At the time he wakes up, could it be because someone wakes up in the house and he wants to check on what's happening????
I thought of that as a possibility so I started opening the door & let him run around the house for a minute thinking he'd see the house is quite & to return to bed. However, whenever he is let out of my room he will immediately run to my mom's bedroom door & start scratching away. I guess he just really prefers to sleep in bed with my mom & stepdad vs. his mommy 
If that is where the other dogs of the house are, it is more likely that he wants to be with the rest of "the pack".
I guess he just really prefers to sleep in bed with my mom & stepdad vs. his mommy
Actually, I doubt that…I think it is more like he prefers to sleep with the other dogs...
Could the other dogs sleep with you? Maybe Dallas would stay put then.
Well my family is going out of town for two weeks soon so I guess I will know if that is indeed what it is. It would make sense since he has been getting along with the family dogs very well. Maybe this means I need to get another basenji to keep in my bedroom :p
Maybe this means I need to get another basenji to keep in my bedroom :p
…but then maybe they'll both want to go sleep with your parents dogs! 
Not sure that adding one would resolve the problem, if that is what the problem really is...but hey, I'm all for adding another basenji! How would your parents feel about adding another.
…but then maybe they'll both want to go sleep with your parents dogs!
Already begged but it isn't happening. Haha. They are already annoyed by having one basenji in the house! They just don't understand :p
I'm moving out at the end of the summer anyway so maybe I will add a little girl early next year…that's the hope anyway!
Who feeds this basenji and walks this dog?
Who spends the most time with your dog?
I am thing that might be some of the issue.
I just found this forum and have been reading all day. 1st time poster, so please be patient.
I have to agree with sharron. When my 2 brats "mom" left for college, they soon were sleeping in our bed. When she occasionally returns on holiday/semester breaks, she is heart broken that they no longer will spend the entire night in her room. They exhibit the exact behavior you mention ninabeana. Early morning pacing and whining, door scratches, no need to go outside, etc. As soon as they come into our room, it's under the covers, curl into a ball up against the warmest human, and back to sleep with nary a peep and only a shift to the 'all-out-sprawl-I'm-taking-over-the-entire-bed-now' routine:D
I think it has a lot to do with who does the daily feeding and play time.
Thanks for the support and WELCOME!
Totally sounds like he wants to be in the pack to me…. perhaps you could ask your parents to switch all the doggies to your room??
Who feeds this basenji and walks this dog?
Who spends the most time with your dog?
I am thing that might be some of the issue.
Actually we have it to wear my stepdad feeds him in the AM with the family dogs but then I feed him at night. I'm also the only one who gives him treats, bones, etc.
As far as walking, my stepdad takes all three dogs on a long walk each afternoon through the woods by our house. I would love to go with however, I don't get home from work in time [usually it's dark out]. I do spend every night playing with him & also on the weekends take him everywhere possible with me. I have also started making it a habit to walk him separately, just he & I, when I do get home around the neighborhood.
As for time spent with him I think it's a toss up. Unfortunately working in DC means along commute & I suppose I am out of the house much of the day [7 AM - 7 PM usually] vs. my stepdad who gets home around 4-5 PM. I guess it's difficult on both of us since when living in Florida we were together all the time! If he wasn't in his crate, he was basically with me. I just don't know how to change the behavior if it is indeed stemming from him spending too much time with my stepdad & not enough with me…
Totally sounds like he wants to be in the pack to me…. perhaps you could ask your parents to switch all the doggies to your room??
My family is going to Sweden for two weeks…leave Friday. Therefore all three dogs will be sleeping in my room. I am going to see if this changes his behaviors at night. If so, I am going to take it as he wants to sleep with his pack. I'll keep you guys updated...
As for time spent with him I think it's a toss up. Unfortunately working in DC means along commute & I suppose I am out of the house much of the day [7 AM - 7 PM usually] vs. my stepdad who gets home around 4-5 PM. I guess it's difficult on both of us since when living in Florida we were together all the time! If he wasn't in his crate, he was basically with me. I just don't know how to change the behavior if it is indeed stemming from him spending too much time with my stepdad & not enough with me…
There are some really basic things that a dog owner can do to raise their value with their dog and build a better relationship. One thing you can do is start hand feeding him one meal a day. This can really help increasing bonding and is an excellent opportunity to practice some basic obedience though just handing feeding even if you don't ask for a behavior is great for bonding. Obedience work or agility work can also be great for relationship building since it requires you to work with your dog and learn to communicate with each other. If you are using positive reinforcement then your dog should be eager for his work sessions with you since they are really just a different kind of play session for the dog.
Keoki, as many of you know, has had MAJOR problems sleeping at night for the entire time we've had him. He seems to be almost crate-phobic and for a long time would only sleep in an open crate inside an ex-pen, and even that took us about 8 mos to achieve.
For the last couple of weeks he's been sleeping in a locked crate with no ex-pen. It's been great! He sleeps from 11 PM until 6:30 or 7 AM and even then I often have to bribe him out to potty.
Well…. Friday morning he woke up whining {It's a very worried little whine} at about 5:20 AM. DH let him out to potty, then put him back in the crate and left for work {I was still asleep}. About 5:45, he started crying again, and by the time I got to his crate the bedding was completely destroyed.
I bought a new bed Friday.
Saturday and Sunday he slept fine, all was normal.
Monday morning he was up again at 5:20 AM. I told him to "go back to bed", he whimpered, curled up and went back to sleep until about 6:00, when he was raring to get out of that crate.
Last night/this morning he was up, whining and tearing bedding at 2 AM. I told him to go to bed, and he curled up and went back to sleep....until 3:00....again until 4:30.... 5:40....... 6:00.
His bed is a pile of mess again.
After he went out to potty - which he did not rush to do, so I Know it's not a desperate need to pee -- he ran right back into his crate and slept like a rock until 8:30, when he only got up because he heard me getting dog food bowls out.
He's in there again, sleeping contentedly.
It's quite maddening, really.
:mad:
What the heck is going on?
Honey, do you have to crate him at night and when your at work.
Seems like a lot to me.
Can't he sleep loose, in a doggie bed or on yours?
Nina, I know this might sound a little weird, but I wonder if you have coyotes howling that he hears in the middle of the night? Another possiblity is that he might be smelling another animal like a Raccoon esp if you sleep with a window open.
Just some thoughts I had because I have experienced this with my dogs esp when I sleep with a window open.
Jason
From time to time this would happen with my Serren Jane. What I found out was there were deer or other animals outside she would here and would not let me go back to sleep until I took her out to look for herself. Our dogs have such a keen sense of hearing they hear much more than we do. She can be outside when I open a package of cookies and she will come running inside for her treat. So to help with this problem I got a wave machine for the bedroom which helps to block some of these night sounds. Now only rarely does she pull one of these stunts.
We were never able to crate train Seren Jane. She shredded all her bedding, whined all night and even broke all her baby teeth out. Finally I put her in bed with us and we all have been happy ever since.
So to help with this problem I got a wave machine for the bedroom which helps to block some of these night sounds. Now only rarely does she pull one of these stunts.
That is very interesting. I use a fan in my room most of the time when I have a window open. Both the dogs seem to sleep well through the night. In early spring/Summer and Late Fall I don't use the fan, but leave the window open, that seems to be the time that Charlie get's more restless at night. I had never realy considered that the fan creates enough white noise to let him ignore the outside.
