What is YOUR Basenji like?

[issheforme]

So.... A friend highly recommended a Basenji puppy and I'm so close to deciding - but worried that ALL dogs of this breed are home wreckers if you leave them, unsupervised. Is this true?? Can you please share your baby's personality and help me understand if this breed will fit in with my semi-active? Thank you I advance for your time!

[DebraDownSouth]

It depends, most I know are crated if human not home. My first one stopped being destructive at 3, but she'd fight anything so I crated when not home. 2nd one not destructive, but she'd pee on my bed if I left her.. so crated. My current one is fine. Of course, house is fairly dog proofed but she has never really been destructive. There are worse things than crating a dog if you aren't home... and they have quirks much worse than often requiring crating.

[eeeefarm]

I would say it depends. I have had five. None spent a lot of time in a crate after puppy stage, or in the case of adults I adopted, a short period until I felt I could trust them. Some had the run of the house. Others I confined to specific rooms. None were particularly destructive although there were occasional incidents, particularly with separation anxiety. That said, I did not leave them for hours on end. Generally not longer than four hours at a stretch, and trust was a gradual thing. My most recent boy was an anomaly. After some initial hiccups he did not get into things or rip things up. He graduated to unrestricted access to every room in the house.

In summer a good dog run is a blessing. Mine was as big or bigger than the average back yard. My girls loved it out there and I could leave them for hours without repercussions other than a "construction project", a "cave" in the middle of the dog run that got progressively bigger. I let them have their fun with that. They also had an insulated house to use if the weather was inclement. In the house the girls had either the kitchen and laundry room, or the sunroom when unsupervised. They did not abuse the privilege.

I would say that you shouldn't get a Basenji if you can't give them adequate time and exercise. They are social and want their "pack" with them for company. When I had multiple dogs they were company for each other, but two or more may also find inappropriate ways to amuse themselves. Maybe you could consider an older, settled dog to adopt that has a known temperament and is either not destructive or familiar with being left crated?

[giza1]

All of our Basenjis have had crate time as puppies, and as soon as they prove to be trustworthy in the house, they are left loose in the house when alone. Same rule applies to older dogs that move in. We currently have two purebreds (ages 1 and and a 3 year old fake Basenji, that stay loose with no problems. We've had up to 4 at a time that stayed loose.

BUT a Basenji doesn't turn out that way without a bit of ongoing effort. If you're not planning to make sure they are well exercised, get enough mental stimulation, and understand their boundaries, you can't expect they will necessarily be okay in the house when alone.
-Joanne

[kjdonkers]

We have two sisters. We don't crate them, ever. They do not destroy the house, even when left alone for hours. In over 5 years we lost one pencil and a few pages of one book were ripped up. That's it.

[tanza]

@issheforme said in What is YOUR Basenji like?:

So.... A friend highly recommended a Basenji puppy and I'm so close to deciding - but worried that ALL dogs of this breed are home wreckers if you leave them, unsupervised. Is this true?? Can you please share your baby's personality and help me understand if this breed will fit in with my semi-active? Thank you I advance for your time!

Any dog can be a home wrecker, if not confined as a puppy with limited access to things they could and will get into... and if they are NOT properly exercised. Puppies need boundaries, routines. Some are more destructive than others, but again that is any breed

[wizard]

My first basenji was fine when left home alone but he was a shy flower anyway. My second basenji did $1000 damage to the previous owner's house but was okay in mine. A foster basenji had separation anxiety and did about $300 damage to my kitchen. My third basenji had the run of the house until she began to pee on my bed while i was gone. My current two basenjis were left home unpenned while I went to the store. I came back to one dripping blood from neck bites and stuff knocked around the house. So bottom line - don't just get one because s/he looks cute. Ask the breeder about the temperment and ask to watch the dog while s/he interacts with others. Personally I'd suggest getting a seasoned one that needs a new home. Once you become comfortable with their personality, then you can move to a puppy. Just my opinion.

[Buddys Pal]

so I just got back to this forum and began reading through some threads, what was issheforme final decision for getting a basenji?