@MrsCastro , so sorry to hear of your loss. And I agree with you, we don't need to be "elitist" about our Basenjis. Yes, they are one of the oldest breeds, all the more reason why there may be dogs that seem to have a link to them, whether a DNA test shows it or not. It's always lovely to see the pictures and hear the stories about Basenji-like behaviour!

In a word, "no"! Basenjis do not thrive on being alone, they are very social dogs. And yes, left to their own devices they will definitely rip up furniture or belongings. Keeping a dog in a crate for so many hours is just cruel, so unless you want to invest in doggie daycare, you should absolutely not be getting a Basenji (or any dog, for that matter). Maybe an older, settled cat for company?

@jholsing said in Basenji alone in large pen in garage?:

I hope to hear actual experience rather that theories or opinions.

Other than the last reply above, you aren't likely to get many people who have experience with this because most Basenji owners would not leave their dog in the garage. In theory you might think it is kinder, but Basenjis like to see out, they like to be warm, and they like to be part of the household. You might want to experiment with a "dog proof" room in the house, somewhere that is light and preferably where your dog can see out. Alternately you might consider doggie daycare or a dog walker to help you out.

I pay most attention to eating. If the dog is still eager for his food and otherwise doesn't seem uncomfortable that to me is a sign his life might be worth living. If in pain, has to be coaxed to eat, then I think it is time. The seizures OTOH are worrisome. In the end you will have to make that call, and as Zande says, better to think it might have been too soon than to know you waited too long. This is the hardest part of pet ownership. My thoughts are with you in this difficult time.

If you are going to use a crate during the day you absolutely shouldn't be using it at night too, way too much crate time, so yes, let your dog sleep with you at night and crate when necessary during the day, but not when you can supervise. Dogs don't learn much while in a crate. They learn by being with you.

@chlloe-k said in Basenji Reactivity- please help!:

We will try, we have also used the command ''Let's go'' with a tug to get him moving the opposite way, the only problem is sometimes if you pick him up when he doesn't want to he will growl, I don't think he would bite though so we will try it.

Not unusual for a Basenji, and generally speaking it is a bluff, but one caveat. If you opt to pick him up, do not hesitate or change your mind if he growls. If you do, you are teaching him that growling gets him his way. You have to be confident and willing to take a bite if it comes to that. If you are unsure of yourself, just don't even start, because you can teach him that he can back you off and then if you do insist he may escalate to biting. Never, ever let biting result in him getting his way! I am serious about this. If you aren't sure of yourself, then the alternative is to just insist with the leash, even if you have to drag him a few steps. Most dogs would rather walk than be dragged!

Sometimes a "let's go" combined with excited running steps away from the object of his interest may work. At some point you have to be the boss and he has to be the dog....

Why are you trying to remove her from your room? Basenjis do not like being left alone, and they do not like being separated from their people. It sounds like she is becoming insecure and anxious. Don't expect her to behave like your bulldog. She is a Basenji.

Regarding invisible fence, I know of one dog (not a Basenji, but I can see one doing this) that figured out if he stayed close enough to the fence to trigger the warning tone but not the correction, eventually the battery on his collar would wear down, the tone would cease, and he was free to leave without consequence. Really smart dog! Probably discovered it by accident, but after that there was no keeping him in....

@ashleigh1994 said in Crate Training Struggles:

Our house rules are no upstairs so unfortunately we want to refrain from bringing him into the bedroom.

Well, there is your problem in a nutshell. Pups, particularly Basenji pups, like to be near their humans, and that means beside or in the bed at night. Of course the pup is distressed when you lock him away from you. He may or may not adjust to this, but my advice is take him and his crate to your room at night. Also, he needs to be warm, so if your house is cool, cover the crate to keep out drafts at night.

@mikesull, is the screaming happening because you are leaving him in the crate while you are in the house? Generally Basenjis do better with supervision but no crating while you are home unless absolutely necessary. When you take on a pup, you take on a responsibility to be observant, which is the fastest way to having a reliable dog. Shredding things or having accidents shouldn't happen when you are paying attention. That said, how do you react to the screaming? If you return while he is making a fuss, you are reinforcing the behaviour. You need to wait for a moment of quiet and reinforce that. If there are no moments of quiet, create one by making an unusual noise, e.g. knocking on the wall or some such, just so the screaming stops for an instant, then make your entrance. Be creative, be patient. This too shall pass!

@nyoung15 said in Grains or no grains:

@eeeefarm Thank you for the feedback. What do you mean by rehydrated? Do you add liquid to the food when served? Is there any particular brands you like

I used NRG for many years, but apparently they are not longer in business, and yes, you rehydrate it with water before feeding. Don't currently have a dog so I haven't investigated other options in dehydrated food.

You will likely get a lot of opinions on this. Some grains are known to be allergenic for some dogs. What is in the food you have been using and has there been any obvious problem with it apart from her not being fond of it? Digestive upsets, rash, etc.? My own preference was for dehydrated rather than kibble or canned. Easy to store but once rehydrated more palatable than hard dry food.

@tanza, interesting information, thanks.

You can use treats sparingly for training. When you are teaching a new behaviour treats may be appropriate (depending on the dog) but once the behaviour is on cue it is not necessary or desirable to reward every effort. Anything frequently available loses its value. Reward with praise, again, "good dog" or similar is sufficient for routine obedience, keep the effusive praise for an exceptional effort. An unpredictable schedule of rewarding is generally more effective than the "reward every time" method used by many.....think "casino". You want your dog to try again and again, hoping that this is the time they will receive the treat! You might consider using part of his daily food ration as rewards, giving something "special" only occasionally and for a particularly good response.

Nice going! Congratulations!

Height and weight would fit. Not as square as a Basenji, but the picture of him trotting is suggestive to me. Certainly possible. Always hard to tell with mixed breed dogs. DNA tests sometimes spit out surprising results!

How tall is he and what does he weigh? Would like to see a side view standing....

The only sure way to know is a DNA test. Nice looking dog!

@elbrant said in Operant Conditioning (explained):

@eeeefarm said in Operant Conditioning (explained):

some professional trainers suggest to their classes that they starve dogs that aren't all that food motivated

This is just disturbing... in today's society, this type of behavior would be considered animal cruelty. Certainly we can find a way to encourage compliance without depriving an animal basic care.

I know, it shocked me too when I heard it. The first instance was a friend of mine whose Border Collie was disinterested in food rewards, and she was advised by the instructor not to feed the dog anything on class days so there would be an incentive to accept treats. The second instance was my niece, and in this case a German Shepherd dog that again didn't want to take treats, and she was given the same advice by a different trainer, in fact in a different city, so it appears that it isn't unusual. Both these dogs work well for praise and in both cases the owners declined to starve the dogs....

@Roux Thanks. I was hoping it would be useful to clarify terms that are often used incorrectly.

One of the things about terminology is the way people perceive labels. You hear "punishment" and immediately many picture the poor dog being whipped to within an inch of its life, but punishment in operant conditioning terms is anything that makes it less likely that the unwanted behaviour will recur. It doesn't denote a violent thrashing of the animal! Also, many use punishment, either positive or negative, without recognizing it as such. Again, it helps to clarify what it actually is.

Reinforcement is also subject to misinterpretation but people are not put off by the term.

Again, I would like to emphasize that the dog is the ultimate arbitrator of whether your action is reinforcement or punishment. Observation will tell you if you are on the right track.

Nice capture!