Tips for New Basenji Owners!
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Me neither.
But then, I don't take mine to PetSmart or places like that either – any place where there is potential for problems/injury, etc. Off leash, I'd have no control over my own dog, let alone others, and in a store I have no control over other people and their dogs.
The vets in the clinic I go to don't encourage it either. They often talk about the high number of emergency visits they get with dogs from off-leash parks or in-store visits.
I do know, however, that many, many here completely disagree!:)
In a store (Pet Smart) all dogs are on leash, they're all under control to a degree. It's important to have a good training foundation in place - to control your own dogs and have the ability to distract them long enough to avoid unwanted confrontations. Anywhere we take our fur kids, we need to be "on guard" at all times when strangers (human or canine) pass.
I certainly respect your preference for when and how to expose and socialize your furry kids. Utilizing pet training stores and dog parks are one way. Friends, neighbors, other family homes, dog shows and athletic pet events are options. But many-many dog owners don't have same advantages for socialization. Encouraging pet owners to use the resources they have available is a good thing, no matter how or when their fur kids are socialized. People should also access the safety of their pets and know when to stay or leave from any environment.
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We actually have a very nice off-leash dog park close to our home & I have planned on taking him there when he gets old enough. I want to try & socialize him as much as possible while he is young so he won't be as aloof when strangers come into our home or protective if other dogs are around. I will be sure to allow him doggy-time but also know when to remove him if I see any dogs that may not be properly socialized. I know some people love the idea of dog parks, others hate it. I think you just need to find the balance, know that not all dogs are going to be socialized & therefore trusted, & know when to leave a bad environment, whether that is the dog park or Petsmart.
Now another question, I know many of you have your dog sleep in your bed at night (or at least bedroom) but what about when they are still a puppy and not housebroken? Do you put them in their crate at night to sleep until housebroken?
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All my guys let me sleep in the king size bed with them, lol. Have since they were pups (well the basenji still is a pup, but he's potty trained now).
As for at night well, I have honestly never had a problems with potty accidents at night. I am not a really light sleeper but I always seem to know when they move around that its more than just getting comfortable. Also, I put a very light weight lead on them and attach it to a 5lbs weight giving them enough room to move around but not enough to fall off the bed and get caught up. I only do this long enough to get used to their sleeping pattern.
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I did. When Duke was a puppy - I got him used to the crate ASAP. I made it a happy comfortable cozy place. Put an old quilted bed spread draped around 3 sides. (he chewed thru and destuffed the spread - I didn't mind.) Crate training can be found on other threads here if you do a search. My dogs are comfortable and happy to go in their crates as trained. He was house trained by 6 mos, but our night-time habits remained the same till he was 10-11 months old when I let Duke sleep on our bed one very tiring Thanksgiving night. BTW - Duke and Daisy are crate trained and stay go in their crates when no one is home. They actually love the peace and comfort in there. Neither one exhibits a wild behavior to get let out when I/we come home. We never make a big deal about seeing them either. We stay calm and they do too.
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Because you really need to crate train, I would not let them sleep in bed until crate trained and house broken….
That said, if you are going to crate your B during the day, then I think it is unfair to then crate all night too.. (AND while I love the Evergreen basenji manuel, this is one section that I totally disagree on)
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We crated Nexa at night for the first month, the crate was in the bedroom right next to our bed. Her first night in the bed was the best night of sleep we got in a month:) I think it helped to establish that our bed is a special place and we don’t have to give that privlege.
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Savannah loves the dog park, she is able to run around like crazy and still have the feeling of security that i am nearby and so is the rest of the pack, caesar, cairo , nikki, topper, eddie , callie , jack and a handfl of other basenjis that come on sundays.
She has been sleeping with me and she definately loves the bed.
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We crated Nexa at night for the first month, the crate was in the bedroom right next to our bed. Her first night in the bed was the best night of sleep we got in a month:) I think it helped to establish that our bed is a special place and we don’t have to give that privlege.
Exactly, all of mine when they are sleeping in crates are in the bedroom… of course, IMO... if one has a problem and the crate was other then in a place easily heard by the human... again IMO.. defeats the purpose of using the crate to housetrain at night... along with crate train.... doesn't make is a very pleasant place if they have a problem and have no place to relieve themselves other then the crate....
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If I were limited to 3 tips–I would say training, training, and more training. :D
It's great that you have done so much research ahead of time and are getting your pup from a good breeder. That will help a lot. I got my first B from a pet store and knew absolutely nothing about the breed......really, the best tip I got at that time was to make sure I took him to training classes.
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1. Crate train
2. Socialize
3. Never underestimate a Basenji.;)
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1. Crate train
2. Socialize
3. Never underestimate a Basenji.;)
Yes!! And as soon as you feel like you've got them trained and can relax a little DON'T!!! :p
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Yes!! And as soon as you feel like you've got them trained and can relax a little DON'T!!! :p
Amen to that one JM!:D
