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More help please! another problem..

Basenji Training
  • DiegosMomD

    so my first problem was crate training a 5yo(meeka) who is destructive/afraid of crates and is new to the family (brought her home a few weeks ago). since the house is a mess every time i come home (couches ripped up and such), i decided to video tape the dogs when i was gone to see who was destroying things, meeka or diego. diego i have had for a year and a half and he is not crated and has never destroyed anything.. so i video taped them and both dogs were destroying things.. so now what do i do? i can not crate diego, he is also a rescue and is horrible in a crate, or confined in ANY area. will he ever go back to being nondestructive when uncrated?! Sorry so long, im so frustrated with him and dont know what to do..

    Sarah

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  • JazzysMomJ

    @DiegosMom:

    so my first problem was crate training a 5yo(meeka) who is destructive/afraid of crates and is new to the family (brought her home a few weeks ago). since the house is a mess every time i come home (couches ripped up and such), i decided to video tape the dogs when i was gone to see who was destroying things, meeka or diego. diego i have had for a year and a half and he is not crated and has never destroyed anything.. so i video taped them and both dogs were destroying things.. so now what do i do? i can not crate diego, he is also a rescue and is horrible in a crate, or confined in ANY area. will he ever go back to being nondestructive when uncrated?! Sorry so long, im so frustrated with him and dont know what to do..

    Jazzy has also been known to tear things up if Keoki gets her started. I'd hoped for the opposite influence. :(

    I'd still consider ex-pen w/top. They may flip out in there, but they'd have more room and feel somewhat less confined. You know, there's not [probably] going to be a way to solve the problem that doesn't upset them for at least a little while. It's a learning experience for them, and not necessarily an easy one.
    Leave them w/lots of paper towels to sleep on/shred up, and start with short periods of time and move toward longer. Do a bit every day.

    Our lifestyle – stay at home, homeschooling -- didn't help Keoki at all. I mean, he was with us ALL the time, then on those days {Sundays for Church, Saturday activities out} he would FLIP OUT because I think he wasn't sure he could breathe w/out us at home. He is learning....

    It takes a long time. We've had Keoki since April, and he STILL won't let me lock his crate, although he sleeps okay if it is shut. He has to know he can open it and get out into the pen. It's only been the last month that the paper towels are intact when we return home from someplace.

    I'm thinking another month or so and I may try leaving his bed in there one Sunday morning...maybe.

    This is what we have at this time -- in what used to be our dd's bedroom, then was SUPPOSED to be a guest room when she left for college. Now it's the dog room. :rolleyes:

    Two months ago, Keoki wouldn't have tolerated this long enough to get the picture. Today, he just looked a bit confused -- "Mom, why am I in here and you are still there and not giving me my cookies?"

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  • DiegosMomD

    thanks.. do they move the pen around or try to knock it over? do you have it secured down anyway? and where did you get it?

    Sarah

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  • JazzysMomJ

    @DiegosMom:

    thanks.. do they move the pen around or try to knock it over? do you have it secured down anyway? and where did you get it?

    I should also say that I started with a pen twice this size, and then downsized it…

    I don't have it secured to the ground, although I suppose a few ties to the bookcase or bed would do that. Maybe even getting another top and putting it on the bottom.

    I got mine from The 3C's dog supplies at a dog show

    { http://www.3cdog.com/product_info.php?cPath=40_52&products_id=1907&osCsid=bbf }

    I'm sure you can get them elsewhere – check petco, feed stores, etc.

    I actually bought two pens plus the 48" panel for the top. It was pricey, but well worth it to me.

    { In retrospect, I probably could have gotten by fine with one pen. But two come in handy in the summer when there's lot of people over for a bbq or something. I can pen the dogs and not risk losing them to friends leaving the gates open, etc. And the dogs don't feel trapped.}

    Good luck. This is the sort of problem that can just about drive you insane!

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  • S

    Dogs with crate issues, sometimes do better if you go to a wire crate.
    It never hurts to try something new..
    Sometimes this type of change is just want is called for.

    Sharron Hurlbut

    BRAT, basenji rescue

    Evergreen basenji club

    Seattle Purebred Dog Rescue

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  • BDawgB

    You have to desensitize him to being afraid in the crate. Miles hated his crate at first. If we even LOOKED like we were going toward it, he would bolt from the room and then get really angry if you tried to usher him in that general direction. So we started slowly- and just got him to get treats out of it- do not close the door. Lots of love, TLC, treat- praise! The crate is GOOD! So eventually lead up to getting him to put one paw in the crate. Then two. Then the whole body- but not shutting the door. Then slowly get him to where you can shut the door and slowly increase the amount of time before you let him out. This is how we've trained Miles to FLY into his crate. He's good until he licks the peanutbutter off his hoof and then he HOWLS like mad for 10 seconds straight and then he's okay.

    Miles & Lexi's Mom

    www.stelladot.com/barrick

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  • tanzaT

    I would try the xpen idea first… and yes, you do need to find a way to secure it to "something"......

    Pat Fragassi

    Tanza Basenjis

    www.tanzabasenjis.net

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  • MaxBooBooBearM

    When I was trying to keep Tyler and Zoey in the Xpen (instead of my computer and bookcase like I do now), I actually nailed it to the hardwood floor. Now I have some screw bolts on the sliding glass door frame to hook the end panel to so that they can't move it to get to my desk/bookcase. The other end panel goes behind the bookcase next to the wall. There are ways to keep it in place.

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    I'm not sure, in your situation, I would leave the dog outside until he made the decision to come in. It almost sounds as if the dog had bad experiences inside at the previous home and outside was the only place he could stay or maybe was forced to stay; anyway you now have to counteract all that. All the good points have been made by others, now you have to put them all together. Do not let the dog outside without a long lead (long closthesline or whatever); when you say come reel in the lead and treat and praise. You have to be consistent too; use the same word, treat immediately, etc. Also I don't think I would leave the dog loose outside until this is overcome. If possible I would also take the time to be outside with your dog (still on the lead) and play with him and praising and treating for any good interaction he does. Also you might want to have a special treat just for the come command and for entering the house. He does not get this treat until he comes and/or he enters the house - but make it something really special that is not given except for this purpose.
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