New Puppy ! Help! =]

[hdolbow]

Hello everyone! My boyfriend and I are proud parents of a 2 and half year old red and white male, Rocky, and we recently paid for our new addition, another red and white this one is a female, and shes only 6 weeks old. She hasn't arrived yet, we've still got 16 days to wait [yes, i'm counting down the days! ] we've been searching for quite some time. There were other females in the house up until April. Our male was extremely tempermental, but has calmed down a lot being the only dog in the house, so we're a bit nervous about bringing the puppy into our home. Neither myself or my boyfriend have had a puppy before (The others were raised in another home, and were over 1 when they arrived here) I'm just looking for some tips about everything to do with a pup anything will help! I've been researching just about every day since we decided on getting the new pup, so I know what the internet has to say. Just wondering what REAL basenji owners have to say Thanks a lot !

[JazzysMom]

How lucky you are! And what an exciting thing to look forward to.

Have the puppy meet Rocky someplace outside the house – outside of your yard is best -- in order to minimize any territorial defense reactions from Rocky. If they meet down the road and walk home together he may be less bothered by the puppy coming in.

Make sure you have plenty of good floor cleaner available. Buy as much as you think you'll use, then grab another bottle! LOL And lots of paper towels.
It's going to be important that you clean up messes immediately and very thoroughly so your puppy learns that indoors is not the place for potty.

Have plenty of things for the puppy to chew on, from day one; and stuffed toys to play with. Make sure to keep away any toys that Rocky is particularly fond of.

Be prepared to feed them in separate areas at first, if not forever.

Start crate training immediately, and make sure that Rocky has some place he can get away if he needs to.

Be ready for LOTS and LOTS of loving!!

Good luck! I'm sure you'll get lots of great advice here.

[WBL]

To add on to what JazzysMom

I agree start crate training right away, best thing for this is to feed her in her crate, that way she associates her crate with good things, when she naps, place her in her crate to nap. You don't need to shut the door everytime. Also with her crate don't give her to much room, just enough to move stand up and lay down comfortabley. The life stages crates are great for this as they can have the area inside adjustable to the size of the dog.

SQUIRT BOTTLES these are the best thing in the world, it is a type of negative renforcment, its not a harse punishment but it helps teach them that the behavior they are engaging in is unappropriate.

Soft chewy treats, these are the best thing for rewards. With it being cold out, treats work good to help the pup to understand that going potty outside is a good thing, as soon as they do their business treat them.

[dmcarty]

Your breeder may have some suggestions for you to - on his/her opinion on how to integrate the 2 dogs.

Good luck and have fun.

[dash]

Something to add is unless your dog is in it's crate, it should never, ever be out of your site. EVER. Also, decide now if you want your dog to be on the bed and couch with you so you don't have to try and change it later. Crawl around on the floor at puppy level and remove anthing they could get into that you don't want them to. Shoes, childs toys, paper products, bath towels.

congratulations by the way!!

[Barklessdog]

I feel crate training is essential, so you can leave your house till you can trust them.

A lot depends on your dogs personality. Positive training is what works best for a Basenji. No hitting!

Basenji's house train pretty quickly. We found it worked best for you to control their bathroom habits- take them out when you wake up, after breakfast, after dinner & before bed. Leave poop where you want them to go potty and leash train them for walks.

It can take any dog about 6 months to be fully house trained, so be patient and reward your dog with heavy praise or treats when he does well.

Basenjis do not respond to ANY negative training- they become mean and will not back down. They will do ANYTHING for the right treat.

Consistency is key for training

[sharronhurlbut]

Where are you getting your new pup from?

[dmcarty]

Something that I recommend to people getting a new puppy or even a rescue is to 'tether'. What's that? A longish leash, that is tethered to your belt or waist - wherever you are so is your dog. Couple of things is it's easier to catch the puppy before they potty in a corner, and for an adult dog - they don't get to hide but learn to interact with you and be in your company quicker than if left to their own devices.

[Basenji_Boy]

Crate train, and more crate training. We set up an expen and put the crate right inside and that is the puppies domain for several weeks.
Our breeders pups are litter trained and we put the litter box in there as well.

We like to extend freedom to other area's of the house a little at a time and keep them in the expen for the most part.

Make the crate a happy and safe place…...it's so important later on!

[youngandtired]

Puppies 101:
You can housetrain your puppy best if you are home, and if not home use the crate method. Make sure you take them out to potty before leaving them in the crate.
Have a treat that they love in your pocket when taking them out to potty, treat immediately with lots of praise as soon as they do their business, they forget in 30secs.
I wish I had trained mine to not get on my couch, my B has scratched my leather so much that I have to have it repaired, or get a new one. They all dig before they lay down, I think it is instinct. Once you let them do something it is impossible to untrain a behavior once you have let them do whatever you are trying to untrain them to do. Just like having a kid, they do what you let them do, Period.
Have a water bottle handy, it does work wonders for table surfing when they are older and stand on their hind legs to see what they can find to chew.
Once they have something of yours to chew, replace it with something they can chew like rawhide.(I suggest to give them rawhide shaped like a bone, no knots on end, they come off) Chews for puppies only at first, shop around.
Make sure you feed the puppy good nutritious food, 2 times a day. If they get too empty they will vomit this yellow stomach liquid, Yuk! I learned the hard way. Merricks is great food, pricey but the best in my book!
Patience with housetraining, it works in time.
Basenjis are work,but are they worth it, 100% worth every sec. you spend on them. They are the most loving dog I have ever been around, they are devoted family animals. My Hubby and I were just talking the morning after going out New Year's Eve, It sure is great coming home to such a Loving, Sweet pet, she loves us and it is so rewarding.

[tanza]

@hdolbow:

Hello everyone! My boyfriend and I are proud parents of a 2 and half year old red and white male, Rocky, and we recently paid for our new addition, another red and white this one is a female, and shes only 6 weeks old. She hasn't arrived yet, we've still got 16 days to wait [yes, i'm counting down the days! ] we've been searching for quite some time. There were other females in the house up until April. Our male was extremely tempermental, but has calmed down a lot being the only dog in the house, so we're a bit nervous about bringing the puppy into our home. Neither myself or my boyfriend have had a puppy before (The others were raised in another home, and were over 1 when they arrived here) I'm just looking for some tips about everything to do with a pup anything will help! I've been researching just about every day since we decided on getting the new pup, so I know what the internet has to say. Just wondering what REAL basenji owners have to say Thanks a lot !

What has your breeder said? Typically I require that anyone with a dog already, regardless of the breed, bring them along to meet the pup at the breeders home to see what the reaction of the older one is to the pups… And IMO, 8 wks is a bit to young as they are still pretty needy and are likely to "latch" onto the other dog as a substitute for its Mom and littermates. I know that any male in my home with a new pup couldn't stand the puppy teeth....

[hdolbow]

Thank you all for your great tips!

To answer some of your questions..

Being from NJ, there is ONE breeder that i know of that is actually semi-close (about 1.5-2 hours) and that would be Doris Daniels. Our male is actually from her, but was not bought straight from her. She didn't even know the original owner had sold them. I found her from Rockys registered name (Djakomba.. her kennel name.. was actually in his name). We've talked to her quite a bit, through emails and on the phone. Although shocked that one of her pups was sold without her knowledge, She was extremely helpful.

In all reality, we don't show our dogs, so theres not really any need for our dog to be champion sired or have champion blood lines. I know that those terms don't mean that they HAVE to be showed, it just means they are almsot perfect examples of how a Basenji should look. Spending thousands of dollars for pups just because of their parents is a little crazy to my boyfriend and I (you might call us crazy), especially if they are just pets. Maybe it's because we are young and nieve:p

I've looked on BRAT since April too, but with no luck. We've found a few breeders in Maryland, but even then, they are 3+ hours away. I've talked to breeders all over, and tried to get recomendations for breeders around here, and really have had no luck. Breeders either don't respond or don't have the type of pup we want. (Keep in mind we've been looking for a pup since April of 07, so i've done adquate research:o ) The distance that these breeders are, it is EXTREMELY hard and a LONG drive for us to bring our dog to see them. Our boy only behaves in my car, when its just the two of us. If my boyfriend is with us, or we are in his truck, he does NOT behave at all! (I like to think he just behaves for his mommy )

He has been around other dogs. Lived with others when they were younger. My boyfriend had bought Rocky and another pup from Doris, Adrianne, when Rocky was 1 and Adrianne was 6 months. They had been together since Adrianne was born. There was also another Basenji ( Who was just a pet shop dog) in the house too. When his ex moved out, she took the females with her. My boy goes to my parents, and plays with their 13 year old Rotty/Lab mix, Lady. It made us sad to see him play with her, knowing that he had to go home to a lonely house where he had no one to play with besides us. He actually ran away from me when i tried to put on his leash! it broke our hearts! lol

And thanks again for any more info!

[lvoss]

@hdolbow:

In all reality, we don't show our dogs, so theres not really any need for our dog to be champion sired or have champion blood lines. I know that those terms don't mean that they HAVE to be showed, it just means they are almsot perfect examples of how a Basenji should look. Spending thousands of dollars for pups just because of their parents is a little crazy to my boyfriend and I (you might call us crazy), especially if they are just pets. Maybe it's because we are young and nieve:p

Actually, there is a lot more to a responsible breeder than just owning champions. For most pet owners, what is far more important to them then the titles the dog holds is that the parents have had appropriate health testing and the breeding done to maximize the chances that the puppies will be healthy. Also, that the pups have good temperarments which means being able to meet with the breeder and see their dogs. A responsible breeder will also be a resource for the owner for the rest of the pup's life providing support and information. Also, most responsibly bred basenjis are much more reasonably priced for what you get. They should not cost thousands but may be between $800-1000 depending on the area you are in.

It is very important that any perspective puppy buyer knows what they are paying for and it shouldn't be the titles on the parents.

[JazzysMom]

@lvoss:

Actually, there is a lot more to a responsible breeder than just owning champions. For most pet owners, what is far more important to them then the titles the dog holds is that the parents have had appropriate health testing and the breeding done to maximize the chances that the puppies will be healthy. Also, that the pups have good temperarments which means being able to meet with the breeder and see their dogs. A responsible breeder will also be a resource for the owner for the rest of the pup's life providing support and information. Also, most responsibly bred basenjis are much more reasonably priced for what you get. They should not cost thousands but may be between $800-1000 depending on the area you are in.

It is very important that any perspective puppy buyer knows what they are paying for and it shouldn't be the titles on the parents.

Absolutely true. And quality breeders don't necessarily only breed champion dogs. It's about the quality of the animal, not the title in front of the name.
So do please ask about the health testing and history of the parents of your pup, regardless of who you buy it from.

If there is a breeder charging thousands of dollars for a pup, run in the opposite direction!

[Basenji_Boy]

@JazzysMom:

If there is a breeder charging thousands of dollars for a pup, run in the opposite direction!

Without question…....no more than $1000.00 and idealy less. IMO.

[tanza]

@lvoss:

Actually, there is a lot more to a responsible breeder than just owning champions. For most pet owners, what is far more important to them then the titles the dog holds is that the parents have had appropriate health testing and the breeding done to maximize the chances that the puppies will be healthy. Also, that the pups have good temperarments which means being able to meet with the breeder and see their dogs. A responsible breeder will also be a resource for the owner for the rest of the pup's life providing support and information. Also, most responsibly bred basenjis are much more reasonably priced for what you get. They should not cost thousands but may be between $800-1000 depending on the area you are in.

It is very important that any perspective puppy buyer knows what they are paying for and it shouldn't be the titles on the parents.

Also if someone is trying to charge more for a certain color, I would run the other way…. responsible breeders to not charge more for one color over the other. As indicated, health testing is important, especially the DNA test for Fanconi. All sires and dam of new litters should have been tested before they were bred. Those results are on the OFA open data base for Basenjis (www.offa.org)). And responsible breeders place their pet pups on a spay/neuter contract. And pups should be bred according to health, temperament and conformation "and" what that particular mating has to offer the breed, not for just selling puppies. Responsible breeders do not make money, far from it, we usually lose but may get lucky and break even….

[hdolbow]

Oh definately. I'm not saying that you need a title to have a good dog.

I have asked more questions than anyone could imagine to the breeder of the pup we bought. the breeder has done health testing and they are healthy. the pups are AKC registered and have a health gaurantee as well. The breeder has responded to me promptly and has answered all the questions that I have asked her completely. Her references were awesome.

[Tayda_Lenny]

Hey hdolbow, good luck with your new puppy. i added a male puppy when i had a 3 year old female basenji. i found that he really emulated the things she did and potty training was actually quite easy. i learned quickly to keep remotes, clothes, watches, cell phones etc. out of puppy reach. I also fed them separately (one inside crate, one outside crate) for a while but overall it was a pretty smooth transition! I hope it works out well for you! Where in NJ ar you? I work in Mahwah…

[Tayda_Lenny]

Hey hdolbow, good luck with your new puppy. i added a male puppy when i had a 3 year old female basenji. i found that he really emulated the things she did and potty training was actually quite easy. i learned quickly to keep remotes, clothes, watches, cell phones etc. out of puppy reach. I also fed them separately (one inside crate, one outside crate) for a while but overall it was a pretty smooth transition! I hope it works out well for you! Where in NJ are you? I work in Mahwah…

[hdolbow]

@tanza:

Also if someone is trying to charge more for a certain color, I would run the other way…. responsible breeders to not charge more for one color over the other.

I never really understood that, and found it kind of odd when breeders do that. I know that the one i got my pup from charges the same rate for all colors.