New Basenji arriving Saturday and a few questions

[c-bus]

Hello all, this is my first post so here goes...

My wife and I will be picking up our new family member this Saturday and this being our first puppy, let alone our first Basenji, I had a few questions.

When she arrives she will be about 10 weeks old. We plan on keeping her in the house and crate training her. We live in a condo on the third floor but have lots of room to roam and play once we get down stairs. Now for the questions.

#1- As I mentioned before we would like to crate train her but there will be times when she will be home alone for 6+ hours. We know this is not ideal and we are going to try to get home at lunch as much as possible but inevitably there will come that day when that day it is just not an option. We also know that a puppy does not have the bladder control for that length of time so we are considering puppy proofing the kitchen, placing her crate, with the door open, in the kitchen and using a baby gate to stop her from roaming the entire condo. As she gets older she may then be able to hold it a little longer and will be able to stay in her crate. For a place to relieve herself we were going to purchase a tray with a little sod for her to use. What are your thoughts on this approach?

#2- We also were hoping to use the same sod approach on our balcony for the late middle of the night poddy trips. Do you think this will work? Is this a better idea than "puppy pads"?

We are really excited about her arrival. Thanks in advance for any advice.

[tanza]

Instead of a crate, you might want to try setting up and xpen. You can put the crate inside the xpen and then a litter box/pee pads in a different spot in the pen giving her a place to potty if need and a clean place to play/sleep. You will need to find a way to secure it, as they can push on it and walk it around, but is up against a wall you can make an attachment. You also want a top on the pen, as Basenjis are great climbers... and if you are considering blocking off the kitchen, I can honestly say, I have never been able to keep a B contained with a baby gate... too easy to climb.. if you can you should put in a real gate... we made our own and they are 4 ft high with vertical "bars" and nothing that they can get a "foot hold" on to climb over.

congrats on your "almost" new puppy.... who are you getting your puppy from?

[c-bus]

Thanks for the advice. I was a bit worried about her being able to climb/ hop over the gate; I had read that they are great climbers. I will have to create something better than a baby gate like you suggested. I will also look into the xpen. We found our B on a site called puppyfind. There seemed to be a lot of breeders there and we called a few, asked questions, and finally settled on one in Texas (Carrol Woods). We tried looking for a rescue dog here in San Diego but didn't find anything. We did some research online, discovered the Basenji, did a whole lot more research and settled on our little girl.

[etzbseder]

I must comment on the kitchen gate, as Medjai is fine with most baby gates, but he has also jumped over 4 feet, so making a gate that tall won't keep him if he really wants through.

You'll have all sorts of new fun stories now that you have gotten a new Basenji/corn chip.

[dmcarty]

By the time my puppies are old enough to go - they have figured out how to go over the baby gate. You might want to consider dog litter. I have not tried it but I know that others have used in as you were thinking quite effectively. It is not sand but more compressed paper pellets.

Not familiar with Carrol Woods in TX - have you documentation on parents fanconi test - that is quite important.

[kiroja]

I have used a litterbox for puppies and it has worked well. They make doggie litterboxes but you can just buy a big kitty one or some other tray of similar size to save money. And for the bedding I use wood pellets, get them from a farm store. They are made for bedding horse stalls, or you can get the pine pellets made for wood stoves. You can probably use some of the ones made for cats that are pelleted recycled paper too. Once the puppies are a bit older and aren't so paper shredding prone, I just line the litterbox with newspaper and it makes it easier than having stray pellets getting kicked around the house. They are not fun to step on barefoot! lol

Like Pat suggested, I would get an xpen, and a top for it, then set up a nice crate or bed in one corner and the litterbox in another. You can try the pee pads too, but I find mine liked to just shred them. :) Gating off the kitchen would best be left for a more trustworthy older pup/adult. Like others have said they are still good escape artists and kitchen cupboards are so tempting to gnaw on. You can do a lot to puppy proof the room, but there is still a lot of damage they can do that you probably don't want to see. lol Best to confine them in a more chew friendly area during those teething months.

Good luck with your new baby, I hope she comes from happy, healthy, well tested parents.

[c-bus]

Thanks for all the support. In regards to the Fanconi, one of the many questions we asked was about Fanconi and she told us that both parents were clear. I have not personally seen the documentation though.

We have been looking into the exercise pen. Most of the ones we've seen have eight panels that are 24" wide (an octagon). That encloses about 15 square feet. Is that enough space? Also there were several heights, 24, 30, 36", etc. What height would you recommend? I was thinking the 36".

What type of dog food would your recommend? I have heard Aveeno is a good brand.

[lvoss]

You can easily verify if the parents have been tested yourself as long as the breeder has provided you with their registered names which they should have. Fanconi is a heartbreaking disease, please go to the OFA website and verify that the parents are clear.

http://www.offa.org

[lvoss]

I think maybe you are thinking of Evo since Aveeno makes soap. Evo is a good brand of grain free kibble.

[dmcarty]

If you have a top - you can get buy with a 36 otherwise - I bet if you asked how tall fences are on this list you would be hard pressed to find anyone with less than 5 feet tall. My xpens are 5 ft AND a top.

[mauigirl]

What type of dog food would your recommend? I have heard Aveeno is a good brand.

I feed both of mine Evo but I didn't start my boy on it til he was almost 1. I was concerned about the protein levels b/c www.dogfoodanalysis.com said it might be a little high for a puppy's kidneys. As dog foods go, it has a lot of protein even for an adult.

[renaultf1]

I have used a litterbox for puppies and it has worked well. They make doggie litterboxes but you can just buy a big kitty one or some other tray of similar size to save money. And for the bedding I use wood pellets, get them from a farm store. They are made for bedding horse stalls, or you can get the pine pellets made for wood stoves. You can probably use some of the ones made for cats that are pelleted recycled paper too. Once the puppies are a bit older and aren't so paper shredding prone, I just line the litterbox with newspaper and it makes it easier than having stray pellets getting kicked around the house. They are not fun to step on barefoot!.

Hey C-Bus...welcome & congrats on your new pup. Ruby's breeder has used both the paper pellet litter and wood shavings in cat litter boxes for their puppies. In the local pet store, the paper pellet kitty litter is called "Yesterday's News". And the wood shavings can be found at Tractor Supply called "Equine Pine". The Equine Pine route is definitely the cheapest, plus it makes the inside of the house smell nice...wood shavings.

[sharronhurlbut]

Shouldn't a puppy have puppy food?
*I don't know, that is why I am asking*

[lvoss]

Shouldn't a puppy have puppy food?
*I don't know, that is why I am asking*

The biggest difference between adult formulas and puppy formulas are usually protein and fat contents. Puppies don't neccessarily need a puppy food and there are some people who believe that it is better not to feed puppy foods. I have used a puppy formula for my first two litters because they burned lots of calories and the puppy foods usually are high calorie. This litter had Merrick's BG for breakfast and raw medallions for dinner and have done just as well.

If anyone is looking for a grain free puppy food, I recently discovered that Orijen makes one.

[tanza]

You can easily verify if the parents have been tested yourself as long as the breeder has provided you with their registered names which they should have. Fanconi is a heartbreaking disease, please go to the OFA website and verify that the parents are clear.

http://www.offa.org


Yes, it is easy to check health records. And you can also use their registration numbers to seach the records.

[sharronhurlbut]

Re, puppy food.
Thanks lvoss for this info.

[c-bus]

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. :D

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.

[kiroja]

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.

[Ninabeana26]

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 ;)

[c-bus]

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?

[tanza]

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

[c-bus]

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?

[tanza]

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.....

[sharronhurlbut]

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....

[tanza]

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...

[c-bus]

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.

[lvoss]

My puppies eat 3 times a day, breakfast, lunch and dinner.

[sharronhurlbut]

Let us know how it goes.
Your going to be very busy for the next few months.

[tanza]

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

[sharronhurlbut]

Pat, will that pass if she is given good things in the crate, or do they remember it always?

[dmcarty]

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 -

[c-bus]

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.

[tanza]

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.

[c-bus]

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.

[tanza]

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.

[c-bus]

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.

[tanza]

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.

There was no DNA fanconi test 3yrs ago, only began in July of 2007, so the sire could not have been tested using the DNA test. You use the HP13205601 and HP24455802 and if they are not showing on the OFA site, that means they have not been DNA tested for Fanconi.

Good that they strip test monthly, but all that says is that on that day, they are not spilling sugar in the urine, but could at any time. You can also check out the pedigree at http://www.pedigrees.zandebasenjis.com/search.html
I don't see that any have been tested, as results from OFA are also sent to Sally's pedigree database.
Again, for you own peace of mind, for 65.00 do the DNA test on your pup....

[tanza]

The link to find out how to do the DNA test is www.basenjihealth.org
It is a cheek swab and really easy to do. All the instructions are on the site.

[c-bus]

Definitely will do, ASAP. Thanks!

[c-bus]

What to do? So we wanted to do a test run of sort on the setup we would be using when it comes time for us to go to work and she will have to be by herself for multiple hours, 4-5+. Our idea was to put an exercise pen in the kitchen and then put her crate and the sod box that we've been using to train her along with her food and water. Our thinking was she would have her crate, room to play, and grass on which to eliminate. So we tested it with us at home. During the forty five minutes of the test, she cried the entire time and eliminated everywhere except the sod box and I mean everywhere.

We put her in her crate while we cleaned it up and she cried for the ten minutes she was there. Since then she only wants to ball up in our laps and sleep. You can tell she is afraid we are going to leave her.

It seems it was a mistake to try the pen idea so soon but at the same time we are not going to be able to be with her all the time. We both took some days off work from Friday to Tuesday but then what?

Any ideas? As of now, the only thing that is working is to let her roam around with us all day and to let her sleep on our laps; we are afraid to even leave her ten minutes to shower or go to the store as she will cry the entire time and we don't want to traumatize her.

We know she is only nine weeks old but is this normal and how have you gotten past it?

[sharronhurlbut]

I can't give you any advice, as I have not raised puppies, but someone here will know the steps you need to take.
Hugs..

[tanza]

Yes it is normal and you have to "let her" cry it out... again, remember she may have been really traumatized from the flight, so that is going to make thing harder... but I would stick with the xpen and use the crate at night. Don't make a big deal about putting her in the xpen... just put her in, give her a treat and walk away. Walk away out of sight or even go out the door outside so that she knows you are gone... See if you can wait until she stops crying/screaming and then go back in... again, do not make a big fuss, just take her out of the pen and then I would immediately take her outside to potty (even if she did go everyplace in the pen... so that this becomes a routine... Xpen, leave, come home, out to potty..... and if she pees/poos all over, there is not much you can do... you can't correct her, as only if you catch her in the act does it do any good... otherwise she doesn't know why you are correcting her.

[c-bus]

Thanks for the advise/ reassurance. My wife and I feel like the worlds worst parents. We know she has been through alot and we feel like we are making it worse for her.

Would this be better?

We have a hand me down crate for a large dog, 42" X 28 X 30, and we could fit both her crate and the sod box in the crate. It would provide less space for her than the X Pen but maybe make her more prone to use the sod box.

[tanza]

Hard to say, really...... I really don't know....

[sharronhurlbut]

You might want to check out these b's.
They are in Ca and need homes.
Contact The Medfly Brigade Basenji Rescue http://www.basenjirescue.com
for more dogs.

[tanza]

You might want to check out these b's.
They are in Ca and need homes.
Contact The Medfly Brigade Basenji Rescue http://www.basenjirescue.com
for more dogs.

Did you mean to put this on a different thread? c-bus already has their pup at home...? Maybe this one? http://www.basenjiforums.com/showthread.php?t=5220&page=3

[sharronhurlbut]

Yes, thanks Pat. I sent this to the wrong thread.
Sigh.
Sorry everyone.

[Tayda_Lenny]

I think it is normal for pups and eventually he will get past it. He is probably just scared right now and not used to anything around him. when I first got my little Lenny as a pup at 14 weeks he would scream in the crate as well, particularly at night and he even had a playmate in the crate with him. It can drive you nuts but it will get better. I used to put the crate next to my bed and literally hang my arm down and squeeze my hand into the crate so he would feel my hand touching him when hes in the crate. My arm would fall asleep but that seemed to calm him down some.

i think the xpen or larger crate, with the sod/crate inside is worth a try. I had two crates that i put together facing each other so that he's have one to lie in and one to pee/poop in if he had to. he would of course not always pee/poop in the one that i meant for him to do it in, but at least he had somewhere else to go. Except poor little Tayda (my other dog) that was in the crate with him... once i came home and knew that little Lenny had been having projectile diarreah because poor Tayda was COVERED in it. she did not look amused at ALL. Lenny hardly had a spec on him. And thus started their beautiful friendship! lol.

good luck... hang in there.... at least you know your little puppy has a healthy set of lungs! :)

[c-bus]

Well it was another night of Kenya crying. I actually think she and in return we got less sleep last night than the first night. She was just whining, crying, and screaming but even when she did settle down as soon as we moved or rolled over in bed she was right back at it. On the positive side she was much better about not having accidents in her crate.


The other area of real success came when we left her alone for the first time. We have two crates, one a travel crate that is just her size and another that a neighbor gave us that is huge because he used it for his rodesian ridgeback. So what we did was place Kenya's crate in the larger crate along with her sod box and her water bowl. We gave her a treat to chew on and walked out the door. She was crying and howling when we left but when we returned about 2 hours later all was quiet. In fact when we open the door she still didn't whine and only looked at us and came to the door of the crate. On top of that she either used the sod box to eliminate or didn't have to because her crate was clean.

That little bit of success has done wonders for our confidence that things will eventually settle down. We plan on trying the same crating method tonight so hopefully we all can get some sleep (This crate is in the dining room rather than our bedroom/ just down the hall). We are also happy because this is the method we plan to use when we have to go to work since we won't be able to be here every two or three hours to let her out of her crate.

[sharronhurlbut]

A tip for keeping your dog relaxed.
Try to make your coming back home very calm.
No happy, excited "we are back" voices.
Just a calm, want to go walkies, and take the puppy outside.
Once the pup goes potty, then its nice to excitement.
It does help.

[c-bus]

Thanks for the info. Now if I could just get her to relax at night. We tried a ticking clock, a radio with voices, having her crate next to our bed, tonight we try keeping her crate in the dining room and allowing her to leave her crate for the sod box.

[sharronhurlbut]

Again, a calm routine, matter of fact *well, its bedtime, go to sleep* will make it go faster.
Puppies take a bit of long time to "get it" than rescue dogs, and I am just sharing what I share when someone contacts me with a rescue dog with issues.
Others on this forum will be able to help with this pup's settling in.
We all want you to get everyone settled and happy.
Hugs for doing the right thing for your puppy.

[tanza]

My own personal opinion is that if you have to crate during the day, at night they can "sleep" in bed with you... IMO... if you are having to crating during the day... and then at night also, that is way too much crate time and not enough people time. If you have an area that they can be indoors and outdoors (as I was able to have the pups in the laundry room during the day... so they got time to move around, play outdoors if they wanted and a small climate control area indoors, I did put a large crate in the laundry room also).. so I didn't feel bad putting them in crates at night...

[wrx227wrc]

I totally agree with tanza, you have to let them cry it out. Start working on habituating the puppy to you leaving. For example, put her in the crate or whatever situation you are using and walk out the door. Stand outside for five minutes, then come back in a reward her. Work on gradually increasing the time you are gone. As you work on it, make sure that you start to differentiate between rewarding behaviors you do and don't want. You don't want to come in and give her a bunch of treats for howling like a banshee the whole time you were gone, but in the beginning she may need that just to see that you going means you coming home and treats :) You want to associate your return with good thoughts.
You also have to remember that she may see lots of things a rewarding, which will in turn, reinforce her behavior. If she is crying in her crate and you even talk to her, or let her see you, that is rewarding. If she cries and you try to comfort her you are rewarding her crying, she got what she wanted. As you learn how to work with her you will start to learn how to outsmart her, it just takes time and lots of trying different things. See what is most rewarding for her, sometimes it may not actually be a treat, it may be a toy.
Since you live in a condo, you may want to talk to your neighbors if she is making lots of loud noise for a long time. I have heard stories of people calling 911 because they think someone is screaming. Talk to them and let them know ahead of time and they may be more likely to take an issue up with you rather than someone who may take action.
You aren't bad parents, we all went through it. The work required to raise a basenji is significant but it is rewarding. I often liken it to a toddler and people laugh, but when they are involved with us and see how much work it is, they begin to understand.
Good luck!

[wrx227wrc]

What is up with the dates on these posts? Has anyone else noticed this? On my comp is says 2006 and 2007 for something I posted five minutes ago. Weird.

[wizard]

wrx227wrc that must just be your computer - mine reads correctly.

[dmcarty]

Might be your join date?

[sharronhurlbut]

My b's chew on your gold!