All great advice above. Definitely not separation anxiety as elbrant says. It's normal. Practicing crate training a few hours a day at different times is important for when you need to run errands or if you travel with your dog. Mine whined a lot at first. He still doesn't like getting into the crate when he realizes that I'm on my way out (putting on coat, etc), but willingly goes in at our dinner time cause I feed him treats when he's in. We don't like him pestering while we eat. Feeding while in crate, and practicing rewards with the crate door OPEN the whole time, builds positive association with the crate, but a Basenji is smart enough to know the difference. In any case, it helps and the sooner you get started crate training and he or she learns to self-sooth and relax in the crate, the better.
puppy exhibiting behaviors that are questionable
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He is doing three things that worry me: he is biting things he shouldnt, he is crying quite loudly in the crate, and he doesn't listen to me all the time
at night, for example, he will bite at the sheets and twist them and sometimes brings them up momentarily before bringing them down. I try to stop him by saying ''no'' but he usually goes ahead and bites me or the sheets. sometimes i',m able to make him bite a specific toy. someimes it works. But I'm wondering if its okay to let him bite since he is only around 8 months old. I try to direct his energy to the toy but he doesn't show interest most of the time. I'm wondering what I should do since I dont want him to chew up the sheets when he is older.
He also crys quite louldy when I put him in the crate. I take him out to do his business but he still crys at night. He always shakes his crate as he crys as wll. Just to let you know, he tends to shake and move his crate slightly during this period. I was wondering what I should do since I dont want him to think he is being punished. I want him to grow up knowing that he needs to go into the crate sometimes.
Also, when I call him he tends to ignore me usually. I also am able to beckon towards me when I make a noise and say ''good boy'' which is usually followed by ''good boy''.It seems as though he is following me sometimes when I call him but I want him to do it a majrity of the time. Should I expect him to ignore me sometimes since he is a basenji or should I expect him to come to me when called. I can feed him a treat when called to strengthen the 'call'.
Garcia, Allan
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Having an 8 mo old biting is a bad idea. Have you talked to his breeder?
Mary's page has easy to understand and follow training. Also more exercise. If you put a TIRED basenji into a crate, you'll have less issues. Also provide entertainment.. such as a kong, frozen with a smear of cream cheese or peanut butter so they stay occupied getting it out.
When he tears at sheets or bite, move him promptly and consistently and say a command such as "no bite" or "No chew", in stern voice, the totally ignore.http://www.clickerlessons.com/index.htm
Please post pictures soon. We love sharing pics.
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sorry, he is 8 weeks old. so it makes me think its normal to a certain extent. but I think I should be teaching him to release his energy on toys instead of furniture and what not.
Thanks for answering. When I take good pic, I'll post it.
Garcia, Allan
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I thought, wow did I read that wrong. Glad YOU put months not weeks, instead of me being senile!
At 8 weeks, they are going to use their mouths.
It's a matter of training. At that age, you can gently wrap your fingers around the muzzle and say NO BITE and then ignore. Puppies crave attention and he WILL get it sooner rather than later that a bite means he loses attention. -
They don't learn this in weeks.... takes months and that goes for any puppy, not just Basenjis
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Is he biting at the sheets like a chew toy or is he trying to get under the sheets? My girl will pick the sheets up in her mouth and flip them up in the air to scoot under them. She will do this over and over again unpolished has the sheets exactly the way she likes it. It took her a while to "train" herself how to do it.
Margie -
@margiem Yea, he bites his blanket. probably because he is still a puppy. He doesn't do it to cover himself.
Garcia, Allan
