Can he stop?

[Janneke]

Today was horrible.. Mirtillo had energy for three basenjis! He was running, biting.. stealing.. chewing on furniture.. running again.. etc. I so lost my patience! Yesterday it was the same, but we had some (human) brother/sisters visiting, so I figured that was the reason for his behaviour.

Today I was alone with him, but he was still very energetic! Last week went great. He played, slept, ate and walked on time and with a normal energy level. I started him on new food on Saterday (25 % at first, since today 50 % new food), so maybe that's the reason for his energy? Is this possible?

He can walk freely through the house all day long, but now I'm thinking about crating him every couple of hours, just to calm him down. Is this a good idea? He is in his crate around dinner (17.30-19.30) and at night and he has no real problems with this. I just made a kind of schedule when to feed/play/crate/walk him.
He gets his food around 8, 12, 16, and 20 o'clock now. I want to bring this back to three times a day and the rest (his fourth meal) is for treats during our walks/training sessions. (good idea?)

I wondered how many times I can crate him and for how long. He gets out at night around 5 am for a quick pee and in the morning (the real morning ;)) he comes out at 7.30 am. I'm thinking about crating him again at 9.30-11.30, 14.30-16.00 and 18.00-19.30. We go to bed around 22.30, so then he goes into his crate again. I want to feed him around 9.00 (so I can eat first), 14.00and 19.30.

Because I'm home a lot, It doesn't really feel okay to put him in his crate this many times, but on the other hand.. Now I have to watch.. and correct.. him all the time!!

I have to say this: he is really sweet when he is a sleep (he is laying in his crate at the moment.. exhausted.. I opened the door just now.. but he doesn't feel like coming out..)
And he is also 'the perfect dog' when we go for our walks. We do this about 5 times a day for 15 minutes incl. some training. He can already 'wait' for the doors and the roads. He just sits there, looking at me to get his treat.. The pulling.. or non-pulling on the leach is going very well too. Sometimes he even walks besides me looking at me! proud Of course he gets his rewards at those times!

Everybody with some help (or mental support!) is welcome to respond/react!

Many thanks in advance!

Just a picture of him being a good boy and telling me that I have to hurry with taking a photo, because he rreallly has to pee!

[JazzysMom]

I have to say, my first response when I saw the question, "Can he stop?", was NO – he's a Basenji pup!

I don't know that crating will calm him when he's up and about. When Keoki wasn't asleep as a puppy -- heck, even now at 1 yr old -- he is WOUND UP. Crating doesn't calm him, it gets him more worked up. The times that he is wild are the times when we have to play with him to keep him busy. That is outside time, play catch or tug-a-war time, etc. or sometimes giving him a chewing treat will slow him down for a while.

I wish I could help, but we just watch him closely and wait for nap times. LOL
We don't schedule his naps, he does. But we sure do enjoy them.

[Janneke]

yeah, I know he's a pup! The breeder told me that when he is really going mad, (and then not the I-want-to-play-going mad, but the I'm-too-tired-to-stop-going mad) I just have to hold him. No real petting, just holding him and when he calms down, I should put him in his crate. This is working pretty well late in the afternoon.

[JazzysMom]

@Janneke:

yeah, I know he's a pup! The breeder told me that when he is really going mad, (and then not the I-want-to-play-going mad, but the I'm-too-tired-to-stop-going mad) I just have to hold him. No real petting, just holding him and when he calms down, I should put him in his crate. This is working pretty well late in the afternoon.

I will say, when Keoki is going insane as he sometimes still does, making the other dogs miserable, holding him and telling him to settle down does work.

[sharronhurlbut]

A tired basenji pup is a good basenji pup.
Get an old fishing pole and put a bit of "fluff" or something soft on it.
Take it out in the backyard and cast it.
Run him until he drops.
Repeat…
Laugh.
Good luck.

[JazzysMom]

@sharronhurlbut:

A tired basenji pup is a good basenji pup.
Get an old fishing pole and put a bit of "fluff" or something soft on it.
Take it out in the backyard and cast it.
Run him until he drops.
Repeat…
Laugh.
Good luck.

Oh yeah!!!!

We tied stuffed animals onto the end of a lunge whip and ran the pups all over the place! I'd forgotten!!!

GREAT idea!

[lvoss]

As has been said, a tired basenji is a good basenji. You should be able to go down to 3 feedings and just cut back the amount at each feeding if you are supplementing with treats. If you are home most of the day you could even cut back to 2 feedings and then have short training sessions for the rest of his food so instead of a mid-day meal he would have a training session where he is basically hand fed that meal.

The mental exercise involved in training can help wear out a puppy, what things are you working on?

How old is your pup? Somewhat longer walks, closer to 20-30 minutes may also really help dissipate some of his energy.

Also using things like a stuffed Kong or Busy Buddy for his morning and evening meals so he is working to get his meals will also help with the energy and the chewing. My 15 month old will wake up every morning and chew on a nylabone for a good 20 minutes every morning to work her jaw, followed by a 20 minute walk, then she comes home and play with her 3 year old sister until we leave for work.

[myran]

I agree that those 15 minute walks aren´t enough they are what I call a quickie.I took Efia out for a 30 min twice a day and let her run free in the woods.Now at the age of 16 weeks she has apart from the quickies 1 hour in the morning and 30 minutes in the afternoon.All you have to remember is to let the pup move free at her own pace if it´s a longer outing and if it´s on leash take brakes for her to rest.I feed her 3 times a day and take treats with me for the off leash walk.At home I watch her like a hawk so that I can stop her when she shows intentions to do something silly.But yes having a pup is like having a toddler again and when she goes to a her crate for the night at 8.30 pm i´m a happy bunny that´s when my time begins;)

[Barklessdog]

I would take him on some really long walks or go running with him.It will be good for both of you. Also you can put him on his leed and take him to a park for a walk.

He needs a lot of excersize you are not providing him. Basenji's are sight hounds who love to run. They are also very intelligent so they need to be mentally occupied.

I would do the long walks, at least twice a day and take as many training classes as you can.

Do punish him for being a dog. Basenji's do not respond to negitive training or punishment. You need to focus him on positive things like training and play.

[Duke]

Puppies are a challenge…enjoy the good and the bad antics, cause they grow up super fast. Now is a great time to start training. It keeps their attention, out of trouble while learning with all those yummy treats. Mirtillo is a cutey! How can you stay mad at that...

[Janneke]

We walk 5 times a day 15 minutes, because I don't believe it is good for a puppy to walk too long. We add 5 minutes every month: 3 months, 15 minutes; 4 months, 20 minutes etc. When we walk further/longer, I carry him.
(this is also being told on training classes)

He can run and play in the house and the garden. I don't let him off leach outside, because there are cars all over the place. We do run and play outside, but on the leach.

Today went much better btw. I think yesterday was just a 'bad day'. He hasn't been in his crate all day, he is just playing in a normal way..

[Janneke]

About the five times.. I think it's a bit more.. It's 3 pm now and we already went out four times.

[Barklessdog]

Since you're covering the walks then puppy training can tire him out as well.

Another thing I remember to keep a puppy occupied was to tie a long lead to your belt or waist and to the puppies collar. It keeps him occupied, your know where is is and helps train him with excepted behavior in the house.

I still do that outside sometimes with our 7 year old tri, but I use a leash, when I work in the garden out in our front yard (no fence). He excepts it and enjoys it if it's a nice day. Sometimes he will just lay in the grass or sun, while I work.

It was funny he used to follow my son when he would cut the back yard (fenced in). He just walked several feet behind him, walking row after row. It was funny because it was like he was cutting the yard too.

Maybe a chew toy in his crate might help calm him down (teething?)

Our first dog is and was very needy of attention as a puppy (still is) when we got our second dog that made a big difference in keeping him occupied.

Basenji's seem to do well in pairs.

[Everliene]

Our Basenji Gaia is now 15 weeks old. In the morning we do a 20 / 25 minutes walk with her. In the afternoon we usually go to a place where she can run and play freely with other dogs. When we see that she is getting tired (she stops chasing other dogs, losing interest in the other dogs) we know that it is time to go home. Sometimes she is tired after an hour, somtimes after a longer time. I know that some people use the method: for every week of age, a minute walk. We used this methode in the beginning, but we discovered that our Basenji simply had to much energy left over. We asked our vet for advice.
He said that it is better to watch your dog getting tired.

[tanza]

@Everliene:

Our Basenji Gaia is now 15 weeks old. In the morning we do a 20 / 25 minutes walk with her. In the afternoon we usually go to a place where she can run and play freely with other dogs. When we see that she is getting tired (she stops chasing other dogs, losing interest in the other dogs) we know that it is time to go home. Sometimes she is tired after an hour, somtimes after a longer time. I know that some people use the method: for every week of age, a minute walk. We used this methode in the beginning, but we discovered that our Basenji simply had to much energy left over. We asked our vet for advice.
He said that it is better to watch your dog getting tired.

Excellent advise!

[Janneke]

Ok, We extended the walks and put his food in the Kong or in his ball. It works pretty well.. He is only very energetic around 14.00 - 17.00. We can live with that.

I do notice that he can't really find his rest. He doesn't just lay down, but when we put him in his crate or sit with him, he immediatly falls asleep and snores.

[tanza]

@Janneke:

Ok, We extended the walks and put his food in the Kong or in his ball. It works pretty well.. He is only very energetic around 14.00 - 17.00. We can live with that.

I do notice that he can't really find his rest. He doesn't just lay down, but when we put him in his crate or sit with him, he immediatly falls asleep and snores.

I have found that is pretty typical especially for male puppies…. they are too busy and "forget" or think they are going to miss something to rest on their own....

[Everliene]

@Janneke:

Ok, We extended the walks and put his food in the Kong or in his ball. It works pretty well.. He is only very energetic around 14.00 - 17.00. We can live with that.

I do notice that he can't really find his rest. He doesn't just lay down, but when we put him in his crate or sit with him, he immediatly falls asleep and snores.

We live in Naaldwijk, a little town. As we walk with Gaia in the neighbourhood we don't let her off leach, because of the cars. But we find it important that she can play freely everyday. So we discovered some places a bit further and use the car to get there. Maybe there are some places nearby Utrecht?

When Gaia is energetic although we went out with her, we sit with her, and give her something to chew on. Then, she falls asleep.

[Janneke]

@Everliene:

We live in Naaldwijk, a little town. As we walk with Gaia in the neighbourhood we don't let her off leach, because of the cars. But we find it important that she can play freely everyday. So we discovered some places a bit further and use the car to get there. Maybe there are some places nearby Utrecht?

When Gaia is energetic although we went out with her, we sit with her, and give her something to chew on. Then, she falls asleep.

We live in Bunchoten, provincie Utrecht. It's a little town as well. There is a forest in A'foort and Baarn (only 10 km) and we have a small beach. (no dogs allowed, but it's too cold to swim now..)

The problem is: I'm really scared he just takes off :eek: I had him off leach the other day and he just walked away and when I called him, he was like.. yeah right.. When he is on leach he listens very well..

My other dog was off leach from the age of 8 weeks. She always followed. I'm scared Mirtillo won't..

[lvoss]

Do you have really yummy treats with you? I usually start with name response to condition my dogs that when they hear their name something really good is likely. Then when we go on country walks and I call their name they rush over to get their goodie. They also usually just check in on their own to see if I will give them a bit of something yummy. This has worked really well for me.