Puppy and confined spaces

[Lustopher]

@elbrant Starting tomorrow I'll make that our priority, as we've been postponing this for too long. 3-5 minutes every 30-60 or more often when possible. But I suspect he'll start crying at some point, I suppose I wait it out just I like I've been doing, right? Do I let him out first thing when I get inside, or do my 'i'm back' routine and then greet him?

[tanza]

@lustopher - I can honestly say that having Basenjis and raising Basenjis for over 30+ years... baby gates will not contain them... sorry to say... we built many years ago wooden gates that are over 4' high and do NOT have anything they can latch their feet onto to pull themselves up to climb over. Trying to keep a dog in a kennel when you are home is next to impossible... sorry to say... They are going to complain because they want to be with you...

[eeeefarm]

@tanza
I have seen my boy clear 3 feet from a standing start off a slippery hardwood floor, and have no doubt at all that 4 feet wouldn't have kept him in had he wished to be elsewhere. Like cats, Basenjis can find their way onto counters and table tops if the incentive is compelling enough. Yes, put a lid on the x-pen if you want to keep them in, and emphatically yes, don't confine them when you are home, they just get upset and frustrated. Teaching manners in the house and requesting what you want is a better approach, IMO.

(Perry knew exactly what I meant when he was underfoot in the kitchen and I said "Be somewhere that is not here!" He would adjourn to the living room couch and leave me in peace.)

[Roux]

I have nothing to add, just that Roux, at the tender age of 4 months, figured out that if she has a running start, she can get on the kitchen counter. 4 months. I suspect when she's grown she'll be able to fly!

[Scagnetti]

The dog in the video doesn't look like he's been crate trained. I'd recommend training crate skills plus impulse control drills. Also, practicing being alone before you actually leave him alone would probably be useful. A lot of people only make use of the crate when they're about to leave, instead you might first want to work on crate skills when you're not going to leave. As for practicing being alone, well, most pet dog owners don't do this at all, they just leave the dog for a few hours whenever they want to go out. You'd probably find more success with practicing these skills first before moving to real world experiences, just so the dog has some idea of what's going on. If you don't focus on the habituation stage (the first, beginning stage), then you're unlikely to have great success in real life instances.

Also, I wouldn't leave anything soft in the crate with the puppy, because it's only going to stimulate them and increase their energy, and because they're confined it will increase drive and motivation, but it can't get out, so it will build frustration, which in turn will build drive even more, etc. It's a horrible cycle. If you leave the dog with anything, pig's ears and bully sticks are what I'd choose. Of course, with these there's always a chance that they can choke if not supervised. However, it may be an option for the beginning when you're training being alone (which in the beginning shouldn't be very long; you build up duration slowly).

[Lustopher]

@Scagnetti Thanks for the input. We've been working on the crate since day one. We actually do crate games and impulse control drills daily, with and without the crate. Things like hand feeding with the food right under his nose, but he is not allowed to touch it; or dropping things around and moving through them; or simple things like waitting for my command to start eating, sometimes more than a minute (he just stares at me waitting for the release); or placing food close to him and just leaving the room (again, he just sits and waits). Also simple sits & waits before doing anything or when he is agitated (going out, getting back in, getting in the car, playing with toys, getting inside a room he wants or basically everytime HE wants something)

Now of course, we are talking about tens of seconds (under a minute or a little over), but what what can you expect from a puppy. He is doing great in this regard.

He also sleeps fine in the crate both during the day (we don't always have him lay in the crate, but for exercise purposes we have him sleep there once) and at night (with us in a separate room). If I have something to do and ask him to get in and stay there for a little while, he does. A few days ago he went inside alone and fell asleep for the first time ever, I was amazed. Didn't happen again since, but still.

I've noticed that he follows us around way too much. I fugred he was just curious, but it may be more than that. He jumps out of bed anytime both of us leave the room, or wakes up when one of us leaves. Since yesterday, we started to show him back where he was and ask him to stay (it takes a few tries before he does), so we are starting with that, alongside with short leavings (today we had in the crate with a kong for about 30 minutes and we just did what @elbrant suggested, aka leave for 1-3 minutes and come back.. after 2-3 times he didn't even bother checking on us). We'll continue this way, trying to increase the duration.

[tanza]

@lustopher - Please note that your puppy has been taken from his "littermates"... that he is used to being with, you are now his littermates, the reason that he follows you around... this is normal for any puppy from any breed.

[Lustopher]

Yea I understand that, but at the same time, I'd say that it's about time he starts to also understand that he doesn't always have to leave his chewing to check out what we're doing. I just feel like this is contributing negatively to him getting used to "alone" time. Note that he pretty much always does this.

[tanza]

@lustopher - Have to say, when you have one that is what is going to happen... think about it... if you have a human baby they would do the same at the age they are crawling and/or walking. You really, in my opinion expect them them do something different? Like human kids, some have issues being separated from the "family".... May I ask if you have the TV or radio on when you try and leave him? That might help...

[elbrant]

@lustopher said in Puppy and confined spaces:

it's about time he starts to also understand that he doesn't always have to leave his chewing to check out what we're doing

It doesn't happen often, but I agree with @tanza on this. He's a baby and it is pretty "normal", but also remember that dogs are pack animals. You, your significant other, and the pup are now his "pack". If you are in another room and he comes to look for you, I would suggest just ignoring him. If he comes to you, give him a pet and go back to whatever you were doing. He will either go back to the room he was in, or settle down somewhere in the room you are in. Both of which should be acceptable. This is something that may be less frequent as he gets older, but probably never disappear entirely. Which is a good thing, I think.