Basenji Puppy - Indoor Fence/Crate?
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So I have to share a story...I wanted to keep my first basenji Sullivan in the kitchen as a pup so I built a half-wall, (it kept him in for about a week before he could climb it) My mom got out of work earlier than I did so she would come over to rescue my pup until I got home each day. One day she came home, opened the back door and called my Sullivan. She heard a noise and then a super excited, fast-moving basenji puppy came running to greet her with a large kitchen knife in has mouth (he was holding it by the handle thank goodness). My mom screamed and ran back out the door till he dropped it (it was terribly confusing for him). Apparently, he managed to climb on the counter and as he was pulling a knife out of the block my mom arrived. Fortunately no one was hurt, and now its pretty funny. Just be careful what's on your kitchen counters-they will climb them eventually! I ended up getting the largest crate I could find (for shepherds and labs) and used that for the first year until he could be trusted to have free roam of the house :) Good luck with your pup! You'll have great stories soon enough!
I also only crated when I was gone, you want to have them out as much as you can! I have had really good luck getting them to be trustworthy pretty quickly, my two now have free roam and are fine but a good base of training did this!
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@zande Thanks for sharing! Are you a breeder too? I saw your link.
@aprilk wow that is some story! I try to only crate him when I can't supervise him. I actually gave him some free roam for a bit and he was doing really well until he bit through the thread on the leg to the couch :( This happend the other day so I've been having to crate him anytime I can supervise him. When you see your basenji puppy biting something he shouldn't what is the approach to train him to stop and be calm?
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@cognition said in Basenji Puppy - Indoor Fence/Crate?:
When you see your basenji puppy biting something he shouldn't what is the approach to train him to stop and be calm?
Just say, "no!", firmly (not yelling). Touch the area so he understands that he shouldn't be biting the furniture. Then give him a chew/bite appropriate toy (or treat) and say, "okay". And when he takes it, praise him, "good boy". Essentially you are disrupting the bad behavior and teaching your pup what is (and isn't) and acceptable chewing habit. He will (gradually) learn the house rules and gain more of your trust (and hopefully freedom from the crate). :)
Note: The key to this training method depends on you interrupting the undesirable behavior and replacing it with acceptable behavior. This cannot be accomplished if you are trying to correct something that has already happened. Your dog will not understand that chewing on the couch is wrong if you punish him for it (5 minutes, 5 hours, or 5 days) afterwards.
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So, My basenjis have always been pretty good about not chewing things they shouldn't (except for the occasional tissue paper-they all need to die apparently...) I haven't had any of the horror stories you sometimes hear. The way I did it was to keep a TON of bones around...All different kinds and anytime my pup was thinking about chewing something they shouldn't I stuff a bone in their mouth (gently of course, its more like "Here, have this!" you can't actually stuff anything in their mouths if they don't want it ;). When they were little we kept a pretty good eye on this, but it started to stick pretty quickly. It has seemed to work really well for me-I'm not yelling or getting angry, I'm replacing bad chewing with something good (Basenjis are pretty ok with that...)
Also, and you may know this already, but basenjis are crazy smart even as puppies and will do stuff (like chew bad things) to get your attention, especially if they feel you are ignoring them or not playing enough...basically you only get a break when they take a nap! :)
Oh, and if you were asking me, no I am definitely not a breeder, I can hardly keep up with my 2!
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@aprilk Bones do it for me too ! My kitchen gets to look like a scene from Graveyard Robbers. The butcher gives me a large rump bone every week - sometimes two. I remove all the fat (and render it down for dripping - wonderful to roast potatoes in !) then I saw the bones into several quite big but more manageable pieces.
Dogs get them fresh for a couple of hours the first day, slightly longer the second and then they get left around the kitchen until I have a blitz on the ones no longer in use and remove them to the bonfire where they burn and mix with the ash to form an excellent bonemeal rich compost.
Vet is always delighted at the condition of the dogs' teeth too !
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replied to elbrant on last edited by JENGOSMonkey
@elbrant said in Basenji Puppy - Indoor Fence/Crate?:
:rolling_on_the_floor_laughing: doodle's "bone yard" tends to run alongside the bed... right in my path to the lavatory!!
So, back in December I sprained my ankle really badly while walking Logan. Still hurt in February. Got an x-ray. Turns out I'd fractured it, but too late for a cast. Fast forward to yesterday... when I twisted it AGAIN! I stepped on a bone after getting up off the couch. Basenjis should come with a warning label. :face_with_head-bandage: :thumbs_down:
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@JENGOSMonkey, Basenjis are like kids. They leave their stuff everywhere. Fortunately they don't usually play with Lego! :slightly_smiling_face:
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replied to JENGOSMonkey on last edited by
@jengosmonkey I do hope you feel better!
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Yep! Willy also likes to pile all her things up in certain places, in front of the fridge seems to be the favorite!
As for a warning label - I agree, and all of could probably fill TOMES of pages listing them, which is why it is SO very very very important that anyone embarking on the adventure of LIFE WITH A BASENJI do their research and have a good understanding of exactly ( well, as exact as possible, they WILL definitely throw you a curve every now and then!) what to expect and be able to truly be committed to accepting their quirky little ways - ESPECIALLY if getting a puppy, who can be quite a daunting handful for at least the first 2 full years. But when the fit is right, there is nothing else like them, and the relationship built is truly a treasure to cherish for a lifetime! -
@aprilk said in Basenji Puppy - Indoor Fence/Crate?:
So, My basenjis have always been pretty good about not chewing things they shouldn't (except for the occasional tissue paper-they all need to die apparently...) I haven't had any of the horror stories you sometimes hear. The way I did it was to keep a TON of bones around...All different kinds and anytime my pup was thinking about chewing something they shouldn't I stuff a bone in their mouth (gently of course, its more like "Here, have this!" you can't actually stuff anything in their mouths if they don't want it ;). When they were little we kept a pretty good eye on this, but it started to stick pretty quickly. It has seemed to work really well for me-I'm not yelling or getting angry, I'm replacing bad chewing with something good (Basenjis are pretty ok with that...)
Also, and you may know this already, but basenjis are crazy smart even as puppies and will do stuff (like chew bad things) to get your attention, especially if they feel you are ignoring them or not playing enough...basically you only get a break when they take a nap! :)
Oh, and if you were asking me, no I am definitely not a breeder, I can hardly keep up with my 2!
Yeah he definitely seems like he is attention seeking at times even though we flood him with it lol Are bones ok even if he is a puppy? We have toy bones we give him when he starts chewing along with other toys yet he always seems to prefer human hands lol
@hizbaby said in Basenji Puppy - Indoor Fence/Crate?:
Yep! Willy also likes to pile all her things up in certain places, in front of the fridge seems to be the favorite!
As for a warning label - I agree, and all of could probably fill TOMES of pages listing them, which is why it is SO very very very important that anyone embarking on the adventure of LIFE WITH A BASENJI do their research and have a good understanding of exactly ( well, as exact as possible, they WILL definitely throw you a curve every now and then!) what to expect and be able to truly be committed to accepting their quirky little ways - ESPECIALLY if getting a puppy, who can be quite a daunting handful for at least the first 2 full years. But when the fit is right, there is nothing else like them, and the relationship built is truly a treasure to cherish for a lifetime!Yes I'm torn between enjoying him as a puppy and hoping he matures lol
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@cognition said in Basenji Puppy - Indoor Fence/Crate?:
I'm torn between enjoying him as a puppy and hoping he matures lol
You will miss the puppy as soon as he outgrows it. You will also remember it fondly, and every once in a while... you will get a glimpse of that puppy and he will melt your heart all over again.
