New Puppy Crating Advice ... Feeling Discouraged
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@donc Yes, I miss her every day! On December 23rd she would have been 20 Years old! I just love all animals and I have a weakness for the Hounds.
My first Dog was a Beagle and he bit everyone in the family except for me. The Vet who got his VMD in 1939 said to castrate him so my Dad had that done. I loved the Sea of Puppies and I am well aware that they are a ton of work! I will not get another Pup or Kitten until the Killer Cat has passed.
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@donc I totally agree with Don C. This is a huge transition for her! I didn't get my B pup until he was 12 weeks ago my experience is probably very different. My guy hated the crate at night and slept well in bed with me. He even woke me up to go out by digging in my hair! Not the best way to wake up but he definitely got the concept of telling me he wanted to go outside. Switched later to a bell. But I used classical music and once I found them, Through a Dogs ear, CDs while at work during the day and he did much better in n the crate. My guy also did well with NPR on the radio too.
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My breeder suggested I crate my girl and also told me that she was a climber and had climbed over fences, etc. I never crated my girl and she never climbed once. She has her little bed next to ours and will take herself off to bed around 6 (almost to the minute) which is up a flight of stairs - by herself. Around 12 midnight or 1 she'll hop into bed with us usually because the blankets have come off and she's a bit cold. It's lovely sleeping with her. Just remember Julie, don't wake them up suddenly because they get a fright and might nip. I just call my girl's name a few times and she comes around. She usually wakes me by poking me if she needs to pee during the night but that's probably once a month. She just waits until walk time in the morning.
I've never crated in a car, just put her bed in the back seat and in she hops and goes to sleep. But the breeders on this site advise crating and that might be good advice for you. If I have to go away overnight and my daughter can't come and baby sit (!) then she stays at the vets (four houses away) and they crate her at night. And she's fine (usually because there's a resident cat who loves playing with my dog). I've even walked past and seen her sleeping peacefully and safe in the crate.
There is much good advice in these posts Julie, try them and see if they work for you, and, more importantly, if they work for your basenji - listen to them. It sounds like you do. Persevere, and keep coming back to this forum if you need further help.
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Alison -
I’m way late to the conversation. Actually new to the forum. But I highly recommend getting a snuggle buddy for any pup. I got my basenji baby a week ago and he has slept through every night in his crate no problem. It’ll be a long time before he’s allowed in the bed. We are currently having a bad nipping stage and I prefer to not wake up bleeding. He does whine when he has to go out overnight and I let him out and he goes straight back to sleep. The snuggle buddy he only gets when in the crate. He does throw a fit in his crate without it. It has a real feel heartbeat so he feels like he’s with a littermate. They are cheapest on Amazon. I had also left a small stuffed toy with the breeder after I picked him out so by the time he came home it was saturated with their scent. That goes in the crate with him too. Hope that helps anyone who has crate issues in the future.
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Super late here but just wanted to pass it along also. I used the Sounds True cds (Through a Dogs Ears) when my B was in his crate during the daytime. Since it is very slow paced classical music timed to a slow dog heart beat pace. It's helped my guy calm down before.
Other than that, you seem to have made progress so I think sometimes it is just a getting-to-know-you period for each b. They all seem to be so unique personalities! -
@pippi said in New Puppy Crating Advice ... Feeling Discouraged:
But the breeders on this site advise crating and that might be good advice for you
Sadly, the crates help the dog not interfere with your driving. In case of a crash, it keeps them from running off. They sadly don't help protect the dogs. Even all the harnesses... don't help. They found only one harness and the super mega steel crates used by police to actually protect the dog.
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Crate for sleeping at night should always be in the bedroom with their people. Should be close to the bed. I use wire crates and typically have more than one Basenji so the crates are all next to each other, but still in the room we sleep in. If an only Basenji should be next to your bed that that your pup knows where you are and you can dangle your fingers in the crate to assure them you are there. And cover the crate to make it more den like. Agree with a "crate buddy" stuffed big toy... and this crate buddy should only be used in the crate at night. I have never had any of my Basenjis sleep in any other room other then the one I sleep in. I also agree that in a car any dog should be confined in a crate, period.
