his way out. made him insane. so we put a crate in side a crate, yes, we doubled the crate. still got out. SO go to my pictures and you can see what their kennel is like … there is an inside and outside one. we did have to put chains on the gates because they can lift and push the latch open and get out. SMART /clever. they are in the kennel together and never make a peep... unless they hear us at home and whine to come be with us... which is only the time it takes to walk to the kennel to let them out. 
it is the only thing that works for us. ps. i do crate them in the car to go to the vet... and that is about a 3 min. ride. they both scream the entire way... :0
Do try letting him sleep with you, rather than crating him - mine would not stand for crating, screamed her head off, did her business where she was and outside the crate, broke puppy teeth - when I just let her go to bed with me (a walk before bedtime is a must for emptying), she was just fine and never made a mess. We got up and walked her, and there's been no probem. As to the separation anxiety he is exhibiting, he is still a little guy, and you have to be patient with the crating, I understand. We never did solve that problem, some dogs just can't be crated. All the problems, crating, separation anxiety, destruction, went away when we got her a companion. Some basenjis just can't deal with being alone. BUT many do, and well, so take the advice of those who have successfully overcome the problems, but don't feel like a failure if it's you who have to adjust.
ps. i know they are quiet because my husband has battled cancer for the last 8 years and the last 2 years he is home in bed much of the day. so he is there to hear them and never does. but they dont hear him either… and our neighbors have commented often how much they enjoy watching the dogs from their window and how the dogs really are satisfied and happy in the outside kennel.
One thing worth mentioning… my B is pretty much 100% crate phobic. He has been since day 1. I accidentally gave him full roam of my home during the first couple weeks that I had him and I came home to a happy B and not a single thing moved/destroyed. Ever since he has been given full roam w/o problems (occasional furniture chewing when he was still a puppy, but it was minor and he outgrew that quickly).
Sometimes you have to experiment to see what works best. Dogs are just like us regarding preferences. Some will be fine with crates, others not so much. I think all the opinions shared thus far provide an excellent direction in where to go with this issue.
Pippin hates his crate too…if the door is closed...but he has learned to deal with it in short spurts..like a two-3 hours or so..more and he goes balistic..at night he sleeps where he wants, mostly in bed with our son or in his crate with the door open..if left in his crate I leave teh radio on and give him some crate only toys, seems to work OK..
Maya never had a problem with her crate, she was always really quiet but I do agree with the others about over-crating and, as I was working when I got Maya as a pup and she was crated during the day, she was allowed to sleep in bed from 9 weeks old
An alternative might be to have the crate in your bedroom if you dont actually want him in the bed.
