Taken last month - she's 11 months now.

The mornings are a bit bright for Ellie now that the clocks have gone forward!

Welcome! We are next door in Kent with a 6 month old called Ellie. I think there are a few Basenjis in London.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CMFf6rihPT-/?igshid=k17564i2zkmu

Hello from next door in Kent (Rochester). We have an 8 month old - Ellie. Hope Juno enjoys settling in.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CMNB0UoByMo/?igshid=10wfza2nudqiq

We also have an 11 month old and I have had to spend a lot of time training my children to recognise when she doesn't want affection e.g. lip smacking, yawning and looking away. With consistent reminding they now understand and sometimes have to remind me They are older though (8 and 14) so easier to train.

As already suggested a separate Basenji sleeping area that is out of bounds to your 3 year old would be helpful. We use an open crate with a blanket over the top and none of us approach it when she does in there for peace and quiet.

How old is your other child? Can they help to remind your 3 year old?

@eeeefarm we have floor to ceiling doors at the back of the house, but she prefers the front bay window as there is more going on on the road than the garden!!

Ellie 6.5 months!

I have a similar situation with my 17 month old female. It's been hard to practice leaving the house because my husband has been working from home since the pandemic started.

In terms of following you around the house I have found that mine has stopped doing this as much with maturity. Once she could manage the stairs safely we started leaving the internal doors open and going about our business and over time she has started to choose to stay downstairs at times.

I have recently started practicing leaving her alone for just 3 minutes while I walk to the end of the road and back. She cries slightly but then settles. When she no longer cries at all I will increase the time and plan to vary the exits by sometimes leaving in the car and driving around the block etc.

Similar to others, when any of us are leaving the house we say goodbye and she runs to the window to watch us leave. If she is coming with us I will tell her we are going for a walk so she knows she is coming.

My Basenji is very food driven but isn't interested in treats when she is stressed about being left alone.

@tanza do you know if there any correlation with repeated false pregnancies and increased risk of pyomentra?

You could try a baby gate at the door instead so she can see what's going on but not escape.

Has she has her first heat cycle yet? They can become unsettled in the lead up to it.

@basenjinyla is she trying to get into the bedroom to be with you or out of the bedroom? Could she be coming into season?

Jane Castell is a dog trainer (and possibly a behaviourist but not certain) and an experienced Basenji owner. She is based in Ireland but offers Zoom consultations.

https://www.imdt.uk.com/find-a-qualified-imdt-trainer/eire/dublin/jane-castell

Ellie had her first heat cycle towards the end of last November (end of Autumn UK) and then a half cycle at the end of May (end of Spring) I am wondering how soon to expect the next one. Do they tend to come during the same month each year or is there variation with the same dog?

Ellie is fine 99% if the time, but very occasionally (every couple of months) if she's asleep on someone on the sofa and they move slightly she lets out a very aggressive snarl/snap as described in the article. She then wakes up and looks very confused. It feels like she has no control over it and I wonder if it's when she's in a specific stage of sleep.

Interestingly she has never done this in our bed at night.

We have been training her the "off command" which is rewarded with a treat and that now works well even if she's asleep - she jumps straight off knowing there's a piece of chicken coming her way afterwards!

@elbrant when you get out of bed, could you scrunch your side of the duvet up into a wedge to prevent her migrating to your side?

A good explanation on sleep startle aggression that Basenjis seem more prone to.

Why Is My Dog Aggressive When Woken Suddenly?
https://thebark.com/content/why-my-dog-aggressive-when-woken-suddenly

We don't use anything either. We have hard floors so easy to clean up any drops, but generally she keeps herself clean. I put old towels on the back of the sofa (where she likes to sleep in the day) and in her bed. I do wish we didn't have white bed sheets though as she sleeps in it from about 5am!