We are preparing for the arrival of our basenji pup.
I'm compiling a list of must have items and toys to keep him busy, sharpen his mind and tire him out.
I've read to not play tug o war for different reasons, but what would you make of a tug toy thats a suction cup to the wall or floor? No competition against us to "win" and should be no risk of aggression at us if its a solo game.
Thoughts?
Also any wonderful toy recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
IMHO, I think the average Basenji would ignore it. This breed wants to interact with you or a playmate. Also, I wouldn't think of a Basenji as the kind of dog that plays "tug of war". Perhaps I am wrong....
Our Basenji loves tug of war, but we don't go too far and mostly let her win!
https://www.instagram.com/p/CIO36LShPlN/?igshid=16aca1afpbjxm
Jane
@jkent thank you, your doggy is beautiful.
I just want to do what best for him without setting him up for bad habits challenging us in dominance.
Its not something we would introduce right away i think.
Thank you. Our puppy is now 8 months old and not having issues like that so far.
I wouldn't be afraid of tug of war - just make it brief, fun and keep it on your terms. It sounds like you are well read and are on top of whatever your puppy might throw at you. Trust me, your puppy will think up issues you never expected to deal with - they're specialists in surprise. That's why we love them so much! Mine make me laugh every day.
I would that the long snake like tug toy saved my ankles during puppy teething. I would drag that and Trigger would tug that and would not bite my feet as I walked around the house.
Our Basenji loves tug of war
Are you sure that's not, "Drag me across the rug"? 
@triggers-dad thank you. He will be our first basenji and yes, lots of research has brought us to this fascinating breed.
I'm a little anxious to not do something wrong for him but at the same time I should be confident in our capabilities to do whats best for him too to be a well behaved and trained dog to play with.
Cheapest toys are usually the most popular - Inside of a toilet roll or a kitchen towel roll is GREAT to throw around and tear up. The box that something came in, wonderful !
I make 'rabbits' from panty-hose, knotted together. Half the village supplies me cos I don't wear them ! Somewhere I think I have already posted full instructions.
Intelligence cubes or balls ! Its remarkable how fast they learn that there is a piece of kibble in there, if only they could get it out !
It's time well spent to teach your pup what toys are for chewing and which ones to be gentle with. Apart from anything else, it isn't good for a dog to ingest things like squeakers out of plush toys, not to mention the mess if they rip them apart. Supervise play and redirect to something "legal" when the pup turns destructive, and don't leave anything lying around you want to protect.
Puzzle toys like balls they roll to get treats are a good distraction. Teaching the pup the name of toys engages his brain and can be useful both for play and practical uses, like finding something for you. Teach "pick it up" as a generic term, and you can then progress to retrieving items by name.
@zande thank you, i will look into the rabbit instructions.
Ah yes enrichment/intelligence toys are on my list. I cant wait to watch him working it all out.
@enquiring_mind if you can't find the instructions on the forum archives, email me privately.
Kito loves the intelligence cube but at about 10 weeks isn't strong enough to make it work. Mku helps him though !
ALL of my Basenjis have loved a stuffed hedgehog plush toy. Currently, Binti uses a big one as her pillow in her bed, and just plays with the other two smaller ones. Binti is not very destructive. Our Cassie, on the other hand, loved nothing more than de-stuffing her toys and getting the squeaker out. I found that once any toy was void of stuffing, I could re-stuff them with fluffy pink yarn which looked distressingly like guts when she de-stuffed them again, but Cassie LOVED it. (Plus it saves you a lot of money replacing toys!!!! Good luck and have loads and loads of fun with your new baby!!!
@zande Binti LOVES boxes and paper rolls for destruction, but she doesn't destroy any of her actual toys!!!!
@enquiring_mind said in Play time:
I should be confident in our capabilities to do whats best for him
I often times find my best advice for a puppy parent is: relax. Understand that your puppy takes his/her cues from you. If you are quick to anger, they will learn to fear. If you are understanding, they will strive to please you.
