Posts made by Christiane

Hello, a warm welcome from me too. I used to live in Scotland and had a Border Collie there. I have a Basenji now and I must say both types of dogs are outstanding.
Please send pictures and…perhaps with a Scottish background? I miss that place so much!

yes, vets…go and see another one! I lost one dog because the vet took too long to find out that my previous dog had be poisonned by rat poison (an italian greyhound). vets do what they can of course but...some are definitely better than others, so...when in doubt, change!

That is strange, my dog snores…eyes shut, ears up, ready for action any time! I must admit, if someone tries to disturb her, she growls a bit, so I always tell my visitors to let her sleep if she lies down all curled up and her eyes are shut! I always find that strange that I have to tell them though, it seems so obvious!

The look we all love! great photos!
Christiane

A Basenjimamma,
Yes, when she starts her licking…it is serious business!
yes, it is a success story...being firm and loving, reassuring and...hiding shoes of course...you never know!
Thanks for your comment, I must admit, without this blog, I may have been tempted to give up and I am glad I didn't! I'll put new pictures on soon.

"I love my dogs more than I love my children and so on..shame on them for saying that..I do not love my dogs more then my children, but I love them almost as much."
I understand you so well and what is heartbreaking is that so many dogs are abandoned during the summer holidays. There are hardly any holiday places that accept dogs in Europe and I find myself not going out to restaurants or hotels because of the "dogs not allowed" syndrome. Friends don't understand this, but I always insist on taking my Basenji with me everywhere or…I don't go! I have to put up with other people's children, so they have to put up with my dog, as simple as that....AND....she is silent!

Your dogs look gorgeous, great photos!
Christiane from France

thank you all for your advice, yes, you have to be patient and loving for those "silent dogs" who express themselves differently from other dogs at times. I have learned a lot about discipline and now, it is a real treat for her when she is allowed in my bedroom. She knows her place, her "spots" in my appartment and the only time she makes a sort of "happy" howling is when she sees me stepping out of my car from my balcony. Your blog is a source of encouragement for all untrained basenji owners, especially when times are difficult and they go through their destroying phases!!!!!I am glad I kept on going, thank you for the sound advice I got here, sometimes it makes you feel a bit stupid but in the end I got what I needed. I recommend the blog to anyone I meet who asks about those "fox looking dogs" as people say here!

Hello,
I have been away for a long time for personal reasons and I must say I have missed this forum.
My lovely Anubie who was so wild for two years has become the best dog ever. After using the famous or infamous DAP collars for several months, (after seat belt chewed to bits, shoes, handbags, belts, a few fights with other dogs…I have learned, thanks to the forum, to tame her and give her the attention and reassurance she needed.
I bought an indoor cage, a car crate (which I still have to use as I take her everywhere with me when I can), I have found that I can leave her alone for a whole three hours without any damage, as long as the TV is on and all doors are left open and of course, she has free access to my balcony...
What great dogs... I have written an article on her and given the references of this forum on a blog in France that I contribute to "Plombieresinitiative.wordpress.com"
she has become a star in this spa town where I used to live in! She ran away once and really, all that could went searching for her but she came back on her own accord and was waiting for me outside my door after I had allerted the whole town...

Welcome to the forum from Christiane in France! I haven't been in touch for a while now and I am really pleased to connect and welcome a new member.
Anubie who is sitting next to me is sending a big hello too!

Thanks for the encouragements and the site full of helpul tips.
Elisabeth, bravo pour votre français, c'est très gentil d'avoir fait ce geste! I actually managed to let my dog alone in the flat for a full 15 minutes (needed to do it beacuse I had to move a piece of furniture and had to take her car crate out) and…no problem! She sleeps with me most times but since she's had her DAP collar on again, she sleeps on her own in her basket and comes and see me in the morning. It is a good new start. Will take her out for an extra long walk today as it has stopped raining! Thanks for all your advice, et merci!

My B has been back on the DAP collar for the last 10 days (I meant to put it on earlier than 10 days ago but I thought I was just imagining this change of behaviour and wanted to wait a little more time) and I must say I have noticed a difference again (takes about a week). She is much calmer if I leave her with a friend of mine (she looked after her for one day and said she was crying all the time), she is also calmer when I go into town and there is a lot of noise around and she sleeps in her basket at night in the room next door to my bedroom (got her when she was 2 years old and she is very anxious as she had been abandonned twice for ripping everything off when she was left on her own)). In other words, it is working for her, may not "work" for other dogs but my vet told me to put in on regularly and then take it off every 2 days. I probably didn't do what I should have done when she moved in but, this is helping her (and me of course as I am also less anxious!). It is worth a try! I usually take her with me wherever I go (even to work at times) or leave her in a crate in my car where she just falls asleep (when I left her outside her crate in my car, she ripped a seatbelt, peed on my seat and chewed a bag). So, I feel I have no choice, I live alone, work long hours and noone wants her (I must admit, last year I tried to place her but the moment you talk about a dog that ripped a door , chewed leather shoes, jackets, seatbelt, escaped from the car through a gap left to leave air in (had to take my car to a garage to replace rubbers around the side pannel as she forced her way out- don't know how she managed-), half strangled herself trying to lift roof out of a crate inside my flat…well, I gave up, I like her, she likes me, but DAP collar is on when she goes "over the top". I have always had dogs living with me (and my family when I lived my parents a long time ago) , pyrenean shepperd dog, italian greyhoung, alsacian dog, basset mix, Scottish shepperd dog (rescued dog when I lived in Scotland, died of cancer), sometimes two at a time and I must say I have never had to deal with such anxious behaviour and...destructive behaviour! She has found a good home but...what constraints at times!!

My girl sleeps or chews whatever I give her to chew until she notices that I am ready to go out. At night, she sleeps without moving (at the foot of my bed) watches what I am doing and gets up when I put my shoes on: that's the signal. Another signal for getting up, running around or pulling down whatever clothing is hanging, is the sound of my keys. Then, nothing will keep her from rushing to the front door and get ready for her leash. I live in an appartment. She is a good girl really, a real pain at times but she has adopted my rythme , I work from home a lot and take her with me wherever I go.

True, I don't have many toys around, will have to get some, she was a sad dog when I got her (had been abandonned twice for destructive behaviour) and she has never shown much interest in balls, soft toys, squeaky things I found in shops, but you are right, I must look and try others, maybe I got the wrong ones, will look in catalogues for more choice.

What a lovely little dog, you will get lots of help and advice on the forum. Mine doesn't like a crate at home either, I tried one but she managed to push to top up and get her head stuck between the top and the steel bars. Got so scared when I saw some blood on the bars that I gave up trying , I only put her in a large crate in my car (it takes up one back seat and the boot). She accepts it gladly- anything but being left behind-, looks at the traffic when I am driving and eventually falls asleep. My previous dog (an italian greyhound), despite her small size was really scared and aggressive in the car and preferred staying at home, looking out the window and waiting…I am actually thinking of getting one of those greyhounds as a companion for my Basenji, does any one think they could get on? Would an adult female Basenji "adopt" a tiny greyhound and not crush it? Sounds silly but my B is so strong and jealous, I am wondering if she could be maternal with another dog????

I tried a DAP collar during the summer and it did wonders in terms of my B's anxiety ad overeating.
Didn't change it after a month as I was often at home but what a difference! Last month, she started chewing my visitors' belongings and when one of my colleagues comes and stay at home, I often find that she has taken all her clothes out of her bag, chewed something that belongs to her (jealous I suppose), follows me from one room to the other, moans when I come back after I have managed to leave her for a little while (even nipped my leg) and is getting afraid of the dark and loud noises in the street (difficult to go anywhere now that it is getting dark early here) , she also tries to get food from my bins.
This afternoon, I went to get a DAP collar again from my vet and will put it on tomorrow. She was really less anxious and destructive when she had the first one on, I recommand it to those who have adopted an adult Basenji so scared to be abandonned again! A clever dog, very pretty but very jealous and anxious!

Hello,
My lovely leather handbag and shoe chewing B nipped my leg when I came to get her from a friend who had looked after her for the day. She must have thought I wasn't paying enough attention to her after my absence. In fact, she also makes those odd noises (sort of groans, beginning of a yoddle I suppose) when I come back to my car after I have left her in it with all sorts of goddies to chew. Nipping is exceptional but I am careful as I wouldn't want her to do this to strangers or visitors. She does try to push them off her place on my sofa, funny to watch but a dog is a dog and I don't think it is a good idea to let them nip us, whatever the reason!

Hello,
She looks great and bright, glad she has a good home!
Christiane

Welcome to the forum. I am still quite new here but I love it. Keep in touch, we are neighbours…I live in france and spent 17 years in the UK!

It is so nice to hear that those horror stories happen to others too! I had a hard week too. A girlfriend of mine came to stay home for a few days, Anuby ate one of her shoes and part of her handbag during the night, I then found that the collar of my red leather jacket (my favourite) had partly disappeared as well. Last Saturday morning I spent a solid half an hour cleaning pee and poo all over the floor, took her in the evening to friends who live next door to look after her for a few hours , I came back early to get her (worried): she had behaved perfectly, sitting on their knees all evening but when she saw me, she looked really happy and started vomitting all over their leather sofa and floor . So a bad week, coïncides with the end of efficiency of her DAP collar, so perhaps, it's back to anxiety performance! They are so sensitive, beautiful, clever but…what a handful, good one day and really bad another.