Agree with @elbrant and I'd like to add, when you return be very matter of fact, do not make a big fuss, particularly if she is excited and effusive in her greeting to you. Sure, acknowledge her if you must but don't make any sort of big deal out of it. Go about your business, e.g. if you've been shopping, put your things away before spending any time with her. Your goal is to make your absence just part of a normal routine, nothing to be excited about. I've had two separation anxiety dogs, and you know you have won the battle when the dog just glances at you in an "oh, you're back" way and doesn't bother getting off the couch! Yes, people like it when their dog greets them and makes a big fuss, but if you feed that behaviour you give too much emphasis to your absence and that can grow into anxiety in your dog.
Please help!
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Hi Pippa, as you can read in most of these posts here, Basenjis are quite different to the 'normal' domesticated dog. You need to accomodate their behaviours and train yourself rather than train the animal. Our Pippi sleeps with us every night, under the blankets and we all have a great sleep (they are very clean dogs with no dog odour). Once she feels safe again she'll start peeing outside because they are fastidious dogs. As mentioned above, if you aren't in a position to accomodate these particular needs of the basenji then it will be best for Pippa to find a new home. That will be the best outcome for both parties as much as you love her.
Alison
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Hello, I’ve been leading a basenji-Mom life with Arlo for 3 years and our new love since January, little 5 year old Tully. I’ve always had dogs in my life but basenjis were new to me. I have the advantage of being retired so I do have the extra time a working person doesn’t. But I started reading about them quite a while before adopting one which I think helped me so much. Read everything you can get your hands on. (If you haven’t. ) The more I read the more fascinated I became. So I had the advantage of never expecting Arlo to be like any other breed. I loved the whole idea of the basenji. However, even given all I just said, I happened to read an entry in a journal written when we had probably had Arlo a couple of months. I was shocked to read how frustrated I was and actually angry with myself for starting over with a puppy. Arlo was driving me nuts. Peeing and pooping as soon as we came in the house from a long walk. Stealing my daughter’s underwear and destroying it. Stealing anything he could get his teeth into and running away at 90 miles an hour. Flip-flops were his specialty. I’m not sure how many, but we lost quite a few to his razor sharp teeth. He even bit my husband! And here 3years later I had forgotten all that bad stuff until I read it. My own little testimony to basenji puppy craziness. Here’s the thing. They are a lot of work. All puppies are, but it’s exponential with basenjis. They are just too damn smart. Basenjis are a bigger challenge.So, I reached out to the breeder, I read and read, I worked with our trainer and loved and loved that dog. My husband and I love how basenjis are different. We probably bore people to death with our stories and photos. What happens, I think, is that the basenji changes you. You become part of the crazy and exotic basenji world until you'd never settle for any other breed. Ever. So: my advice is to give little Pippa all the love you can. hold her. cuddle her. Find out what she likes. And yes, be firm. She needs to know you’re the boss. (Well Arlo is so full of himself he probably still thinks he’s the boss, just like my cats do). Pippa needs to be the biggest thing in your life right now. She is your little baby. Yeah, she’s going to make you crazy and you will wonder what in the world you were thinking when you adopted her. BUT: Like me, all this stuff passes in time if you just give it time and do the work and do the research and get support. And like everyone says, the rewards will be beyond your expectations. And remember, she is a Basenji. A dog like no other. You did right to reach out to this forum. Please ignore the people who say mean things. There are way more people here who will befriend you and support you. As long as you do what you need to do to love and raise your Pippa. Also, I’d give that crate another try, and put up with the screaming. It’s awful, but each night it got a little bit less horrible until the screaming stopped. The crate will keep her safe and keep your home from being destroyed. I would not leave my guys unsupervised with the run of the house. If they’re crated I know they’re safe. Best of luck to you and keep us up-dated.
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@cherif Hi. You need to know that the Basenji tends to become emotionally attached, thus you can't keep her away from you, specially at night. (They were developed to fear the dark, and this is an inherited trait that’s difficult to break.)
regarding her "peeing" issue, you need to figure out what is the cause. In my opinion, she is doing so because you are away... but with time she will get used to your absence during the day. Here is a tip: Get her a Kong, and everyday, before going out to work, put some Peanut butter inside the Kong and it will distract her for a long time.
PS: share pics of Pipa:)
Cheers mate,
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@Aileen Thank you for your constructive answer. First of all I thought this forum was a support forum not a judgement one and I am surprised and shocked at some of the answer.
Indeed, before adopting Pippa, my wife and I did a lot of research and chose to adopt her knowing all the responsibility that would come with her. We really love her and will do everything to make this adaptation period a very joyful experience.Yes it is true, it is our first basenji and the comparison with Biggy is inevitable. Anyway @Aileen you are the only one who got back to me constructively and I will update you on our day to day life with Pippa (last night was amazing by the way).
You are right, she still have some accidents because this environment is still new for her. Based on your advice I will start back crate training today (not for sleeping she loves her bed
)but for her to have her own special place during the day.Thank you again for your support. I hope this group will be less judgemental and more constructive in the future.
Have a good day everyone!
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Cherif, Ask Sam if you can read the private email I wrote to him. If not email me privately.
Peeing and pooping as you describe is just an expression of her feeling of insecurity - my pups always left me almost potty trained but I always told new owners that they were likely to revert for a couple of weeks until they settled to a new life and a different routine. You need to build Pippa's confidence, it'll be well worth your while, honestly !
Don't expect a Basenji to behave like ANY other dog, even another Basenji ! They are complete individuals - but they need an Alpha (and if you don't fill this role yourself, Pippa will !)
You mention your family - does this mean you have kids ? cos perhaps Pippa would settle in their room at night on her bed (or theirs !) cos she really does need the assurance of her 'pack' at night.
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@zande Great thank you! I will check with him and contact you privately
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@cherif said in Please help!:
@Aileen you are the only one who got back to me constructivelyHave a good day everyone!
I think there are many constructive things here. Anyone who has lived with a basenji, and has given their opinion, has written a constructive post.
Forums general rule: take what you can use, forget the restI'm glad last night was better, and perhaps with a good nights sleep, you can read the posts a bit more objectively?
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Good afternoon Cherif,
It seems like your little one wants attention and in fact that is what she needs. The more you can socialize a basenji puppy by being with them as much as you can in the beginning goes a very long way to having a very nice adult dog. Remember, she is a baby right now and everything is new and sometimes scary.
Regarding the replies you've received, I've come to realize that although some people express themselves very bluntly, everyone here is a fierce advocate for the breed. Their replies can be, shall I say, a bit "basenji-ish" - very independent and wary of strangers?
Last thing--basenjis really are not like any other dog breed. Not all of my friends who met my basenjis were thrilled by them. They liked the way they looked, but since basenjis do not run up to strangers and wag their tails and seek attention, my friends didn't know what to make of them.
I feel that they are more like cats in dog suits.
You are in good hands, advice-wise now, and you are in for a treat with your new pup. Please post some pictures when things have calmed down.
"Everyone thinks they have the best dog. And none of them are wrong.” --W.R. Purche
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Hi cherif, im not sure if ur statement made sense.... the dog has been at ur place for less than a week and ur nagging?? Please reconsider what u said before sharing such comments. And share pics of the little baby
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@b5004ever “Their replies can be, shall I say, a bit "basenji-ish"
Lmao, the thought of a bunch of people as quirky and willful as Basenjis should be enough to scare anyone away lol.
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I'm hoping things work out for you and your Basenji. It can be extremely overwhelming dealing w/ a new dog never mind that the new dog is a BASENJI ( puts a whole new spin on things). I know many of the people have sounded very CRITICAL but I think they mean well. Please hang in there I'm sure it will all work out and you'll be able to enjoy your new member of the family. Best wishes - it will all turn out well in the end!
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Dear @cherif , after a long research i concluded that you can try to mix lemon juice with coconut powder, and bath his feet (only) for 20 minutes every night. try also to sing for him 30 minutes before going to sleep so that his anxiety decreases with time
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@steven12 said in Please help!:
lemon juice with coconut powder
While unproven home remedies suggest those for yeast, I cannot imagine what makes you think it will calm the dog. Also not sure the lemon juice would be good for soaking nightly as it can affect pH level.
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Some observations.
Generally, just ask for a show of hands, I'm the one usually accused of harsh responses. It's a bit amusing to see them. Yes, some were harsh, but in an "our job is to make sure the puppy is taken care of, not try to tell you that you are perfectly logical and right in what you are doing." If you try to remember that this forum is dedicated to the dogs, you'll (Edit, no idea how I erased it before) take it less personally.
Anyone extrapolating that your distress means you don't/won't love the puppy is out of line... as is the foul-mouthed response to her. You have a new puppy and your expectations need adjusting.
Something that concerns me is that both you and Samm got puppies that are pretty... emotional. That trip from France to Beirut, all the changes.. that could explain everything. But you both need to be talking to the breeder about temperament and quirks of their line. Someone suggested... and it seems to have gotten lost ... is to make SURE the sudden pee/poop isn't medical.
You are moving too fast and the result is flipping her out and then you're reacting to that. It's normal. But understand that the concern is that if you think things are out of control now, stay on the path you are on. Start over. Reevaluate her needs because if she's happy, you'll be happy.
There is no getting around the suggestions of everyone that she needs to be with you. If you had a big pack, it might be easier to get them all to sleep elsewhere... but right now, it really is cruel.The crate issue needs to be fixed as soon as things settle. At some point, she could need crating and you don't want both the stress of an emergency and not used to a crate at the same time.
Btw, I'm in Haifa, Israel. If you both aren't familiar with parkwork, please call your vets quickly. In the US we have heartworms. Here it's parkworm. Feel free to message me if you need any info on it.
It sounds trite, but honestly, things get better. Look at her as a baby and one you have time to work on shaping her.
Mary's lessons are very easy to follow. She's also very calm and approachable so if you have questions, I'll give you her email.
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Jellybeans. That was the key to my crate training my son's basenji. NOT black jellybeans, they stink. Cinnamon is not a favorite. The dog only gets jelly beans in the crate. Even today, if we have workmen in and I need to crate, she knows by the jelly beans that all is well, and she calms (but still is vocal - she is a Basenji after all
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@DebraDownSouth Thank you for your reply... My grandma used to apply it on her cat and it worked for her.
@cherif maybe her anxiety comes from heart issues ? have you tried to take her to a cardiologist ? -
@cherif how’s pipa doing? Hope she is better and you are enjoying her company
Mine is doing great! So if you need any help don’t hesitate.Tc bud
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Hello guys, pippa is amazing! she have her full confidence now and is learning super quickly
Thank you all for your help!
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@cherif please talk to her in your local language not
In English!With mistakes such as « she have » she will be learning poor grammar mistakes. And this cannot be acceptable for a Basenji!!!
Thank you for your understanding
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@steven12 NO ! Bring her up to be multi lingual - Basenjis are great communicators and need the challenge of two (or more) languages !
