In addition to all of the above posts, there are definitely basenjis who will not be crated. I have one. Went through all the correct procedures trying to crate Shaye as a new puppy. We got her a wire crate, the right size, put a soft piece of our clothing in it, put it next to our bed at first so we could touch her through the bars - she screamed all the time she was in there, did her business wih her butt against the side so it would go outside, peed all over the place and sat in it, even though we were very slow and careful with it. The eventual result was she broke nearly all her baby teeth biting the crate, never calmed down in it, would not go in to eat, get treats or anything else. Her personality has never changed; she still backs off if she even sees crates other dogs are sleeping in. She is now nearly five, and she does not act like that when she needs to be kenneled at a daycare place, she seems to know it's different there, although if possible she will try to climb her way out at first. When she cannot, she will calm down and rest for the hour they put her in there during the day. Be patient, but if it just never works, so be it. Once Shaye got a little older and we got her a companion, she has been totally trustworthy while we are gone.
When to stop crate training
-
Hi all,
I am a first time owner of a basenji. I crate my 8 month old pup when I am at work. I normally come home at lunch to let her out for 30 min. When can I start leaving her out while I am at work? She doesn't chew on furniture because I give her bully sticks while I am home. She did pee on my bed 2 weeks ago while we were playing. Normally she goes to the door when she needs to go. Is she ready for more freedom during the day? -
It's really dependent on the personality of the puppy, if you're willing to sacrifice some household items in the event that the dog isn't ready, and reality.
What I did was set up a time on my offday.....letft skype and webcam on so I could watch the process "away from home"...and left him for several hours alone. But, could come home immediately if things weren't going well... However that might not be an option for you.
You could always just try things out and experiment. My one dog reached his full adult status (personality) by 8 months. The other one I couldn't trust until she was over a year old.
Provided your dog doesn't have anxiety issues or is hyperactive there really isn't a lot to worry about. However, anxiety can lead to costly destruction damage....
-
You might want to start off slowly, by restricting the areas she has access to when you aren't there. And make your first few absences brief in case things don't go as planned. Some sort of distraction when you are actually going out the door is good, e.g. give her a bully stick or toy to keep her busy, and never, ever, make leaving a big deal! Or returning. Be as matter of fact as you can. You want her to feel it's normal and nothing special, so don't make a big fuss of her after your absence.
-
It depends. I've never had to crate another breed forever, but my one basenji would get destructive if left alone.. the 2nd one would pee on my bed. So crating it was. However, I'm home so they were rarely crated. My current basenji is fine loose as long as she's alone. So like they said, do it slow, confine to an area that is safe and see how it works out. But if you need to keep crating, most dogs sleep far more than people.. up to 17 hrs a day. Just exercise before and lots after so they aren't bored.
