Leaving her alone???!!

Basenji Training
Log in to reply
  • ?

    Hallo there,
    Planning and trying to get ready to my new life.
    I plan to give almost full attention and my schedule to the new family girl or guy. However, I will need to go out once a day for my swimming, and super market etc. can she left alone for that time or must I bring dog sitter everyday for 2 hours? ( it also budget issue,,..)
    Thanks,
    Meir

    0
  • C

    Hi,
    I leave my boy home for 1-2 hours regularly. If he is upset, he may chew on something, or find some personal item to either play with, or destroy. As long as you keep your valuables out of reach, it will be fine.
    Tom

    0
  • eeeefarmE

    A couple of hours shouldn't be a problem. With a dog that hasn't proven trustworthy you might want to consider a crate or restricting the dog to an area where there isn't much it can damage. Leaving a treat or toy to play with can help a lot. I found one of those balls that you put treats in and the dog has to roll the ball to obtain them is useful, or a Kong stuffed with something tasty. It can keep the dog occupied for awhile and make your absence less stressful. It's a good idea to make your departure and return very low key. Separation anxiety can be fed by people making a big deal out of their absence.

    "In order to get along with a Basenji, you have to be at least half as smart as the dog!"

    0
  • K

    You can work on it - opening the front door and closing it, without leaving. Then leaving for a minute, then a little more, and so on. What also helps a lot, strange as it may sound, is telling that you are going and when you will be back (make sure you are back at the right time!). Never a problem, for up to 3-4 hours. We don't crate our two sisters - they sleep all day anyway. Good luck!

    0
  • ?

    Thank you all for the support and advice.

    0
  • eeeefarmE

    I'd like to add, don't sneak out. The dog should know that you are leaving, because otherwise it may panic when it can't find you. I had a regular routine for when I was going out which involved loading my boy's roller ball, putting him on a "stay", placing the ball, and then releasing him with an "O. K." as I went out the door. This particular dog had had a separation anxiety problem and I found getting him to anticipate a "good thing" (his treat filled ball) when I chose to go out alleviated his concern about my leaving. On my return I always greeted him in a very low key way, never making a fuss over him. We got to the point where he often didn't get off the couch on my return! I knew then that I had the separation issue beaten.

    "In order to get along with a Basenji, you have to be at least half as smart as the dog!"

    0
  • DebraDownSouthD

    @Cafu said in Leaving her alone???!!:

    Hi,
    I leave my boy home for 1-2 hours regularly. If he is upset, he may chew on something, or find some personal item to either play with, or destroy. As long as you keep your valuables out of reach, it will be fine.
    Tom

    The issue isn't valuables. The issue is if he destroys and eats something that could kill him. Any dog that chews or destroys needs crating until he really is safe alone.

    Debra

    0

Suggested Topics

  • Beth314B

    Shock collars!

    Basenji Training
    1
    0 Votes
    1 Posts
    1k Views
    No one has replied
  • eeeefarmE

    Operant Conditioning (explained)

    Basenji Training
    10
    3 Votes
    10 Posts
    2k Views
    eeeefarmE
    @elbrant said in Operant Conditioning (explained): @eeeefarm said in Operant Conditioning (explained): some professional trainers suggest to their classes that they starve dogs that aren't all that food motivated This is just disturbing... in today's society, this type of behavior would be considered animal cruelty. Certainly we can find a way to encourage compliance without depriving an animal basic care. I know, it shocked me too when I heard it. The first instance was a friend of mine whose Border Collie was disinterested in food rewards, and she was advised by the instructor not to feed the dog anything on class days so there would be an incentive to accept treats. The second instance was my niece, and in this case a German Shepherd dog that again didn't want to take treats, and she was given the same advice by a different trainer, in fact in a different city, so it appears that it isn't unusual. Both these dogs work well for praise and in both cases the owners declined to starve the dogs....
  • eeeefarmE

    Learning from nature

    Basenji Training
    3
    5 Votes
    3 Posts
    449 Views
    tanzaT
    @eeeefarm - Totally agree with both of you, while I don't do the "restrain the pup", but if it works great and in a pinch it does work for me if really needed. When we have pups (babies) and Mom is tired of them and puts herself in a position that they can't reach her, they turn to the next adult in the house.... same thing will happen if they get over excited and yes, I have seen Basenji Moms, pin the pup to the ground and/or other adults in the home.... so it is something that a pup understands. Walking away works for me... or I try to change up the "game" by turning to working their minds and getting them to think about other things. In the Basenji Breed this is another way of teaching them that the prior behavior is not acceptable. They learn pretty quickly. Thanks for posting this thread eeeefarm... well needed...
  • F

    Puppy teething/biting

    Basenji Training
    18
    0 Votes
    18 Posts
    2k Views
    tanzaT
    @zande - I have place pups at 9wks, but typically to prior Basenji owners, they know the "ropes"... also I do eyes at 9wks, so 10 works better for me in placing pups and yes...(LOL) mine are raised in the home, no kennel.... and the breeders that I know that use kennel runs, still have their pups in the house for house time and "education".....
  • Ninabeana26N

    Leaving the House WITHOUT the Basenji

    Basenji Training
    3
    0 Votes
    3 Posts
    2k Views
    Robin_n_JackR
    I do something similar to that, Quercus. It is almost like a game. I take a small piece of a treat and make him sit next to the door. Then, when I am ready to go, I toss it across the room and he goes running after it. By the time he finds and eats it, I am gone. Of course, I am in the same stages of leaving him for short periods (no more than 15 minutes- very beginning) and seeing how he does with not tearing the house completely apart.
  • dashD

    Home alone-but not in the crate

    Basenji Training
    23
    0 Votes
    23 Posts
    14k Views
    torchsongT
    She-Ra was one of those "Mall Pet Store" basenji's so even as a pup she'd gotten accustomed to eliminating where she ate, so crate training was really not much of a success. However, using pee-pads, if you're going to be gone, isn't a hard thing to train them to use (spray with bitter apple spray though…She-Ra LOVES to chew up the pee-pads!). We've also used "baby gates" with success to keep her out of danger rooms (kitchen, etc.). While Basenji's are natural climbers, Target sells a nice one that she's not been able to handle. Finally, just "Puppy-proof" your home and leave plenty of toys and chews around. Every now and then you'll come home to an accident, but for the most part she's quite content to have the run of (most of) the house.