Crate for sleeping at night should always be in the bedroom with their people. Should be close to the bed. I use wire crates and typically have more than one Basenji so the crates are all next to each other, but still in the room we sleep in. If an only Basenji should be next to your bed that that your pup knows where you are and you can dangle your fingers in the crate to assure them you are there. And cover the crate to make it more den like. Agree with a "crate buddy" stuffed big toy... and this crate buddy should only be used in the crate at night. I have never had any of my Basenjis sleep in any other room other then the one I sleep in. I also agree that in a car any dog should be confined in a crate, period.
What tests do I need when buying a puppy?
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I would guess the more the better, but which tests would you consider an ABSOLUTE necessity, and which could a new puppy purchaser let slide - any? I'm picky, and since researching I would want Fanconi, IPSID, Progressive Retinal Atrophy, Hemolytic Anemia, Hip Dysplasia, Thyroid and PPM. I'm getting all of these questions from reading and from the links on this forum - thanks to those who have provided all of this great information.
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I would say at minimum the breeder should be using dogs in their breeding program that have up to date CERF, OFA hips, and OFA DNA Fanconi test. They should also be able to talk to you in detail about the health of the dogs in the pedigree including the current status of the dogs or age and cause of death and which dogs may have been lost track of (it happens even to the best breeders).
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I would guess the more the better, but which tests would you consider an ABSOLUTE necessity, and which could a new puppy purchaser let slide - any? I'm picky, and since researching I would want Fanconi, IPSID, Progressive Retinal Atrophy, Hemolytic Anemia, Hip Dysplasia, Thyroid and PPM. I'm getting all of these questions from reading and from the links on this forum - thanks to those who have provided all of this great information.
Hemolytic Anemia is pretty much gone from the breed, so in looking at the parents, as long as either they or their sires/dams have been DNA Clear, you would not have to worry about HA, as it is a recessive gene and since this is a direct test, offspring are clear by parentage. PPM would be determined with the same eye exam as PRA.
There is no test for IPSID, that is where the knowledge of the dogs by the breeder is so important along with Progressive Retinal Atrophy, again there is no test and it is late onset, sometimes as late as over 10yrs or as early as 3yrs. Again important for the breeder to know the background.
Hip Dysplasia, you again need to look at the sire/dam, offspring/siblings and their test results.
So, I would agree, at minimum, DNA for Fanconi, Current CERF Exam, OFA for hips and the more in the pedigree that has been OFA'ed for hips the better.
