Skip to content

Newsom Going Potty

Basenji Training
  • Newsom is 14 weeks now and is a GREAT boy. I'm loving him so much every day and he and Shango are getting along great, bringing smiles all around.

    Newsom is a very good puppy and sleeps all through the night without going to the bathroom in his crate. I take him out first thing and he goes right outside and is rewarded.

    But.

    He has a habit of going to the bathroom in his crate throughout the day. I try to give him cool-down and nap times in his crate (which he goes into by himself. He really seems to love napping and hanging out in his crate…) and to be honest, I can't really figure out when he does it as I watch him really carefully but I'll peek into the crate and inevitable, there's a pee puddle. (and tonight, a little bit of poop). It's super frustrating and I don't know what to do....

    Help?

  • Is the crate too big? He should be able to lay down and turn around but doesn't need more room when potty training. That way it is harder for him to stay out of the mess if he makes one. This method usually works because dogs, especially the typical basenji don't like to be dirty.

    Also make sure to withhold food and water prior to crating and make sure he has had time to process and eliminate any intake.

    You probably already know this, but thats how I would start! :)

    Good luck

  • What were his living conditions like were you got him from? Usually depending on the pups age, there is usually a clue there.

    For example (and I am not saying that he is from a puppy miller)… but puppy mill dogs live in cages, eat in cages, poop in cages... they don't know any different... hence really harder to house train as peeing/pooping in a crate is natural for them. Same with a pet store puppy. So sometimes you need to look at those kinds of things when trying to figure out how to solve a problem. And sometimes you never can....

  • Thanks for the input you guys-

    The crate is not too big, it's the right size for him which is why I am so confused about why he's doing it. And he's NOT from a puppy mill, but was born to a home with a lot of acreage where he had a lot of outside time to run and play on a lot of land….

  • Do you feed him in his crate? He will be unlikely to pee/poo where he eats. Make sure he has had a potty break before going into his crate to eat. Then, TONS of praise when you let him out.

  • @Kipawa:

    Do you feed him in his crate? He will be unlikely to pee/poo where he eats. Make sure he has had a potty break before going into his crate to eat. Then, TONS of praise when you let him out.

    He does not eat in his crate. Thanks for this idea! Will try it!

  • How long is he in the crate during the day?

    Jennifer

  • @dcmclcm4:

    How long is he in the crate during the day?

    Jennifer

    Never longer than 45 mins.

Suggested Topics

  • Go To Ground Sport

    Basenji Training
    7
    0 Votes
    7 Posts
    1k Views
    tanzaT
    @beth314 - I think the issue with a Basenji doing Earthdog is that those dogs go underground to seek their prey.... (as in for trials they make tunnels and the prey is in cages at the end).... and that is not an activity that Basenjis really do. They might try to get to the prey by digging on the top of the ground, but going underground I don't think so.
  • Potty Training

    Basenji Training
    8
    0 Votes
    8 Posts
    4k Views
    AntigoneA
    My Dog used a Litter Box until 12 Weeks of Age. After that, I took her to the Horse Farm and let her 'Pack' with older well-trained Dogs. She mimicked their behaviors and she learned how to Sit, Stay, Come when called and lay down. The Dogs did a great job of training mine. I did not have very many problems. these dogs get a bad reputation for being hard to train but they really aren't. They are very stubborn and would rather die than negotiate. Therein lies the importance of understanding the Dog's body language, that tells you all you need to know. They are extremely intelligent and never forget a thing, including people and other animals. Good luck with it!
  • Potty Accidents

    Basenji Training
    9
    0 Votes
    9 Posts
    5k Views
    D
    Be careful on over using treats... mix it up with joyous praise and a rub under the chin and pat the back. If you do treats only they can think if they stop getting treats they might think it's bad behavior and change the potty behavior, but by mixing it up they still get the praise and reward with a good job, also always use their name with praise, and never with discipline. I'm reading this book about raising and training basenji's and it's also what my folks said they did that worked with their basenji
  • How to train a dog to go outside by himself

    Basenji Training
    26
    0 Votes
    26 Posts
    14k Views
    Chealsie508C
    Oakley will pee in the middle of the road or anywhere really but pooping is a whole different story…walking is the only way and he seems to do it in the same spots on our walks.. If the wind so much as sways it will deter him... In the cold he just flat out refuses to go! It is a basenji thing
  • Potty training

    Basenji Training
    24
    0 Votes
    24 Posts
    13k Views
    tanzaT
    @lisatest: Does a puppy have soft poop and as the puppy gets older the poop becomes more solid? It has been a while since I had a puupy so I can't remember. No… a puppy should also have a solid poo...
  • Pottying FAR from home

    Basenji Training
    43
    0 Votes
    43 Posts
    16k Views
    firefoxkatanF
    hmm I was having a hard time getting Bindi to poop in the back yard, she was doing fine for the first week, she kind of went in the same places for the most part, she changed them every now and then, but now I can't get her to poop out there she's not really leash trained yet and often is too distracted by traffic to do her thing in the front yard :/ maybe she feels the back is her play spot? yet she poops right next to the toys in the living room sometimes sigh I hope she poops outside soon, she's been holding it for most of the day :/ ~Kat