Mine (6 months old now) is loose in the house when I'm out. I don't do anything special. The dogs know what they can chew on and what not.
When I leave the house they just jump onto the couch and sleep untill I return.
They have acces to the whole house and all rooms.
It's allways safer if you can hide the wires and such, but if they know they aren't allowed to touch them, most also won't touch them when you are gone.
But it would be a good idea to make sure they can't reach any food. Big chance that will otherwise be 'magicaly dissapeared' when you get back.
And for some dogs it's also better to not put the trash where they can reach it.
How long are they left alone for?
Once my puppy is older I was wondering if I could confine him to one room when I go out. If I do this… what should I do to dog-proof the room? No cords or wires... no clothes on the floor... what else? Does anyone have their basenjis loose in a room while they're out?
Take everything out of the room….everything....
Just kidding 
Obviously everything that you know he likes to chew should be removed. You won't really know what will happen until you give it a short try. My dogs have to earn the right to be loose in the house, and they do it in short time incremements.
I think a lot of it depends on, well, him. I have two young basenjis right now. They don't destroy the same things. One likes to eat sofas. The other likes to nibble books. One likes shoes. The other wouldn't dream of touching shoes.
Our house is very bare at the moment
But really it will be trial and error. We have not left the older one loose in the house yet for more than three or four minutes, but I have no doubt he will be fine eventually. (He is 17 months.) Heaven only knows if Miss Annie the goober will ever be trustable, haha.
I would be very careful with wires…. and left to their own devices.... window coverings, and wood sills could be in danger.............
Hey Voodoo, you are either very lucky or you should share your secret.. My dog as well as most basenjis will chew everything in site. he does it even when I'm there, I have to keep correcting him and taking things out of his mouth, imagine when I'm gone. he will chew anything but specifically likes furniture.
So, Ayo is confined to a room when I'm not there. there is nothing in that room, except his crate and some marrow bones that he chews on, cant leave the kings in there as he eats them as well. He is normally in there from 9 to 12:30 and 2 to 6. On weekdays. Now he is there a lot less because I'm working from home. When that changes he might be in there a little longer.
Once Sayblee was about 5, I could leave her for a while loose, but it stressed me. I have left Arwen in my bedroom for 30 mins while I ran an errand in the last year, just to see. But most of us do not have dogs that can be free. I remember shaking my head at all YOU FOLKS who couldn't have your dogs free, cause no previous breed or dog in my life didn't earn that right by 18 mos. Live and learn.
Yeah, a room with nothing that they can destroy or get hurt by eating is great. I gave up my dining room for 11 yrs and turned it into a dog room for Connor, who could not be left loose when we weren't home due to marking. Sigh. It is nice to have reclaimed it as our house is small, but it was great and happily given up to him so he wasn't cramped up in a crate.
Mine are left in the house but confined to one room at times when necessary. Occasionally we have chewing but usualluy if they know we're out they just curl up and go to sleep. Mind you this could be learned behaviour as I've always done this with each generation but of course you have to start somewhere!.
Hey Voodoo, you are either very lucky or you should share your secret.. My dog as well as most basenjis will chew everything in site. he does it even when I'm there, I have to keep correcting him and taking things out of his mouth, imagine when I'm gone. he will chew anything but specifically likes furniture.
Maybe I was lucky. This is my first Basenji, but I've done it the same with all pups I had in the past (Thai Ridgeback Dog, Puli, Kelpie, Sheltie) and never had problems with that. But, I never leave them alone before they know what is mine and what is theirs. As long as they try to chew on something they aren't allowed to chew on when I'm there, I not gonna leave them alone with it. Only when I know they won't touch it, I leave them.
And only things I ever found chewed on when I returned, where a book, a DVD-case and an empty packet of sigarettes. Not that bad I think for 5 puppy's. :p
The family that had Blaze's brother left him in a bathroom, as a kennel was too mean. They cleaned out the bathroom and thought it was safe. In four hours he ate through the baseboard, the drywall, the insulation, and the sheeting. He was chewing on the siding on the exterior of the house when they found him.
Blaze was perfectly fine in our hot tub room. It was cleaned out and the hard top was put on the tub so he could lay in the sun throughout the entire day. We always had the venetian blinds closed, otherwise it would get too warm. He was fine in there for several hours. …until the fly. Blaze ate $17,000 worth of venetian blinds to kill the fly.
Cricket gets too anxious when we leave her loose. She prefers being home alone in her kennel.
Wow!… I guess we'll have to see if he can be left alone then.
I leave my B's two and a half and three years, alone in the house loose, and have done so since I got my B mix to keep the first B company. I don't leave anything they really like available, and have no problems. Shut all bathroom doors, this is a treasure trove for them and they will pull everything out of clothes hampers, eat toilet paper, etc. Don't leave your shoes or clothes around - they'll chew those just because they smell like you. Close all closets - other than that, they will probably just settle down and sleep. When I leave, I leave them with a treat so they are distracted at my actual leaving. Seems to have worked fine for us.
He was fine in there for several hours. …until the fly. Blaze ate $17,000 worth of venetian blinds to kill the fly.
OMG, lol I am ROFLMAO. OMG.
Well no massive damage, but I once had my 70 pound chow jump up on the bed on my chest trying to get a freaking firefly. We had a huge amt of them that year. I woke up another night to crashing and banging… ran to the living room to find my Rottie trying to climb the walls, up on furniture, etc, after one.
Dear spirits, $17,000 worth? Whew.
JAja, luckily we have concrete construction here… like to see him chew thru that!!.. ALTHOUGH... he has managed to strip the paint off of one corner...
It helps to know that .. thats just how they are.. I mean, one shoudnt feel guilty about keeping them confined when away.. theres just no other way...
i must be lucky. my basenji stays in the backyard when we go out she has her own play areas etc. sun to bake in or shelter if its cold or rainy.
6ft wooden privacy fence helps no trees near the fences to climb and no wire fences to climb and no digging under (its clay were we are… she'd break a nail trying to dig, she doesnt dig anyway except for the bed or couch LOL). and yes, shes also an inside dog and sleeps in our bed.
The kitchen is the only place shes gets herself in trouble, bloody meerkat
<–- she reminds me of meerkats when she tries to see whats on the kitchen counters LOL
I close doors on all the rooms we want dogs out of, put up babygates in hallways to keep dogs out, and keep them in the living room/dining room with a doggie door to the outside.
We sprayed down all the chewable items with Bitter apple and leave lots of chew toys for them when we go. With access to the fenced yard, and the squirrels outside they are kept pretty busy. Fingers crossed we have had no major damage, just maybe a pee/poo when it's raining and we are gone too long.
Hi,
I'm WES (aka Sailorglider). I live in Massachusetts and have a Basenji, mixed with a little of Corgi and Chihuahua. All that means is that she's a bit shorter than a purebred Basenji.
About two months ago I adopted her (Layla) from a wonderful no-kill animal shelter in Salem, MA. She is loving, adorable, energetic (I walk her about six miles daily, along the Lynn-Nahant, MA beach that's right across the street), full of fun, tough, and fearless (she'll play with everyone and every dog that she meets, regardless of their type and size). Also, Layla has a great personality. I've grown to really love her.
An awesome lady foster-cared Layla for one month before she was flown up here. She is in charge of Puerto Rico's SATO rescue program. When I adopted Layla (originally "Crystal"), that lady included her name and email address in her greeting card for Crystals new best friend. I've been emailing her back-and-forth and sending her photos of Layla.
Being a first time dog owner, I look forward to reading what you have to comment and advise. I'm having the time of my life with Layla. I could not ask more for a dog that's compatible with me in all ways
Hoping to hear from you, Warren
Welcome Warren. To post intro, go to new member and introduce yourself so all will see it as not everyone opens each thread. Pictures make us happy!
It is odd, how our thinking changes. As a kid, I saw nothing bad about "outside dogs" because my grandparents were farmers and that's where dogs mostly lived. We had "inside dogs" but they still were outside a lot, expected to stay in our yard… which they did surprisingly well.
Now, other than guardian animals (ie livestock) and a few exceptions, I find the idea of "outside dogs" appalling. But I also have not left a dog of mine outside or access to outside in over 20 yrs when I am not home. Even home, I had a dog bit by a snake in my own yard and could have lost her. I worry about idiots poisoning them (and about 8 yrs ago someone poisoned 20 dogs in my area of GA), stealing them, a tree limb falling on the fence and them getting out. Yes, I have become a probably over-protective parent. Heck, my house could burn down while I am gone to, so I recognize you cannot protect them from all possibilities. And perhaps if I had a privacy fence.... nah, I'd still worry about that tree or some idiot throwing something over it.
Like someone with a phobia, I both admire those who can leave them outside and shudder that they do, lol. I won't get help for my worries any more than Howie Mandel gets help for his germaphobia. In the recesses of his mind, he believes the fears are founded in some kernel of truth. And in mine, I know that keeping my dogs as safe as I can is what I have to do, even if it isn't necessary. And lest ANYONE imagine this is a scolding instead of self-confession obsession, I don't use a harness or crate in my car. I am so totally not claiming the "better owner" title. Just musing at my own insanity.
Welcome! glad you found us.
