Basenji Talk

@Craigh: We got an extra dose of evil yesterday. Bella spent a couple hours laying on the couch with my wife. When she woke up she decided it was play time. She grabbed the corner of the carpet (where two rooms join) and RIPPED IT UP OFF THE FLOOR!! This was tacked down carpet that she had never messed with before. Don't know where that came from. She had pulled up about a square yard before I caught her. We're thinking about changing her name to DeMonica. Atta "Tri'ing" Basenji!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

@Quercus: I am pretty sure the spinning was an initiation rite ;) I have never heard of that before…but I can just imagine you saying 'well, ooookay' :) Hang in there, it is always hardest with your first show dog...try to have fun! That's exactly what I said but it was right after I said "Seriously, you want me to do what?" :D The judge was a long-time basenji breeder so I figured she knew what she was talking about. @Quercus: I guess the moral of this story is that you will meet some jerky judges while you do this, and you may feel embarrassment and shame in their rings…but you will live through it, and be able to laugh later. The behavior of people who wish to shame you says more about them, than it does about you :) my inspirational message of the day. Thanks, I like that inspirational message. It's a good mantra for when I get a jerky judge. :)

That's great to hear all went well for you - sounds like you had a fantastic time! We don't have a dog park in my area either & I really hope we find one on our road trip this summer. About the hotel inspections - be careful with that - I'm usually up my female's rear end because I have little trust that her curiosity won't get her into trouble. The first time we stayed @ a "pet friendly" hotel, my B was able to find some random black debis on the chair, stuff under the beds & 2 prescription estrogen pills! I had just had her spayed, but she certainly didn't need all that!! ;)

I'd suggest getting a food delivery puzzle. 3 of my 4 dogs get their breakfast that way (including the young malinois). You may even want to get more than one and rotate it. And a chuckit.

Awww, I love the pics of bunnies and Basenjis. Adorable. :) Mine have never caught a bunny….we rented a house on 40 acres once but the bunnies were always long gone before Jibini got to them. He hasn't mastered the whole "stealth" thing. Now, we only see bunnies in the farmer's field OUTSIDE the yard. I'm not lettin' them loose; we're almost rural but not quite :). Cattle pastures & horses nearby, too many gun-happy ranchers who'll shoot anything furry near their livestock. Ohhhh- but the NOISES they make when they see the bunnies & can't go get them? Priceless. My neighbors likely think I torture a falsetto Chewbacca in my backyard on occasion. Jibini got a prairie dog once, though. He was on-leash at a Utah rest area. Digging in a burrow. I figured no harm in it- fun energy release for the dog. I thought prairie dogs had deep, interconnecting burrows? Evidently not these guys- after a minute of digging (head & shoulders in the hole) he came out with a prairie dog in his mouth. One shake of Jibini's head & the critter was lifeless. I had the same reaction- shocked and a little proud, LOL. My husband was simply proud. I put forth the requisite girly squealing before calming down & realizing I was impressed with my dog's instinct. I guess I somehow figured with his spoiled-rotten-mama's-boy upbringing & fancy show-dog lineage he might be a little soft around the edges. The kind of dog who'd show enough instinct to catch a critter then act confused about what comes next. LOL. Evidently not Jibini. :)

Numerous times I had my 2 out for walks and people asked if they were Chihuahua or Fox terrier. "Basenji"?? It was always great to educate them especially when they at first would say "it's clean, doesn't bark and is the perfect size for my elderly mother who lives in an apartment". "Oh no no no, there's more to it than that".

Our dobes ignore the television, and so does Tilly mainly - unless she hears childrens voices - then she is over at it straight away. There was a popular yoghurt advert a few months ago featuring a young child talking - Tilly would wake up from a deep sleep and rush over to stand with her nose pressed against the screen! I dont tend to watch much TV, but Tilly likes to read books with me - well she sits beside me and pushes her head infront of whatever im reading to get attention. it usually works.

@dash: Thanks! We went right after X-mas. We ended up using someone from Craigslist. She was wonderful. I actually have 1 Basenji, 1 Beagle and currently 2 foster Basenjis. So it is a house full. Oh!!! I didn't see the date on your initial e-mail!!! A bit slow, I suppose….;). Oh well - for future reference.....:)

@Flash: Good to hear of another Aussie! The breeder I got my basenji bitch from and will get my second b from is: Kay and Ross Eldred from NSW - both lovely people and wonderful with basenjis. Where abouts are you? I'm in Canberra. I'd love to hear more about your expanding b family - particularly whether your 2 basenjis are working out well together. Well, well, well, what a small world it is ??? :). Saba is by Kay and Ross's gorgeous Zulu, out of a Wazazi bitch, and Ochre is by their stunning Rusty, also out of a different Wazazi bitch :). I think I like my Wazazi/Jebelmarra puppies… I only just, (a couple of weeks ago), emailed Kay, after Rusty's fabulous win at Sydney Royal... I am in Tassie, about 35 kms south of Hobart, on a wonderful 13 acres, with my hubby, and 2 daughters... The B's love it too, although no free running on the property, for them :p, but we have a large fully fenced, (9 feet high), off lead area, for them and the Cattle Dogs too.... I got Saba first, and really had no thoughts of getting another for a while, Yeah right !!! 12 months later, along came Ochre :D. (Im very glad they only come into season once a year, or Dog knows how many we would have by now...). Now another 12 months and I might be getting another, I must have rocks in my head !!! Perhaps you will do the same thing too, and get another one next year :D. They are very moorish, arent they ??? A bit like chippies, hey... We had no problems at all with introducing Saba and Ochre. Saba was a touch put out, but he was soon playing very happily with his new pal... They get on very well together. Ochre takes everything in her stride, and I think Saba would love another little girl in his harem... I dont predict I will have any problems, if I do get another little girl, (thats what I am hoping for !!!), this year, either. Ochre is a very temperamentally stable little lass, who would adjust quickly to another girl, I think !!! Also, during the last 4-5 months, we have added another Cattle Dog as well. He currently lives in the house with the 2 B's, and he is about 6 months old now. Ochre gives him a hard time, and does get a little cranky with him at times, otherwise she is ok. Saba was being very dominant with him, in the house, so in the house they arent let out together, (either Nosh, the Cattle Dog, or Saba is loose, and the other is crated...), but they are happy to race around the off lead area we have, together, which Im pleased about... Saba isnt as tolerant with other dogs, particularly other males, but, we deal with that ;). They are both our first Basenji show dogs, we show the Cattle Dogs, which we are enjoying. Saba is having a few issues on the table at the moment, and we are working on this, and Ochre is showing very well, with pleasing results so far :). She is going to be a very slow maturer, (thanks Rusty, and to a lesser degree, her Mum Electra :D), so her time will come later :). My OH and I lived in Canberra, in the early 90's, both nursed at Woden Valley Hospital. Great memories of the place. First in Waniassa, (sp?), then Bungandore, (sp?), till we came back home to Tassie... So what is the breeding of your first Jebelmarra dog ??? Then obviously the next question is, who is the potential parents of this years puppy ??? Looks like we will be able to pass the time away, firstly, hoping for our new puppy to be conceived, then "grown", then born, then the VERY long time waiting to get it at 8-10 weeks. I think I am ahead of you slightly, cos Electra was mated on the 16th April, your guys are "having fun", at the moment, I think... SORRY ;):p:)... Gee, this has turned into a bit of an epic :D

@basenji3: We watched last night's play closer . The puppy actually lays down and rolls over in submissive posture when he is about to be closed in on. I think he is bowing to their position of leader At least he is submissive and doesn't want to take a stand against them. They still are very rough and nipping on him when he is down but no blood shed. I guess I need to be less protective. He will get alot bigger than them soon, he is their size now. I thought they had already established the pack order,maybe as he gets bigger they are re adjusting it. The interesting thing in my house is that I'm yet to find any scabs on my pup's neck or body from all the rough play, but Ruby and Brando have had some cuts and scabs from Liyah's puppy teeth (fewer now that her bite has become softer from all the adult's corrections). In my case, Liyah doesn't roll on her own accord and doesn't submit unless absolutely pinned by an adult. So that shows me that they are giving her lessons and not hurting her.

@MacPack: I learned some years ago that black basenjis get much hotter than reds, that black coat absorbs the sun. My 14 year old red girl was going strong when the 1 1/2 year old black boy drug us under a tree and threw himself down in the cool grass, panting. I always take water along, and try and make sure they aren't overheated, but I see so many people out running with a dog (here in Florida) with no water for the dog. It makes me sad and angry! Also among red basenjis, some can stand the heat much better than others. One of my girls, her son, and also her mother wilt very easily in the heat. They pant easily, and like to seek out the shade quickly.

My previous beastie (died last fall), EL D, absolutely hated going out in the rain and when it was cold I would frequently find him burrowed under the bed covers :)

it looks great… thanks for the link btw, when i'm at home again I'll give you a link also on our site!

I think it's great! it looks so nice and chique! :D i'm going to try weebly to make another website of our ship :D… So thanks to you.. I have someting to do this afternoon!!! :D

Linoleum works great under xpens. That is what I use for puppy's also… and also did the same, much bigger then the pen itself. However, I would suggest that you might want to put a tarp under the linoleum also over the carpet... sometimes if it get really wet.. it can kind of stick to the carpet or if you have wood/laminate floors....

That's very cute!

That's great. Now you know what her security blanket is. hehehe. Something like that can actually brighten up a road workers day. Especially the sign holders who just stand there all day, to see a dog jumping all around the car then stare him down when there's no danger of him taking the bear at all.

LOL I often bring warm laundry up from the basement & fold it on the bed. When I dump the pile of warm clothes on the bed I am guaranteed to have 2 Basenjis in the middle of the pile. Also, we just moved into a new house with heat registers on the floor. This is Jibini's FIRST encounter with such a thing; every other house we've been in had them on the ceiling. I was waiting to see how long it would take him to catch on….for about a week he persisted in his usual warmth-seeking behavior (cuddling with me on the couch). But on a particularly cold night he was walking by the living room heat register and he stopped in his tracks, did an about face and stood looking at the register in disbelief. Initially he kept standing & rotating so as to "warm" his whole body....then he curled up for a nap in front of the register. Silly dogs!!

ooohhh…so true!!! Good observation!

@Quercus: Yes…I have that feeling regularly! It takes my breath away when Bella floats across the yard at over six years old...she looks as beautiful as she did as a puppy...moreso even :*) And then the spell is broken, as her son uses her as a mop to clean up all the dirt on the patio ;) Ha, ha, ha…mine is a similar story... I'm in awe the way Ruby moves...it is breathtaking. And her coat is dark chestnut so the white is soooo white, she is beautiful. And Brando is so muscular and such an incredibly male looking boy...so handsome. Liyah's coat is gorgeous...really dark chestnut with not a lot of brindle stripes...they are all so lovely to look at and I think how lucky I am that they are happy and healthy. And then "snap back to reality"...Liyah goes and clamps on Ruby's neck or grabs Brando's tail and then the noises of "cujo" end my beautiful picture. :D:D:D