{Hugzz} Sorry to hear that it's still such a struggle. Hoping for better news soon..
Thanks for the support! I've been struggling with "why me?" lately. The confinement fear I get and we're working on that, but what's up with the peeing everywhere? She has peed in my house, in her crate and in the bed every single day and night for two and a half months. No UTI or kidney issues– we've checked and rechecked for that! And she knows the "go potty" command-- we've clicker trained that.
And what's up with the shower thing? She goes nuts when I get in the shower, even though she's right outside with a treat ball to occupy her and can see me through the glass. But she beats and scratches frantically on the glass, howls like a banshee, then has diarrhea everywhere. If I take her in the shower, same thing (minus the diarrhea). Not fun.
Ttellington touch? Animal communicator? grasping here.
Is Tellington Touch like Reiki? I tried that. Did not go well– she fights being stroked or groomed. She even hates to be brushed! And she's seen a behaviorist. Not sure what an animal communicator is or how to find one? But I'll try anything. Okay, not anything. No choke collar.
After she's spayed, I'm sending her to boarding school/training for two weeks. I would like to send her now, but I'm afraid she'll go into first heat early.
Did you try the companion dog yet?
Ava was rough on the goldendoodle, and the doodle didn't like it or her. So we were politely rejected. 
We were nicely kicked out of puppy class, too. I am becoming known as the mom of "that dog." Pretty sure it's not a compliment.
That's unfortunate. I think I would be trying to find a compatible companion for her, to see if that would help. Getting her out of the current environment would also be something better done sooner than later, IMO. Yeah, heat could be a problem, but the longer this situation goes on the less likely you will be able to change established behaviour. Have you had any input from her breeder? Would sending her back for a bit be an option? It has the virtue of being a familiar place with familiar dogs. Or perhaps you could "borrow" a dog she knows? Just throwing out suggestions here…..maybe one of them is feasible.
The general consensus seems to be that the two-week boarding "reboot" camp is the best option. She's almost 5 1/2 months, so we could spay her early and send her in a couple of weeks. We'll see how that goes, then go from there.
The training part isn't about the commands. She knows them and will respond for treats. It's the undesirable and disruptive behavior and the reluctance to be corrected or confined. And she doesn't want to be alone. She's been like that from Day 1. She goes to daycare now and that helps. Everybody seems to think that someday she will decide that enough's enough, then she will settle into the good girl that I know she can be.
have you talked to your breeder about bringing her back to him for the boot camp? He is wonderful at retraining behaviors. I think it would be worth the drive to get her reoriented to basenji ways vs sending her to a boot camp that is used to other breeds and will try to correct her like they do a GSD.
She goes to daycare now and that helps. Everybody seems to think that someday she will decide that enough's enough, then she will settle into the good girl that I know she can be.
I think that's very positive, that she is going to daycare. How does she behave there, and does she get on well with the other dogs? She must be confined in some way in that setting…...i.e. she likely doesn't have access to the whole wide world.......so perhaps that indicates that with company she could cope with closed doors at home?
I agree with Lisa that it would be best if she could go for her reboot with someone who is familiar with Basenjis or similar dogs.
I'm sorry Pamela, I certainly think my previous suggestion comes into play at this point…it would be best to send we back to the breeder (with permission) and have her work with Ava...I think that would be the best place/chance for a turnaround....
I still think she will snap out of it, I wouldn't think so if I didn't go trough what you're going through now over a year ago...
Ava was rough on the goldendoodle, and the doodle didn't like it or her. So we were politely rejected.
I've noticed that B play style only melds with certain other dogs. Not all of them can handle the rough housing that Loki dishes out. Breeds he's almost guaranteed to play well and really rough with are generally: Aussies, Huskies, GSD's, pits, English Bulldogs, Rotties, Labs, Shibas, Ridgebacks, and mixes that contain one or more of those breeds. I'd say probably 9/10 Aussies he meets have been great with his play style. Had we not gotten another B, we'd have gotten an Aussie just because he does so well with them.
I'm sorry to hear that the struggles continue. And finding a boarding place that has experience with Basenjis is essential. We stopped going to Loki's first daycare/training facility after I witnessed a "trainer" repeatedly slap him in the face. And this is a highly recommended facility that even does boarding school….
It isn't like traditional daycare– she only goes for a couple of hours a few days a week (whenever it's nice out) to play with the same few dogs in a fenced-in play area. So it's more like an organized playdate and "lunch" with friends. She does not have confinement issues with a fenced-in yard-- we have that at home.
We are making progress with the crate densentization and other things, but it's a long process and slower than I had hoped. It's difficult to explain things without giving the wrong impression on a forum. Ava is a complex little dog, but I love her and want the best for her. Thanks for all the help and suggestions!
She does not have confinement issues with a fenced-in yard– we have that at home.
Am I reading this correctly? Can you put her outside at home on her own and is she O.K. with that? If so, as the weather warms up, it could be a partial solution, e.g. when you want to take a shower! Also, do you have or can you install a dog door straight into the yard? If so, how about a large crate inside, keeping her from inside destruction, but allowing her access to outside at will? Would that work?
I've noticed that B play style only melds with certain other dogs. Not all of them can handle the rough housing that Loki dishes out. Breeds he's almost guaranteed to play well and really rough with are generally: Aussies, Huskies, GSD's, pits, English Bulldogs, Rotties, Labs, Shibas, Ridgebacks, and mixes that contain one or more of those breeds. I'd say probably 9/10 Aussies he meets have been great with his play style. Had we not gotten another B, we'd have gotten an Aussie just because he does so well with them.
I'm sorry to hear that the struggles continue. And finding a boarding place that has experience with Basenjis is essential. We stopped going to Loki's first daycare/training facility after I witnessed a "trainer" repeatedly slap him in the face. And this is a highly recommended facility that even does boarding school….
Exactly! Ava, like Spencer before her, plays best with larger dogs or medium-sized dogs that roughhouse. She's rough and tumble and a lot of dogs don't like that at all. Spencer's best pals were GSDs, Shibas and Labs. Ava's new pals are a rambunctious Beagle and a Lab puppy. They roll, tumble, dart, dodge and chase till they're exhausted! This particular Doodle was older and more mellow, and she didn't appreciate Ava charging at her and pestering her to run, run, run. Ava isn't aggressive; she just plays hard. Most daycares aren't set up for that. They divide the dogs into two sizes, and Ava's too rough and wild with most smaller dogs. IDK any Aussies, but I can see how their play style would mesh with Bs.
I'm with you on screening trainers. It has taken me a long time to do that. I saw a dogsitter kick at Ava one time, and that was it for her. And I had to stop working with the trainer who wanted to use a choke collar. So much of it with Ava is time. I know that. Are your two still getting along and playing well? Ava hit her growth spurt– did Kaia?
Am I reading this correctly? Can you put her outside at home on her own and is she O.K. with that? If so, as the weather warms up, it could be a partial solution, e.g. when you want to take a shower! Also, do you have or can you install a dog door straight into the yard? If so, how about a large crate inside, keeping her from inside destruction, but allowing her access to outside at will? Would that work?
Haha– you are an optimist! I was, too. 
If I left her outside alone, she would howl and scratch and chew like a wild dog. I went in one time to answer the phone, and she pounded on the screen door and quickly ripped her way through. So I closed the glass door and she chewed on the deck. So I babygated her off the deck in the yard and watched her start chewing the steps and the deck posts. The doggy door doesn't work for her, because it goes to the deck (not the yard), and she hasn't yet learned how to be alone. If she wouldn't howl, I could rig up a covered X-pen on nice days. But the neighbors work at home and would complain about the howling, if it went on and on... and so far, it does.
I meant she's okay being confined in the yard or on the deck with someone with her. She doesn't scratch at the fence gates like she does at doors, even though she knows they're a way out.
Actually, staying outside alone is something my guy won't do either. He is a fence climber, so although I could "fix" that with invisible fence backing up the physical fence, I won't because he is content and not destructive inside. My girls Lady and Tamu used to stay outside all day long in nice weather. They preferred it. But neither of my boys has been a fan of the great outdoors, unless we are going for a walk or a hike. Perry does like to sit outside if we are out there, but only when the weather suits him.
What I wondered about Ava is whether she would settle down if she had the freedom to go out and come back in at will, that is, if there was a crate preventing her from going further into the house but she had the dog door available, whether she would just run outside when she got anxious. But I really think your solution might be a companion dog…..
Hmmm… worth a try. I could put the wire crate up to the doggy door, so she could come and go, but how would I stop her from pushing the crate back so she could escape inside? She can maneuver the crate when she's motivated, even though it's large and strong.
You're probably right about the companion dog. I really would prefer not to have a second dog right now, but the aloneness does seem to be a contributing factor.
My Spencer was like your boys-- he wasn't really an outdoor kind of guy. His favorite thing was to lie in the door on the front porch (with the front door open) and keep an eye on everything from the comfort of inside... while being outside. But that was in sunny Southern California, where the weather was nice with no bugs and my front yard was fenced in. It's a different story in TN. But Ava's not so keen on the outdoors, either. She always wants to come right back in, and like Perry, if people aren't out there with her, she'll just stay inside, thanks.
Kaia really hasn't had a growth spurt. She's been growing slow and steady, up to 14.8 lbs earlier this week. She and Loki are too cute. He's quite the protective and watchful big brother and they often cuddle together, he even cleans her face after she drinks some water! They still squabble like 2 crazed toddlers, but for the most part it's play, play, play, sleep, cuddle, play. We took her over to Tampa (18 B's that day!), and they just adored her. Even an older tri girl who isn't fond of puppies liked Kaia. She can be a total brat though…and she's going through that whole "testy teenager" stage, pushing the boundaries and trying to see how much she can get away with.
Ah, yes, I know that bratty teenager stage well! My problem is that Ava has been in it since she was 12 weeks old– and she's almost twice that now.
Kaia sounds like a real sweetheart, with a wonderful temperament. I'd love to see new pics of her and how she's grown. Will you be spaying her soon?
She is definitely a sweetheart, but lives up to the tri naughtiness. I'm hoping to have a chance to transfer my photos over to my laptop (it's extremely hard to be on a comp with 2 young B's who are convinced they need to battle right beside or on top of you!), once I do I'll post some updated pics of them. She's twice the size she was, but still so little. May 2nd will be when she turns 6 mths and I'm looking into getting her spayed and having her hernias repaired. I'd like to wait until June/July to give her enough time to grow, but I don't want her going through her first heat…so we'll see.
When were you thinking of taking Ava in to be spayed? I'm really hoping she'll come around eventually. How is the crate training going?
