We have a new female Basenji named Millie. Dad is CH Mibrels N Corzo A New Hope 4 Bagna-USA and mom is Corzo B's Queen of D' South. She is 10 weeks now and doing great. I have tons of questions and need to spend a few hours on the forum just reading, but my biggest is can you crate train without the whining and screaming, or is that step necessary. She is waking a few times in the night but not necessarily needing to go out. I can tell because when I open the door, she wants to crawl into my lap and go back to sleep. A few times she has turned herself around and gone back to sleep, but usually she just cries until I open the door, wants to come into my lap and I just have to keep coaxing her into the crate until she is too sleepy to know the difference.
I don't crate train, but... it is my understanding that putting a blanket or towel over the crate (at least 3 sides and the top) will create a den-like atmosphere. It should be more comforting for her. Another trick is a warm hot water bottle to simulate her litter mates and mom. Most of all, just remember that this is her first time away from her family and she may be a little frightened that she is all alone now.
(It might be easier for you to just let her sleep cuddled up with you. I can almost guarantee it will happen eventually anyway.)
Congrats! Millie is precious!
@italeigha
She is a BEAUTY! Congratulations and Welcome to the Forum!
🥰
@elbrant We do have three sides of the crate covered and have done the hot water bottle (we have some because we lived in the UK, never heard of it before that!). We also read that the crate space needed to be small, so it is partitioned off. I am curious, though, if you don't crate train, what do you do if you have to board the pup or have someone come in to take care of her, or take her on vacation and need to leave her for a few hours? I am hopeful that she will be able to be out of the crate at night and free to roam the house during the day as long as she doesn't chew everything up. We will be able to walk/run her several times a day and we have a backyard with privacy fencing and lots of fun natural areas to play in, but I worry if I don't crate train her, she will freak out when it is needed (I don't have the stomach for that; makes me sad!) And for now, I am afraid she will pee my room up if we don't put her in the crate at night.
She is adorable! 🥳
Love the big ears!
@italeigha In all fairness, doodle came to me at 18 months old. I have had a little (doberman) pup that I brought into my bed. I couldn't handle the crying and once I put her in bed with me, she hushed and fell asleep. No "accidents" in the bed! Even at 9 weeks old!
Just accept that puppies chew. It's what they do. Growing new teeth hurts! Take a washcloth (not one of your good ones), soak it under the faucet, wring it out then freeze it. If your pup is chewing something she shouldn't, give her the frozen washcloth. It's like a puppy teething ring. Watch to make sure that she isn't chewing something that you don't want her to chew or something that would hurt her. Offer something that's ok to chew instead and you will be teaching her what is (and isn't) "okay".
It takes a little while for your pup to learn the house rules. The first hurdle is for you and your pup to learn how to communicate. Once you can figure out what she is thinking, it will be much easier to teach her what is okay and what isn't.
I have not needed to board doodle. One of the reasons I chose the Basenji breed was so that she could travel with me, we just haven't done a lot of that yet. Still, I would rather have her with me.
Doodle has full access at home at all times, whether I am home or not. She typically hangs out with me, sleeps with me, sunbathes behind my desk chair, and eats when I eat (which is never at the same time each day). Sometimes she goes out with me, sometimes she stays home.
She gets a chance to toilet in the morning, and then she gets a fun outing later in the day. In the winter it's during the warmest part of the day, in the summer it's during the coolest. Her outings rotate through a list (1-3 mile walks through the neighborhood, getting lost in the woods, one of the dog parks, the beach, etc.). I want her to have some fun, but never know for sure what we are doing that day. Keep her guessing, so to speak.
Perhaps you could contact your breeder, they may have used crates during transport or other times. If so, they could give you some insight into what their set up was like.
Congratulations!
I have a 9 month old who has starts out in her own bed right next to ours and joins us in our bed at 4am!
I used this gentle method to get her to like her crate with the door open during the day but she doesn't like being locked in so have not pushed that. https://edenk9abilities.com/crate-training-step-by-step-guide-to-a-distress-free-force-free-crate-trained-dog-or-pup-by-emma-judson/
She has a separate crate in the car boot which she does not like being confined to either but for safety reasons she has no choice. I use treats to get her to jump in and provide an antler to chew which helps.
Jane
@italeigha said in Meet Millie!:
named Millie. Dad is CH Mibrels N Corzo A New Hope 4 Bagna-USA and mom is Corzo B's Queen of D' South.
What is Millie's registered name so I can enter her into the database ? If you have her registration number too, it would be a help.
@italeigha - Where is the crate at night? Should be in the same room as you, next to the bed. Cover the 3 sides and if she wakes you can talk to her softly and dangle your fingers. That said, when she wakes, take her out to potty and then right back in the crate.
WHAT a little beauty Millie is!!! I love it when my now 10 year old Basenji sleeps with me, but I know not everyone approves of that. It comforts me and it comforts her. The two of us are the whole pack and we love our pack. You and Miss Sillie are going to have so much fun and joy together. You are both SO lucky!!!!
Hi Millie!
Congrats on a gorgeous baby girl there. By the way, my boy Aussie is your girl's granddad since her sire (dad) is one of his sons. She has that Aussie face tho through her dad, Forbes.
Crate training is a very good thing. I know when Aussie was younger, he was used to a crate but others gave good suggestions. Make sure you tell her what a good girl she is when she goes in there and give her a treat when she goes in. Lots of praise will help as well. A little bit of crate time in and time out will help her learn her crate is a safe place to be. Feel free to PM me with any questions you need on FB as well. FB - rhonda e lowe
She is so adorable! Thank you for sharing. I will defer to crate experts on this one.
For some reason Miles loves his crate, maybe he remembers getting good treats inside the crate as a puppy. Millie is so cute! ariadne
@italeigha That picture is adorable! Love her little sweater. 
Congratulations!! Here is Gatsby and She’s 12 weeks old!!
Joe
I love this time of year. These puppies are all so incredibly cute!
May they all live long, healthy lives.
Please keep sharing the pix!
@elbrant This is all very encouraging, thank you.
@joewbasenjidad Could be twins!
@jengosmonkey She came from Florida and shivers whenever we take her out here in NC; it will be warming up quick soon, though.
@2redbas That's so cool!! Thanks for sharing!! Thank you.
@zande She isn't registered yet, so I don't know, but I assume it will be Millie since that is what we wrote at the Call Name section of the contract? I will let you know when I receive the registration which the breeder says we should expect in 6-10 weeks.
