It Took Me 1.5 years of looking and talking to breeders before I was able to get on the waiting list in time to get a pup. You have to start preparing and talking to breeders in the early fall in order to get on the reservation list for a puppy by next spring
First time Basenji owner with new puppy
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OMG! Such a handsome boy!!
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Jerome, I think you're going to be fine. But honestly 10 weeks is too young to be placed. I know people do it at 8 weeks but people do a lot of things that don't make a lot of sense. So yes, things are scary for your little guy at the moment and you're both paying a price for that.
Leaving him out of the crate is fine. Some dogs like crates. Some don't. You CAN get them to like their crates. I'm sure you can find some YouTube videos on the games you can play. Doesn't have to be long. In fact short sessions are better. Maybe 5 minutes or less. I would NOT be concerned about his lack of interest in treats or toys or treats. I'm sure an interest in treats will appear! LOL Haven't found Basenjis puppies to be that interested in toys unless they're destroying it or taking it from another puppy. Having him interested in humans is actually a good trait which not a lot of Basenjis have.
As you shape his behavior keep in mind that negative reinforcement generally doesn't work well with dogs, and less well in Basenjis than most dogs. Always try to come up with a positive way to get the behavior you want. (This is easy to say and not so easy to do, so you may need to put your thinking hat on).
This brings us back to the first point: his age. Honestly I don't think training at this point would be very useful. He's just too young to make sense out of it. Wait a few weeks. In fact I don't think reputable places will let you bring your puppy to training until they've gotten all their shots.
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@kembe his name is Kane
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Hi Jerome,
Kane is adorable! All I can say is lots of love and patience. I find that my two Bs understand English perfectly and are excellent at communicating. Keep an open mind and build the bond when your home. Definitely let him sleep with you. They love to cuddle and feel secure. My Bs always sleep with someone in the family. There is no other place they’ll rather be but close to their human. Take him everywhere you can with you so he can experience the world. Enjoy every puppy day as they grow up fast. Good Luck! We’re in Morris County, NJ. -
@elbrant said in First time Basenji owner with new puppy:
at 10 weeks old, his belly is still quite small, 2 small meals/day is fine. Don't try to switch to one meal a day until he reaches adulthood.
At 10 weeks of age, the puppy should be on 4 meals a day, decreasing to three and then two over the next couple of months. I am collecting a 9 week old in two days time. He is on 5 meals a day, with supplements from a helpfully lactating grandmother. I will alter the times of day he gets fed and also decrease the number of meals while increasing the quantity - but slowly - gradually !
Ours have always had two meals a day - makes it easier to control their weight and gives them two major points of interest in 24 hours !
@eeeefarm said in First time Basenji owner with new puppy:
who did you get your pup from? I'm concerned that you couldn't get a straight answer about the food, and the breeder should usually be your most important source of information about your pup.
Yes - the breeder should be your first port of call for whatever reason. It worries me that you aren't getting enough help and advice, especially with regard to food.
What is Kane's registered name - who are his parents ?
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Many of the comments are spot on.... And yes too much crate time is not a good thing. As noted if someone is there then he needs not be crated. At this age, 3 times a day for feeding at least. At 12 wks you can go to 2 feedings (at least that is what I do and recommend to new Basenji parents). It is a concern that the breeders didn't or wouldn't tell you exactly what he had been eating? I find that really odd. When I send new puppies home, they are sent to a small bag of food that they have been eating along with toys and something that has the litter's smell on it... (blanket/towel, etc). Also before you picked him up he would have had his first shots... therefore had a Vet check up? Where is his crate during the day? At night where is the crate? What kind of crate are you using? Not sure that I understand what this comment means? During the day I'm doing one to two hour incriments (with toys and treats) starting today could you explain? He is too young for doggy day care, but that is an option when he is older. I am one that never uses dog parks.... I find them more of a hazzard then help.
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@zande said in First time Basenji owner with new puppy:
At 10 weeks of age, the puppy should be on 4 meals a day
Thank you for correcting me! Breeders have such a wealth of knowledge!
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@tanza Yes, he's had some shots. His crate is in the living room and stays there since I'm opting to let him sleep with me. I have two crates, one from my previous toy fox terriers which is about the same size as my bigger crate with the divider in. He seemed to like the little crate better currently. I mean I'm paying someone to come by for an hour every other hour to let him out and play with him while no one is home.
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@elbrant and if he won't eat?
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@jerome_inya_home - Not elbrant, however unless sick they will not stave themselves... put the food down for 10 minutes, if not eaten take it away until the next feeding time. Do NOT free feed
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@elbrant - for sure... breeders know... so please understand that given incorrect information can be harmful... If you don't know and you are not a breeder with experience, please state that....
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@jerome_inya_home said in First time Basenji owner with new puppy:
and if he won't eat?
Not eating is definately a concern. But we don't have all the information. There are a lot of variables that could change any of our recommendations.
- You said he was eating 2 meals/day, then suddenly only 1 meal. Right?
- How big were those meals. Did you measure or weigh the kibble?
- Are you mixing the food with any liquids, or canned food?
- How long are you leaving the food out for him to eat? Is it available for a half hour, or a half day?
But then, you also mention that you give him treats when he is in his crate. Other times, too? Treats have calories, and depending on what treats you offer... it is possible that it would be the same amount of food as the "missing meal". (Don't forget that your dog sitter could be giving him treats also.) Could that be why he only wants one dinner?
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@tanza said in First time Basenji owner with new puppy:
for sure... breeders know...
I've said it so many times, I thought most everyone knew I wasn't a breeder. I'm just a dog lover who finally found the perfect breed. I do, however, value the breadth of knowledge breeders posess. And I recognize that I don't know everything (about everything). egads! No one does, do they?
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With respect to his eating, if you're concerned he's not eating, and at this age you are right to be, get a scale and weigh him once a day AT THE SAME TIME (before the first meal for example). If you have a good scale you can weight yourself, pick him up, and then weigh the two of you, but his weight is such that a separate baby/pet scale would be much much better. He should still be putting on weight at a pretty good rate. IOW he should weigh more on Wednesday than on Monday. (You like to see an increase every day but measurements can be off because of you, the equipment, or the active dog, or natural variance -- or all of the above. The two day measurement should be more reliable).
As long as he's gaining weight and looking good then you should be fine. If not then you may have a problem. FWIW from the picture he's adorable and looks healthy. Super cute actually.
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@elbrant of course I measure the food. He gets fed at the same times every day. If it goes from two meals to one or three, it's because he didn't eat when I put the food out, not because I'm switching his schedule. No obviously I'm not giving him excess treats and neither is the dog sitter. He may get 2 or 3 zukes bites 2 or 3 times throughout the day. He also likes the teething ring treats I bought which are limited to about an inch long piece I allow him to eat per day, the circumference of the treat is about 6 inches.
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@donc good idea about weighing him each day. I do have a scale that's quite good. As long as I weigh myself first so I know the tare, I won't be a variable in the total weight of he and I. Thank you, he is such a little mush.
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If you weigh yourself first - make sure it is always before and not after food !
I just looked at his photo too. He's a SUPER looking little tri. Lovely tri - boy.
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@jerome_inya_home If he doesn’t eat at all then for sure be concerned. I have had three basenjis, the first two would overeat if you let them, my third will not eat unless he is hungry. You can leave food down all day but he will only eat as much as he wants and when he wants. He maintains his weight just fine.
If you leave the food down, he will eat when he is hungry. If he does not eat enough then ask your vet.
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Regarding not eating, possibly he doesn't like something about the food, which is why I asked about what the breeder was feeding. I do not agree with free feeding. I think it causes more problems than it solves, and if you have multiple dogs obviously you cannot leave them together with food out, because you don't know who is eating what. The thing that sent off alarm bells for me in your original post is that as well as poor appetite it seemed your pup was lethargic, not interested in toys and playing. A pup of that age should have a lot of energy when awake. If he doesn't, and combine that with refusing food, there is something wrong.
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As a thought, if you find he's not gaining weight at a rate you're comfortable with, try mixing some Espilac in with his kibble once a day. He's a little old for Espilac but it shouldn't hurt him, and the Espilac can help with the transition to solid food. Do yourself a favor and get the cans. You won't need a lot -- this is a transition -- and the cans are a lot easier than the dry to deal with.
FYI Espilac is milk formula that works for puppies, unlike cow's milk which doesn't. You can find more about it if you do a search.
