the beloved & I just got a new puppy - 3 month old basenji, cute as a button, big Anubis ears. Of course, she’s running us ragged, and we want to crate train her.
Any helpful hints, warnings, idle thoughts?
My helpful hint:
If she has an “accident,” after you clean up the obvious mess, sprinkle the area generously with baking soda. Leave it for an hour, and then vacuum it up. You may have to repeat. The baking soda will soak up the moisture and smell. This works on both hard floor and carpet.
My warning:
Basenjis must be hugged and kissed many times daily. If you do not do this, terrible horrible things will happen.
My idle thought:
Consider feeding her home-made food instead of commercial dog food. (This does not mean “table scraps.” This means food prepared especially for her.)
Good luck, and give the little nupper a kiss for me.
Congratulations! You just got yourself the most loyal, loving companion anyone could want.
Some tips:
-
crate train. Dogs are naturally fastidious if given a choice.
-
play, love, snuggle, talk, romp, play some more. Dogs are social critters, and the more love give, the more you’ll get.
-
dogs are animals who’ve adopted you humans as pack members; establish yourselves as alpha in the pack. Dogs appreciate CLARITY.
-
I’d differ on the chow. The only thing I feed my much, MUCH loved mutt is Science Diet. Her nutritional needs are even more baffling than mine–so why re-invent wheels?
-
Train. Dogs and horses are the 2 critters that can be induced to “adopt” humankind as their own. It’s a gift. Training helps clean up communication issues.
-
Take care of health issues and don’t stint. Keep up on shots, immunizations, dental care, etc. (It isn’t hard–or expensive! “Dog breath”=shabby human care.)
-
Respect the miracle. A different species has just offered the chance to meld. Your reward will be warm love and devotion. (And expect some individualistic funniness, stubborness and quirks–dogs are themselves)
I’m so envious. I’m thinking about getting a pound pup for company for me and Da Woofer.
Veb
I second Green Beans sentiments. Especially the home cooked food. I’ve been doing it for years and the benefits are inestimable. There are several good books on this subject and it’s easier to do than you’d think. Many good breeders are doing this now and their ranks are growing.
I have heard that special odour eliminators are available at pet stores that completely eliminate the odour of pet “stains”, so they won’t return to the same spot. These come highly recommended, though I haven’t had the need to use them myself as my dogs are older. You might give it a try for those almost inevitable “accidents” in the early days of puppyhood.
Most of all, congratulations!
jti, you’re kidding! we just got a 4 month old basenji puppy. He is the cutest thing!
We brought him home last weekend, and he is settling in well. The cats are not pleased, but they are taking it better than I thought they would. He tried to give one of his squeaky toys to the older cat yesterday; she didn’t appreciate the gesture.
Green Bean, we hug and kiss him as often as we can. I am sorely tempted to stay home from work so that I can do so; today my husband (lucky bastard!) is working at home so that someone can stay with him.
We just got a puppy, too!! My only advice is to get many, many, varied things for her to chew on. Many.
(ours is in love with her piece of rope with the nots in it, a squeaky hedgehog that she hunts, and a stuffed chicken).
that’s supposed to say, “knots”
In reference to the odor eliminators that Uppity Woman discusses: I think the most common one is called Nature’s Miracle, and they do work very well.
CatInHat: Congrats on your new pup, too. Give him a kiss for me.
Veb: I would argue that feeding a dog commercial chow is “re-inventing the wheel,” and I would love to discuss it more–but if you wanna talk about it, let’s start a new thread. Commercial vs. home-made dog food–a great debate???
I second C3’s suggestion of providing the pup with lots of toys. You have to figure out what kind of toys your dog prefers by trial and error. You also should “rotate” the toys, so she doesn’t get bored. Put some away and give her others. A few weeks later, give her back the ones you put away. Our dog, Spot does this for us. His toys get lost under the couch, and when we bother to clean under there, he gets those toys back.
One note–you may have already heard this, but you should never give your dog a chew toy that resembles anything you would not want her to chew on. Your dog doesn’t understand the difference between your stinky old moccasin that you gave her and your brand-new Ferragamos.
Here is a list of “free” dog toys:
–Tennis balls. Serious tennis players usually have loads of dead balls that they want to get rid of. Ask them.
–Rag bones. Braid and knot fabric cut from an old t-shirt. My dog loves a rag-bone I made for him from an old pair of tights. I cut out the seams and knotted the tights into a bone shape. It is stretchy, so it is fun to play “tug” with.
–Wood. (I do not know if there are any risks involved with this.) Spot has adopted a log that was sitting by the fireplace. He carries it around and gnaws on it.
–Citrus fruit. I kid you not. Spot enjoys playing with lemons. He noses them around the floor.
–Carrots. Spot loves to eat carrots. He thinks that they are yummy edible “bones.” Carrots also help clean the teeth.
I’m not going to go into a big lecture on animal nutrition, but I would have to cast my vote against home diets. If you have questions or concerns about pet nutrition, the best person to ask is the VET.
Michelle,
Vet Tech
My vet supports home-made diets. She asks many questions about the particulars of what the dog is being fed. If she is satisfied with the diet, then she gives it her approval.
And she is an regular DVM, not an “alternative” practitioner.
Oh, and by the way, neither I nor Uppity Woman made any recommendations about the specifics of pet nutrition. We also did not recommend any specific diets or books.
My original post only said that jti should “Consider feeding her home-made food instead of commercial dog food.”
I leave it to jti and his/her vet to gather information and make the best decision for them and the puppy.
Take lots of pictures. They’re only puppies once and it’s fun to see just how much the dog has changed since he came to live with you.
I think it was Mark Twain who said, “Feed a starving dog and he will not bite you. That’s the principal difference between a man and a dog.”
Congratulations. Having grown up as a devout cat person I was seduced to the dog side by my wife, the thoroughly entrancing Mrs. Pluto. Now I don’t know what I’d do without them.
They don’t talk back. They come when they’re called. If they make a mess they are very sorry (plus you can clean it up with just soap and water). Every time you come home they act like they haven’t seen you in a million years. I’ve been licked way more times than I’ve been kissed (even by the t.e. Mrs. P.). My favorite bumper sticker of all time: “I wish I was half the person my dog thinks I am.”
“I used to think the brain was the most important organ in the body, until I realized who was telling me that.”
Emo Phillips
thanks for the suggestions, guys. wasn’t posting yesterday at all because she was keeping us busy, what with getting diarrehea and all - I’ll spare you the details, but she had her first trip to the vet as a result, and seems to be better.
Also, being woken up three nights in a row at 3:30 to take her out is wearing me down, but it’s better than waking up to the alternative. (the beloved says she sleeps through the whining and squeaking from the puppy, so that’s why I keep waking up. Hmmm.)
our older hound is a beagle mix - she’s finding the new one a bit wearing, but the little one seems to be settling in and the old one is starting to play with her.
the beloved has been taking snaps like crazy.