The trick is to make the dog want to please you, not so easy with a dog that really doesn't give a rat's patootie whether you are happy with his behaviour or not. (granted, some Basenjis are more interested in pleasing you than others, but "biddable" is not a Basenji strong point!) Food rewards work well for Basenjis, but aren't the answer to all problems. I do believe in letting the dog know there are consequences when he crosses the line. (of course, he must have a clear understanding of where the line is!)
@khaipan “We are considering bringing in a female companion around the same age.... he does well at daycare (has lotsa girlfriends) after getting over the fact that his pack member has just deserted him for a few hours.
He goes 4-6 hours at a time usually.”
Both my first two had problems alone. In fact my first male hated the crate no matter what I did, so I got my second to keep him company. It worked and as long as she was in the crate next to him (two crates side by side), he didn’t scream and would walk In the crate himself. Basenjis just don’t like to be alone for the most part. My first boy chewed his way out of a metal 2”x1” crate, which is when I decided get him a companion. They used to make a kennel air crate which was 1” mesh but I don’t think they make them now. I was lucky he did not hurt himself.
When my second passed recently, we hooked up a phone with Skype and put my third B in his cage, then went and drove down the road. We parked up and watched him for 20 mins and he was fine, just sat and looked at the door, no doubt he was still stressed.
I am all for medication but only as a last resort, there is always a side effect.
