Agree with @elbrant and I'd like to add, when you return be very matter of fact, do not make a big fuss, particularly if she is excited and effusive in her greeting to you. Sure, acknowledge her if you must but don't make any sort of big deal out of it. Go about your business, e.g. if you've been shopping, put your things away before spending any time with her. Your goal is to make your absence just part of a normal routine, nothing to be excited about. I've had two separation anxiety dogs, and you know you have won the battle when the dog just glances at you in an "oh, you're back" way and doesn't bother getting off the couch! Yes, people like it when their dog greets them and makes a big fuss, but if you feed that behaviour you give too much emphasis to your absence and that can grow into anxiety in your dog.
Toys are for babies, Mom.
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Apparently Dexter has decided he is a grown up now and has no interest in his toys any more. He used to play with them every day, but for the last few weeks he shows almost NO interest in them whatsoever. I buy him a new one every week and he has a variety of types, but he doesn't touch any of them. He will play with them for a short while if I also play with it, but doesn't get very excited about it like he used to. I have even gone as far as to blow bubbles for him to see if he will chase them, but he only tries to bite the ones that get too close to him and just watches them with confusion as they disappear lol. I have never had a dog before so this could probably be completely normal, and I just don't know. :rolleyes:
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Try and laser pen light….. Mine have always gone crazy to chase that.... and yes, normal... they grow out of playing with toys, however the minute you say that and think they will never play with their toys again... off they go....
Also, keep in mind, while I forget his age, could be that he is teething and just doesn't feel like playing with his toys.
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Yes, he is just over five months and is definitely teething. I tried the laser light too. He did the same thing he does with most of his stuff, he kinda just stares at it amazed and will try to get it if it is close to him, but won't go all out with it.
Then again I only used it twice before it broke… I will have to get a new one.He also grew out of his musical yawns (well, he only does it about a third as much as he used to do it) and coming to sit on my lap when I get on the floor.
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I would strongly suggest you don't use a laser pen with your dog. My parents did that with their dog (a springer spaniel) and now he chases anything light or shadow that darts across the floor, yard, any surface really. Maybe its a coincidence, but I have heard of other dogs developing light/shadow chasing issues from laser pens.
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I would strongly suggest you don't use a laser pen with your dog. My parents did that with their dog (a springer spaniel) and now he chases anything light or shadow that darts across the floor, yard, any surface really. Maybe its a coincidence, but I have heard of other dogs developing light/shadow chasing issues from laser pens.
While that is possible, most Basenjis that have a fixation to chasing lights are usually born with it. Franie will chase any light/shadow and has since day 1. C-Me doesn't. But I will add that C-Me will chase the laser light… but looks at Franie chasing sun spots or reflections like she is from a different planet....ggg
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Hm. that's strange that a little red dot of light would seem like a light at all to them, not in the way of white light from the sun or a car or something…
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Yes, he is just over five months and is definitely teething.
Hmmmm…. perhaps the teething is painful. I gave Kipawa pieces of ice to play with. They slide across the hardwood floor and can be batted around and then enjoyed.
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I agree with pat, Oakley was born to love light, he loves the sun of course but has always gone crazy chasing the light reflection from my phone, sun spots on walls or on the ceiling… All this before we introduced the laser pointer.... As far as his toys, Oakley is 7 months and has ALWAYS felt the need to take every last toy out of both his toy bins each night. He literally plays with each and every one, then he gets disgusted with me when I put them back where they belong and feels the need to take each one back out when I go to get another to put away... Such a basenji. I will say that from what you have said, you have a typical B, the interest is stronger to play when they don't have to go fetch a toy but rather hand it to them, and only chase the laser if it's close enough they don't have to work to get it.It can be difficult to keep a basenji entertained with the same activity for anything other than short bursts...lol
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Lol, Dex used to do that. He would also dig through his box in search of a certain one too. SOMETIMES he even put some of them back in the box, which I thought was adorable. None of the above occur any more. I will try the ice though!! Good idea. I wanted to find him one of those balls that roll around on its own because i think he would like that… Not sure where though.
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lol, Oakley would just assume dump the entire bin rather than take the time to pick up each one… I swear he looks at me as if to say " I dont have to pick them up, youre the one with the thumbs"
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lol, Oakley would just assume dump the entire bin rather than take the time to pick up each one… I swear he looks at me as if to say " I dont have to pick them up, youre the one with the thumbs"
Exactly Chealsie…. LOL
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Cricket is mostly done teething (she is retaining her two upper canines). She loved a face cloth soaked in water, rung out, then frozen, and her rope bone, that I also soaked and froze. The only issue is that she came very close to hitting our TV.
She not only takes her toys out of her toy box, but she takes our "toys" out of our "toy box"… like Husband's wallet, my work camera, our keys, my work phone, and items that we require at that exact moment (the screwdriver, paint roller, tape measurer...). Thankfully she knows how to give. -
Mine also go through phases where they play with toys then just play with each other for a while - when one is sleeping, the other may go dig out toys from the toybox just to have something to do, and will try to get the other to play tug of war. Lately, their favorite toy is Dad's socks rolled up in a ball - they fight over those and pull them apart to make two toys. They have fun, but it doesn't thrill me - I tell DH when they make enough holes in his socks he's going barefoot!
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hopefully Dex is just teething. I worked very hard to keep toy-drive in Zest as it can make training easier and more fun. And she still often gets a treat for retrieving or tugging her toys.
