Is my pup ignoring me?
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hello there,
my girlfriend and i just got a three month old basenji today! we named him olimar. everyone has been giving us weird looks cause of his name but, hey, i like it! anyways i have a question for you basenji vets.did you're basenji ignore you and not really pay attention to you when you first got him/her. or is it cause he's in a new enviornment and with new people?
i'd really appereciate if someone can help me. i'd really be dissapointed if little ol' olimar doesn't like us. thanks :)
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Aloha! :D
First off, welcome to the forum. I would absolutely give Olimar time to get comfortable in his new surroundings. You will start to see little changes here and there for months as he starts to settle in. Let him come to you, for sure. And be patient. Others would know more about this, but I think that feeding him by hand will help to establish a connection.
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Check under the rescue site and look at bonding with your new basenji.
The tips do help.
Where did you get your b from?
Can you post some photos? -
Sorry, I meant rescue talk.
The tips you need are there on a sticky. -
Check under the rescue site and look at bonding with your new basenji.
The tips do help.
Where did you get your b from?
Can you post some photos?thanks for the info. i'll be sure to check it out once he's awake (it's 2:50am)
anyways, we bought him from a local pet shop. i just read somewhere that you "never" buy a pup from a pet shop. we didn't really know where to get them at and he was the last one. the real reason is cause we both felt a true connection with the little guy. we had to get him. he's a litte underweight and we're concerned cause he's not liking the food and we've been trying to handfeed it, but its a no go. we mixed his dry food with wet and it seems that he ate around and spit out the dry.we'll post pics once we connect the cam to the comp. :) thanks for the help!
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What are you feeding him?
Has he been vetted yet?
Maybe something wrong with his teeth?
Just a thought.
Let us know how we can help you. -
Aloha! :D
First off, welcome to the forum. I would absolutely give Olimar time to get comfortable in his new surroundings. You will start to see little changes here and there for months as he starts to settle in. Let him come to you, for sure. And be patient. Others would know more about this, but I think that feeding him by hand will help to establish a connection.
thanks for the welcoming!
yeah, i think he just needs time to settle in. i was also thinking that basenjis are independent dogs. i'm really hoping he won't be that way. but like you said patiance is the key, and we have a lot of it. and most important, a lot of love. mahalo for the advice :D -
What are you feeding him?
Has he been vetted yet?
Maybe something wrong with his teeth?
Just a thought.
Let us know how we can help you.i'm feeding him science diet lamb meal and rice.
we actually went to the vet today, and he said he's perfectly fine. just that fact that he's under weight :(
lol i guess it didn't help that he was playing with our roommates fox terrier and made him play so hard that he threw up :( sorry olimar
what did you feed your b when it was a pup? -
My dogs can't handle lamb.
I feed organic chicken and rice.
As you b is underweight, I suggest you get some premium food, chicken and rice and slowly add this to your b's diet. Do it slowly, cause new foods can cause stomach/bowel issues, so slow is the key.
It will cost more at the store, but quality food keeps the dogs healthier and they visit the vet less often.
I would feed him small amounts over the day.
At least 3 times.
I know others will have more suggestions.
I am glad you found this forum.
Lots of good help here! -
My dogs can't handle lamb.
I feed organic chicken and rice.
As you b is underweight, I suggest you get some premium food, chicken and rice and slowly add this to your b's diet. Do it slowly, cause new foods can cause stomach/bowel issues, so slow is the key.
It will cost more at the store, but quality food keeps the dogs healthier and they visit the vet less often.
I would feed him small amounts over the day.
At least 3 times.
I know others will have more suggestions.
I am glad you found this forum.
Lots of good help here!i'm guessing olimar doesn't like lamb either.
i'll be sure to get him some premium chicken and rice.
our roommates were telling us to mix grease into his food do he can get "bigger."
i don't want him to eat fat and needing it in his food.
plus, that doesn't seem healthy for any animal.
i'm sorry if this may sounds like a dumb questions but what do you mean by the organic chicken and rice. are you talking about real organic chicken and rice or the puppy/dog food flavor? sorry if thats a dumb question. i'm new haha.and yes, i'm very glad i found this forum.
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Welcome!
I know that when I first got my guy, he was very moody. One minute he would be licking me like crazy, and the next minute he was very standoffish. I would guess he is probably getting used to his surroundings. Also, coming into a new place is kind of stressful, and that may be why he isn't eating as much. Try hand feeding him and using the tips given here on the forum. It has only been two days, be patient.
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There are several threads on this forum about food and feeding. You can do a search for them. Here is a link to a website with information about food, http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/ I am not a big fan of Science Diet. I don't care for the ingredients that they use and the amount of fillers in their foods. I would recommend looking into a new food. There are many foods out there that are really good.
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showcat.php/cat/8
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/showcat.php/cat/3As for the ignoring you, pet shop puppies are under socialized. They have very little human contact during critical socialization windows which can effect how they interact with people. Your puppy may have no idea how to interact with you.
When you are shopping for some new pet food, also look into buying something that you can use as a treat. I like Natural Balance dog food rolls. It looks like a roll of salami and is a balanced dog food so it is not too rich to use as a training treat. Just cut into pea size cubes and store in a ziploc bag or plastic container in the fridge. Then it is readily available when you need it. I would start by just tossing a treat to the puppy anytime you enter the room. You want Olimar to think, every time these people come into the room something good happens. Then you can start working on some basics like name response, say Olimar's name and then he even starts to turn his head toward you "good" and offer the treat. If you have a clicker this is a great way to introduce it say his name and if he starts to turn toward you, click and treat.
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Also, you might want to consider DNA test for Fanconi since your pup came from a pet store… and you should go to www.basenjihealth.org and learn about the breed's health concerns.
One of the biggest however is Fanconi and you can have your Vet draw blood and send to the U of Mo for the DNA test.
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I really do suggest you follow Pats suggestion and get your b tested.
It will tellyou what you have to expect in the future.
Re food.
Organic is human grade food…you can eat it.
Some of the cheap foods put such stuff in it, its awful...
Pay more at the dog food store, and then less at the vet.
Its up to everyone to find the thing that works for their b.
Re grease, I woudn't...it will give you major bowel issues and mess up the dogs system...
A good quality food with good quality treats...
Once he is a bit stronger, you really do need to think about a basic obedience class.
One that is gentle.
But more on that later.
Lots of good help for you here.
Welcome again. -
I agree about the adding the fat… not a good idea... best to get good quality food and then just start slow... remember to that unless he is really sick, puppys/dogs will NOT starve themselves.... it may take a while to get him to have good healthly eating habits... it takes time and more so with an underweight pup.... try feed him 3 times a day... but just give him a short time, 15 minutes to eat... if he doesn't eat or whatever he doesn't finish, pick up.. and that is it till the next feeding time...
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Also, I hear satin balls are good for weight issues. Here's a link to a thread about putting on weight, albeit on an elder, where the second post has the recipe plus a couple other links. If you try them let us know how it goes.
http://basenjiforums.com/showthread.php?t=2694&highlight=satin+balls
