@CrazyBasenjiMom said in Basenji protective and growling:

also, I dont crate animals, at least not lock the door, my Belle went in and sleep when she was ready and stayed untill the next a.m.
Crates are not usful in my phiosp;y of training. gates are punishment to moi

I don't like crates, but they have their usefulness. When you have to leave an untrained or unproven pup or dog alone confinement to either a crate or dog run or dog proof room can save you a lot of grief! Personally I believe it is abusive to leave a dog crated for more than 4 hours at a time so if you work full time it's essential to give the dog a break midday, either personally or hire someone to do it. I object to the use of crates when someone is home, however, and I prefer to dispense with crates as soon as it's practical. Some Basenjis will be more trustworthy than others, and some make the transition sooner, but all five that I have owned over the years "graduated" to being allowed free run of the house or at least partial free run (excluded from or confined to a couple of rooms), depending on the dog. If you have to be away from home for long periods of time a secure dog run with shelter is very useful, but in that case it is best if you have more than one dog. Basenjis do not do well when deprived of company!