Looks can be so deceiving- here is an article of a woman who adopted a rescue dog in N.J. Dog looks like a basenji - even her vet thought it might be basenji. She did an Embark DNA test - no basenji. Turned out the dog was a mixture of Mountain Cur, Rat Terrier, Beagle, and Boston Terrier. link text
Basenji Proofing Christmas
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I like that. Year's ago we had no baby gate just one old big play pens so we sit our tree in it to keep the dog off of it. Kind of crazy but it worked.
Rita Jean
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We were lucky, none of our boys ever tried to mark the tree, nor did any of them drink the water. B-500.. that was another story, great fun to race around it. We just made sure there was enough room. And we only decorated it 3/4 of the way down.
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We don't do anything. We have a large tree in the living room, decorate to the lowest branches and the dogs and/or cats have never bothered it. We were worried when Keoki was a puppy that he may try to "mark" it, but he never did. They don't even seem particularly interested when we bring it in the house.
Keoki will drink a bit of the water, but he's very careful and never disturbs the ornaments or tree.
In all my life, I've never had a pet bother the Christmas tree. -
We don't do anything. We have a large tree in the living room, decorate to the lowest branches and the dogs and/or cats have never bothered it. We were worried when Keoki was a puppy that he may try to "mark" it, but he never did. They don't even seem particularly interested when we bring it in the house.
Keoki will drink a bit of the water, but he's very careful and never disturbs the ornaments or tree.
In all my life, I've never had a pet bother the Christmas tree.Beautiful tree you have! Buddy would love those low ornaments. "Look at all the dog toys hanging off that tree".
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WoW JazzysMom!
Our two B's would go crazy over all those lovely ornaments.
You are so lucky! -
I guess it IS a bit odd. I actually also have decorations – like a Santa sitting at a writing desk, with soft suit and fuzzy beard -- sitting right on the floor and they never bother any of it.
The first year we had Jazz she DID kill one Santa - I had a stuffed Santa, Mrs. Claus, and snowman on the stairs, and she ate Santa
, so for the past four Christmas' it's just been Mrs. Claus and the Snowman on the stairs, LOL.
Other than that, they seem to respect the Christmas stuff. I haven't a clue as to why. -
I guess it IS a bit odd. I actually also have decorations – like a Santa sitting at a writing desk, with soft suit and fuzzy beard -- sitting right on the floor and they never bother any of it.
The first year we had Jazz she DID kill one Santa - I had a stuffed Santa, Mrs. Claus, and snowman on the stairs, and she ate Santa , so for the past four Christmas' it's just been Mrs. Claus and the Snowman on the stairs, LOL.
Other than that, they seem to respect the Christmas stuff. I haven't a clue as to why.Too funny.
I think some B's are simply more respectful than others. I leave a lot of stuff out that Kananga could get into, but he doesn't touch a thing. I even left a garbage bag filled with, well… garbage, out for an evening because I forgot to bring it with me when I left. Never touched it.
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So far we are doing somewhat Ok..Otis did kill one of my older Santa's, well ripped the beard off of him, and that was in the box it was stored in. I decided not to put him out for the dogs to ruin it..so while we are unpacking the boxes and deciding what to put up and not..Otis stole it, ran in to our bedroom and proceeded to rip the beard off.
Since my younger son is 4 yrs old now I promised them last year that they could put up the train that goes around the tree..even though now in retrospect I know it is not a good idea..so we have it up much to Lukas and Sofia's happiness and Otis too. He runs behind the train around and around the tree, so ornaments are flying off, the three other dogs just sit in front of the tree and watch him..so funny..and yes he drinks the water too.
I once had a friend hang his tree from the ceiling so his new kitten couldn't get to the ornaments, it worked great but looked odd in the livingroom.
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Tosca leaves the tree and ornaments alone, thankfully, but my problem is wrapping paper. Tosca unfortunately sees any paper products as food, so once there are wrapped presents under the tree, she will go and eat some paper off any time no one is looking. I hate walking out of the room, only to hear a ripping noise and her running away a minute later…sooo annoying
Plus she actually eats it, instead of just shredding it like most basenjis seem to, so that isn't good either. Anyone have suggestions on how to keep her away? -
Tosca leaves the tree and ornaments alone, thankfully, but my problem is wrapping paper. Tosca unfortunately sees any paper products as food, so once there are wrapped presents under the tree, she will go and eat some paper off any time no one is looking. I hate walking out of the room, only to hear a ripping noise and her running away a minute later…sooo annoying
Plus she actually eats it, instead of just shredding it like most basenjis seem to, so that isn't good either. Anyone have suggestions on how to keep her away?Yup, gifts go up, up and away…. that is one thing that I never left to chance, gifts were on a table, high up... so not to chance the "paper attack"
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I think they probably leave everything alone because they know that Santa is watching :0)
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Yup, mine love to unwrap packages, but don't bother ornaments. We have had some near accidents when a string of lights caught on a curly tail and almost pulled the tree over!
Otherwise they are very respectful. But they are 10,12, and 14!
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Nemo hasn't bothered my tree ever. We were a little concerned about Zoni so we left out the toy train we usually put under the tree. We put it up a week or so ago and she didn't even seem to notice it. And somewhat ironically as I started to write this post I heard the jingle-jangle of the tree and rushed to see Zoni pulling the tulle off of the tree. Ah, life with a basenji…what else would I expect. :rolleyes:
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Wow, I can't even leave my coat on the chair let alone put up a Christmas tree and not have it stripped bare. Abbey does a driveby snatch off the lower branches during her B500's. If I had 20 foot ceilings I could just hang the tree up and not have to worry about it. I had a rat terrier years ago that undecorated the tree and tried to drag it into the kitchen while I was at work.
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Okay. I lied. BECAUSE I wrote what I did earlier, this afternoon Keoki took a cherry flavored candy cane from the tree and ate about half of it before I caught him, LOL.
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Mine don't bother with the Christmas stuff either-now the grandson is another story!
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Timely topic - my tree (fresh one) is going up at the end of the week.
My first beastie totally ignored the tree and presents. My second would chew on the plug for the lights until I managed to stuff it higher in the tree and would knock low hanging ornaments by accident (he was rather feisty). My third mostly ignored the tree though did try to drink water from it. And now Gossy - who loves shiny moving things and tearing into paper and loves running around furniture - well I'm thinking no presents under the tree until Christmas morning, no ornaments on low branches, and maybe I'll have to put the xpen around the tree as well (at least when no one is home) and I think I'll even put the Christmas creche on a higher shelf (don't want her chewing on the baby Jesus's head or a sheep). -
You're very lucky you can put the tree up. I do not dare do that with my dogs, 1 yr. and 1 1/2 yrs. I have no doubt Shaye would scale the baby gate, and they both would love munching on the branches, pulling all the decorations off, and their B-500's would no doubt result in them running full out into it, knocking it over. Since my ornaments are mainly dated ones, from the first year we were together all the way through, and baby's first year, second year type ones. This year my decorations are more than counter high. Maybe next year. We did get a small fiber optic tree and bought a 2009 ornament on it, which is a small puppy with a wreath around its head and a "09" gold tag around its neck. It sits on a bar chest Shaye can't get onto - yet.
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We have had our tree up a week so far not much trouble at least nothing deliberate. Zoeys curly tail caught hold of the ribbon and lights as she walked under the tree and was dragged with her as she walked away. Now they are just above tail lvl and no problem again.
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As of today our luck as been pretty good with Jaycee she has only got caught twice pulling at tree but as I said caught. We have not got brave and put anything under it yet might do that tonight then we shall see.
Rita Jean
