@Quercus:
I would definitely try a closed off room. Make it completely basenji proofed…unplug wire he could possibly chew on. You might make a game of it. Close him in there with a chewie, then if he is quiet for five minutes walk in with some treats. Do it for 10, do it for 20, leave the house for 20 , leave the house for 30.
THis is similar to what I tried with Cleo. I closed all doors to the bedrooms & bathrooms, made sure nothing was near the edge of the kitchen counters, & unpluged any cords I thought she may be tempted to chew. Then I started leaving her loose in the house while I made short trips, only 10-15 mins, to the bank, post office, etc. One afternoon while I was working my sister came over to walk Cleo and did not latch her crate properly, so when I came home from work I was very surprised when Cleo met me at the front door!:eek: Thankfully she had not touched a thing in the house & ever since then she has not been crated & we have had no problems.
All this happened just after Cleo turned 4, but I wish I had been brave enough to try sooner, because she was always terrible with the crate too. When she was a pup she would scream all night long, so she has slept in bed with me from a very young age. She also soiled her bedding many times, and tore up everything that was put in there with her.
During the day she learned very quickly what activites we do before leaving the house, and that this meant she would be going into her crate. If we told her "kennel" she would run away so fast and find a place to hide; and if you tried to pick her up & put her in there she would growl & try to bite!! These behaviors actually got worse as she got older so finally I decided we better try something different. Ironically, the kennel is now one of her favorite places to go nap!
I think it is very possible that some dogs just can't be crated, I don't think it hurts to try something different as long as you can provide a safe environment for your dog. Hopefully you will be pleasantly surprised like I was!