How to take care of a puppy
Before I get a puppy
At the beginning, it is most important to realize that if I decide on a puppy, so that I do not buy a thing, but a living creature, a friend and a friend who will be dependent on me and I will have to take care of him. This concern can take 17 years and is therefore a very serious decision. If you have decided and you are convinced that you have a place in your life for your new friend, you have enough time for him (basenji does not like solitude and it is best for him when he still has a owner with him) so we will look at the needs that your pool owner will have.
We already have him at home and what's next
After arriving in a new home, we put a blanket in his lair, on which the puppy was lying and which was rubbing against his mother's fur, so that the puppy could smell her smell and better manage the transition to a new home. We will put this blanket in his lair and the little basenjik will be calm, because he will have the smell he knows. They will become acquainted with other odors over time.
How to feed
At the beginning you will get puppy granules, which the puppy is used to. You start mixing your pellets, which you want to feed the puppy to. Don't rush to switch to your brand. This transition can take from min. 1 week, but 2 weeks - 1 month are more suitable. For basenjika we buy only super premium granules from renowned brands. From my experience, I can recommend Sam´s Field, Purina Pro Plan and Starvita. These are proven feeds for years. Remember that if you buy a large bag of granules, it is advisable to weigh the granules per 1 kg after opening it and pack it properly in a bag, which we will load and thus prevent the access of air and their drying. We buy puppy granules for medium breeds. At the beginning (up to 4 months) we feed 4 times a day, (5-6 months) 3 times a day, from 7 months to one year 2 times a day and then only once a day. It is necessary to adjust the feed ration especially according to the physical activity of your basenjik. The feed ration is weighted in grams according to the dog's weight. As for the diet, I would like to note that the basenjik is such a disgusted dog and must understand that granules are his basic food and must be used to them. Furthermore, we can give him mainly cooked meat (mainly chickens, ducks, etc.), vegetables (we learned on carrots, tomatoes, peppers, kohlrabi and cucumbers, and it is also important to bite for a few bites. 1 - Hard bone ( I buy a dried leg made of deer, roe deer ...) 2 - dried leather cubes (sometimes of buffalo, sometimes beef, pork) 3 - other tasting things for your basenjika are, for example, a hoof, dried tendon, rubber toy and a stuffed animal that he will wear These are things that clean your teeth and have a great time without trying your favorite shoes in an unguarded moment :-)
How not to feed
I strongly recommend avoiding all sugars in the diet that attack tooth enamel and the dog may have bad teeth later. It is painful for him and a visit to the vet about teeth is very expensive and the dog has to fall asleep before the procedure, which is also not good for him. So please don't give him FRUIT (full of simple sugars), treats for people and biscuits, which contain flour that sticks to the teeth and sugars that damage the enamel ... In general, if your basenjik has nice, neither solid nor sparse excrement, then it has a balanced diet. With increased amounts of fat or protein, the stool may be softer. I recommend every puppy owner never to feed him at the table when he eats. Never. Basenji has a lazy nature and as soon as the owner provides him with food from the table, it may happen that they never eat again ... Basenjik has to wait until he milks and in theory it is possible that he will get a piece of meat, but this is not the rule . All the food must be hidden from him immediately and not leave him lying free, because the basenjik will like to capture it for himself and he will enjoy how he did something again, which the owner must take with humor. Every human mistake will be punished by basenjik :-)
Poznatky
In general, vegetables can be included in the diet. The girls like carrots, tomatoes, peppers, kohlrabi, cucumbers ... I serve vegetables at a later age, small portions, 1-2 times a week, uncooked. Potatoes are not suitable for any dog, so I never include them in the diet. It is also good to add fish and fish products. Sometimes sardines, sometimes trout, other times salmon oil (1 liter lasts a very long time with regular dosing). Fish is an important source of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which have a good effect on the overall health of basenjika, shiny and soft coat, healthy eyesight and, last but not least, act as natural anti-inflammatory substances. We always think that if a dog gets proteins in the form of meat, dairy products, fish, etc., it is necessary to adjust the feed ration of high-quality granules, which should be the main part of the diet ... We do not recommend feeding granules that have a crude protein (protein content) over 25 percent. The health of the basenjik may be endangered, especially by the formation of urinary stones. If you want to avoid such a health problem, you must opt for granules with a protein content of up to 25 percent.
Veterinary
Each basenji comes from our kennel chipped, dewormed and after the first vaccination. It is important to follow the vaccination schedule and provide a good veterinarian in the immediate area as soon as possible, with whom one will agree on the next veterinary care procedure for the first vaccination. Furthermore, basenjik is vaccinated once a year. We will not forget to have the dog dewormed according to the date of its last deworming. It's also a good idea to know if your vet will see you at 23:00 at night, in case of any misfortune that might happen. Especially poisoning, biting another dog, etc. The best is a veterinarian operating a surgery in your place of residence. In case of an accident, we have, among other things, a first aid kit containing 3% hydrogen peroxide at home. If poisoning is suspected, 1 ml of PV per 1 kg of dog weight is applied to a syringe and it is applied to the mouth. The dog must swallow. This will cause vomiting, which can save his life.