Good luck, but you should ask yourself why do you want a basenji in your life…
New Basenji arriving Saturday and a few questions
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Well because the only flight without a long layover is tomorrow, it looks like I will be taking off of work and picking up our new lady tomorrow morning.
Another question. I will be attempting to crate train her, I have a fairly large crate that was given to me and I am going to get dividers; how small should I make it?
Thanks again for all the help.
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A great place to go for information on what to feed your dog is the Whole Dog Journal. http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/
Every year they do a lovely article on food. They give you great tips on how to read labels and what things to watch out for. You can then make an informed decision on what you feel comfortable feeding your dogs. At the end of the article they have a listing of all the brands and varieties of dog food that they deem "acceptable." There's quite a variety from the economical choice of Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover's Soul, to some of the high end foods like Evo. It is WELL worth the read and a great tool to have when making a trip to the pet store. I usually print out the list for my puppy buyers and ask them to at least please feed something that is on the list, unless they'd love to go raw.
You can purchase the article from their website, it is $10. Better yet, get a subscription to the magazine! It's really nicely done with a good holistic attitude and they have nice positive training and behavioral articles.
Looks like they JUST came out with 2009's dry food review, there's a link to the article on the home page where you can go, and then after a quick intro blurb you can click on "purchase selection" to then download the whole thing.
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I have been told by my breeder & have read that the best way to avoid them using their crate for a bathroom is to allow enough space for the puppy to stand & turn around. If given too much more space, she will ultimately make a potty corner & it is extremely difficult to get a dog to stop going in their crate once they have begun. Hope that helps!
Be sure to post pictures of the new baby! We loooooove pictures around here
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I'm heeding everyone's advice about getting a top for my exercise pen. What type of top do you recommend? I saw online several options, a rigid metal top and a netting type. I like the security of the rigid metal top but if the netting type will work then I would prefer to be able to change the shape of the pen. Have any of you had experience with these?
Oh, and the update, her plane was delayed so she won't be here until around 4 pacific standard time. We can't wait.
Also, I was reading a book on Basenjis and it recommended not playing with the new pup too much early on and allowing it to get used to the idea of its crate and down time. What are your thoughts?
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I'm heeding everyone's advice about getting a top for my exercise pen. What type of top do you recommend? I saw online several options, a rigid metal top and a netting type. I like the security of the rigid metal top but if the netting type will work then I would prefer to be able to change the shape of the pen. Have any of you had experience with these?
Oh, and the update, her plane was delayed so she won't be here until around 4 pacific standard time. We can't wait.
Also, I was reading a book on Basenjis and it recommended not playing with the new pup too much early on and allowing it to get used to the idea of its crate and down time. What are your thoughts?
Metal for sure for the top, IMO….. they can "chew" right through the netting type....
And I am not sure where you read that about not play with a new pup? I certainly would disagree totally with that idea.... That is part of bonding... As we all say "A tired Basenji is a good Basenji"!
And if you find that your girl's parents have not been DNA tested for Fanconi, you might want to consider having her DNA. You can read about it at www.basenjihealth.org
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I picked up a book called Basenji by Mary Lou Kenworthy. The book seems good. I don't want to misconstrue what she said; she seemed to be saying that when you get home from picking up the pup not to go directly to playing with it but to put it in its crate, let it settle in, and after a while take it out to eliminate then you can play with it. She seemed to be big on setting the tone that just because your home doesn't mean the pup will be out of the crate all the time. I sure we will be playing it by feel. I, like you, felt like that would be the opposite and we would want to bond with it, that is why I asked. Thanks.
Also, can we begin to socialize her with other dogs or is there a period where they are susceptible to illnesses. She will be nine weeks old and has had the first round of shots. We would like to take her out for exercise at the dog park or something like that. She is scheduled for a well dog exam on Monday. If not, how long should we wait?
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After the 2nd then I talk mine out… but I don't go to dog parks... cause you never really know what the health is of those dogs... I stay away from letting them "snif" poop as many illness are shed in the spores of poop... Just use common sense... as on the other hand to not get them out will never build up their own immune system.. At least that is how I feel.
And honestly, if I am home, mine are never in crates, unless eating, night sleep time (and then I am in bed too) or if we are have work done in the house and maybe if we have guests that are not doggy.....
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You might want to consider containing this pup in the areas your in when your home.
Baby gates, and such will keep the pup contained in your area, so when your home and distracted, she can't sneak off and mess, in other areas.
IMO, most folks give the new dogs/pups, way to much space, once they get into a new home.
Make sure you take her out every 2-3 hrs and treat her when she "goes" outside.
Good luck.
You will be short on sleep, but long on love…. -
I think we all want them with us when they first come home…. the key is that you have to be available to "watch" them every single minute... and if you can't then you need to either accept that there will be accidents... or confine them...
Again... I accept that they will be loose in the house (now mind you not the entire house but in the general area where I am)... and that in accepting this, there will most likely be accidents.. that said... I am pretty much a "freak" about taking them out all the time... lucky that we have a yard so not that hard to do... It is a bit more difficult when in a Condo/Townhouse with no yard... not like you can just shove them out the door... or carry (which is what I do) to the yard...
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She's here. After what seems to be a rough, long ride she calmed down, had a bath, ate, played for a while and now is all tuckered out and is cuddling with my wife. Man, I was shocked by how small she is. The pictures I saw from the breeder made her seem so much larger.
Another quick question, how often do you feed your puppy B? I had read three times a day and I believe that is what the purina puppy chow bag says (Yeah I know, I will wean her off that stuff as soon as possible) but I think the breeder was only feeding her once a day. For now I will go with the book and the bag and see how she does.
Thanks again for all the help, we are ecstatic to have our new pup with us.
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My puppies eat 3 times a day, breakfast, lunch and dinner.
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Let us know how it goes.
Your going to be very busy for the next few months. -
She's here. After what seems to be a rough, long ride she calmed down, had a bath, ate, played for a while and now is all tuckered out and is cuddling with my wife. Man, I was shocked by how small she is. The pictures I saw from the breeder made her seem so much larger.
Another quick question, how often do you feed your puppy B? I had read three times a day and I believe that is what the purina puppy chow bag says (Yeah I know, I will wean her off that stuff as soon as possible) but I think the breeder was only feeding her once a day. For now I will go with the book and the bag and see how she does.
Thanks again for all the help, we are ecstatic to have our new pup with us.
You may encounter crate issues if it was a hard flight and she had not been a crate before shipping. Many get instant crate fear from being taken from littermates, put in a crate and then in the belly of a plane…. since they have no idea what/why this is happening
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Pat, will that pass if she is given good things in the crate, or do they remember it always?
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I am NOT a fan of dog parks for any breed any age and here's why:
- you do not know what diseases other dogs who go there might have.
- you do not know about the behavior of the other dogs
- you do not know the skill of owners to maintain control of their dogs
Small puppies = lunch for many breeds -
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Well everything went well in the beginning. She came home played, ate, and then instantly became quite the cuddler. That all changed when it was time for bed. After reading Pat's words of wisdom I understand why but Kenya whimpered, whined, cried and then screamed blood curdling cries. She would cry for 40 minutes, sleep for an hour or so and then we would take her out to eliminate. Then the cycle would start over again. One time we took her out, she wouldn't go and then no less than 2 minutes after we put her in her crate she went #2. Let's just say it was pretty rough. But on the bright side after taking her for a short walk, feeding her, playing, and successfully having her use the sod box we created for our balcony (We live in 3rd floor condo), I coaxed her into her crate with a treat. She cried for about 5 minutes but is now sound asleep. I say that is some progress. We took her out 4-5 times last night. How often is normal for a new pup? We gave her her last meal about 8pm and stopped giving her water about 9pm; we turned in for the night about 10 or so.
On another note, she doesn't seem to like walks very much. I know she is not used to the collar and leash but when we go outside she just sits there. I read in a book not to pull her, so I try to coax her to walk. So the walk end up going in 20 foot spurts between her sitting and me coaxing her. Also she is always cold, in that she shakes alot. I live in San Diego, so while it is a little cold 45-55 degrees in the early morning, I know it is far worse elsewhere. I always swore I would never dress my dog up but if she needs a sweater I will get her one.
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Remember that she has been "up rooted", lost her littermates, lost the humans that she knew since birth… so not surprising that she will have some rough patches... and not surprising that she "shivers".... It is not "cold" as much, but being nervous. She really doesn't know her new humans from beans.... Once she settles down, if she is 10wks, usually 2 during the night... until she starts to feel really comfortable, grows up a little and sleeps longer. I would guess that for at least the next week she will only sleep 3/4 hours at a time. Is her crate in the bedroom with you?
And that is the right thing to do, not pull.. coax her to walk or if she starts to move, let her take the lead... then try calling her to you and give her a treat... it takes some time before they catch on to the walk on a leash idea.
Do you know what kind of place she was raised? Had she been outdoors? Was she raised in the house? Or was she raised in a kennel situation? These will give you clues as to her reactions to things.
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Thanks again for all the info.
Yeah, we had the crate in the bedroom with us near the bed; is that the right thing to do?
Speaking with the breeder, she was not in a crate situation. They were kept outdoors and brought in for socialization and bathing. So this explains a lot of her behavior.
She's doing so much better already. She took a 1 1/2 hour nap in here crate with hardly a whimper.
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Thanks again for all the info.
Yeah, we had the crate in the bedroom with us near the bed; is that the right thing to do?
Speaking with the breeder, she was not in a crate situation. They were kept outdoors and brought in for socialization and bathing. So this explains a lot of her behavior.
She's doing so much better already. She took a 1 1/2 hour nap in here crate with hardly a whimper.
Yes, I have always kept mine in the bedroom at night in their crates. And you are very correct, how she was raised does explain much…. And again, I hope that you have checked out her sire and dam's situation regarding Fanconi for your own piece of mind.
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I have tried checking the offa.com site but which number do I punch in? I tried both but no results were found. On her AKC registration forms I have two sets of numbers for the sire (Rambo Boy Sheu) HP13205601 (03-08) and AKC DNA #V467465 and only one for the Dam (Roxy III) HP24455802 (03-08).
The breeder mentioned specifically that the sire was tested 3 years ago and came back fine and that they do monthly glucose tests as well.
