Please help!

@Aileen Thank you for your constructive answer. First of all I thought this forum was a support forum not a judgement one and I am surprised and shocked at some of the answer.
Indeed, before adopting Pippa, my wife and I did a lot of research and chose to adopt her knowing all the responsibility that would come with her. We really love her and will do everything to make this adaptation period a very joyful experience.

Yes it is true, it is our first basenji and the comparison with Biggy is inevitable. Anyway @Aileen you are the only one who got back to me constructively and I will update you on our day to day life with Pippa (last night was amazing by the way).

You are right, she still have some accidents because this environment is still new for her. Based on your advice I will start back crate training today (not for sleeping she loves her bed 🙂 )but for her to have her own special place during the day.

Thank you again for your support. I hope this group will be less judgemental and more constructive in the future.

Have a good day everyone!

Cherif, Ask Sam if you can read the private email I wrote to him. If not email me privately.

Peeing and pooping as you describe is just an expression of her feeling of insecurity - my pups always left me almost potty trained but I always told new owners that they were likely to revert for a couple of weeks until they settled to a new life and a different routine. You need to build Pippa's confidence, it'll be well worth your while, honestly !

Don't expect a Basenji to behave like ANY other dog, even another Basenji ! They are complete individuals - but they need an Alpha (and if you don't fill this role yourself, Pippa will !)

You mention your family - does this mean you have kids ? cos perhaps Pippa would settle in their room at night on her bed (or theirs !) cos she really does need the assurance of her 'pack' at night.

last edited by Zande

@zande Great thank you! I will check with him and contact you privately 🙂

@cherif said in Please help!:

Have a good day everyone!

I think there are many constructive things here. Anyone who has lived with a basenji, and has given their opinion, has written a constructive post.
Forums general rule: take what you can use, forget the rest

I'm glad last night was better, and perhaps with a good nights sleep, you can read the posts a bit more objectively?

Good afternoon Cherif,

It seems like your little one wants attention and in fact that is what she needs. The more you can socialize a basenji puppy by being with them as much as you can in the beginning goes a very long way to having a very nice adult dog. Remember, she is a baby right now and everything is new and sometimes scary.

Regarding the replies you've received, I've come to realize that although some people express themselves very bluntly, everyone here is a fierce advocate for the breed. Their replies can be, shall I say, a bit "basenji-ish" - very independent and wary of strangers?

Last thing--basenjis really are not like any other dog breed. Not all of my friends who met my basenjis were thrilled by them. They liked the way they looked, but since basenjis do not run up to strangers and wag their tails and seek attention, my friends didn't know what to make of them.

I feel that they are more like cats in dog suits.

You are in good hands, advice-wise now, and you are in for a treat with your new pup. Please post some pictures when things have calmed down.

"Everyone thinks they have the best dog. And none of them are wrong.” --W.R. Purche

Hi cherif, im not sure if ur statement made sense.... the dog has been at ur place for less than a week and ur nagging?? Please reconsider what u said before sharing such comments. And share pics of the little baby 😉

@b5004ever “Their replies can be, shall I say, a bit "basenji-ish"

Lmao, the thought of a bunch of people as quirky and willful as Basenjis should be enough to scare anyone away lol.

I'm hoping things work out for you and your Basenji. It can be extremely overwhelming dealing w/ a new dog never mind that the new dog is a BASENJI ( puts a whole new spin on things). I know many of the people have sounded very CRITICAL but I think they mean well. Please hang in there I'm sure it will all work out and you'll be able to enjoy your new member of the family. Best wishes - it will all turn out well in the end!

Dear @cherif , after a long research i concluded that you can try to mix lemon juice with coconut powder, and bath his feet (only) for 20 minutes every night. try also to sing for him 30 minutes before going to sleep so that his anxiety decreases with time

@steven12 said in Please help!:

lemon juice with coconut powder

While unproven home remedies suggest those for yeast, I cannot imagine what makes you think it will calm the dog. Also not sure the lemon juice would be good for soaking nightly as it can affect pH level.


Some observations.

Generally, just ask for a show of hands, I'm the one usually accused of harsh responses. It's a bit amusing to see them. Yes, some were harsh, but in an "our job is to make sure the puppy is taken care of, not try to tell you that you are perfectly logical and right in what you are doing." If you try to remember that this forum is dedicated to the dogs, you'll (Edit, no idea how I erased it before) take it less personally.

Anyone extrapolating that your distress means you don't/won't love the puppy is out of line... as is the foul-mouthed response to her. You have a new puppy and your expectations need adjusting.

Something that concerns me is that both you and Samm got puppies that are pretty... emotional. That trip from France to Beirut, all the changes.. that could explain everything. But you both need to be talking to the breeder about temperament and quirks of their line. Someone suggested... and it seems to have gotten lost ... is to make SURE the sudden pee/poop isn't medical.

You are moving too fast and the result is flipping her out and then you're reacting to that. It's normal. But understand that the concern is that if you think things are out of control now, stay on the path you are on. Start over. Reevaluate her needs because if she's happy, you'll be happy. 🙂 There is no getting around the suggestions of everyone that she needs to be with you. If you had a big pack, it might be easier to get them all to sleep elsewhere... but right now, it really is cruel.

The crate issue needs to be fixed as soon as things settle. At some point, she could need crating and you don't want both the stress of an emergency and not used to a crate at the same time.

Btw, I'm in Haifa, Israel. If you both aren't familiar with parkwork, please call your vets quickly. In the US we have heartworms. Here it's parkworm. Feel free to message me if you need any info on it.

It sounds trite, but honestly, things get better. Look at her as a baby and one you have time to work on shaping her.

Mary's lessons are very easy to follow. She's also very calm and approachable so if you have questions, I'll give you her email.

last edited by DebraDownSouth


@DebraDownSouth Thank you for your reply... My grandma used to apply it on her cat and it worked for her.
@cherif maybe her anxiety comes from heart issues ? have you tried to take her to a cardiologist ?

@cherif how’s pipa doing? Hope she is better and you are enjoying her company 🙃
Mine is doing great! So if you need any help don’t hesitate.

Tc bud

Hello guys, pippa is amazing! she have her full confidence now and is learning super quickly 🙂

Thank you all for your help!

@cherif please talk to her in your local language not
In English!

With mistakes such as « she have » she will be learning poor grammar mistakes. And this cannot be acceptable for a Basenji!!!😡

Thank you for your understanding

@steven12 NO ! Bring her up to be multi lingual - Basenjis are great communicators and need the challenge of two (or more) languages !

@cherif Basenjis are not for everyone, My personal feeling is that if you want a dog in a crate who doesn't sleep with you a basenji is not for you. If you are able to treat your basenji as an equal being that lives with you, that you respect and love great, but your dog is already acting out, you can't force a basenji to do anything, has to be mutual respect between you if not give her to someone who knows basenji's so that she can be happy,
not kept crated and sleeping alone.

@cherif havent heard about you in a while? How is ur progress with Pipa? Are you happier now? Does she listen you know? Please update ...
