Agree with @elbrant and I'd like to add, when you return be very matter of fact, do not make a big fuss, particularly if she is excited and effusive in her greeting to you. Sure, acknowledge her if you must but don't make any sort of big deal out of it. Go about your business, e.g. if you've been shopping, put your things away before spending any time with her. Your goal is to make your absence just part of a normal routine, nothing to be excited about. I've had two separation anxiety dogs, and you know you have won the battle when the dog just glances at you in an "oh, you're back" way and doesn't bother getting off the couch! Yes, people like it when their dog greets them and makes a big fuss, but if you feed that behaviour you give too much emphasis to your absence and that can grow into anxiety in your dog.
Lesson learned…
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Keoki has become much less destructive since we got one large wire crate for the two to share. I don't really understand why, since I used to have them both in an ex-pen together and he tore everything within reach at that time.
I don't know what the difference is, in his mind, between the ex-pen and the wire crate.
Hey JM…What size wire crate did you get? I might try the same thing w/Brando & Ru. I'm afraid that the ex-pen wouldn't be sturdy enough with Brando.
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Medjai does fine now, but at the beginning he at anything and everything he could. He used to be close to the bed, and even pulled the comforter into his crate to chew it up.
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Hey JM…What size wire crate did you get? I might try the same thing w/Brando & Ru. I'm afraid that the ex-pen wouldn't be sturdy enough with Brando.
My crate is 47" tall, 36" deep, and 29" wide.
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My crate is 47" tall, 36" deep, and 29" wide.
Thanks for sharing these dimensions - Duke and Daisy are in separate wire crates (30" tall, 24" deep, 22" wide) that I have stacked to save on floor space. But think they are old enough now to share one big crate. They've shared crate space together for a short periods of time, but were a bit crowded.
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let's take a poll …
loose basenji - no destruction [that would be my EL D + my previous one]
loose basenji - destruciton
caged basenji - no destruction
caged basenji - destructionLoose basenjis while we're at work - Fiji & Bongo - no destruction. When we're home, Bongo chews furniture, crates, Fiji's stuffed bed, books…go figure. It's driving me a little nuts, but it's getting better slowly but surely.
Bongo was caged at my daughter's house for one night en route to our house from shelter and he did pull nearby towels and pillows into the crate and destroy them. He just hasn't had the opportunity here.
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This thread got me wondering – a lot of us have basenjis that don't cause any problems and others have ones that tear through things like crazy. My question is -- are basenjis less destructive if they have the run of the house vs basenjis that are crated for long periods? Of course I realize individual disposition/personality plays a role as well but just as a generalization and I'm talking about the costly type of destruction not just TP all over the house ...
let's take a poll ...
loose basenji - no destruction [that would be my EL D + my previous one]
loose basenji - destruciton
caged basenji - no destruction
caged basenji - destructionDash is loose-no desruction. He hated his crate and ex-pen
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let's take a poll …
loose basenji - no destruction [that would be my EL D + my previous one]
loose basenji - destruciton
caged basenji - no destruction
caged basenji - destructionAt the townhouse when I had just Charlie, he was crated for the first year. Once he was a year old I started letting him out when I would go to the store, or other quick errands. By the time I got Zaire, Charlie had been out wenever I was not home with his crate available for him to go into if he wanted. Once Zaire was there I started crating them when I was out. Now that we are in the houde they have their own room that they share with my roommate's min-pin. All their crates are in the room and available for them to sleep in if they want. I know I could easily trust Charlie with the run of the house, but he would get lonely without the others. So they all get to hang out now in their room, and there is plenty of destruction when I get home. Zaire has a thing about stealing everyone elses beds from their crates and bringing them into hers to pull stuffing out of.
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let's take a poll …
loose basenji - no destruction [that would be my EL D + my previous one]
loose basenji - destruciton
caged basenji - no destruction
caged basenji - destructionPerhaps age would factor into these behaviors too. A young pup or dog would likely be more destructive. Both of mine are crated when home alone. But when both were pups in the crate, Duke was very destructive, pulling anything he could reach into the crate to destuff and destroy. When Daisy was a pup, her bed/blanket was chewed-destroyed. However, now they sleep in crate. Outside of crate when I'm home, Daisy will seek and destroy things she may find on tables. She's a sneak…cause she'll bring them behind the sofa to chew away. She's 1 yr 8 mos. Duke doesn't bother most things anymore outside his crate.
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I'm still leaning toward disposition.
Jazzy has been a non-destructive force from day one – aside from a stuffed Santa when she was under 1 yr old, she hasn't really chewed up anything; never chewed her bedding, etc. She does dimember and un-stuff her toys, but that is allowed.
Keoki has been a notorius destroyer from the day he moved in -- rugs, blankets, beds, socks, coats, sweaters.. no matter if we are home, no matter if he's crated or free. He just loves to tear things up! -
Mica was in a plastic crate when she first decided to adopt me and walk into my life when I was gone at any time. But this was down in El Paso, TX and I didnt want the apt magrs. to know I was keeping a small puppy due to three months from retiring from active duty, not wanting to pay a security deposit. So, she was a stow-away and used to be lured with a peanut-butter kong- and treats, treats, treats into her crate when I left. Her tail used to wop-wop-wop against the side and she had a little wiggle butt - when I walked into the door. Since than, she has been allowed free reign(sp?) to creeping and crawling around where I live now. Little if any destruction has occured. She gets walks and has toys and is generally a real good 4-ped. She seems to have a visual memory, if she does something, and I catch her, and say "NO" she seems to remember with almost one correction. But she has managed to "own" my small collection of stuffed animals…and I have given them to her....
BaMicas mom
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I'm with JM on this…disposition.
I think Brando just has fun...he shakes the living daylights out both his and Ru's bedding and then last night I heard the tearing start...and he's just hanging out doing it...not angry, upset, just playing. :rolleyes:
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Mica was in a plastic crate when she first decided to adopt me and walk into my life when I was gone at any time. But this was down in El Paso, TX and I didnt want the apt magrs. to know I was keeping a small puppy due to three months from retiring from active duty, not wanting to pay a security deposit. So, she was a stow-away and used to be lured with a peanut-butter kong- and treats, treats, treats into her crate when I left. Her tail used to wop-wop-wop against the side and she had a little wiggle butt - when I walked into the door. Since than, she has been allowed free reign(sp?) to creeping and crawling around where I live now. Little if any destruction has occured. She gets walks and has toys and is generally a real good 4-ped. She seems to have a visual memory, if she does something, and I catch her, and say "NO" she seems to remember with almost one correction. But she has managed to "own" my small collection of stuffed animals…and I have given them to her....
BaMicas mom
Wow, she was that quiet when crated as a puppy? Both of mine cried – that oh so special Basenji cry-like-you're-being-murdered cry -- when crated/left alone initially. Jazzy got over in a week, maybe two. Keoki, well, it was over a year, LOL, but he's finally stopped. And the old plastic crate? He pretty much at that, LOL. It is a mess - I have it now in the back yard in a big pen I put the dogs in when we have bbq's and stuff because neither one of them is very good with small children or strangers.
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I agree that age has a lot to do with it!! Ty was 3 before he was trustworthy enough to free roam when we were away. Kate, on the other hand, was over 4.
IMHO, the elder role model has a lot to do with it as well. Ty had a totally laid back, never destructive elder Bullie as an older 'brother'. Katie had Ty, another 'senji, who never instigated bad behavior, but I think was easily influenced to join in (and thus reinforce???) destructive household playtime and make it more enjoyable:(
Just FYI…..even with a reliable(?) older role model, 25 lbs of wild bird seed IS NOT safely stored in your kitchen, even if you're in a hurry and gone for only 30 minutes. It might become the newest play toy to be not only drug by some unknown force into the dining room, but un-stuffed and converted into a new race track surface to be worked in, with diligence, into the carpet. For the next 5 years your new race track surface continues to surface piece by every time you vacuum. (I have pictures, just don't know how to convert them from 35mm to this forum yet)
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Just FYI…..even with a reliable(?) older role model, 25 lbs of wild bird seed IS NOT safely stored in your kitchen, even if you're in a hurry and gone for only 30 minutes. It might become the newest play toy to be not only drug by some unknown force into the dining room, but un-stuffed and converted into a new race track surface to be worked in, with diligence, into the carpet. For the next 5 years your new race track surface continues to surface piece by every time you vacuum. (I have pictures, just don't know how to convert them from 35mm to this forum yet)
Oh my gosh!!! :eek: That is HILARIOUS, and makes me very happy that I store my bird seed in the garage. I won't even complain about the squirrels getting into the garage to get to it anymore!
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IMHO, I think some Basenjis can be left alone in the home and some can't. I have left Sahara alone for up to 5hrs. since she was about a year. I work part-time and my hubby and I are on different shifts so she is never left for longer as a general rule. Once she was housebroken, doggie door and underground fencing she has been free, but I do close off my bedrooms. I also think some Bs are chewers and some are not, Sahara has her teeth marks on lots of my stuff, some of my furniture is in the attic until DH can refinish them. She is a chewer and I do try to provide her with things she can chew. She doesn't chew up anything when left along only when we are home and she wants me to chase her with whatever she has in her mouth, the little devil. She doesn't chew as much since she is over teething, but don't leave your prescription eyeglasses, keys,
expensive sunglasses (my son's, and boy was he mad), or anything plastic. She dearly loves plastic, I don't think I have one plastic bin for storing in the attic that she has not chewed. But I still LOVE her, I am so weak with that wrinkle, pretty face.:D -
Omg birdseed in the carpet for years!! that's just so excellent.
Lycia never destroys things at home. Never. We have visited other's houses - she has been good. Then we stay at a new friend's place for 4 days and she manages to eat a pair of high heels, tupperware, 2 brushes, trash etc.. of course doing it to the roommates of my friend who I literally met that week… thank god they were forgiving, I was mortified.
