lefty's random dog thread.

Stazy · Jan 10, 2011

Originally Posted by lefty

I would never leave a puppy unattended. Stazy has a Basenji. A very smart easily bored breed that can wreak havoc when left alone.

lefty

Thanks for the advice...Even today he started to do better in the crate. I feed him all his meals in the crate and he also sleeps in it so he's comfortable spending time in there he just doesn't like being left alone. I've set up a webcam that I can access from my iphone so I can monitor how he's doing when I'm away. It's mostly just whimpers with an odd howl thrown in. Hopefully he'll get to the point where he just falls asleep...

Rambo · Jan 10, 2011

This is good stuff. So how long does this crating/caging usually go on for? I mean how do you know when he's finally subdued/trained enough that leaving him free for the whole day won't result in destruction of all household goods?

Stazy · Jan 10, 2011

Originally Posted by Rambo

This is good stuff. So how long does this crating/caging usually go on for? I mean how do you know when he's finally subdued/trained enough that leaving him free for the whole day won't result in destruction of all household goods?

I don't ever intend on leaving him free in my condo. During the week I drop him off at a dog day care in the morning and pick him up after work: this way he can get some exercise and isn't alone all day. On weekends I have a pretty open schedule so I can spend more time with him. The crate is really only for evenings when I want to go out.

Rambo · Jan 10, 2011

Originally Posted by Stazy

I don't ever intend on leaving him free in my condo. During the week I drop him off at a dog day care in the morning and pick him up after work: this way he can get some exercise and isn't alone all day. On weekends I have a pretty open schedule so I can spend more time with him. The crate is really only for evenings when I want to go out.
Never? Really? Plus, isn't doggy day care expensive?

Stazy · Jan 10, 2011

Originally Posted by Rambo

Never? Really? Plus, isn't doggy day care expensive?
Basenjis are notoriously mischievous and destructive little bastards when left to their own devices. I'd rather not have to worry about him chewing my couch or tearing the curtains off. If I had gotten a more laid back dog then I might have considered it. My ex-girlfriend's family has 2 german short haired pointers that are left alone a good portion of the day and they've ruined several pieces of furniture. The daycare is $12 a day but I think it's worth it. He's supervised, exercised, socialized and comes home exhausted. A tired basenji is much easier to deal with plus it takes some of the responsibility off me to walk him every night, etc.

Rambo · Jan 10, 2011

Damn. For $300 a month they should be licking the dogs balls for him.

Stazy · Jan 10, 2011

Originally Posted by Rambo

Damn. For $300 a month they should be licking the dogs balls for him.

Haha he's losing those tomorrow. As a single guy, living on my own, in a condo, I think the daycare was really the only option I had if I wanted to get a dog.

lefty · Jan 10, 2011

Originally Posted by Stazy

Haha he's losing those tomorrow.

Why are you doing that?

lefty

Biggskip · Jan 10, 2011

Originally Posted by Stazy

The daycare is $12 a day but I think it's worth it. He's supervised, exercised, socialized and comes home exhausted. A tired basenji is much easier to deal with plus it takes some of the responsibility off me to walk him every night, etc.

Agreed. I pay almost twice as much (though we only take our dog twice a week) and it is worth every penny.

We've taken him since he was a puppy and in addition to getting him the exercise he needs for the day it does wonders in terms of building social skills.

joneog · Jan 10, 2011

Originally Posted by Stazy

In regards to crate training and separation anxiety, will the anxiety automatically improve with time? I I leave jake alone in his crate for an hour he pretty much howls the whole time. That being said, I haven't been very consistent in training him. If it were to become a daily routine could I expect better results? Ideally I'd like to be able to leave him in his crate for up to 4-5 hours and not have him be anxious about it.

It depends on the dog, some handle it better than others. Some consistency will help as the dog will get used to it and it won't be as much of a shock. Something I've found that works is to crate the dog at night and put the crate near where you sleep so he/she can see you, eventually you can move the crate away or even stop using it if you're confident he/she won't start destroying stuff when you're away. Another thing you can try is to put a blanket over the crate so only the front is open (assuming its not built that way already) , from my experience they tend to feel more secure when they are in an enclosed, cave-like, space.

The daycare is $12 a day but I think it's worth it

That's pretty cheap

BP348 · Jan 10, 2011

Originally Posted by lefty

Why are you doing that?

lefty

Maybe it's just me but since I don't breed any of my dogs all of them get spade/neutered.

lefty · Jan 10, 2011

None of my animals have ever been altered and none of them have bred indiscriminately.

If you can't prevent a dog under your care from not breeding you shouldn't own that animal.

lefty

Stazy · Jan 10, 2011

Originally Posted by lefty

Why are you doing that? lefty
There was a neutering clause in the purchase contract from the breeder since I bought him as a pet and not a show dog. I don't know about other breeds but it's a pretty standard practice amongst basenji breeders. Irresponsible basenji breeding seems to be rather common place and I think the neutering clause is just an attempt to curtail it.

Originally Posted by joneog

That's pretty cheap
Yup. Most places have tiered pricing structures. The more days you buy the cheaper it is. I'm going to be switching to a closer daycare and it costs $18 but it's still worth it.

lefty · Jan 10, 2011

Originally Posted by Stazy

There was a neutering clause in the purchase contract from the breeder since I bought him as a pet and not a show dog. I don't know about other breeds but it's a pretty standard practice amongst basenji breeders. Irresponsible basenji breeding seems to be rather common place and I think the neutering clause is just an attempt to curtail it.

I figured as much. Good luck.

lefty

gnatty8 · Jan 10, 2011

Originally Posted by Rambo

This is good stuff. So how long does this crating/caging usually go on for? I mean how do you know when he's finally subdued/trained enough that leaving him free for the whole day won't result in destruction of all household goods?

Empirical observation.

When I discovered the afforementioned basketball sized hole chewed in my drywall, I made the empirical observation that he was not ready to be out of his crate for long periods of time and back he went.

As long as your dog does not suffer separation anxiety, the damage phase really only lasts until the puppy teeth are gone and the adult teeth take their place. You can give them Kongs with all manner of bacon and liver flavored treats inside, but they will still slip up from time to time and chew the corner off your coffee table. It's part and parcel of dog ownership.

lefty's random dog thread.

Distinguished Member

Timed Out

Distinguished Member

Timed Out

Distinguished Member

Timed Out

Distinguished Member

Stylish Dinosaur

Distinguished Member

Well-Known Member

Senior Member

Stylish Dinosaur

Distinguished Member

Stylish Dinosaur

Stylish Dinosaur

FEATURED PRODUCTS

Similar threads

Featured Sponsor

Definitely full canvas only

Half canvas is fine

Really don't care

Depends on fabric

Depends on price

Forum Sponsors

Forum statistics

FOLLOW STYLEFORUM ON: