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HELP! I LOVE her, but..

Behavioral Issues
  • She's a terror! My Basenji/Maltese mix refuses to listen to any sort of command or name referral, she urinates on the carpet frequently (even after a stern NO! in the process and being taken to the wee wee pad), she has extreme separation anxiety (tears/rips bags, paper, shoes.. anything she can get her mouth on), digs into furniture and peoples' arms if she doesn't get enough attention, and gnaws on arms and hands. I absolutely love her and she is so incredibly affectionate and sweet.. but her behavioral skills are horrendous! I do work 5 days a week and live alone.. however, on my work days either my father or boyfriend will stop by to walk her and spend time with her.. and 2 out of the 5 days, she spends the whole day with my boyfriend! (who is VERY good with dogs and the stern voice/patience) What more can I do?!

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  • Help please!

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    @basenji_life said in Help please!: Oh and yesterday evening she started peeing on the sofa while looking straight at him... and she normally goes outside to pee... maybe she was upset that he was home? Did you solve this issue? I had a dog who didnt like kids. Someone told me it could be because the previous owner had kids who scared the dog. So it could be a traumatic experience for the dog. And when kids were around, the dog would bark a lot always.
  • Help

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    Do let us know what you found out from the vets.
  • Help - peeing in the crate

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    renaultf1R
    @Lesco: We got her from Debbie Hauri in New Hampshire Welcome and congrats on your new pup…how exciting! Is this one of the pups from the Tango & Dora breeding? One thing that I did when I brought my pup home last winter was set up a crate, a litter box (with wood shaving pellets - equine pine) and put an xpen around it (also had a top on the xpen). That way when Liyah was crated for an extended time when I wasn't home, if she had to potty she could use the litter box. It was a great setup and consequently she never went to the bathroom in her crate...sometimes she partially missed the litterbox, but she was just a baby so I was happy she did as well as she did. I left the crate door open with treats, toys and soft bedding so she would choose on her own to go in the crate to sleep. I clipped the xpen closed. If you have space, I highly recommend this sort of setup so that your pup can keep her crate clean. The only other thing I would add is don't hesitate to contact Debbi with questions. She is a wonderful person, super helpful and a good breeder. Not to mention she is a good trainer so I'm sure she'd have plenty of tips. Please post pics when you get a chance...we love pics!
  • Anxiety help

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    renaultf1R
    @sharronhurlbut: Re car rides, this is going to sound odd, but it does work for me and my 2 dogs. Even if you have walked your dogs before a car trip, I find the excitement of the "get into the car" and going makes there guts act up. So, here is what we do. We take the dogs a lot on vacation when we go by car. We walk the dogs in the am, feed and water. Get them into the car. Drive about 2 miles and stop and let them out to walk. Both always pee and poo when we stop. Once back in the car, they settle and are quiet. About a hr or so into the ride, they start to get "ACTIVE" again…we stop at a rest area, they go, and then they sleep the rest of the way. Could be the excitement of leaving home, the motion of the car or whatever, but these stops, even tho you want to get going...make the trip much easier on all involved. Give it a try. All you can lose is a bit of time... Sharron…I've had friends use that method as well...so I think you (and them) are on to something. Wizard...It is a tough road, separation anxiety. I never had much success with the DAP - spray or plug-in...and I used both for about half a year. I finally gave up on it. Although, my vet and the pet store I bought it at said they knew of people that had had success with it. Good for you for working with a behaviorist...they definitely will have better ideas about things to try. The second beastie was the golden ticket for Ruby though...and seriously, I've found that 2 b's are so much easier than one. So much so that I'm thinking of adding another either this year or next...and for that I might need my head examined.
  • Basenji Help!!

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    Move the crates to different rooms. The female won't be able to see what's going on. Give the male his food first, then feed the female a little later. Don't let them out of the crates at the same time.
  • Peeing in the Crate-Help!

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    QuercusQ
    Sometimes peeing while turning in a circle is a form of territory marking. It does sound like as he gets more comfortable with the situation, this behavior will stop.