You'd think I'd have learned my lesson too!

[Terry]

One of our puppy owners called us to let us know that their boy had decided to make a "Habitrail" of their couch! There was already a small hole in one end from their other Basenjis, and it was big enough for the puppy to go in … so he just continued on through the couch and chewed his way out the other end! Thank goodness they were already experienced Basenji owners, or I suspect he might have come back to us immediately!

Terry

[Patty]

I sold a puppy a few years ago and sent him off with the usual instructions about the possibilities of destruction and warning the new owners not to leave him alone for his first nights.
The following day I received a call to say that he had been very good on his long journey. Also to say that they had ignored my advice and left him to sleep in their bedroom while they were serving in the bar (they run a pub) and he had ripped the carpet, the window curtains and their bed curtains (they have a four poster bed) - they totalled the damage as over ?3000!! A very expensive lesson!!!
I should add that he is still with them after 12 years and is a very much adored Basenji!!

[JISGARD]

A quick course in upholstery is called for!

Poppy started on our sofa last weekend and chewed a hole in one of the cushions, but thankfully it can be turned over to hide the damage.

They are awful, but we like them really!

Steve.

[Kananga]

I've gotten into the habit of leaving an old towel out in case my B feels destructive. Every time I have left it out he has not chewed on anything. The one day I forgot to leave it out, he chewed a nice hole in the couch.

He doesn't consume the shredded bits either. So I'm not too worried about leaving him unattended with a towel. He just likes to chew on something that is technically "not his".

[Basenjimamma]

What a great idea, the towel Idea. I might have to try that. Otis loves to steal my daughters stuffed animals, he won't tear them up, but slobbers on them and it drives her crazy..maybe I could get him interested in a towel instead. Do you have his own towel or does he do better with "your" towel?

[Kananga]

@Basenjimamma:

What a great idea, the towel Idea. I might have to try that. Otis loves to steal my daughters stuffed animals, he won't tear them up, but slobbers on them and it drives her crazy..maybe I could get him interested in a towel instead. Do you have his own towel or does he do better with "your" towel?

I used to give him a towel when he was crated at a younger age (before I concluded that he was crate phobic). He liked to chew on the towel to release his anxiety. So the same principle seems to work with general anxiety out in the open.

I just gave him an older kitchen towel I don't use anymore. It's slowly deteriorating. He won't completely shred it unless he's with it inside a crate (the last vet clinic found that out the hard way….. hehe).

[Basenjimamma]

Sounds like it would make sense. I have not tried towels but will do that, we have a lot of old, in my mind nasty towels, that he probably would love..Thanks for the tip.

[JISGARD]

This is what awaited us after a short trip to the shops today! The items include a roll of kitchen paper, a very large bag of pasta and plastic bags. She managed to get in to the cupboard and went on a destructive frenzy!:eek:

Still every cloud has a silver lining, she is now minus one baby canine tooth that was wedged in behind the adult one, that I was worried about and that I was anticipating a large Vet?s bill to remove. She has just eaten her dinner so pasta, paper and plastic was not to her taste!:)

Steve.

[Benkura]

Now that's impressive!

[Patty]

Kananga - I envy you - Spring and Gbala, who are my worst chewers swallow it all - their poo is a sight to behold and a bit shocking to other people who can't understand what the multi colours are decorating the dogs' yard.

[tanza]

Be a bit careful with things like towels… if they shred/eat them the strings from terry cloth can cause blockages in the gut... and can even wrap around strangling the intestines....

[tanza]

If you have Susan Coe's book, The Basenji there is a picture in there of B pups and the mess they made of everything in the room including the plants. The pups belonged to Bushbabies Basenjis here in California…

[Basenjimamma]

That's true, I have heard horror stories of dogs with obstructions. Our neighbors dog once ate a pecan and it lodge itself in her intestines and she had it there for weeks before they even knew anything was wrong. By the time she was vomiting her own poop they figured it out and over $4000 later they have a healthy dog again..It is scary, for their lives and for your wallet.

[Kananga]

@tanza:

Be a bit careful with things like towels… if they shred/eat them the strings from terry cloth can cause blockages in the gut... and can even wrap around strangling the intestines....

I've watched him before with the towel. He likes to simply shred them to small pieces. He doesn't eat any. Believe me, the only thing he will eat is his food. No treats, no pills, nothing. He just likes to turn one toy into many. There are small pieces of towel allover my living room right now. When I'm home he seems to find the small pieces as toys and throws them around. Whatever entertains him I guess… :rolleyes:

[Patty]

In my many years of fostering and owning Basenjis I have never had a blockage although they have swallowed many things. The Basenji of a friend has eaten two leather collars - plastic buckles and all. I advised her to wait and indeed eventually all pieces were passed through!

Perhaps I have just been lucky?

[Basenjimamma]

True, My vet told me that the most common thing dogs get obstructed with is leftover. i.e cooked bones. My dogs get raw bones but I am still leary. Our dachshund Gus will actually swallow chicken and turkey necks whole, all 3+ inches of it and freak me out, especially when he starts making this really weird whiny sound.. pop him on the back and down the shute it goes…FYI, now Gus gets his necks in nice bite sized pieces..I am not having a heartattack every day when he eats..

[Quercus]

@Basenjimamma:

True, My vet told me that the most common thing dogs get obstructed with is leftover. i.e cooked bones. My dogs get raw bones but I am still leary. Our dachshund Gus will actually swallow chicken and turkey necks whole, all 3+ inches of it and freak me out, especially when he starts making this really weird whiny sound.. pop him on the back and down the shute it goes…FYI, now Gus gets his necks in nice bite sized pieces..I am not having a heartattack every day when he eats..

I know…it is scary....the first time one of the dogs swallowed a rib whole I about died....

[Basenjimamma]

Andrea,
my Westie Bogus did that one time, and I managed to get it out of his throat, only to watch him do that again..I let him alone after that..and never gave them left overs again..only raw. I actually think my dogs eat better than we do, I today bought a huge brisket, cut all the fat off and cut the meat into chunks so I can freeze it into individual packages..I don't spend this much time making dinner for my humans…I might just very well have my priorities(sp?) wrong...might.

[Quercus]

@Basenjimamma:

Andrea,
my Westie Bogus did that one time, and I managed to get it out of his throat, only to watch him do that again..I let him alone after that..and never gave them left overs again..only raw. I actually think my dogs eat better than we do, I today bought a huge brisket, cut all the fat off and cut the meat into chunks so I can freeze it into individual packages..I don't spend this much time making dinner for my humans…I might just very well have my priorities(sp?) wrong...might.

Just FTR, these were raw bones And I still couldn't believe that they went right down the gullet and disappeared!

I used to put a lot more effort into feeding the dogs….now it's just food out of the bag

[Basenjimamma]

I

Just FTR, these were raw bones

I know, I just happen to back in the day, break the law and give my two boys leftover cooked bones, never after that incident though..