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Home alone-but not in the crate

Basenji Training
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    Kinda like childbirth ;)

  • Ziggy is 9 years old, had never lived inside a house (and wasn't housebroken), and was used to being crated. When I brought him home from the rescue organization, I kept his crate in my bedroom and put him in the crate whenever I was out of the house. Now that he's accustomed to sleeping in my bed with me, and has learned that the entire bedroom is "the den," I can leave him in the bedroom while I'm out and he doesn't pee or destroy anything in there. ~ Lori ~

  • She-Ra was one of those "Mall Pet Store" basenji's so even as a pup she'd gotten accustomed to eliminating where she ate, so crate training was really not much of a success. However, using pee-pads, if you're going to be gone, isn't a hard thing to train them to use (spray with bitter apple spray though…She-Ra LOVES to chew up the pee-pads!).

    We've also used "baby gates" with success to keep her out of danger rooms (kitchen, etc.). While Basenji's are natural climbers, Target sells a nice one that she's not been able to handle.

    Finally, just "Puppy-proof" your home and leave plenty of toys and chews around. Every now and then you'll come home to an accident, but for the most part she's quite content to have the run of (most of) the house.

Suggested Topics

  • Leaving her alone???!!

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    @Cafu said in Leaving her alone???!!: Hi, I leave my boy home for 1-2 hours regularly. If he is upset, he may chew on something, or find some personal item to either play with, or destroy. As long as you keep your valuables out of reach, it will be fine. Tom The issue isn't valuables. The issue is if he destroys and eats something that could kill him. Any dog that chews or destroys needs crating until he really is safe alone.
  • Peeing in the crate

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    @Janneke: Sorry.. but she hates her crate… and she has to be in it for 8 hours a day... And you don't walk her in the morning...? I would start with making sure your dog is tired in the morning before you put her in her crate. And maybe you can try to leave her loose in the house so she can move around? This is not only to you, but I read it so often on this forum that dogs spend entire days in their crates... I just don't understand that people can put their dogs in crates 8+ hours a day (I'm not including nights..) I agree with Janneke here - if she hates her crate, she may pee in it because she gets extremely unhappy there. Not all dogs need to be crated - I've never had a dog who was crated, and the two I have now are loose when we're gone because Shaye, who was 10 weeks when we got her, always hated it, never changed, and started breaking baby teeth on it. When we leave we leave them with a treat to get their immediate attention, and they usually sleep or keep themselves busy, with no damage or upset. Of course, we aren't usually gone more than 6 hours when we leave them.
  • Crate size?

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    I think I will buy a wire crate also. LIked that the plastic ones are more "den" like , but like you said I can just put a blanket at night… Thanks
  • Crate training

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    When you feed him in the crate and close do you walk away? I had a foster that was terrified of the crate and also suffered terrible anxiety w/peeing in the crate too. So I would feed him in the crate and then close the door and sit right there with him. At first I only closed the door half way, did that way for about a week then was able to close it all the (without latching) for another week. I would sit right next to the crate and praise him for eating his meals. Then I would scoot a few feet back at one meal, move back at the next and do that for a for a few times. Then I would stay at the few feet back. It is a slow process but it really really helped him in his crate training process and getting him over his fear. I was soon able to feed him in his crate and walk away. He was running to his crate and sitting for his meals. He still had his anxiety for long periods w/the peeing problem but we even worked on that were we could leave for short times and he wouldn't pee in his crate
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    I did, Pat. They are both Midwest and they wanted like $35 for each plus 20 shipping last I checked!! Foster&Smith seems like the cheapest. About $57 for one 36" and one 42" with shipping. Right now I've got George in a crappy old metal one (that has a rusted tray) and Pig is in one with a blanket. I decided I better get new ones just because I don't like him in the rusty one or Pig without a tray. I went to another pet store today and they wanted $40 and $37. Crazy! Thanks for the ideas guys…
  • Wrestling in the crate

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    ComicDom1C
    Our dogs do wander in and out of each other crates. They will even lay down in the others crates. Having said that, I am of the opinion that each dogs individual crate should be their own safe place. I know our Boston uses hers as a place to retreat when she does not wish to be bothered by the Basenji or just senses she needs to be out of the way. Roo our Basenji actually seems to respect that and will usually leave her be. Of course her crate is smaller so it would be difficult for both of them to be in it at once. Jason