I think most quality breeder do some crate training, don't they?
I travelled almost 10 hours one way to bring Zest home. She was around 12 weeks, I think, and used to a crate. I think the thing to do is ask your breeder what she does about crates and what kind of crates (wire or plastic).
All my puppies leave crate trained.
Unfortunately, it is usually the puppy owners that UN-train them.
You shouldn't have any issues if the breeder DOES do this…
though I can tell you that I know that lots keep them in ex-pens until they leave.
Mine are in ex-pens until they are about 5 wks old... then they move to a crate. They alternate a plastic crate and wire crate so they are used to both before they leave my house.
You must be religous about the crating, otherwise you will have a devil-child on your hands.
Good luck to you!
Malaika travelled for two hours in her crate to get home, my son sat in the back with her and chatted to her . She looked a little puzzled but was actualy fine. We had visited her twice and left a blanket with the breeder so it would pick up scents. She was also given a soft toy to bring home.
It is so true what Kathy says about owners un training pups. Malaika is crate trained but has discovered she would much prefer to sleep on our knees, it's lovely to cuddle her and we want her to be affectionate but we have to remind ourselves to put her in her crate sometimes because we realise she could so easily become un crate trained.
I would think that since there is a lot of emotional turmoil with being confined in a crate, any responsible breeder would definitely aid in crate training before they are placed in a home.
This is great advice, and another thing to put down on my checklist when I am ready to get my basenji. That is such a good idea of having a breeder crate train with both styles of crates, but it might be a lot of work. Hopefully I can tell the breeder what kind of crate we will use, and then they might crate train according to our wishes.
I start my pups in crates but I have no control over what happens once they leave my home. As Khanis mentioned, pups can get un-trained very quickly. As tempting as it is to let the pup sleep on your lap you must use the crate from the start. If the pup doesn't know it can be elsewhere to sleep it doesn't put up much of a fuss in the crate.
Crate trained or not, any pup may freak out a bit on the trip home and/or the first days/nights crated away from litter mates and in a strange environment.
Crate trained or not, any pup may freak out a bit on the trip home and/or the first days/nights crated away from litter mates and in a strange environment.
Very true JazzysMom.
No one should expect a baby puppy to be 100% crate trained when they get it. It takes time, patience, and consistency to get a puppy to be comfortable and clean in a crate and some Basenjis are very resistant to the whole process. And there are still some that never adapt to being crated.
I had to drive 4 hours to pick up Zoni. She screamed bloody murder after I put her in the crate for about 20 minutes and went to sleep after that. She screamed again a few times but only lasted a few minutes. I don't blame her since she was ripped away from her siblings and going home with some strange people. It will be fine, you may just have to turn up the radio. 
