Very bad behavior
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Kelli - good post. Ultimately what got Ruby past her SA was adding Brando. She is a retired show dog and had never been alone. In my case though I had the time and resources and always planned on adding a second B. I think all the posts here give some great ideas - I think the behaviorist will be key.
I agree, Kudos to the original poster for not throwing in the towel long ago. SA is such a tough issue especially when you are in the thick of it.
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I am reluctant to even mention this suggestion because it is loaded, but our Ella was only briefly and unhappily crate trained and we just made the leap (over several days) of leaving her alone and free in the house. While her record has not been perfect, overall the change has been a huge improvement. She would rarely relax inside her crate but now that she has freedom inside the house I am pretty certain she spends 90% of her time alone curled up on her bed asleep. That is pretty much how I find her twice a day. We thought the problem was separation anxiety but it was crate anxiety. So we removed the crate. I am sure we will have regrets in the future that Ella cannot be easily placed in a crate, but on a daily basis I think it may be worth a try.
My experience with Ella is that her destructive behavior occurs when WE ARE HOME and not paying enough attention to her. When she is alone she rarely causes trouble. My friend's Basenjis are the same way and are also not crated. She is the one that gave us the inspiration that a Basenji could be trusted. Of course, we do our best to basenji-proof the house before we leave to take care of known trouble spots. And no "goodbyes" and explanations of comfort and concern. Just walk out the door as simply as possible.
I know this is the Basenji forum and not the Labrador forum but somebody had to suggest letting the dog free in the house.
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My last 2 I left alone in the house all their life as they hated the crate. I never had a problem with them as there's a dog door to get out to the backyard. The tri I have now will without problem stay in a crate 10 hours. I'm lucky as he's a go with the flow type and doesn't make a fuss or sound. I only did that for the first month as I now leave him in the backyard with the crate back there with the door open in case he wants to sleep in there.
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Basenjiprince i feel for you and your poor Basenji, i do hope you manage to resolve things.
We didnt use a crate with our Basenji, simply because we werent familiar with them. As bcraig says our Basenji slept while we were out and caused trouble when we were in and not paying enough attention. We will try a crate when we get her because i think they can be a good thing. However your Dog sounds realy distressed so it may be worth a try if you are brave enough, lol. -
I have a dog that I've always left out (my exceptional Brindlewonderkid), but if you read the first post, the dog is distructive after getting out of the crate. My bet is that the dog has separation anxiety and if that's the case, there's a high chance the dog will be distructive perhaps to the point of hurting himself.
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My girl is crate phobic and had bad separation anxiety - we gave up on the crate; started leaving her for a few minutes with run of the house, except bathroom and bedroom door closed - put the trash out of her reach, raised the venetian blinds, basically put everything up she could really damage, and little by little we have her now so we can leave her for a couple of hours, and she is fine. We run her first, and give her a busy bone to work on when we leave. Some dogs just cannot be crated. Mine's one. Five years though - that is a long long history of this behavior - best of luck to you - I think a professional trainer's advice is what you need.
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Thank you all for the info and comments. I have tried to start some of them. I have been playing alot more outside with him and also making the crate a "good" place. any time he does something good or gets a treat it goes in the crate. ive also pulled the crate out of the bathroom while we are home so that he can explore and realize it is always out besides just when he has to go inside when we leave. he has done ALOT better. no chewing on the crate and only a little bit of pee. things are getting better… thank goodness!!!
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Great stuff Melissa, sounds like things are improving.
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Sounds like there is light at the end of the tunnel, great news. I am glad things are looking up. yes , please do keep us posted.
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Hey Melissa, How did it go over the weekend? Did you get it to where the enclosed area can be his place while you are at work? I have had a B for 71/2 months now. They are unique on the one hand with some breed specifics, but a dog none the less. Any dog needs exercise and mental stimulation(esp B's! A tired Basenji is a Happy One!) and since they are social animals, they need companionship. It sounds like you are strapped financially like us all, but I can only offer you three alternatives: 1)doggy day care or a sitter, 2)another dog, 3)get him to a home where his needs will be met. It's not to be mean or belittle you, it is just that being fustrated is not healthy for you mentally or physically, nor your little boy.
