Posts made by MnBadger

I definitely don’t want to hijack a thread but I’m also wondering this. However, my B has cryptorchidism and will be having his done via laparoscopic surgery. Is there any difference in after-surgery care that I should prepare for?

Following up a bit. I did have the vet look at his anal glands and she said they were clear. I have increased his fiber and since then no stains. Unsure if the increase had anything to do with it but I’m happy that the stains are not showing up anymore.

I did switch to adult dog food about 3 weeks ago and the intensity definitely increased but now seems to have settled back down. My B loves carrots and pumpkin so he’s getting an increase in fiber. Hopefully this solves it (5 days no stains). I did check for wounds and nothing that I could find. I’m really glad it’s not wet farts!

I did end up getting a wet shampoo vacuum that makes cleanup easier.

I’m not sure how much more scrubbing my couch can handle! Randomly... maybe once or twice a week I find stains on my couch. I’m thinking it’s anal leakage but it doesn’t stink and he hasn’t been scooting or showing irritation. Any ideas?

My 7 month B is kinda the same way. Especially strong hunting instinct and bored easily. I’ve found a laser pointer does wonders for the hunting and boredom! Even the next morning he goes into his play room and spend several minutes trying to find the red dot.

I’ve also found his favorite toy is always ones other dogs/humans have so I lock his toys inside his crate with him out of it. Then I also play with them myself. Only after a few days does he get one of the toys. He then ends up hiding it so I can’t lock it up.

Just 6 months and it starts when he sees we’re getting into the car — before it’s even moving. It’s quite weird.

@zande Wow ketchup actually worked. Max had some tar on his paws that I hadn’t been able to get off for a few days. Really don’t think that would work.

So cute!!

I’m very confused. Whenever Max gets into my car he starts making a weird sound that I can only describe as lip smacking then comes a steady stream of drool. This happens for at least 10 minutes at the beginning of any ride and he doesn’t do this any other time. I doubled checked his car harness and everything. Nothing is too tight or seems to be bothering him.

Any ideas of what this is? I’m wondering how long I’m going to have to stock rolls of paper towels in my car

@eeeefarm said in Basenji Bathing Hack:

but apart from their baleful looks of resentment

This look is hilarious and sad at the same time. It looks like he’s going to hate me forever

I know most B’s hate water and baths... Max clawed his way out of the tub several times. For the past few weeks I’ve been wiping him down with a very drenched rag that gets him as wet as a bath... and he is completely fine with it! No treats needed. Has anyone else had this experience? It makes going to muddy parks much easier.

Update! Still cautious with keeping Max uncrated while home alone since he’s only 5 months. However, he’s been amazing and hasn’t done anything wrong. Wonder how long it’ll take me to trust him fully. Right now I’m checking the cameras pretty regularly. I also got a robot camera that can scoot around the apartment looking for him. It also tosses treats so Max approves.

Well I just left him home for 45 minutes without being confined to a crate. I watched most of the time through webcams. He just kept bouncing from sitting at the door I left from and all his favorite spots to lay down. Going to keep extending the time and see how that goes. Very good signs so far.

@tanza said in Daytime crate stress:

@mnbadger - As far as blinds, keep them open and pulled up.... they like to see out and watch the world go by.... I learned that 30+ years ago with my first Basenjis.... if you don't they will "open" them!

They are nearly always open but are the vertical ones that move to the sides so they bottoms are always accessible to mischievous activities.

Thank you for all this advice!

@donc said in Daytime crate stress:

Perhaps you took the breeder's remarks too literally? I would never give a dog a chew toy if I wasn't going to be around, but a blanket or Kong wouldn't seem to pose an issue.

PS: Dog beds make for the BEST chew toys! LOL

I doubled checked and she was very serious. The concern is choking or intestinal blockage from chewed up fabric. I'm finding there are varying opinions on the danger of this... The only things he's been able to rip apart is his dog bed but maybe I just need to find a tougher one.

@elbrant said in Daytime crate stress:

Question: Are you providing any exercise before you leave for work? Walk? Run? Anything?

I tend to think that dogs can be destructive when they are trying to tell you that something is wrong... and that it's often solved with exercise. Hence the old adage, "a tired dog is a good dog".

Absolutely, I am very active with him. Before he goes into his crate he is typically hard asleep from a walk or time at dog park. A tired dog is definitely a good dog!

@basenjimom2 said in Daytime crate stress:

Is your pup housebroken, going potty outside? Have you thought about just leaving the dog out of the crate? Provide lots of toys during that time. Most cases, dogs usually just curl up and go to sleep. Some can be destructive. Pillows and such should be put up and out of the way if that is the case. You have a web cam, you can watch and see what he does while you're not at home. Just a thought.

I'm really considering this but I'm not quite there yet. I still have to tell him NO several times a day from chewing on things that I can't move like blinds. He's never actually chewed them but I can tell he's thinking about it. I've also heard of B's chewing threw doors and I'm concerned because every time I leave him out for practice he jumps and claws at the door I left from. What age did you let your B stay out? He's only 5 months old and has only been in my apartment for several weeks. Just yesterday he left the room I was in and went to sleep in his favorite corner of another room. Until then he always followed me everywhere.

I should have said “up to 5 hours”. The times it’s been that long I walked home at lunch and let him outside for a bit.

He hasn’t shown any destruction to anything other than his dog bed — which I still can’t convince him isn’t a chew toy. I have done Kong with frozen treats. It works very well for keeping his attention for about 30 minutes but then he just goes back to super alert mode staring at the door. Once he gets let out he runs around for several minutes but then sleeps for most of the rest of the day. Has anyone had good results with keeping a tv or music on? I’m considering trying that next but it’s the only idea I have left.

My 5 month old B only puts up a fuss for about 5 minutes after he is crated in the morning. 2-4 times a week I crate him while I'm at work for about 5 hours. I have a webcam up and I see that he's wide awake the entire time -- even after he barely can stay awake before going into crate. My breeder mentioned to never put anything in his crate as it's a safety issue so he's in there on the plastic tray. I'm wondering if there is anything I can do to promote him to sleep or at least be less stressed. Would adding a chew-proof bed help? He's been doing this routine for about 2 weeks now.

@tanza he was born in Minnesota at Sally Wuornos place then transferred to Laura Mae Hesse in Wisconsin where he was raised for a few months and observed for potential show. Unfortunately he’s got a slight underbite so his brother got that spot.

Proud new Basenji owner! Max is 5 months old. He was born in Minnesota then raised for a few months in Southern Wisconsin.

I have to say the first week has been pretty great. I read a bunch of horror stories and had prepared myself for that but he’s already potty trained, only destroys toys, and knows what NO means (deciding to follow it is another story). He also accepts the crate with minimal whining. We are still perfecting walking on lead but a lot of the issue has to do with his age. He’s even made friends with the Roomba but was pretty irritated when it sucked up one of his treats.