My Neighbor…

Basenji Talk

  • Today when I got home from work my neighbor told me she heard Cali crying after I left. I usually come home during my lunch break or my brother stops by to check on Cali. My neighbors had just been complimenting me about how quiet Cali has been when I am not at home. I leave her in a crate with her toys and I leave the tv on. My neighbor said she heard a funny noise that sounded like a bird or a baby crying and she said it was Cali crying. She was very nice about it as most of the tenants in these condos/apartments have dogs. She said it only lasted about 10 minutes.
    I witnessed the crying for the first time when I got home today. I was talking to my neighbor outside and Cali started crying. She must of heard my voice from the parking lot as it is only a few feet away from my front door. She normally doesnt cry when I leave the house, but it was raining pretty hard and thundering outside. The power must have went out temporarily because the tv was off.
    Does anyone have any problems with their B's crying when you leave the house? I didnt realize how loud she could be, but she is so sweet. Hopefully I can work with her to get the crying under control when I am not home before it gets worse. The longest she has been alone since I have had her is 5 hours.
    I had to take her to the vet yesterday because she has not been feeling well and I found out she has Kennel Cough. The vet said she probably picked it up from the Humane Society and he put her on some medication. My brother said she may have been crying so much because she is not feeling well.
    tlbuddy


  • aww poor Cali! my dog had KC once too, thankfully it cleared up rather quickly once he was on the antibiotics. Just remember to keep Cali away from other dogs for a bit, until she's over it.

    She may of been upset because she's under the weather, and because of the rain storm. Is she crated while you're away? Do you leave her a stuffed Kong or something to occupy herself?

    I found my dog actually cried MORE when I left a tv or radio on for him. Once I stopped that, he settled down to nap. The tv/radio kept him awake, and since he was awake, he made more noise. Now, he just enjoys his Kong, then naps.

    I hope Cali feels better soon!


  • Cali is crated while I am away and I leave her a couple of toys to play with. I have heard that the Kong is a good toy and will probably purchase one. She likes to chew on ropes tied in a knot, but I am afraid to leave her with one while I am away because she might choke on the loose strings that she pulls off the rope. Also, she loves stuffed animals that skweak, but she tears them apart and gets the cotton filling in her mouth.
    Any other suggestions for safe toys to leave in her kennel while I am away? What about the chewable dental bones?
    tlbuddy


  • Just be lucky yours doesn't scream…mine did the first few months I had her, the whole time I was at work. She screams sometimes when I leave but not for long anymore.


  • We are able to leave him alone now and not in a crate.I leave the TV on for him and after a little howling-he quietens down. I hide frozen chicken weiner pieces all over the place and he finds them when I leave. I keep note as to where and how amny I leave out.


  • My dog Tucker is on his 2nd black kong, so it's entirely possible for them to damage them. Get the LARGEST one they make. less likely to damage those. I made the mistake of getting the medium black kong… it wasn't tough enough. now I have the largest black one, and it's the right one. (and heck, if Cali doesn't like it, you can always use it as a doorstop, lol)

    I don't leave my dog ANYTHING that can be chewed apart when I leave. No dental bones, no bully sticks, no regular bones, no stuffed toys, no rope toys, none. Only a frozen or filled Kong, and/or hidden cookies (treats) in his crate blankets. It's the only way I can be SURE he won't choke while I'm away.

    a stuffed toy tip: when you get your dog a new stuffed toy, make a small cut along a seam and REMOVE the stuffing. Fill toy with an old (clean) t-shirt. Re-sew the seam. This way, when your dog rips open the toy (which you KNOW will happen) there isn't any stuffing, just an old t-shirt to play with.


  • I came back from a 30 minute trip to the grocery store and thought someone was being murdered in my house. No, it was Abbey, sitting calmly on the window sill making a sound like someone being drawn and quartered.


  • Hmmmm, maybe I am glad that Jazzy is a silent dog.

    Aside a few days of whining at night in her kennel when she first moved in, we've heard very little from her. She does sometimes give a low, throaty grrr-rrr when we get home, but we don't even always get that.
    I want her to yodel a bit for me, but the murderous noises that some of you get I'm not so sure about. LOL I'll just count my blessings!


  • Yes, you're lucky she's not a screamer cuz those Bs can scream!!!

    Anyway, I was wondering if before you leave in the morning if you are walking her. If you exercise her and leave her tired, she's more than likely will sleep a good while after you're gone. A tired dog is a happy dog and a happy dog is happy neighbors. Try to expend all that anxious energy she may have and she'll sleep while you're away. Leaving the TV on with soft music may help put her to sleep too.

    My Savannah who very rarely makes a sound will scream her heart out if she's left alone. I tried crate training her when we first got her and she would stay in the crate while we were there, but as soon as we left, she would scream like she was being skinned alive.

    AND when we first got Talker we lived in a condo and that dog was scream bloody murdered. We got three complaints and had to do something quick. We ended up taking him to doggie day care four days out of the week! It was that or giving him up.

    Try exercising Cali every morning before you leave for about a week and see if you see a difference.


  • Thanks for the suggestions. I usually give her a walk in the evening when I get home from work and play with her in the morning for about 20 minutes. I think I will take her for a 20-30 minute walk before I leave for work. Sometimes when we go for a walk in the evening and play around for about an hour she is knocked out by 8pm. She will fall asleep on the living room floor and then I wake her at about 9pm and put her in the crate at 11pm. Sometimes I will let her sleep on my bed, but she is a wild sleeper and I always wake up with a paw or tail in my face.
    She has been doing better this week and I came home for lunch and let her out and put her back in her crate and she didnt make a sound. My neighbor says she has not heard her screaming/crying lately.
    tlbuddy


  • I just started hearing Zahra do the screaming, I have warned my neighbors that we are not beating the dogs, Zahra just likes to let everyone within a two mile radius know that she is wanting attention.

    She usually screams when I take Chase out for a walk and leave her behind. I can stand in the middle of our street and still hear the screaming.

    I guess we will never live in a condo or apartment again! LOL! :)

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