New Basenji arriving Saturday and a few questions

[c-bus]

Thanks for the advice. I was a bit worried about her being able to climb/ hop over the gate; I had read that they are great climbers. I will have to create something better than a baby gate like you suggested. I will also look into the xpen. We found our B on a site called puppyfind. There seemed to be a lot of breeders there and we called a few, asked questions, and finally settled on one in Texas (Carrol Woods). We tried looking for a rescue dog here in San Diego but didn't find anything. We did some research online, discovered the Basenji, did a whole lot more research and settled on our little girl.

[etzbseder]

I must comment on the kitchen gate, as Medjai is fine with most baby gates, but he has also jumped over 4 feet, so making a gate that tall won't keep him if he really wants through.

You'll have all sorts of new fun stories now that you have gotten a new Basenji/corn chip.

[dmcarty]

By the time my puppies are old enough to go - they have figured out how to go over the baby gate. You might want to consider dog litter. I have not tried it but I know that others have used in as you were thinking quite effectively. It is not sand but more compressed paper pellets.

Not familiar with Carrol Woods in TX - have you documentation on parents fanconi test - that is quite important.

[kiroja]

I have used a litterbox for puppies and it has worked well. They make doggie litterboxes but you can just buy a big kitty one or some other tray of similar size to save money. And for the bedding I use wood pellets, get them from a farm store. They are made for bedding horse stalls, or you can get the pine pellets made for wood stoves. You can probably use some of the ones made for cats that are pelleted recycled paper too. Once the puppies are a bit older and aren't so paper shredding prone, I just line the litterbox with newspaper and it makes it easier than having stray pellets getting kicked around the house. They are not fun to step on barefoot! lol

Like Pat suggested, I would get an xpen, and a top for it, then set up a nice crate or bed in one corner and the litterbox in another. You can try the pee pads too, but I find mine liked to just shred them. Gating off the kitchen would best be left for a more trustworthy older pup/adult. Like others have said they are still good escape artists and kitchen cupboards are so tempting to gnaw on. You can do a lot to puppy proof the room, but there is still a lot of damage they can do that you probably don't want to see. lol Best to confine them in a more chew friendly area during those teething months.

Good luck with your new baby, I hope she comes from happy, healthy, well tested parents.

[c-bus]

Thanks for all the support. In regards to the Fanconi, one of the many questions we asked was about Fanconi and she told us that both parents were clear. I have not personally seen the documentation though.

We have been looking into the exercise pen. Most of the ones we've seen have eight panels that are 24" wide (an octagon). That encloses about 15 square feet. Is that enough space? Also there were several heights, 24, 30, 36", etc. What height would you recommend? I was thinking the 36".

What type of dog food would your recommend? I have heard Aveeno is a good brand.

[lvoss]

You can easily verify if the parents have been tested yourself as long as the breeder has provided you with their registered names which they should have. Fanconi is a heartbreaking disease, please go to the OFA website and verify that the parents are clear.

http://www.offa.org

[lvoss]

I think maybe you are thinking of Evo since Aveeno makes soap. Evo is a good brand of grain free kibble.

[dmcarty]

If you have a top - you can get buy with a 36 otherwise - I bet if you asked how tall fences are on this list you would be hard pressed to find anyone with less than 5 feet tall. My xpens are 5 ft AND a top.

[mauigirl]

@c-bus:

What type of dog food would your recommend? I have heard Aveeno is a good brand.

I feed both of mine Evo but I didn't start my boy on it til he was almost 1. I was concerned about the protein levels b/c www.dogfoodanalysis.com said it might be a little high for a puppy's kidneys. As dog foods go, it has a lot of protein even for an adult.

[renaultf1]

@kiroja:

I have used a litterbox for puppies and it has worked well. They make doggie litterboxes but you can just buy a big kitty one or some other tray of similar size to save money. And for the bedding I use wood pellets, get them from a farm store. They are made for bedding horse stalls, or you can get the pine pellets made for wood stoves. You can probably use some of the ones made for cats that are pelleted recycled paper too. Once the puppies are a bit older and aren't so paper shredding prone, I just line the litterbox with newspaper and it makes it easier than having stray pellets getting kicked around the house. They are not fun to step on barefoot!.

Hey C-Bus…welcome & congrats on your new pup. Ruby's breeder has used both the paper pellet litter and wood shavings in cat litter boxes for their puppies. In the local pet store, the paper pellet kitty litter is called "Yesterday's News". And the wood shavings can be found at Tractor Supply called "Equine Pine". The Equine Pine route is definitely the cheapest, plus it makes the inside of the house smell nice...wood shavings.

[sharronhurlbut]

Shouldn't a puppy have puppy food?
I don't know, that is why I am asking

[lvoss]

@sharronhurlbut:

Shouldn't a puppy have puppy food?
I don't know, that is why I am asking

The biggest difference between adult formulas and puppy formulas are usually protein and fat contents. Puppies don't neccessarily need a puppy food and there are some people who believe that it is better not to feed puppy foods. I have used a puppy formula for my first two litters because they burned lots of calories and the puppy foods usually are high calorie. This litter had Merrick's BG for breakfast and raw medallions for dinner and have done just as well.

If anyone is looking for a grain free puppy food, I recently discovered that Orijen makes one.

[tanza]

@lvoss:

You can easily verify if the parents have been tested yourself as long as the breeder has provided you with their registered names which they should have. Fanconi is a heartbreaking disease, please go to the OFA website and verify that the parents are clear.

http://www.offa.org

Yes, it is easy to check health records. And you can also use their registration numbers to seach the records.

[sharronhurlbut]

Re, puppy food.
Thanks lvoss for this info.

[c-bus]

Well because the only flight without a long layover is tomorrow, it looks like I will be taking off of work and picking up our new lady tomorrow morning.

Another question. I will be attempting to crate train her, I have a fairly large crate that was given to me and I am going to get dividers; how small should I make it?

Thanks again for all the help.

[kiroja]

A great place to go for information on what to feed your dog is the Whole Dog Journal. http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/

Every year they do a lovely article on food. They give you great tips on how to read labels and what things to watch out for. You can then make an informed decision on what you feel comfortable feeding your dogs. At the end of the article they have a listing of all the brands and varieties of dog food that they deem "acceptable." There's quite a variety from the economical choice of Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul, to some of the high end foods like Evo. It is WELL worth the read and a great tool to have when making a trip to the pet store. I usually print out the list for my puppy buyers and ask them to at least please feed something that is on the list, unless they'd love to go raw.

You can purchase the article from their website, it is $10. Better yet, get a subscription to the magazine! It's really nicely done with a good holistic attitude and they have nice positive training and behavioral articles.

Looks like they JUST came out with 2009's dry food review, there's a link to the article on the home page where you can go, and then after a quick intro blurb you can click on "purchase selection" to then download the whole thing.

[Ninabeana26]

I have been told by my breeder & have read that the best way to avoid them using their crate for a bathroom is to allow enough space for the puppy to stand & turn around. If given too much more space, she will ultimately make a potty corner & it is extremely difficult to get a dog to stop going in their crate once they have begun. Hope that helps!

Be sure to post pictures of the new baby! We loooooove pictures around here

[c-bus]

I'm heeding everyone's advice about getting a top for my exercise pen. What type of top do you recommend? I saw online several options, a rigid metal top and a netting type. I like the security of the rigid metal top but if the netting type will work then I would prefer to be able to change the shape of the pen. Have any of you had experience with these?

Oh, and the update, her plane was delayed so she won't be here until around 4 pacific standard time. We can't wait.

Also, I was reading a book on Basenjis and it recommended not playing with the new pup too much early on and allowing it to get used to the idea of its crate and down time. What are your thoughts?

[tanza]

@c-bus:

I'm heeding everyone's advice about getting a top for my exercise pen. What type of top do you recommend? I saw online several options, a rigid metal top and a netting type. I like the security of the rigid metal top but if the netting type will work then I would prefer to be able to change the shape of the pen. Have any of you had experience with these?

Oh, and the update, her plane was delayed so she won't be here until around 4 pacific standard time. We can't wait.

Also, I was reading a book on Basenjis and it recommended not playing with the new pup too much early on and allowing it to get used to the idea of its crate and down time. What are your thoughts?

Metal for sure for the top, IMO….. they can "chew" right through the netting type....

And I am not sure where you read that about not play with a new pup? I certainly would disagree totally with that idea.... That is part of bonding... As we all say "A tired Basenji is a good Basenji"!

And if you find that your girl's parents have not been DNA tested for Fanconi, you might want to consider having her DNA. You can read about it at www.basenjihealth.org

[c-bus]

I picked up a book called Basenji by Mary Lou Kenworthy. The book seems good. I don't want to misconstrue what she said; she seemed to be saying that when you get home from picking up the pup not to go directly to playing with it but to put it in its crate, let it settle in, and after a while take it out to eliminate then you can play with it. She seemed to be big on setting the tone that just because your home doesn't mean the pup will be out of the crate all the time. I sure we will be playing it by feel. I, like you, felt like that would be the opposite and we would want to bond with it, that is why I asked. Thanks.

Also, can we begin to socialize her with other dogs or is there a period where they are susceptible to illnesses. She will be nine weeks old and has had the first round of shots. We would like to take her out for exercise at the dog park or something like that. She is scheduled for a well dog exam on Monday. If not, how long should we wait?