Basenji Rescue and Transport
Adoption ◦ Placement ◦ Health & Foster Care ◦ Education ◦ Support
www.basenjirescue.org

Rain Avoidance

It is well known that the average basenji will not volunteer to go out in the rain just because you think he or she needs to pee. Basenjis can “hold it” a long time and a spell of rainy weather will test your patience. Having a fenced yard means nothing on rainy days.

There is one sure way to get your basenji outside and that is to leash him up and carry him outside – preferably into the front yard or other area where it is likely other dogs have been walked. The front yard usually gets faster results than the back because it is likelier to have a wider variety of scents for the basenji to cover with his own scent.

So, don your rain gear, leash the dog, take an umbrella with you (to hold over the dog) and carry your beloved basenji into the front yard. Once his feet hit the ground he may remember to pee on his way back to the house. But since he is leashed you are in control. Once he has emptied, praise him, let him drag you  inside and give the brave little dog a treat.

See It Coming

'See it coming' is a term used for understanding your dog in such a way where you can 'see' something coming before it actually happens. Above all, this involves getting to know your dog, which takes some time. An owner cannot always expect to apprehend something in their dog unless they have observed the dog enough. If you have had dogs in the past you have a bit of an advantage because this has enabled you to get to know some basic dog movements and ways of communicating. Dogs communicate with each other almost entirely through senses that we are not as adept at using, such as body language, first and foremost, but also smell, and sound. Some of the body language is a bit universal to all dogs and previous dog owners may have been able to observe this. But no matter what stage of dog ownership you are in, do realize that it will take time to get to know your Basenji. Here are a few steps to help with being able to read your Basenji, it's moods, and it's actions.

Get to Know Your Dog:  As I said above this is very important, but also takes time. Some dogs open up slower than others. It is not uncommon to be seeing and learning new things in your Basenji even seven months after he has arrived. And I have heard many stories where new characteristics were still popping up occasionally as much as a year after your basenji's arrival.

Use Your Dogs Primary Mode of Communication  Always remember, when working with your Basenji, the ways in which he communicates. Humans speak to each other using language, but dog language is primarily through body signals. Connect your emotions, your speaking, and your body language together so your dog can learn all three and how they coincide. When you do this you help yourself and your dog learn to speak to each other. Talk to him when you are doing a casual every day thing, when you are happy with the way he is behaving, when he does something cute, and when he disappoints you. He will begin to understand the tone of your voice and even the very subtle changes in your body movements when in those moods. This is a very important step to communicating affectively with your dog.

Observe Your Dog  Take time to watch your new Basenji and notice her body movements when she is in certain moods. Watch her when you approach other dogs. Do her hackles raise, does she get stiff and stand up taller? All these are signs of how she is feeling and what she may do. Pay particular attention to your Basenjis ears and tail during interactions. Because Basenjis have a curled tail it makes it a bit more difficult to see much from the tail, but they will uncurl the tail when they are very scared or stressed, or when they sit down. For problem areas, such as dog aggression you want to be able to stop these things before they occur and in these cases I urge you to work very closely with your counselor and above all follow your gut feelings. If another dog is approaching and the dog and/ or the person seem excited to see you and your dog, do not feel obligated to allow that dog to approach if you have a bad feeling about it. As dog owners it is our responsibility to protect our rights to have dogs, and to uphold a good opinion of dog owners in the general public's eye. Take this seriously and don't feel bad when telling someone to stay back.

 Also remember that dogs use sight and sound to communicate. Don't readily reprimand your dog for growling at another dog or person because this is his only way of letting us know how he is feeling. Do reprimand your dog for acting aggressively toward another dog, but not for the warning of it. This is very important to understand and administer correctly. If the dog growls and gets reprimanded he is getting in trouble for the growling, not the action that would have followed. And if we remove the warning then we run the very serious risk of having an attack occur with no warning. Again, if you have a potentially aggressive Basenji whether it is fear or dominance aggression, work very closely with a counselor.

Separation Anxiety

Separation Anxiety refers to the stress a dog experiences when it is separated from its human companion (or another pet companion it has lived with). When the response is extreme and poses a risk to the dog and/or the dog's environment, steps can be taken to eliminate the stress or reduce it to a tolerable or non-existent level.

When separated from their person, uncrated basenjis with separation anxiety may engage in house destructive behavior. Crated basenjis may shred the bedding and toys in their crate, chew and claw on the crate to the extent that they may break teeth or tear their claws, and they may scream or vocalize loudly.

In its extreme form, a dog with separation anxiety will not leave your side - this dog will not run away from you - they are too fearful of separation. If you move from room to room, he will follow you consistently. He will wake up when you move about and follow you regardless of the time of day or night. It cannot enjoy basking in the sun in the back yard while you are in the house. The dog simply cannot be away from you. Some dogs will whine a bit when separated from their companion or even chew on their bedding, but the behavior does not overwhelm the dog, and it soon regains its composure-this is a very, very, very mild form of separation anxiety.

Prevention: From the first day your basenji arrives in your home, separate yourself from your basenji, without fanfare, off and on through the day, by going in the other room. Then allow your new basenji to see you go in and out the front door numerous times, again, without fanfare. Gradually increase the time you are out of view of your new basenji. Start by leaving the house for just one or two minutes. Do this every 10 minutes or so over the course of an hour. Then increase your absence time up to 10 minutes. Practice frequently over a couple of hours. Soon you should be able to leave for ½ an hour and then longer. Be sure and leave your basenji in a safe setting with something wonderful to entertain himself-something very special--while you absent yourself. Critical to making this work is to make the absences very brief at first and increase them gradually. Do not increase the period of absence until the dog is comfortable with absences at its current comfort level. If you find the dog is stressed by the increase, fall back to an earlier level.

DO NOT take time off from work and spend every moment with your new basenji and then, all of the sudden, leave and go to work for hours. This pattern of behavior will create a serious separation problem for your basenji. If you do plan to take time off, be sure and use the process described above during that time.

Change Up Your Routine - Your basenji is very observant and notices the routine you have undoubtedly established when you are about to leave him at home alone. As your basenji watches you go through your daily routine, his anxiety increases. Changing up your routine will help keep the stress level down.

You may be a person who only crates your basenji when you leave the house. Start crating him briefly while you are home with a very special treat that he only gets while in his crate. Go about your business in the house and after a short while, open the crate.

Start leaving the house through a different door. Move your dog's crate to a new location where he has a wonderful view and will not actually see you go out the door. Put on your thinking cap and think of ways to change up your routine. Practice the changes on the weekend and avoid a situation where you spend every minute with your dog on the weekend; that only heightens the feeling of loss when the workweek begins.

Conclusion: This very brief article only skims the surface of this issue. At the earliest sign that your dog is developing this problem, consider contacting a support person to develop a tailored plan for your basenji.

Spiteful Peeing

Basenjis will "act out" with their anger or frustration and so called "spiteful peeing," is a common means of communicating displeasure.  Typically this peeing will take place on the bed of the offending human.  This first thing to remember is not to attribute human motives to this situation - there is no "spite" involved.

When you find a human bed has received a dousing of dog pee, you have some detective work ahead of you.  Your dog is telling you that he or she is extremely unhappy  about something.  Usually this situation occurs when a dog is challenging the humans in the home for a higher rank in the pack order.  The dog may be claiming the top spot or simply a spot higher than that possessed by the human with the wetted bed.  This action by the dog is meant to do exactly what it does - get the attention of the affected human.

Your first reaction will be anger and disgust.  Don't deal with your dog until you have passed this stage.  You will only make things worse if you interact with your dog with anger.  Clean it up, get a good night's sleep and figure out where to start with solutions in the morning. 

Think about what has changed in your dog's life to elicit such a strong emotion.  Has there been a disciplinary confrontation with your dog?  Has a new dog, cat or human come to stay at the home or recently left?  Has your schedule changed, leaving your dog alone more than previously?  The dog's action is a response and, as the brains in the family, you need to determine the trigger.  The assistance of someone experienced in modifying basenji behavior is highly recommended.

Response to this behavior may be as simple as reminding your dog of your status in the pack.  Ask the dog to sit before meals, exiting the house, or jumping up on the furniture to sit with you.  It may mean scheduling "quality time" with your dog or no longer allowing the dog to sleep in the bed with you.  Choosing the appropriate response to the situation is important and requires an understanding of the cause for it to be effective.

Note:  There may be explanations for inappropriate elimination which are not behavioral.  Be certain your dog does not have a medical issue.