Puppy and confined spaces
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@lustopher said in Puppy and confined spaces:
I really want to get him used to being left alone for 2-4 hours (there's always one of us home
Are you actually leaving him alone? If one of you is always home, then your exercise leans more to expecting him to leave you alone and entertain himself. That requires an entirely different approach.
If you want the pup to entertain himself, then ditch the cage inside the cage. Leave the crate in it's assigned location and put a comfy doggy bed in the room you will be working in. Allow the pup to choose where they will hang out while you are occupied doing other things, but do not isolate the pup in a different section of your home. Your dog will learn to just "chill" without the anxiety of wondering why they cannot be with you while you are home.
If you want the pup to be alone at home without supervision: consider putting baby gates up to block off the kitchen. This will be your pups designated area while you are gone. (Kitchen floors offer easier "oops" cleanup, plus it's typically where the pups water/food dishes are. So, the kitchen will satisfy two issues.) The next step is to get the pup used to being in that room while you are gone. Create a routine, let the pup watch you get your keys, put on your shoes, set up the baby gates, fill his water bowl, etc., etc. The pup will associate the actions with the idea that he will be alone. It provides him an outcome expectation and relieves stress. Then you actually both need to leave. Scruff his head, tell him you will be right back, and leave. Walk to the end of the sidewalk or street, start the car and drive around the block. But actually leave. Standing on the other side of the door won't work because your dog can hear and smell you. Do it over and over again for an afternoon. Your pup will get it and begin to understand that you come back.
Now you need to teach your pup what to watch for as an indication that he gets to go with you.... that's easy. If you pick up the leash, he gets to go. If you are not taking him, do not touch the leash.
I hope this makes life with your pup a little easier. :)
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@lustopher said in Puppy and confined spaces:
He was also a little distant too afterwards
Well, this part is his way of telling you that he isn't happy about what you did. The Basenji shun: Bad doggy dad! :grinning_squinting_face:
You will have to leave and return several times before he understands that you come back. I have found that if you do it several times on the same day, the pup will accept it faster. You don't have to walk him every time on training day, but having the afternoon off is critical. I wouldn't think it would be necessary to bribe him with the kong and bully stick each time either. But do make sure he has access to water with one of those bowls that bolt onto the cage wall.
He will get the idea. Keep practicing.
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@lustopher - I can honestly say that having Basenjis and raising Basenjis for over 30+ years... baby gates will not contain them... sorry to say... we built many years ago wooden gates that are over 4' high and do NOT have anything they can latch their feet onto to pull themselves up to climb over. Trying to keep a dog in a kennel when you are home is next to impossible... sorry to say... They are going to complain because they want to be with you...
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@tanza
I have seen my boy clear 3 feet from a standing start off a slippery hardwood floor, and have no doubt at all that 4 feet wouldn't have kept him in had he wished to be elsewhere. Like cats, Basenjis can find their way onto counters and table tops if the incentive is compelling enough. Yes, put a lid on the x-pen if you want to keep them in, and emphatically yes, don't confine them when you are home, they just get upset and frustrated. Teaching manners in the house and requesting what you want is a better approach, IMO.(Perry knew exactly what I meant when he was underfoot in the kitchen and I said "Be somewhere that is not here!" He would adjourn to the living room couch and leave me in peace.)
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The dog in the video doesn't look like he's been crate trained. I'd recommend training crate skills plus impulse control drills. Also, practicing being alone before you actually leave him alone would probably be useful. A lot of people only make use of the crate when they're about to leave, instead you might first want to work on crate skills when you're not going to leave. As for practicing being alone, well, most pet dog owners don't do this at all, they just leave the dog for a few hours whenever they want to go out. You'd probably find more success with practicing these skills first before moving to real world experiences, just so the dog has some idea of what's going on. If you don't focus on the habituation stage (the first, beginning stage), then you're unlikely to have great success in real life instances.
Also, I wouldn't leave anything soft in the crate with the puppy, because it's only going to stimulate them and increase their energy, and because they're confined it will increase drive and motivation, but it can't get out, so it will build frustration, which in turn will build drive even more, etc. It's a horrible cycle. If you leave the dog with anything, pig's ears and bully sticks are what I'd choose. Of course, with these there's always a chance that they can choke if not supervised. However, it may be an option for the beginning when you're training being alone (which in the beginning shouldn't be very long; you build up duration slowly).
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@lustopher - Have to say, when you have one that is what is going to happen... think about it... if you have a human baby they would do the same at the age they are crawling and/or walking. You really, in my opinion expect them them do something different? Like human kids, some have issues being separated from the "family".... May I ask if you have the TV or radio on when you try and leave him? That might help...
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@lustopher said in Puppy and confined spaces:
it's about time he starts to also understand that he doesn't always have to leave his chewing to check out what we're doing
It doesn't happen often, but I agree with @tanza on this. He's a baby and it is pretty "normal", but also remember that dogs are pack animals. You, your significant other, and the pup are now his "pack". If you are in another room and he comes to look for you, I would suggest just ignoring him. If he comes to you, give him a pet and go back to whatever you were doing. He will either go back to the room he was in, or settle down somewhere in the room you are in. Both of which should be acceptable. This is something that may be less frequent as he gets older, but probably never disappear entirely. Which is a good thing, I think.
