I was a little pre-occupied earlier today, and Doodle displayed her displeasure at my constant delays... how? She got up on the sofa and did this little prancing-dancing thing. Like she was saying, "haha, look at me misbehaving". LOL oh yeah.... if that is her "breaking bad", I'm in trouble, she's got my heart!
Distractions distractions….
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@Patty It's like someone heard our cries for help and sent us a couple of 50 degree days here in the windy city. Probably why Waffles is so excited to be outside, (i feel the same way!) We are also in a very dog friendly neighborhood, we usually encounter one or two every time we go outside during peak hours (3am is our only peaceful potty time!) She is only just now really getting into treats, so i am hoping that as she develops a taste for them, she will start being more motivated.
We have tried to go up the stairs a couple times when we aren't in a hurry like we are coming down. She is interested and seems to want to climb them, but is a little too timid. She gives a half-hearted attempt and then just looks at you to say "ok, i tried, you can carry me up now!" (**we actually don't have an elevator, so it's always stairs. our fitness level is increasing daily)
And she doesn't roo! (at least not yet. Her parents were very quiet though, so we will have to see!)
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8 weeks is early, but not impossible. I think it just takes some reminding that she is being perfectly normal. Cuddling up with a few puppy books (Puppy Primer by Patricia McConnell and How to Raise a Puppy You Can Live With by Clarice Rutherford are some to start) will ease your nerves about random puppy behavior. I think in the first few weeks it's natural to question everything, I know I did when I brought my first puppy home.
I'm still surprised your breeder told you this is an acceptable age. This breeder wasn't registered with the BCOA, nor is the Kennel name listed on OFA (or at least not that I saw). Which is concerning because this suggusts a lack of basic, rudementray health tests for your puppy. Test that should be in place for breedings whether the dogs are for show or for pet homes. Tanza has aready suggested the OFA link to see if the parents are registered - please look up the parents of Waffles on the database. If they arn't in it, they haven't been officially tested for Fanconi, hips, eyes etc. If the breeder has not taken on the responsibilty to preform what a responsible basenji breeder would do for their pups - you would want to get Waffles tested for Fanconi as soon as possible.
I know it's a bit of a overwhelming time - the first few weeks. But she really will begin to get a rythem and settle down in the next month and a half. All of them do with gudiance.
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Thanks so much for the book recommendations!! I will check the library down the street tomorrow to see if they have them. Her first appt with our vet here is in a couple weeks, so we will make sure to check akc, as well as bring up this testing that you have recommended
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My pleasure. I found the books really helped me a lot - really eased my nerves. Both books feature positive reinforcement training which is fundamental to Basenjis. If they arn't at your library, you can get them used on Amazon for a couple bucks.
Fanconi testing is not a procedure done at the vet. This is a very specific disease which is prevalent in Basenjis so you must order a special swab test from OFA (https://secure.offa.org/cart.html) Fanconi is the second option on the page. We now have a direct genetic test so you can be confident in the results. I don't know about the medical history in this bloodline - Tanza or one of the more Eastern breeders may have experience with Waffles' lines and could tell you how they have fared as far as health. It's helpful - if you want more information about her health and temperament linage to tell us the registered name of her parents. I'm sure someone - as many of us are related by Basneji may end up being your extended family.
Keep at it! She is very cute and will be well worth the effort.
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Thanks so much for the book recommendations!! I will check the library down the street tomorrow to see if they have them. Her first appt with our vet here is in a couple weeks, so we will make sure to check akc, as well as bring up this testing that you have recommended
Fanconi testing is not done by a Vet, it is done by you. You order the cheek swab. You should read about health concerns in our breed at www.basenji.org and why testing is so important. DNA testing for Fanconi should be done before breeding, however if not, the pups need to be tested. I am not familar with this breeder and you will find that almost all responsible breeders know of know of each other and their Basenjis.
While 8 wks is what would be considered the "National" average to send puppies home, I don't believe that a Basenji is mentally ready at 8wks. That is of course unless you are an experienced Basenji owner or you have another dog in the home.
That said, not impossible, just a few more challenges. Also, again do you know if her breeder used newspaper? You might want to use it in the house until she is a bit older as a "just in case".
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Don't get too hung up by the 'too early' - I'm one of them but it's only to explain to you the possible reason behind her behaviours. You are now her parents and she can learn from you. You obviously are having success so well done.
There's no real answer to the getting her to poop if she just won't go. But back to patience and when she does go praise her inordinately and also use a word for poo so she can learn what you want her to do. It's useful to have a different word meaning pee to the one meaning poo.
She is bound to get excited outside especially if its mild and windy!!!
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I don't know about limiting her walking time outside, definately don't start running her until she is over a year old, that put stresses on their bones and joints and can cause problems. But walking around outside and playing with her inside should not be a problem, unless you have to drag her. She is going to run and play inside or out. 15 mins is great but if she is not tired or has not gone potty I would stay outside longer with her if you want to. Yes, maybe try the newspaper or puppy pads inside, for a just-in-case measure. Have fun with your baby though and don't worry so much about 'not doing it correctly' I am sure you are doing just fine.
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Basenjis are very clever. They will soon (very soon) learn to solve almost any problem to their satisfaction. When Spencer was a puppy, he was a condo dog, so I would have to take him out or walk him. He immediately learned to hold it until he was ready to go in, then he would run and take care of business and lead us happily back inside. On his terms. Otherwise, as soon as he would do what I brought him out to do, I'd want to go back inside while he still had a lot of exploring left to do. Yep, they train us. They're smart. Very smart.
Spencer came home with me at eight weeks, too. It really is too young. He needed another month with his mother and his littermates, and your little girl probably did, too. But you have her now, and it sounds like you're doing a great job! She might need a little more patience and she might be a bit needier and more insecure than if she had gotten that extra month. But it'll all work out. We live and learn. (She'll teach you.)
She's adorable. Enjoy her!
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Two things have worked for me: 1) Mixing a SMALL amount of plain Bran cereal with lots of water in their meals to stimulate excretion right after meals and create a schedule. I've only done this with unhousebroken adult mill fosters so far, to coax their tummies into a morning/evening-right-after-meals schedule so they'd go outside and not in their cages. While it worked really well (all 3 dogs I tried it on had "Potty A-ha Moments within 48 hours) I'd be really cautious trying this on a puppy so young. Definitely add plenty of water, otherwise the fibre can ball up and cause constipation or even a blockage.
2) After meals soak a very soft cloth in luke warm (body temp) water, ring it out well and very gently swab the pup's business end. This simulate the mother licking his/her anus to encourage excretion. Then take the pup outside. Again, be careful the water isn't too hot–obviously, you don't want to scald him/her. Also, be very careful about getting puppy's bottom wet and then taking it outside in winter--make sure she's dry to avoid frostbite. This worked on my elderly girl who hated winter so much she'd try to hold it for days.I feel your pain, having once housebroken two dogs from a 22nd floor condo. I felt like I lived in the elevator for a while. Be patient!
Just as an FYI, it might be wise to avoid any loud, sudden noises around your puppy like shouting or vacum cleaners until she's 12 weeks of age. While I've never researched it (never had a pup that young) I've heard they imprint fear between 8-10 weeks of age. It might be something to research or maybe one of the folks on the forum would know more...
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But you have her now, and it sounds like you're doing a great job! She might need a little more patience and she might be a bit needier and more insecure than if she had gotten that extra month. But it'll all work out. We live and learn. (She'll teach you.)
She's adorable. Enjoy her!
Thank you, Spencer's owner, for reassuring this young couple about their little baby. As you said, everything will work out in the end, and she will teach you!
For the Fanconi testing, it's important to get it done, so that as she gets older, you can monitor her for symptoms. Breeders that are on this forum are very passionate about the Fanconi testing, because they do everything in their power not to propagate this horrible disease. Many owners that are on here have had dogs inflicted with Fanconi, so they, too, want you to get the testing done, for your peace of mind.
I hope today was an even better day for you and Waffles!
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Yes, the Fanconi testing is very important. Your little girl will probably not be affected, and that will ease your mind. If she is likely to be affected, you will know and can get out in front of the disease. Early detection and management is so important. If your breeder tested the parents, that will give you a good idea. If not– or even so-- you can test your puppy. It's such a small expenditure for such a big benefit!
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We will be buying the Fanconi kit from the site you have all recommended, so thanks for that information…much appreciated.
Good news is that she is understanding her routine more and more every day. She hasn't had an accident in the house for a few days now...unfortunately we found day-old poop in the corner a couple days ago from one time, but that hasn't happened again since. We make sure that she goes #2 outside when we know she needs to go (i.e. after she eats a good amount of her food).
@ krunzer - When we take her out she loves to run naturally out of excitement, at least for a little bit. Our walks don't exceed 15-20 minutes and we make sure to stay out there until business is taken care of.
@YodelMa - you have some awesome advice regarding B pup's having bathroom issues from digestion/eating, but she has been doing well actually from her diet.
Anyone have the best method to get them to stop doing something (you can probably guess chewing is one of them)? We usually try to get her to chew on a toy when she begins to chew on a pillow or something she shouldn't be on. I'm just curious what would be the best method (clapping, saying "no," tapping on the nose, etc)?
Thanks again everyone, you've all made this experience much more comfortable since we've joined the forum!!!
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I have used puppy training pads with all mine till at least age 6 months, by then they are more focused and likely to do their business outside. We always leave a pad in our bathroom in case one of the 6 needs to get out of our bed and go potty during the night. Our 5 yr old whippet uses it on a regular basis. Do not stress over the potty training, it normally takes till 4 or 5 months to get it down.
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When one of my dogs is misbehaving, I don't resort to anything physical, because in my experience, it won't do anything positive. If you catch her in the act, then my response is to raise my voice with a distinctive noise (I use a sound like, "Agh Ahh!") and then when she looks, I say, "NO", and take whatever it is from her. Whatever the word/phrase/action is, just be sure the two of you are consistent, even if it's saying, "OUTSIDE", before you open the door, so that as she gets older, she'll associate that word with going downstairs. I wouldn't use anything physical to reprimand her, but that's just me.
And when there's poop in the corner, unless you catch her in the act, I don't see any value in bringing her to the mess, rubbing her nose in it, and scolding with a stern, "what did you do????" When I first got my basenji puppy 9 yrs ago, I made that mistake. My Lucy looked at me so innocently like, "YUCK! Mom, get me away from this mess!". She didn't seem to connect the smelly stuff with her actions from hours ago. (The look is probably similar to the look you get from Waffles when she is done going up stairs, lol.
) And while you never suggested that you were going to rub her nose in it, I thought I'd let you know about my experience.You guys are doing great! Congrats on the successes!
Hugs and roos-
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Remember always keep things positive. Basenjis learn quickly with positive reward training. House Breaking can take up to 6 months to where they can be trusted. They have to develop physically to go longer between potty times. Also keep your dog on a schedual. When you wake up take her outside right away. Don't go in till she pees. Any time she goes potty outside, reward, reward, reward !
After her breakfast, go out again and wait till she poops. Also always have her on a leash when you go outside. If you can leave some poop outside this helps her associate that this is where to poop.
You sound dedicated, you will do fine. -
Always remember if there is an accident in the house, it is your fault…. not the puppies. And also keep in mind that during teething, I have found that there can be a set back when they totally forget about house training. Why that is, I don't have a clue, but I have had it happen with a few of my bitch puppies.
