Multiple issues with Basenji

[Mowgli]

Just to clarify she is only in the room with the door closed when we are out of the house, otherwise she has full roaming capabilities. Can you explain more about the clicker training. When would I actually click? Our routine is no longer set because my wife is leaves and returns at the same time daily. Otherwise she has a morning routine, a eating routine, a walking routine and a bedtime routine.

[eeeefarm]

There is a lot of information about clicker training on line. Most trainers now agree it is unnecessary to "load" the clicker (establish a relationship between clicks and treats), so you can just get right down to it. Some people like to lure, then click. Every trainer will have their own spin.

What I did with my guy was sit on a chair close to his crate, and just wait. He was walking around the room, and when he got close to the crate, I clicked and treated. Rinse, repeat. Continue to reward any approach to the crate. Then wait to click until he gets just a bit closer. Repeat a couple of times, then wait a little for a closer approach. Pretty soon he is right at the entrance, then you want a foot or two inside, finally the whole dog before you click. It takes a bit of experience to get it right, but you really can't screw it up much. If he shuts down on you, say "too bad" and walk away with your treats. Come back and try later. In my case, he kept working and we got the job done in one try.

Lots of good info here:

http://www.clickersolutions.com/articles/index.htm

I love clicker training for teaching new behaviours. It is the best way I know to teach a dog to pick up an object and retrieve it…...not a natural act for most Basenjis, but easily taught with a clicker.

[krunzer]

Clicker training is a very valuable tool once you get the hang of it. I housetrained Tucker using a clicker. Basenji's, being very bright, will catch on quickly, especially when you use treats with the clicker. Try something irresistable like hotdogs. Most B's are food driven and eeefarm has some really good ideas how to crate train for it. When I got my B's they were already crate trained so I got to miss that step! Give it a whirl and keep us informed.

[lvoss]

I have several questions based on the original post. You said she is on 2 medications, are both for anxiety? Are they being used under the supervision of a veterinary behaviorist and in conjunction with behavior modification? If not, have you looked into consulting a veterinary behaviorist who can help you develop a behavior modification plan?

Next, though you list physical exercise in Mowgli's routine, what mental exercise are you giving her? Instead of a bare and boring room have you looked into leaving things like a Kong wobbler with her breakfast in it so she has something to do? or is she so anxious even with medication that she will not eat when left alone?

Also, with a new baby expected very soon, you may want to see if there is a Dogs and Storks presenter in your area, http://dogsandstorks.com/

[ownedbyspencer]

Can you not babygate her into a room, preferably one that has a window? Basenjis like to see out. My experience has been that they are very curious and do not like to be closed off. Spencer has never liked a crate and was destructive in one. When he was a puppy, I babygated him in the kitchen, then gradually expanded his "domain," giving him free run of the downstairs, then the whole house. If there are rooms I don't want him in, I close the doors. Some dogs respond better to freedom, and Spencer is one. Maybe Mowgli is, too?

[Jacquieoutwest]

I had a foster with SEVERE separation anxiety. She would pee and poop at the door if I didn't crate her and also get tangled in the blind at the window. I put her in our plastic crate and she did fine there-at first she wasn't crazy about it but I would coax her in with treats and while she was still anxious, she was safe.

[Mowgli]

To answer some questions that have been posed…we put her in an empty bedroom and for now close the door. We would like to try the baby gate, but are unsure if she could somehow knock it down or get over it. Although she has never done this in our presence, it appears she is so terribly distraught when left alone, there's no saying what she's capable of. The destruction as of recently has been biting large pieces of wood off the door and window frames, chewing up the blinds and still pooping and peeing on the floor right after being walked (and relieving herself on the walk). Yes, the meds were prescribed as aids to behavior modification. We had worked with a behaviorist to initially get her acclimated to our home and being left alone. Then, this summer her routine was off-set by the fact that my wife is now home more often and we no longer leave/return at the exact same time each day. Mowgli obviously loves our company, so it is likely that the more my wife is home the harder it is for her to cope when left alone. The destruction definitely worsened during the fourth of July when fireworks were being set off all day long in our neighborhood. Until then loud noises didn't seem to bother her.
In the meantime we take her to doggy daycare just so
we can get errands done before the baby arrives and only leave her alone when absolutely necessary. It is expensive though and certainly not a longterm solution. Thanks so much for
all the suggestions. Please keep them coming. This is taking a toll on ALL of us.

[Mowgli]

Also, we leave her with several toys scattered around the room and bones stuffed with natural balance meat and frozen peanut butter.

[Kipawa]

What methods have you used to train her to accept a crate?

Have you tried feeding Mowgli in a crate? Place her food in the crate and initially don't close the door. Then progress to closing the door. If you feed all of her meals in the crate, it will help her see the crate as a more enjoyable place to be.

We use a metal crate. We started by crating Kipawa with food. Then we progressed to crating him for 2 (yes, 2) minutes while we went out of the house and closed the door. In his crate were some favourite and very safe toys for him to play with. We gradually increased the time, and we are now at a point where he will accept crating for a much lengthier period - the max has been 3 hours. Kipawa still has some anxiety, but it continues to get better.

Please don't give up on Mowgli. Basenjis do require patience, but the reward is huge.

[eeeefarm]

@Mowgli:

To answer some questions that have been posed…we put her in an empty bedroom and for now close the door. We would like to try the baby gate, but are unsure if she could somehow knock it down or get over it.

When we first moved to the farm we didn't give the two Basenjis we had at the time the full run of the house, but confined them to the kitchen and adjacent laundry room area. We tried a small gate, but were concerned they might knock it down or get over it, as you are. We ended up building a "gate" with a wood frame and wire that was about five feet tall, put hinges on it, and ended up with a "door" they could see through. Everyone was happy with this arrangement. Once we were sure the dogs had adjusted to the move, we took down the door, but it served its purpose. (and BTW, the first time we left the girls alone in the new place, somebody attacked the outside door and doorframe…..so just because a dog hasn't previously demonstrated separation anxiety, don't assume it won't, in a new location!)

[khanis]

@Mowgli:

To answer some questions that have been posed…we put her in an empty bedroom and for now close the door. We would like to try the baby gate, but are unsure if she could somehow knock it down or get over it. Although she has never done this in our presence, it appears she is so terribly distraught when left alone, there's no saying what she's capable of. The destruction as of recently has been biting large pieces of wood off the door and window frames, chewing up the blinds and still pooping and peeing on the floor right after being walked (and relieving herself on the walk). Yes, the meds were prescribed as aids to behavior modification. We had worked with a behaviorist to initially get her acclimated to our home and being left alone. Then, this summer her routine was off-set by the fact that my wife is now home more often and we no longer leave/return at the exact same time each day. Mowgli obviously loves our company, so it is likely that the more my wife is home the harder it is for her to cope when left alone. The destruction definitely worsened during the fourth of July when fireworks were being set off all day long in our neighborhood. Until then loud noises didn't seem to bother her.
In the meantime we take her to doggy daycare just so
we can get errands done before the baby arrives and only leave her alone when absolutely necessary. It is expensive though and certainly not a longterm solution. Thanks so much for
all the suggestions. Please keep them coming. This is taking a toll on ALL of us.

I tell people that Basenjis are claustrophobic and do not like being in a closed room. Add to the fact that someone is home and they are being BANISHED away from them… sorry, but if I were the dog, I would think the people doing that to me were flat out rude.

I see you are doing other things, but I do not see much training towards acclimation of the dog crate. THAT is what needs to be done.
She can't be trained to be in it if she isn't given ample opportunity to learn it IS a good place and good things DO happen there... FOOD.

All of my Basenjis leave my house crate-trained, but when they have any type of issues, it is the owner finds it easier to leave the dog loose... that ends up with major anxiety issues with their Basenji.

I cannot stress enough how important the crate is to a dog and to the entire family. And your friends and neighbors. What will happen when this dog MUST be left with someone in an emergency and it can't be crated?

BTW, I had two Basenjis returned in the month of June, both due to severe family situations.
Dog A. Slept and fed in a crate for it's 18 months and fabulous in the house. Still crate-trained and runs to it when the food bin is rattled. Saving grace for this girl, as I can't have 6 dogs and someone NOT crate-rained.
Dog B. Left at 3 months of age.. returned at 27 months. Never in a crate and feed loose. Overweight. Sweet and good in the house. Would have to throw him in the crate as he would force his legs apart so I could not get him in the crate. One month later, he runs in the crate and waits for his meals.
This dog was an obnoxious mess when he was returned... hated hated hated the crate. Now, he rarely makes a peep when crated.

REASON Dog B adapted to the use of a crate? I was persistent and gave him a reason to WANT to be in there. This dog loved to eat [too much] and while he is not 3# thinner, he IS crate-trained.

[Chealsie508]

I agree with Kathy- I fully admit the issues I have with Oakley and his crate are MY fault and I also admit me breeder educated me thoroughly about the importance of it… 100% my fault and now, at 8 months I'm fixing it and paying the price- it's harder than it would have been. So many things I will do differently with my second pup!! Nothing like experiencing it the tough way to teach a person

[Mowgli]

Well, we have never left Mowgli in the room while one of us is home. When we are home she has free run of the home. She usually chooses to sleep on the couch, chew bones under the dining room table, go outside in the fenced in backyard (that we constructed basenji-proofed just for her) or follow us around. We rescued her at 15 months. She had been on several meds prior to this and we hoped to ween her completely. Our goal from the start was to crate train her but our highly recommended behaviorist suggested using the room while we attempted training. She suggested that if the room worked out not to worry about the crate, as some dogs simply cannot be crated. Her words, not ours. Since up until recently she had no issues in the room anymore we didn't focus on the crate. Now we realize that the crate is going to have to be the only option and were just looking for advice. We initially worried that she would kill herself in the crate. (She came to us with large gashes in her legs and the tip missing on one of her ears…we can only imagine her past experiences.) When we first
adopted her she wouldn't go in the same room with the crate in it. Now she eats her meals in there, goes in for "get it" treat games and we chain a meat stuffed bone in there (so she cannot grab it and take it elsewhere). She has come a long way already. We were just worried that the crate would only complicate her anxiety and traumatize Her more. We've done a lot
of research and truly everyone has a different opinion. We are just looking for any solid advice, knowing full well it will take even more trial and error. She is an amazing little dog
and we absolutely love her, even with the thousands of dollars worth of destruction and attempted remedies. We genuinely appreciate those of you who know where we are coming
from and have offered suggestions. Thank you very, very much,

[Mowgli]

It is good to know there is still hope in crate training and that she can hopefully gain confidence and see her crate as a happy place. Now she just wait (nervously) for the door to close and we havent even gotten to closing it part yet. She is somewhat unpredictable and we will definitely worry that she will do damage to herself should something unexpected happen while she's in there and we are not home (like the fireworks issue or thunderstorms.) I guess that will go away with time?

[sharronhurlbut]

There are things you can get that are called "stress" wraps. They are for dogs who are scared of the thunder and fireworks. Most are almost like an ace bandage that you wrap around the dog. Someway, it gives the stressed animals some type of peace.

[Chealsie508]

With consistency and persistence it will… Take it from me, Oakleys injured himself in his crate and I too have spent thousands I'm sure. Just hearing that your dog can do activities without you every minute is a good sign... even with the new baby it will be critical to continue the training and also to spend time with her because transitioning her to the new family dynamic is important and the new " cohesion" of the family unit will likely help training. Truthfully, with the family changing it's a great time for new behaviors etc...

[agilebasenji]

I think i'd ask your behaviorist about a DAP and ask about doing Dr Overall's Relaxation protocal while Mowgli is in the crate. I don't think either of those is a solution but perhaps part of the solution. Medication might be necessary while learning a new behavior
good luck

[eeeefarm]

I would just like to point out that for some dogs being left in a crate with several other dogs also crated within sight or earshot is not the same as being left in a crate when they are totally alone. The anxiety factor is very high for some in this situation, to the point where they may even injure themselves trying to escape confinement. And again, a dog that is calm in his crate (or in the house) in one location may react differently somewhere else, and unless this has been practiced you cannot say with certainty that he will be just fine in new surroundings. JMHO, having seen a few examples of this…..

[Mowgli]

I appreciate that opinion as well. It is our worry and why we are having such a difficult time deciding how to keep her safe when we leave the house. It is tough knowing that we might have to learn the hard way that the crate is not the answer. We sure wish it could work, as the damage in the house has to be contained at some point. We even considered getting her a companion, but obviously with the baby due tomorrow that would have to be something to look into long term. We also have heard that sometimes dogs with anxiety agitate the other dog causing both to act up when left alone?

[eeeefarm]

@Mowgli:

We also have heard that sometimes dogs with anxiety agitate the other dog causing both to act up when left alone?

That is certainly possible. However, my first male had separation anxiety/confinement anxiety, and when we first got him we did crate him, as we weren't comfortable leaving him loose with our girl. We did not crate her, but did confine her to the room he was in. She ignored his antics, but he persistently would rock & roll the crate from one side of the room to another, and destroy anything he could get at. We put that crate inside a larger one for a bit, than worked at making him safe in the house. (we did a lot of role playing…...getting ready to leave, leaving and coming right back or returning via the other door, etc.) In relatively short order he could be trusted to do minimal damage, and we started leaving him loose too.

Have you considered a web cam or baby monitor video cam so that you can see what happens when you leave? Sometimes that can be quite revealing. My guy would invariably do his evil deed immediately after we left, then settle down and be fine until we returned (unless we ran too close to his meal time.....he would get restless if he was getting hungry and his "staff" hadn't gotten back to make his dinner!:D )

He never destroyed anything important except for one of my husband's shoes that he totally ate.....except for the sole! Well, he and I had a serious discussion about that shoe, and that was the end of his destructive ways except for a token piece of paper he would rip and leave on the couch for me to find. I would verbally chastise him for the rippage. My husband said, "why bother" and I said, because if I don't "notice" it he will escalate.....and I am sure he would have. He was giving me the finger for going out, and needed me to acknowledge it. I know people who say don't attribute human motivations to dogs, but I figure they don't know Basenjis.

By the way, I think it is absolutely key to not make a big deal of coming and going when you have this problem. Our current dog seldom even gets off the couch when we come home, and even if he does I do not immediately return his greeting. I keep things absolutely low key.