Let's also consider that when you chase your dog, the dog thinks it's a game and will run away from you. Like... "you can't catch me!" Man, Basenji's can bolt! On the other hand, when you are the one running away, the dog instinctively joins you because you are part of the dog's family/pack. This is not to be confused with a learned command to chase an assailant, in Police work, for example. That would be a totally different game of chase.
Finally had enough…
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I have a couple that get up to use thier wee wee pad in the middle of the night. I just put a pad in the bathroom before bed and clean it in the morning
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Went through them all and see that eeeefarm suggested what I would… try matchsticking at night to make him potty before bedtime. In truth, he may simply like getting out for that walk and be habit, so if you have to crate, or simply refuse for a week and clean up pee/poo (or put down potty pads or get a litter pan) breaking the walk is good. I would also change the regular walking routine. Take out to ONE SPOT, do not take a walk. Stay til potty, say good dog, treat maybe, and then and ONLY THEN take a walk (or better, go inside, wait 10 mins and say WALK !) and go for a nonpooprelated walk. You need to retrain him to POOP fast, then walk so he doesn't delay poop to get to walk. It is common with dogs who must be walked but he's taking advantage.
On the rain issue, I stood in a storm for well over an hour with Cara CRYING holding up one foot then the other, would not poop. She would stop eating if it rained so she wouldn't have to poop. We ended up with an anal sac rupture. That was it-- put her on cyproheptadine to get her to eat every day (actually 2x a day) and I add fiber (she hates pumpkin, won't eat it.. green beans didn't seem to do it) every other day to make her HAVE to go. Yes, sometimes she poops on the porch, sidewalk and occasionally on the floor but after dealing with the rupture and soaking for a month, I don't care. Thank goodness I don't have carpeting.
And yep, give nearly entire food in morning, snack size at night so stomach not EMPTY and hopefully that will help stop the need to poop at night.
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I just want to make sure I read the initial post correctly, he is sleeping through the night without asking to go out. It is that he gets up at 7-8am and wants to go out? To me, this isn't unusual for young dogs. All my youngsters, aged 7 months - 2 1/2 years are early risers and go out shortly after they wake. We have done the going out 10 minutes later to build time but really we usually don't get to sleep in much unless it is the winter when no one wants to go out in the cold and wet and are happy to sleep in.
Now, if he is waking you up in the middle of the night to go, then that would be unusual.
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I do match stick but not often and mainu because it doesn't alway make him go! I wish I had one ueterday though. Debra, I agree and stuck to my guns yesterday and we walked only the one strip next to the river and I refused to walk him around town because I want him to know that's where I want him to go…that made him miserable on top of the rain since he's used to me walking anywhere until he goes...
Lisa, many night I don't even hear him get up to go, but he never wakes me up to say "I gotta go"...and it's usually pretty early morning like from 4am on...the good news is, we had our last walk around 10:30pm..still raining, no poop
...as soon as we got in and I shut the bedroom door he scratched as if to say "gotta poop now that I'm home! I didn't let him, and I leashed him to me and he woke up at 6:50 and scratched at my door..he peed and pooped as I clicked and treated..came home, I fed him got in the shower..no more than ten minutes after he pooped outside I got out out of the shower and on my floor were threetinstone segments of poop...I just don't get that? It's like he doesn't release it all!! But it's still progress, I slept well other than thinking "wheres oak" -
I will be firm though now on the potty spot…I think having that will differentiate potty time from walk time too...it just won't be easy but luckily it's summer..
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I think you are on the right track…....now patience and repetition, and yes, good thing it is summer! My guy will sometimes "go" because of excitement, even if he has already gone. Otherwise I don't see any reason for your "surprise package" other than spite. Yeah, I know, dogs don't do that. But I have seen too many cases with Basenjis to rule it out!
(their inner "cat" coming out!) -
People can swear up and down that dog don't do things out of spite but Oakley sure does….but it would be nice if he'd just chew the throw pillows or steal the q-tips out of the trash rather than a surprise poop only ten minutes after the first!!
Oh Oakley,tomorrow is my birthday- I hope he gets the memo and decided to be splendidly well behaved...
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Is he still having soft stools? If so, he could have an allergy to the food.
Jennifer
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Somehow I still feel that this is due to feed. How often does he poo in a day normally (including the problem one)? please let us know the result of feeding him earlier. Personally i'd feed him only once a day and in the morning. You could increase this once he stops the night pooing. A normal, healthy dog should be able to go through the night after a certain age.
Have you considered raw feeding? Normally there is far less output with this because all nutrients are used. Have you had him vet checked to ensure that he is now clear of giardia which can be very persistent and immune to some wormers.
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"He has done this all his life and I'm sure it's not health related unless due to his gastrointestinal sensitivities…"
that may very well be the reason. What are the consistency of his stools once he goes???? If they are soft, may you can help with some fiber added from sweet potatoes (about two teaspoons) and the enzymes help with a dog's stomach. (I have recommended this to many people with a Vet's blessings) Is the amount of stools large or small bits here and there when he goes? I am not familiar with the ingredients of your food, does your Vet think there is a problem? For your sake and since you live up in the great white north....have you ever thought of having a small area for potty in the house? I know this is a wide open subject, and if you don't have another dog, maybe for convenience for the both of you??? If he is in your room at night, you can close the bedroom door and put a pad, paper, whatever placed in your bathroom so he can 'go' at night and not wake you for a walk or soil what you don't want soiled.....not an easy one-hope you can figure it out..
(oops, made this comment before I read pg3 of the thread.....)
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The consistency of his stools are formed, he usually poos in pieces. The first one or two pieces is always the biggest and most formed but the third and fourth tend to turn soft and less formed. Because he has done this "routine" all his life the vet feels its more behavioral and not health related. He has had giradhia check since and they were negative, he shows no discomfort when going to the bathroom, no swelling or tenderness when touched..he thinks this is a learned behavioral routine and I need to retrain him ( easier said than done when coupled with the fact he takes forever when outside and it's not an easy connection for him to make about outside->bathroom-> click despite the key terms and praise. I have thought and half tried to use pee pads to go to the bathroom and he realizes peeing on the pad but he doesn't connect pooping on it. But I do admit, I haven't put effort into teaching him to go in the house. I have recently started keeping my bedroom door locked so he can't push it open and I'm going to start a "bathroom log" to include what time he's waking me up at night to see if I can find trends or patterns.
He is such a smart dog I can't find reason why he isn't catching on to alerting me to go the bathroom, and at this point why he doesn't know when I say per or poop that it means "go! Nevertheless, I will try to find a workable food situation that works better, start the log and adjust walks to at first accommodate, clicker train and treat as he goes and slowly work towards why I want him to do.
I consider my self a smart dog owner and I did what people would consider the right things to do to potty train so I'm a little stumped as to why we are having these issues but the again, Oakleys always beat to the tune of his own drum.
I plan and Oakley laughs
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I got the pups used to useing the paper for everything from their first day with us. As they always slept in the bed with us, I would take them into the bathroom with me when I got up every 3 hrs or so and put them on the pad. They learned quickly, that once they were empty they got to crawl back in the nice warm bed and go back to sleep.
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Ok, so I hope this won't be 'gross' but maybe this weekend try to keep a piece of poop on his pad for the night time. Let him see/smell it on own. If he is following you as they do in the sleep ritual! In other words, don't make a big deal of it. Just stand there brushing your teeth or what ever, and do just like a basenji-pretend you are not looking or interested in the (small piece) of poop on the pad…..go to bed as usual and see what happens over night for the next few days. If it is a learned behavior and he just likes your company combined with his relief at 4am or whatever, try to break the cycle. Everything takes a little longer with these smarties. I guess they just like it their way!
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Kongo had giardia as a pup and had problems with diarrhea. I used to take him out on the regular without prompting. We have a bell by the door that we have been trying to get him to use. He doesn't ring it. He jumps on the door. I help him ring the bell before I open the door in hopes that one day he will get it.
I stopped taking him out every few hours and he was used to going outside so I think that is why he let me know by going to the door. I don't know if you do this or not, but I have been told that you shouldn't go back inside right after they use the bathroom, which is easy to do if they take forever to go in the first place. They said that if your B knows they go inside after they pee that they will hold it on purpose to stay outside longer.
Good luck! -
They said that if your B knows they go inside after they pee that they will hold it on purpose to stay outside longer.
Not if it's raining!
My guy has figured out that if he doesn't do what he was sent out to do, he is going to get wet! 
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Which Fromms are you feeding? Do you give any treats or biscuits?
Jennifer
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I have started (Saturday) to feeding him only in the morning. At 5:30 pm he gets up, starts getting into things to get my attention and playing with his bowl until I pick it up…it's been har because he's been so persistent at his "dinner time" to eat. I have notice that even with just feeding him 1 cup in the am that he still goes 2 times a day but he hasn't been getting up every night to pee or poop...two out of the three nights. I'm still debating picking up pee pads...I can't make up my mind I I want to go that route. If I can rework a few things and use repetition I'm hopeful I can retrain his mind. As for the type of Fromms I feed- I switch between two varieties at a time. This last rotation was 1 med size bag of the hickey a la veg and a med bag of grain free beef a la veg. He also only gets Fromms treats (mostly the cheddar or Parmesan version)..the only other supplementation comes from one 6" bully stick..a couple times a week
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I don't think Oakley will ever be the dog to go quickly, much I my dismay! However, I am working on outlasting him when he is stubborn to go and then to continue walking so as to get him to realize the walk continues after the bathroom break
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As suggested by another post, I prefer to feed first, then walk. I had a puppy mill foster who would walk for an hour in the AM, then poop in his crate. I gave him 2/3 cup of bran cereal for breakfast (mixed with LOTS of water) one morning, let him 'digest' for about 20 minutes, THEN took him walkies. Worked like a charm!
But hey, if it's raining out all bets are off…I actually put a tarp up one year because we had so much rain the dogs would refuse to go outside, then do it in the house. They liked having a roof to poop under!
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Yodelma: so glad that it's not just me!! Fortunately, my favorite time to walk or run is during the rain. It tends to be deserted on the streets and parks or forests..all you hear is the rain on the river or hitting the leaves ( it's my moment of sanity)..therefore Oakley has gotten used to the rain enough to where I know I can get him to go if I stay out long enough…it used I be concrete that he wouldn't go in the rain.
Ps- he no longer screams, he resists at first then gives in
