Potty and Biting

[eeeefarm]

I would not worry about strange noises when he is sleeping. Totally normal, IMO. They also dream and sometimes vocalize in their sleep.

I'm not a fan of harnesses. They do not give you the control you need and as elbrant mentioned, it isn't unusual for a dog to slip out of them. A collar should be well fitting and adjusted tight enough that he can't slip it. If you are consistent about not giving in to pulling he will learn to stop doing it. Be careful that you are not the one doing the pulling. When he tightens the leash, stand still. As soon as it loosens, move on. This is one of those things that go slowly at first but he will get the message that pulling does not get him what he wants, unless you confuse him by being inconsistent.

[tanza]

@lustopher - A walk every hour is a bit much, in my opinion. If it is to go potty, take him out and then reward when he goes. Walks should be fun time... not just to potty... especially at his age. And honestly, I recommend that people take their pup out for short walks after the 2nd shot. Just be mindful of them sniffing other "poop" as that can shed viruses. He is a bit young at 11wks to be expected to react quickly and learn... and sounds to me like he was not really socialized as a baby by the breeder, so you need to take the role with the absents of littermates and adults Basenjis/dogs in his world. Also make sure to have the vet check for a UTI, not uncommon for pups to get this, especially if it seems he is peeing often and not much or loses bladder control when sleeping. As far as sleeping noise, very normal.

[Lustopher]

@tanza I got a urine test container to have him checked next visit. But I believe he is just not used to it, because at night he can go for 4-4.5 hours without potty already. I take full responsability for not paying attenion for inside accidents. Today we had someone over and at some point he became annoying so I put him in his crate to relax and I ignored his whinning because I thought he was just mad, but he peed on his bed... . I'd say that was out of frustration, because I took him out like 30 mins earlier and not much activity afterwards. And when he wakes up, he waits.

I've introduced him to other people already and I take him out for short walks around the block, not just potty. My parents have a 3yo female mixed bread, should I go for it or wait until my B is fully vaccinated? (she obviously is, and taken for vet checks every few months)

[tanza]

@lustopher - Go for it as long as your parents pup is vaccinated... they will be fine... I have found over 30+ years in the breed that they build immunities by interacting with others... years and years ago I didn't do that and had many issues... so when I started introducing to vaccinated dogs.. they build immunities... same with human children... I used to take my pups to lure trials and shows... I was careful on who/what they get close to... but I had MUCH healthy pups for that point on... not everyone will agree, but it certainly worked for me and all the people that I placed pups with.

[Zande]

@micah said in Potty and Biting:

Yes my boy heels on lead and off lead in the park and to the park.
I have videos of heel work with my boy but I’m not sure if it’s possible to sharing on here.

I have seen those videos and it is wonderful to see a Basenji heeling without a lead. @micah is a superb trainer and his Kenji is an inspiration to other Bs !

[Jeimygirl]

Mine has been a sweet boy since day one but I train him the same way I "trained" my kids which I think helps, with a lot of "easy" calm reminders/vibe. Every now and then mine gets an attitude and wants to lash out and I will either put him in his play pen for a quick time out or try and hold him with lots of shhhh easy... Calm words. The timeout in the pen isn't punishmen (we don't use it when he does something bad) and it's different than his crate, but when he's in there he knows he can't go anywhere and it helps him calm down. Mine still has a lot of puppy bitting urges, every day, and we redirect him to a toy or we say no, as he does it and good boy as we are able to pet him without him bitting. Maybe trying to be very calm and trying to ease him down may help?

As far as potty training, we trained our early on to ring a bell when he has to go out. We started it by taking him outside constantly and ringing the bell while we said "outside?" and after a while he learned to where he now runs to the door and rings it hard to go outside. However, on rainy days, he wants nothing to do with outside and has the most accidents. When he has one, we usually say sharply "outside!" and pick him up, even midstream, and take him right outside. Maybe a system for potty training like this could intrigue?

He dislikes having his feet washed too so we limit that to only when he has really dirty paws or steps in his own poo which unfortunately he does often, otherwise we just do a quick wipe. If your dog dislikes paws washed like you stated, I would avoid that as much as possible because it gives them a reason to not want to go outside.

As far has harness/leash, we use all of them depending on the situation. I primarily walk him on a lead rope leash, but when my kids take him out on potty breaks we use a basic leash clipped to his collar (with me, a since I'm his person, a leash isn't needed but with anyone else it's a must cause the other side of the fence is too much of a curiosity), and on hikes we use a harness. We switch it up so much the manner in which he goes out makes no difference for him. Personally I'm not a fan of seeing their neck chocked when he pulls another way, so we leave the lead leash to training walks where I think it has more of an affect where the harness is more playtime outdoors. Maybe using a lightweight leash on every potty break everytime and have one designed spot?

[Lustopher]

@Jeimygirl thank you for your input

Potty is starting to be OK, except the fact that he doesn't "say" anything yet when he has to go. I have to figure it out on my own and considering that he had peed on the couch a few times, although no play was involved and had peed outside previous to that, I prefer to take him out pretty often to give him a chance to go. Could this be marking?

But yes, he is not always fond of it, specially at night. He doesn't come out of the crate because he knows it's potty time, he just goes dead weight on the bed and whines when I pick him up. Perhaps the paw cleaning is part of it too, but unfortunately there is not much we can do due to the bad weather (been snowing/melting every other day).
He seems to dislike some positions when held for the Silicone Paw Cleaner, but he doesn't go crazy otherwise.

He's had the 4th vaccine today so I will start to take him for longer walks in quiter places, not just around the block. Hopefully that way he'll slowly learn to walk acceptably.

LE: Hey, one more question. My boy is 3 months old now, sits at 5-5.3 kg. According to comments on the forums and some online calculators, he's on the right track. I've been giving him ~150grams of semi-moist Royal Canin kibbles for medium puppies (recommended by the breeder), but now I wanted to switch to something 'healthier' and opted for Acana Junior, which he apparently enjoys. Calorie count seems to be about the same, but according to the label I should be giving him 120 grams (after the slow switch, also going for 3 meals starting next week) which to me doesn't seem like enough? He seems to be frustrated and I'd guess it's because he is hungry. I also use this allowance to keep him quiet when needed and do some basic training + some high value treats for good behaviour (usually for outside activities and distractions).
Should I stick to this and see how his weight progresses?

[eeeefarm]

A couple of thoughts. I don't really understand all the fuss about cleaning paws. Every dog I have ever owned, including five Basenjis, have just had their paws wiped with a dry towel when they come in, unless they have been somewhere extremely muddy. Basenjis will clean themselves up, so you just have to wipe off any excess moisture or debris unless you are dealing with road salt. Usually took me 30 seconds or less, and none of the dogs considered it a big deal.

Feeding is more an art than a science. Pups are a bit trickier as they are growing, but with a mature dog your eye will tell you if they are gaining or losing weight. I would be careful about "puppy" food, many breeders advise against it. Also, you need to include your treats in your calculations, especially "high value" treats that may also be high calorie. One of the problems with using food as a reward is that you can end up adding a lot of calories to a diet. Another very real problem is that of creating a dog that only obeys when he knows you have food at hand! Once a behaviour is understood and on cue, you shouldn't reward with food every time. Praise is instantly available and for food, switch to intermittent rewards. Casino owners know how to get you hooked, and dogs react much like humans. They keep trying to get that elusive reward!

[elbrant]

@lustopher said in Potty and Biting:

Should I stick to this and see how his weight progresses?

@eeeefarm is right, "you can end up adding a lot of calories to a diet", and I think all of us would agree with her.

Do the math on whichever food you are feeding your pup. Quantity in relation to calories. Then try to estimate how many calories the days treats are.... subtract the treat value from the daily kibble calories and adjust appropriately.

You will learn to keep an eye on your pups weight as they grow. Initially children and puppies tend to get big bellies right before a growth spurt. So, don't assume that a plump little pup needs to eat less. Just keep an eye on it. You don't want that swollen belly to last too long. As your dog becomes an adult, you will be able to judge weight gain visually and by touch. As you pet/stroke your dog, you can run your hand gently over their rib cage. Can you feel the definition of the ribs? Or are you feeling a layer of pudge?

[Zande]

There should be space for another half Basenji inside the coat. It should be pliable and you should be able to feel its space between your finger and thumb if you pinch it (lightly, of course !)

I measure out the kibble in the morning for the days' ration and the only treats they get are taken from that ration. They think they are getting a treat, but actually it is coming from their daily amount so no extra calories at all !