It's really dependent on the personality of the puppy, if you're willing to sacrifice some household items in the event that the dog isn't ready, and reality.

What I did was set up a time on my offday.....letft skype and webcam on so I could watch the process "away from home"...and left him for several hours alone. But, could come home immediately if things weren't going well... However that might not be an option for you.

You could always just try things out and experiment. My one dog reached his full adult status (personality) by 8 months. The other one I couldn't trust until she was over a year old.

Provided your dog doesn't have anxiety issues or is hyperactive there really isn't a lot to worry about. However, anxiety can lead to costly destruction damage....

I can sympathize…..IMHO basenjis are the worst dogs to potty train and crate train. Both of my dogs had accidents in their crates as puppies, and one of them ended up having isolation anxiety that was fixed when I got a second dog. They have high maintenance personalities and I have yet to meet one (unlike golden retreivers) that could just be thrown in a crate at 8 weeks, spend 10+ hours in there and do that for the rest of their lives without complaint.... but it's either psychological or it's physical - UTIs are also fairly common. 5 months is pretty young and it could change overtime. If I were you I'd set up a web cam video recording and see what happens - just to see if there are some budding anxiety issues there (though at 5 months it could just be part of the process). I think it's telling when you say that she does fine overnight but not when you leave......

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/natures-domain-dog-food/ is really good for breaking down ingredients…..I mean they categorize tons of different brands fairly well and explain how they came to that conclusion. Costco has some cheap "good" options so I hear. It really is worth it to invest in a high protein (and high fiber) food; I only feed my 37 lb. dog a little less than half a cup of taste of the wild twice a day, and my 21 lb. dog gets 1/4 cup x 2 times a day. My little dog had ribs showing until I switched her from the corn based diet her breeder had her on to TOTW. Not to mention she was crapping like a million times a day, and had absolutely disgusting skin. Corn is absolutely terrible - goes right through them and they end up looking really skinny but real 'grain's are notorious for causing allergies. ......

With just my 37 lb. dog and a 30ish lb bag of taste of the wild ($ 55 dollars here in Alaska, so cheaper elsewhere) lasted well into the third month. So, that's about maybe 22 bucks a month [overestimation] spent on food for one dog…..which is pretty affordable really. And, of course, most brands are cheaper in the lower states anyways, possible to find even cheaper brands that are healthier than Eukanuba.

omg she looks like a miniature adult. Really cute; and she is unique looking to me. I like seeing diversity in basenjis - some of the lines are starting to look like exact copies of one another, which is kind of sad.

Yeah, good luck with them not eating anything stinky…..lol

This might not work for your dog......but I've found that with both of mine.....the secret to keeping them away from something you don't want them to get into is just to let them go at it.

My dog used to get into the litter box and I'd make a big stink about it, squirt them with water, treats for not going into litter box......didn't do much to make them stay out of it.

So, after reading some advice I found on this forum, I decided to try an experiment and not bother to get mad at him for getting into it.....sure, found cat poop on the stairs for awhile....but eventually he stopped getting into it altogether. Ever since I've used this technique on both dogs; getting into my socks? I buy them a ton of thrift store socks, let them go nuts. Bags? I give them safeway bags. Kleenex, unripping pillows, etc.

For me it's worked in my favor. I may have dogs that are exceptions to the rules but I've found that the less I tell them to get away from something, the less likely they are to get into said object. If there is a weakness they will target that weakness until it is thoroughly destroyed. Lol.

I could see that going seriously wrong with the wrong dog though......but, in my mind, I would rather them get their fill now then get into something dangerous or expensive later when I'm not looking. Of course this won't work with everything. Certainly wouldn't try this with anything that could potentially kill them....and always supervised.

Anyways, Rabbit poop can't be too dangerous right? Better rabbit poop than horse poop......But if it really bothers you... A leave it command.......or possibly pick up some rabbit dung and spray it with bitter spray....let him see the rabbit poop and see if he garners a negative experience from it to the point where he won't bother with them?

I've never done it, but, I have heard of people having a lot of success tying shoes around a dogs neck and leaving them there (if they chew on shoes and don't respond to reprimand) so maybe you could tie little rabbit turds onto his collar? [I'm seriously kidding about that last one. No rabbit poop collars.]

That's all I've got, lol.

Breeders will be your best bet through basenji.org

, but if you're near a rescue (BRAT or other) and have time to spare….that may be a good route. The facebook page "Basenji puppies for sale" sounds sketchy, but there are actually some good breeders on there. It looks mostly like out of country options at first, but when litters are available I've seen plenty of US litters being advertized.

Petfinder is another route to go (but you have to be careful of scammers on there).

Google can be helpful just by typing in "basenji litter 2014" and researching whoever pops up. Some of them aren't responsible though, so you really have to do your homework.

How is this pup doing currently? Any updates?

Yay! Always awesome to see a well-trained basenji. I don't recall, but did you get your basenji as a puppy and socialize him with the bird? Or did you get an older basenji that had already been socialized? People make excuses as to why they have overweight, or badly trained dogs, a breed has certain instincts but a dog's personality will determine how well they do with small animals. My one basenji has a super soft mouth - something a basenji isn't supposed to have. He can pick up small voles without harming them.

Oh, and if you run up against anyone who is making you feel unwelcome on here…...there is a way to block them so you never have to see their posts. It comes in handy for one individual in particular.

I'm sorry to bring this up, but when is this DebraDownSouth person going to be dealt with. She absolutely ruins every post she comes across with her extreme accusations. She did the same thing to the other thread of the OPs as well…..Is there another moderator I can talk to about this?

She has scared many newcomers away.....and I've sat back with silence, but enough is enough. I feel bad for even getting involved in this **** show and helping to derail the post, but there is absolutely no defense mechanism for the people who start these posts.

If this keeps up I won't even bother coming back to the basenji forums. It's been overrun by bad blood (this one individual). I didn't want to bother someone with something so petty, but it's just becoming too much. This is the one place I can come and (usually) be met with civility....but one bad apple ruins the batch. The examples of this aren't difficult to find. This one war mongering simpleton has managed to disturb the peace time and time again. .....just need a name via PM that I can contact for a polite little discussion regarding the potential removal or limitation of this account. How is someone allowed to tirelessly bully numerous people with absolutely no recourse? It's easy to ignore a pesky mosquito for a little while, but eventually you're going to snap and lash out at it. It has ruined so many posts that started out with such great potential.

Their morals are coming out of their own pockets; while they're spending thousands on textbooks, music, and movies…....the rest of us are only paying the cost of internet. Morals are luxury they can afford, so good for them. I'll give my money to those who need it....and won't lose one damn minute of sleep. In fact, I'll sleep better knowing that it's not going to the very people who utilize tax loops to dupe the Amercian people.

This whole 'copy right' BS (which has hurt many reputable professors) is purely a United States issue. We've turned into a bunch of whiney cry babies. Go to South America. They could give two ****s about copy right laws. Our textbooks were much more affordable when they copied one textbook and sold them to students for 10 bucks a piece. China? You bet they infringe.

BTW very fruitless to report the OP. It's a known fact that the FBI has just about given up on charging single individuals for illegal downloads; unless they are wanted for something else. Billions of people world wide are in on the game - bootleg physical copies as well as illegal downloads. At this point, they are going after the distributors......but as Pirate Bay has shown us, that's not working out well for them either. There are copies; often in more than one country. If a site is busted, a clone is back up the next day.

Silk Road (the underground drug distributing website) was back up and running the week after it was busted.

Don't like it? That's tough. It's happening with or without your permission.

Honestly, I would love to support the OP (and her copy is probably clean)......but you could find this film fairly easily for illegal download.

I feel sorry for kids raised in environments where they're not encouraged to think for themselves; only to toe the line. I've seen a lot of them get eaten alive by scammers. They are such easy targets for MLM schemes like Kirby vacuum, Mary Kay, or primerica insurance.......if not financial scams. Those are the people falling for Nigerian scams. They just don't understand how to bend the rules in their favor, or how to be independent. They need to be sheltered for the rest of their lives or they will be taken advantage of at some point.

I already have a physical copy, but I'd be extremely interested in an electronic copy. Not sure if that offer is still on the table? If it is just send me a private message….. I wouldn't blame you for backing out though.

......I certainly have no loyalty to a company that is in the 1% group......making billions of dollars off the backs of poor Americas - who are barely able to make it day by day. I do like this basenji community, but sometimes the elitism is palpable. Not everyone has unlimited money at their disposal .....NO one should have to miss out on a silly little film because they can't afford it.

wow! that's pretty impressive. Neither of mine would be that patient….and they'd be crying the whole time.

It might help if you had some idea with what Tucker is mixed with…......if you look around the forums here you will not find it uncommon for basenjis to become less tolerant (ruling out any medical issues) of other dogs at about 2 years or so. My dog is about three now; he also underwent a change in personality, and became less willing to entertain 'rude dogs' or puppies over time. ................but there is a not-so-fine line between growling and aggression.

If your dog is physically harming other dogs, that needs to be taken care of immediately. If your dog is fighting with other dogs, or growling, but not leaving marks or biting.......you have room to work on whatever is going on. A dog needs to be able to defend himself through body language provided they don't escalate to violence, or provoke other dogs. A reactive rover class might be worth checking out.

Leash aggression is very common in dogs of all breeds; is he ok when off leash with other dogs? If that's the case then it might help to switch to a harness,. Anything pulling on my dog's neck will aggravate leash aggression.

Prevention is your best friend; it would be best to avoid all dog parks, or other dogs, as much as possible. An eye contact command; getting his attention off other dogs and on to you for when other dogs can't be avoided.

I think aggressive gets thrown around in our society a lot....a truly aggressive dog is not easy to deal with at all. The owners of these types of dogs have a responsibility to keep their dogs out of the public, away from other dos, as much as possible. These would be dogs who have mauled people or killed other dogs. These dogs are very hard to rehabilitate and are either 1.) put down or 2.) need to be locked up for the rest of their lives.

My guess - based on little information - is that Tucker is merely communicating as dogs do. It's my personal (and unfounded) opinion that dogs should absolutely be allowed to defend themselves without reprimand; but with the owner making sure the situation is deescalated, and provided that he's not leaving marks. If he is not actually hurting other dogs - but nipping at them, or snarling as a warning......he's trying to get a message across. In that case it might help to work on any fear issues he might have.

This conversation will help others immensely. The great thing about these types of 'heated' dialogues is that you are forced to explain everything, and a non-breeder, lay person [ like me] will learn more in the process. . I know I've learned a lot just by peeping in (lol).

On an unrelated side note, thank you for keeping this forum anti-puppy mill and anti-byb. This forum does well with that message. There are other places supporters can go to promote their pro-business message.

I am surprised at how many people in the Basenji community are in support of puppy mills - mostly unknowingly in support of them. I had to remove myself from the Basenji Rescue and Transport facebook page for this very reason; it just got to be too much. And then when you point it out you end up being turned into the bad guy.

If this dog is eating half a cup 2 x per day and is still losing too much weight….that sounds parasitic in nature (though it could be any number of things). 1.) Vet would be your wisest course of action.....................examining the fecal matter for worms might be an option? Not a sure bet by any means though.

Don't take it too hard that these people won't get back to you. It can be frustrating though; been there, done that. E-mail them or call them more than once. It also really depends on how fare you are willing to ship/travel. You will have more options. Living on the East Coast you should have quite a few options provided that you're willing to drive a couple hours or so. Might not be as easy if you're sticking to the city. But, absolutely a viable option. There are not usually litters around this time, and then the breeders get busy, but keep at it.

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Easy route = Facebook page "Basenji puppies" - most of the litters are out of country, but you can find the occasional US litter - or adult - and it's easy to get into contact with the breeder. Haven't seen any NY
litters though.

Medium route = keep doing what you are doing in contacting breeders (Basenji.org breeder referral). It may be that your message was too short? But, if not, then not your fault at all. Just them not responding. Some of the breeders have a preference = phone/in person contact/ or e-mail. So if you don't hit their 'personal preference' they might not bother.

Sketchy route = Pet finder (or craigslist) ; I would screen any/all dogs on there very carefully. Too many puppy mills and scam artists....but you can find legitimate sources as well. NYC should have lots of basenjis around that area.

Hard route = BRAT (Basenji Rescue and Transport) - Or other rescue. You wouldn't be getting any dog immediately. But sometimes they have rescue dogs that aren't officially on their websites. Never hurts to e-mail the NY coordinator and ask.

Hoped that helped slightly.

Beautiful babies :) Super cute name. Love the originality! And….(no offense all you single-dog owners out there) 2+ basenjis [or other dogs] = 10x the fun. They are so entertaining if they get along with each other.

Thanks eeeefarm,

I was looking under visitor messaging instead of privacy settings. Appreciate it!

Thanks for the information, it's helpful to know these little issues. LOL I knew there was going to be female dog stuff that I'd miss out on initially.

And, I'm sorry, but the link doesn't show any photos from my end.

Also, I'm not sure what is wrong with my profile but visitor messages isn't limited or disabled. Might be a glitch :(

Appreciate the attempts though. It'd be nice if there was a way you could add the photo to the post? I know that sometimes I'll be looking for something specific on a forum and I'll be all excited when the post is there on that specific issue….but then you click on it and it's a dead post, or unanswered, or a broken link. That's what I really love about the basenji forums....not too many dead posts. Someone else will always be able to benefit in the long run. And of course I would appreciate another look at what a recessed vulva looks like! lol

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The little things that I know about now might save me some future freakout,

I've been trying to figure out what was going on with the puppy. I have no idea if it's linked to recessed vulva...but from what you've mentioned it seems like a possibility.

[Long story short: Vet has no idea - puppy doesn't test positive for UTI , but was having accidents unusual for an 8 month old…....However, the weird thing is she has responded immediately to antibiotics and hasn't had an accident since.]

I've had her since about 3 months, and potty training rigorously, but she was having regular and consistent accidents all over the place. The symptoms:

• Unexplained accidents all over the place.
• Immediately pees when taken outside, rarely sniffs first.
• Released bladder while running to the door to go outside.
• Unable to hold bladder consistently; 2-4 hours was the maximum, but it could be 2 hours one day, 4 hours the next day, one hour the next day.
  No pattern.
• When laying down at night she was capable of holding bladder over 8 hours.
• Sometimes showing UTI like symptoms when rushed outside for potty break, almost like marking. She'd urinate once, finish, then urinate again in large amounts.
• Loose stool, and poop accidents.
• no noticeable vaginal discharge or inflammation.
• Normal colored urine, but sometimes very clear like water.
• Not drinking any more water than normal. Normal water intake.
• Other dogs seemed interested in vaginal area; licking at her obsessively. She has never gone into heat.

It should be noted that I've had her since 3 months old; I had caught her in the act often, and had been using positive reinforcement. She knew to go to the door early on, but was still having issues. My first basenji puppy (Beo) had a UTI when he was younger and he was still was able to hold it much longer at 8 months than Bop-It was.

After months of fighting and getting nowhere I took her into the vet to test her out. No UTI or issues were found…

The vet offered antibiotics with no diagnosis......and I felt something was wrong with her so I took them [despite that being a no-no] to eliminate any possible issues.

Bop-It came home from the vet and had a large accident on the floor - full bladder release (even though she had just been outside 45 minutes prior to go, and did go for the urinalysis)…the urine was super clear on one end [water appearing clear] with tinges of yellow on the other

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Conclusion:

........She was on the antibiotics 24 hours when I noticed immediate improvement. No accidents, she has no desire to go outside multiple times in a short period of time, she doesn't have diarrhea. I don't know if it's just a coincidence, or if there was something there that will return once she's off the antibiotics, or if she's 'cured'....... Are there some things that wouldn't show on a urinalysis test, like a kidney infection or something?

Did the pus cyst cause any similar symptoms?

I guess there's a million things it could be, but I'm wondering why it happened, and why the sudden improvement? I'm ecstatic obviously, but I wish I knew what was going on. The vet had no ideas except that it might be behavioral.

Thanks again for the info you provided

LOL, the one thing i just HATE about basenjis. My puppy usually poops about 3 times a day. It's raining out now and how many times has she gone in the last 24 hours? none. Because she's waiting for the perfect opportunity to poop in the corner when I'm not looking. Then she won't have to go outside in the wet.

I have absolutely 0 patience for standing outside when it's cold or rainy . If they don't go within 15 minutes they get crated, we go back and I get to be warm, and we can try again in x hours.