Chopper is a very recent (48hrs) foster, so he's having some separation issues as is. On the 14th, the fiance and I are leaving for a planned-for-a-year vacation. We're attending a music festival and have had our $100/night no-pets hotel booked since last year, so Chopper needs to stay behind for four days.

Not sure what the best way to go about this is…
I'm planning to just board him in a nice kennel in the area (Suites, beds, outdoor play areas, private runs, and 24hr staff.) and hope for the best.
No one I know is comfortable watching him, with his biting and crate screaming, and leaving him home with a sitter is definitely NOT an option (he screams, howls, digs, and whimpers all night long, as is, screams the entire time he's in a crate, and I live in an apartment.)

Any thoughts?

@tanza:

Champion bloodline? I suppect that there are champions in the pedigree maybe 3 to 5 generations back?… did you get the AKC papers?

Yeah, exactly.
Three generations back on his dam's side. :rolleyes:

AKC registered! Champion bloodline! ..Pet store puppy.

No dewclaws, nope. Pretty ugly looking scars from their removal, though.

Thanks everyone!
He's tried to take my hand off twice now, haha. Luck appreciated.
Definitely has a Jekyll & Hyde thing going on, but the Jekyll side is so lovable!

CT, New London area.

Picked up Chopper today!
I posted a greeting thread, but for people who didn't see it: This is my first B foster.

While he is definitely snippy toward stranger's he's taken RIGHT to my fiance and I, and we're just thrilled to death to be fostering him. Posting a quick couple of pictures before I return to the group. I never even realized the basenji spot on the couch was so empty!

Better pics soon, I promise.

Anne,

No, actually, that's good advice. One of those things that is easy to let slip from your mind when the majority of your dog work is with lab and shepherd mixes- Breeds you generally can just push through issues with and continue requesting desired behaviors.

I'm trying to think of the basenji more like my cat than a dog.
Wonderful boy, loves me, appreciates the food, but I would be out of my mind to think I really own him. We're a working partnership at best, haha.

He's what made me think a Basenji might be the right choice for me. I looked at all the negatives and realized that I already live with one in a cat costume.
(Or maybe Basenjis just seem like cats in dog costumes? I'm not sure what I think yet. )

"be sure that we get pics "

Haha, if I still have hands, you can be sure of it.

Erm, I guess I probably should have touched on that.

Yes, only positive.
I usually take on fosters with fear/trust issues, where punishment would be going 180 degrees against what I'm trying to do, and my job requires completely positive methods. (I work at a dog daycare and training center. We have 30-40 dogs out on any given day, all in one meagerly sized room, with 1-2 people managing them. Establishing a good presence and gaining nonviolent respect is crucial, especially since we do accept reactive dogs, known biters, dog aggressive and people aggressive dogs, etc.)
It's easy for me to assume everyone will just know that, I guess.

About the only thing I don't have experience in, here, is the breed of dog.
Unfortunately, that's the most intimidating part, for me. lol

Still, I can't wait to meet him.

Re: Tanza- Nope, this boy's name is Chopper.

Hello forum.
Come Sunday, I will be fostering my first B, and I won't lie, I'm just as nervous as I am excited.

I have an hour drive Sun to pick the little guy up.. All I know about him is that he's 3, R/W, very underweight, his name is Chopper, and he's "aggressive" (Though, from the sound of it, he just bites in defense if he's reached for or manhandled. His owners responded to this type of 'aggression' in kind, and now they're getting rid of him because he's getting worse.)

He's not my first dog, and not the first aggressive dog I've worked with. He is, however, my first Basenji, so I'm unsure if my usual methods and theories are going to actually work. I think I've worked myself up to almost thinking of them less as dogs and more as wild animals, hah.

Any recommended reading, sites, strategies, tips, etc are certainly welcome and appreciated.

Wish me luck!

edit: Oh, looking at my own posts, I already posted a hello thread. Oops. :x