Basenji Talk

I love genetics and DNA. :) I had learned all the 30 yrs or more of wolf/dog theories, only to have them squashed by DNA. Learn new things.. I'm good with that. http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/04/where-did-your-dog-come-new-tree-breeds-may-hold-answer On wolves btw... our current wolves are not the ancient wolves dogs came from: Wolves provide no clarity. Grey wolves used to live across the entire Northern Hemisphere, so they could have potentially been domesticated anywhere within that vast range (although North America is certainly out). What’s more, genetic studies tell us that no living group of wolves is more closely related to dogs than any other, which means that the wolves that originally gave rise to dogs are now extinct. Sequencing living wolves and dogs will never truly reveal their shrouded past; it’d be, as Larson says, like trying to solve a crime when the culprit isn’t even on the list of suspects.<< https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/06/the-origin-of-dogs/484976/

@pearlypoo Awwww...that face is one that you could just rub your face all over!! Looking at her eye's ... I believe she's thinking something along the lines of: "WOW! That was kinda' scary but fun too...sure glad my humans were keeping me safe! I wonder what all other fun things they're gonna' teach me about!!" I love the whiskers too! I have whiskers in my Yorkie's scrapbook & in both of my B's scrapbooks too. If a tooth came out & I found it ~ I still have it. I have some toe-nail clippings from all 3 dogs too. But pictures are best!! All 3 of you are lucky, lucky ... lucky!! :)

When my dogs were young they'd back away from their collars or scratch at them because they were new and scary. I don't keep collars on my dogs in the house because they play roughly and I don't want any accidents. When they DO see their collars it means walk time and they get so excited they shove their heads though on their own. When it's associated with something positive they quickly learn to love their collars!

Thanks everyone for your help!

Let me know!

If you hadn't been to vet, I'd have suspected UTI. If not that, kidney or bladder stones? Definitely thyroid check. Is he getting the same exercise? Can you do more so he's really tired at bedtime? Any new medications? Change in food? If it were something icky like a mouse, his buddy would be bothered too... but it could still be outside nocturnal creatures suddenly stopping by. Hope you find the cause. Losing sleep is not good for anyone.

@lisafebre said in Help with Rescue Basenji Mixes: @eeeefarm i have tried the clicker but it scares him! So I make "kissy" noises as he comes in for a treat. That should work fine. Just be consistent with whatever you use, but you may need to adjust the timing. You should use your "marker" the same way you would a clicker, i.e. to mark the behaviour you are rewarding. So perhaps another sound or word (I tend to use "yes!") to use at the moment he does the behaviour (or an incremental move toward the behaviour) that you are trying to encourage. Remember that the click or marker word ends the behaviour and signals the reward. It does sound like you are making good progress. At some point as petting him becomes normalized you will want to phase out the treats and reserve them for whatever your next behaviour goal is, perhaps climbing into your lap so you can cuddle or pick him up. Again, go slow, don't restrain when he has come to you. When you reach the point where you can make the approach instead of him making it, and he doesn't shrink away, it will be time to go on to handling, picking him up, etc. at which point if you have initiated contact you change to releasing him when he is quiet, not if he attempts to leave. Key is don't ask for too much too fast, and if there is a difficult point go back to where he is comfortable and proceed again. You'll get there!

One thing that MIGHT help is to really exercise and wear her out before you go out. But I do think obedience classes will be a great boon for both her listening during distractions and being around other dogs. It would be very helpful if you can find a few buddies that will go walk with you ... keeping the dogs on leash, separated, but just strolling around getting used to being around but not playing with another dog. You may get a lot more out of it if you have obedience well underway first, so that you are fine tuning her there. Mary's site has just about every basic training, and she is simple and easy to understand. http://www.clickerlessons.com/index.htm Okay so on your dog mix... If you can afford it, I'd do a wisdom panel. It isn't cheap, but it is excellent. I hope for your sanity they find your dog is NOT actually a Carolina dog because ouch. Both basenjis and carolina dogs are "primitives"... and although Basenji DNA is more consistent than the Carolina dog (which has a lot of other breeds mixed in since they lived wild in the USA with a lot of other breeds around to mate with, whereas until recent times Basenjis were more isolated from other groups), you've got a double dose of "yeah maybe I'll listen, maybe I won't... and I really am good at running off and doing my own thing." Having the DNA might help show how much of the primitive genes are in there. Sadly the Wisdom Panel doesn't test for Carolina dog as a breed, and I can't find any that do. But they can look for those primitive lines. That said, having lived in SC and living in GA, I have met a few Carolina dogs. Obviously with my love for Basenjis and Chows, I'm fond of the primitives. But you have to train smart. Really glad you found the forum, will be fun watching her mature!

An apartment would not be a problem if you give your B plenty of exercise and nose time. Also, the office would be great, but do realise that dogs need a lot of sleep, not only puppies. Our 2 sisters (7 and 6) sleep all night and most of the day. So your B would need a quiet space in the office to retreat and sleep. Agree with eeeefarm: puppy time is extra intensive, but so much fun. Try to be with your B as much as possible. Enjoy!

I don't see much basenji in him (the ears don't look right somehow) - chihuahua or dachshund maybe and yeah some kind of terrier. Nice though.

@margiem Interesting link! If true, the basenji helps in the lion hunt, by impersonating prey and not by being the hunter...

Just like us humans, dogs do not like every dog they meet. Especially in tight spaces it can get a bit growly at times, so I always look for enough space for all dogs involved to move freely and express their body language. Being and staying calm yourself will also help a lot.

@Sass7656 - Many a Basenji would prefer to be only dogs..... and certainly I agree with crate training, I do not believe in leave 2 in one crate regardless of the size.... next to each other but in separate crates.... I agree with Debra, you could have just as easily come home to a disaster....

Thank you all for your opinions/suggestions. I will consider what i want to do going forward. If i just accept the fact that i will be using walkers/doggy daycare on an everyday basis that does open up the available options of dog breeds to me as well. Traits like 'independent' might become less important relative to 'train ability' or 'people pleasing' since the issue of time by themselves would be largely negated I think? So perhaps i should go do some more research. If I were to get a puppy vs. an older dog I would obviously treat that situation drastically different. I have plenty of family/friends help I could get in the area along with professional services as needed and also have plenty of vacation time to burn. That, even if it lasts for a year, I still view as something temporary vs. a permanent lifestyle change.

I think that unless the dog is of a breed that has a continuous grow coat, it will take awhile. Our huskies would take a long time too. -Joanne

Her face looks Basenji, maybe not the muzzle however. Are they destructive? Can be, don't have to be. I don't like to crate and I never have, beyond the initial puppy stage or with a rescue until I can get a handle on what to expect. I do restrict access to areas of the house that might be vulnerable until I am sure of the dog. Not all can be trusted to have free rein. Be consistent in what you expect or will tolerate, and be very watchful until you understand what behaviour is "normal" for your new dog. Are they really that active? I would say no. She is likely excited to be in a new place and curious about everything. She should settle down. Of course, with a rescue there may well be reasons someone gave up on her, and it's not always immediately apparent if a dog has problems. Hopefully she will fit in well with your family. Invisible fence......likely not a good choice for a Basenji, particularly if there are coyotes in your area. You need to protect her. Coyotes will go after a small dog, and sometimes even a not so small one. I know someone who lost a Jack Russell when he was lured by coyotes and then attacked once he was beyond his master's protection.....and Jack Russells are tough little dogs! However, invisible fence can be useful to back up a physical fence if your dog turns out to be an escape artist. Regarding landscaping.....there are some deer fences that blend well and become almost invisible. Perhaps combined with invisible fence that might be a good option. Otherwise, walks or biking your dog should help, and definitely challenge her mentally. Basenjis are clever and I believe they enjoy learning. I taught my boy to retrieve objects by name.....it was fun for both of us. Good luck with her.

@Nancy-Berry It is harder to place an older dog, but in many ways far easier to match. A puppy you have a good indication as a young puppy, but you don't really KNOW until they are older. With an older dog, the personality is set, so if you have a dog with high prey drive, for example... placing with other small animals/cats might not be a good risk unless the new owner is experienced. Rescues ... there's the rub. They come in and most shelters and rescues hold only long enough to vet and try to place. Others, like Pam Hamilton with Camp Basenji, holds them a couple of months pr more, so the "honeymoon" period is over and you start seeing the real dog. Owner surrenders often cannot be trusted for reliable info. People who have a dog with serious problems often don't reveal it. If the did, it would make it easier. So holding onto it for a while helps. And yes @OmegaTandy ... any time someone tells me the breeder just let them pick their puppy, a warning bell goes off. Oh I get 2nd pick blah blah blah means this is a puppymill or backyard breeder. You can bet that a good breeder has some special homes lined up for the pics of the litter. Even those homes aren't just picked for showing .. they want the puppy to be a good fit. I will add... that above isn't always true. Some rare breed dogs, especially giant breeds like Scottish Deerhound :( , will give up show prospects to pet homes because finding enough homes is HARD and they'd rather place a spectacular pup as a pet than not find a home. But those aren't the norm. And laughing over sharp teeth. Their teeth FEEL no sharper than regular puppies, but the usual SQUEAK that stops other breeds only encourages these little monsters. Also, I believe they have razor blades that pop out of their gums, hidden only until they want to cut through a leash.

@DebraDownSouth Thank You for your links also!!