New Basenji arriving Saturday and a few questions

[tanza]

@c-bus:

I have tried checking the offa.com site but which number do I punch in? I tried both but no results were found. On her AKC registration forms I have two sets of numbers for the sire (Rambo Boy Sheu) HP13205601 (03-08) and AKC DNA #V467465 and only one for the Dam (Roxy III) HP24455802 (03-08).

The breeder mentioned specifically that the sire was tested 3 years ago and came back fine and that they do monthly glucose tests as well.

There was no DNA fanconi test 3yrs ago, only began in July of 2007, so the sire could not have been tested using the DNA test. You use the HP13205601 and HP24455802 and if they are not showing on the OFA site, that means they have not been DNA tested for Fanconi.

Good that they strip test monthly, but all that says is that on that day, they are not spilling sugar in the urine, but could at any time. You can also check out the pedigree at http://www.pedigrees.zandebasenjis.com/search.html
I don't see that any have been tested, as results from OFA are also sent to Sally's pedigree database.
Again, for you own peace of mind, for 65.00 do the DNA test on your pup….

[tanza]

The link to find out how to do the DNA test is www.basenjihealth.org
It is a cheek swab and really easy to do. All the instructions are on the site.

[c-bus]

Definitely will do, ASAP. Thanks!

[c-bus]

What to do? So we wanted to do a test run of sort on the setup we would be using when it comes time for us to go to work and she will have to be by herself for multiple hours, 4-5+. Our idea was to put an exercise pen in the kitchen and then put her crate and the sod box that we've been using to train her along with her food and water. Our thinking was she would have her crate, room to play, and grass on which to eliminate. So we tested it with us at home. During the forty five minutes of the test, she cried the entire time and eliminated everywhere except the sod box and I mean everywhere.

We put her in her crate while we cleaned it up and she cried for the ten minutes she was there. Since then she only wants to ball up in our laps and sleep. You can tell she is afraid we are going to leave her.

It seems it was a mistake to try the pen idea so soon but at the same time we are not going to be able to be with her all the time. We both took some days off work from Friday to Tuesday but then what?

Any ideas? As of now, the only thing that is working is to let her roam around with us all day and to let her sleep on our laps; we are afraid to even leave her ten minutes to shower or go to the store as she will cry the entire time and we don't want to traumatize her.

We know she is only nine weeks old but is this normal and how have you gotten past it?

[sharronhurlbut]

I can't give you any advice, as I have not raised puppies, but someone here will know the steps you need to take.
Hugs..

[tanza]

Yes it is normal and you have to "let her" cry it out… again, remember she may have been really traumatized from the flight, so that is going to make thing harder... but I would stick with the xpen and use the crate at night. Don't make a big deal about putting her in the xpen... just put her in, give her a treat and walk away. Walk away out of sight or even go out the door outside so that she knows you are gone... See if you can wait until she stops crying/screaming and then go back in... again, do not make a big fuss, just take her out of the pen and then I would immediately take her outside to potty (even if she did go everyplace in the pen... so that this becomes a routine... Xpen, leave, come home, out to potty..... and if she pees/poos all over, there is not much you can do... you can't correct her, as only if you catch her in the act does it do any good... otherwise she doesn't know why you are correcting her.

[c-bus]

Thanks for the advise/ reassurance. My wife and I feel like the worlds worst parents. We know she has been through alot and we feel like we are making it worse for her.

Would this be better?

We have a hand me down crate for a large dog, 42" X 28 X 30, and we could fit both her crate and the sod box in the crate. It would provide less space for her than the X Pen but maybe make her more prone to use the sod box.

[tanza]

Hard to say, really…... I really don't know....

[sharronhurlbut]

You might want to check out these b's.
They are in Ca and need homes.
Contact The Medfly Brigade Basenji Rescue http://www.basenjirescue.com
for more dogs.

[tanza]

@sharronhurlbut:

You might want to check out these b's.
They are in Ca and need homes.
Contact The Medfly Brigade Basenji Rescue http://www.basenjirescue.com
for more dogs.

Did you mean to put this on a different thread? c-bus already has their pup at home…? Maybe this one? http://www.basenjiforums.com/showthread.php?t=5220&page=3

[sharronhurlbut]

Yes, thanks Pat. I sent this to the wrong thread.
Sigh.
Sorry everyone.

[Tayda_Lenny]

I think it is normal for pups and eventually he will get past it. He is probably just scared right now and not used to anything around him. when I first got my little Lenny as a pup at 14 weeks he would scream in the crate as well, particularly at night and he even had a playmate in the crate with him. It can drive you nuts but it will get better. I used to put the crate next to my bed and literally hang my arm down and squeeze my hand into the crate so he would feel my hand touching him when hes in the crate. My arm would fall asleep but that seemed to calm him down some.

i think the xpen or larger crate, with the sod/crate inside is worth a try. I had two crates that i put together facing each other so that he's have one to lie in and one to pee/poop in if he had to. he would of course not always pee/poop in the one that i meant for him to do it in, but at least he had somewhere else to go. Except poor little Tayda (my other dog) that was in the crate with him… once i came home and knew that little Lenny had been having projectile diarreah because poor Tayda was COVERED in it. she did not look amused at ALL. Lenny hardly had a spec on him. And thus started their beautiful friendship! lol.

good luck... hang in there.... at least you know your little puppy has a healthy set of lungs!

[c-bus]

Well it was another night of Kenya crying. I actually think she and in return we got less sleep last night than the first night. She was just whining, crying, and screaming but even when she did settle down as soon as we moved or rolled over in bed she was right back at it. On the positive side she was much better about not having accidents in her crate.

The other area of real success came when we left her alone for the first time. We have two crates, one a travel crate that is just her size and another that a neighbor gave us that is huge because he used it for his rodesian ridgeback. So what we did was place Kenya's crate in the larger crate along with her sod box and her water bowl. We gave her a treat to chew on and walked out the door. She was crying and howling when we left but when we returned about 2 hours later all was quiet. In fact when we open the door she still didn't whine and only looked at us and came to the door of the crate. On top of that she either used the sod box to eliminate or didn't have to because her crate was clean.

That little bit of success has done wonders for our confidence that things will eventually settle down. We plan on trying the same crating method tonight so hopefully we all can get some sleep (This crate is in the dining room rather than our bedroom/ just down the hall). We are also happy because this is the method we plan to use when we have to go to work since we won't be able to be here every two or three hours to let her out of her crate.

[sharronhurlbut]

A tip for keeping your dog relaxed.
Try to make your coming back home very calm.
No happy, excited "we are back" voices.
Just a calm, want to go walkies, and take the puppy outside.
Once the pup goes potty, then its nice to excitement.
It does help.

[c-bus]

Thanks for the info. Now if I could just get her to relax at night. We tried a ticking clock, a radio with voices, having her crate next to our bed, tonight we try keeping her crate in the dining room and allowing her to leave her crate for the sod box.

[sharronhurlbut]

Again, a calm routine, matter of fact well, its bedtime, go to sleep will make it go faster.
Puppies take a bit of long time to "get it" than rescue dogs, and I am just sharing what I share when someone contacts me with a rescue dog with issues.
Others on this forum will be able to help with this pup's settling in.
We all want you to get everyone settled and happy.
Hugs for doing the right thing for your puppy.

[tanza]

My own personal opinion is that if you have to crate during the day, at night they can "sleep" in bed with you… IMO... if you are having to crating during the day... and then at night also, that is way too much crate time and not enough people time. If you have an area that they can be indoors and outdoors (as I was able to have the pups in the laundry room during the day... so they got time to move around, play outdoors if they wanted and a small climate control area indoors, I did put a large crate in the laundry room also).. so I didn't feel bad putting them in crates at night...

[wrx227wrc]

I totally agree with tanza, you have to let them cry it out. Start working on habituating the puppy to you leaving. For example, put her in the crate or whatever situation you are using and walk out the door. Stand outside for five minutes, then come back in a reward her. Work on gradually increasing the time you are gone. As you work on it, make sure that you start to differentiate between rewarding behaviors you do and don't want. You don't want to come in and give her a bunch of treats for howling like a banshee the whole time you were gone, but in the beginning she may need that just to see that you going means you coming home and treats You want to associate your return with good thoughts.
You also have to remember that she may see lots of things a rewarding, which will in turn, reinforce her behavior. If she is crying in her crate and you even talk to her, or let her see you, that is rewarding. If she cries and you try to comfort her you are rewarding her crying, she got what she wanted. As you learn how to work with her you will start to learn how to outsmart her, it just takes time and lots of trying different things. See what is most rewarding for her, sometimes it may not actually be a treat, it may be a toy.
Since you live in a condo, you may want to talk to your neighbors if she is making lots of loud noise for a long time. I have heard stories of people calling 911 because they think someone is screaming. Talk to them and let them know ahead of time and they may be more likely to take an issue up with you rather than someone who may take action.
You aren't bad parents, we all went through it. The work required to raise a basenji is significant but it is rewarding. I often liken it to a toddler and people laugh, but when they are involved with us and see how much work it is, they begin to understand.
Good luck!

[wrx227wrc]

What is up with the dates on these posts? Has anyone else noticed this? On my comp is says 2006 and 2007 for something I posted five minutes ago. Weird.

[wizard]

wrx227wrc that must just be your computer - mine reads correctly.