Basenji Talk

I know this is an old topic, but when my Stella plays, she can get a little aggressive too. she's drawn blood a few times! She's probably a little over a year old now; It didn't take long at all to train her to stop, all I have to do is tell her 'no biting' and she'll stop. She also loves to lick my wounds and bite off the scab that SHE made.

@zande Acupuncture sounds like a great idea. I’ll talk to my vet about it and see if that can help her

We always called that the "blue funk" after the girls were in season and for about two months after.... once they got passed the "I should have had puppies".... they would go back to mostly normal.....

Basenjis are very catlike in that they groom themselves and they like to be clean and their beds clean. BRAT.com has a lot of excellent information about the breed and their quirks. Be sure to check it out.

A puppy!!! How exciting!!! You mention you will be getting him in January... How old will he be at that time? I know you want to bring him home asap, but please be sure he gets enough time (minimum 10-12 weeks?) with his mom and littermates to learn manners (i.e., how to pull his bites and other dog-to-dog communications) before you bring him home. I can't wait to hear how it goes. My favorite thing to tell people about this breed is that when they love you, it is their idea - it is not because you are a source of food and/or a loving companion. What's better than a basenji? Two basenjis!

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@debradownsouth Oh yes, I hadn't thought of that. Thanks debradownsouth.

@lovedogs @eeeefarm said in should I get a basenji?: wait until the time is right, even if you really, really want a dog now I agree... with everyone. Sometimes you just need to accept that (no matter how much you want a dog/car/kid/house) you aren't quite ready for it. I waited 5 years before I brought my Basenji home and it was probably the most adult thing I've ever done. I was still in recovery from a spinal injury and knew that I wouldn't be able to provide (her) the exercise she would want and require. Waiting made all the difference in the world. Whan I was finally ready, the most perfect little girl was ready for me. Don't fret about it. You can read, research, consider all of your options, and really prepare yourself. (Don't look at puppy pictures online! You'll fall in love without even meeting the pup(s) and it will pull at your heartstrings.) Remind yourself that "one day you will have a Basenji", just not today.

@rugosa LOL on the pig ear. But it's not just a basenji trait. One night it was storming and one of my rotts was fixated on one of the bedroom windows. I looked, there was a toad on the screen! The dog was so intense about wanting to get to it, my daughter went out in the rain and moved it from the window. From then until she died, day or night, I had to let her in the bedroom when it stormed to make sure the once-in-a-lifetime visitor wasn't there. They think more than many people give them credit for.

I have ordered some winter clothes and collar from www.basenji-aab.lt . Very good quality, I'm happy.

New update: Tika is no longer in heat! Yay! Remy got neutered and is doing great! We got a dog trainer to come in assess the situation and she thinks it is starting to improve compared to how I described it when I booked her to come. Only Maia seems to need the muzzle, she seems to be very unsure of the puppy. We are working with her to build her confidence. The puppy doesn’t seem to have any stress with Maia around and won’t start anything. The muzzle is on just in case when I am home alone as I don’t want anything bad to happen when if I can’t separate them. The puppy is getting lots of training time to help her learn how to behave properly. With 2 people here we can have the girls on short leashes and they are fine together. They did have a small altercation of snarling but no biting and no one got hurt. The older female backed down and walked away. As much as I want her to be the top dog it seems that the puppy has a much more dominant personality. If they figure out the pack hierchy hopefully everything will settle down. The trainer says there are no pack instincts in domesticated dogs, but after having 6 basenjis I can’t agree with that in regards to basenjis. We can walk the girls together without muzzles now so I think things are more positive and they seem to be improving every day. When Remy is healed from his neuter I will get the puppy spayed and hope that calms things down even further. So far there is a lot more peace in the house. Please anyone let me know if there is anything else I should be doing to keep these girls on track. Thank you for all your advice and guidance! I am so grateful for this forum as what is normal for other dogs is not so much with these guys!

@donc Hi, I decide to have girl. But not yet find right one! I am trying to be careful for choose breeders. I think December is best time for new puppy.

@mvdperez We run the air all the time, keeping it under 70. It's cooling off some so he's fine. She is under the covers because we keep it cold. He goes out early morning, quick midday, then longer in the evening. We keep his coat stripped down. I have no idea if it will get cold enough to get a winter coat. It's not generally COLD here.

I drove 20 or so minutes each way to my friend's horse far. Not one day did we miss seeing one or more dead dogs on the roads. Too many dogs in shelters picked up from being lost; or hit by cars. While my Rottweilers and first basenji were solid off leash, they only place they got to do it was at my friend's farm. And they weren't just turned out, I was out with them. In the old days, almost all dogs ran loose. The norm... and if they died or were lost... well, get another one. Many died. I quit talking to people about it. They say "they want to be loose" and I say "so do toddlers and 3 to 5 yr olds... I still don't open the front door and send them on the world. " They get mad, I get mad, nothing accomplished. We all take risks and avoid others. Unleashed is one of my "no" areas. And rawhide. Absolutely dogs raised in a village in Africa are not the same as here. I think most dogs don't get enough exercise and mind stimulation. When you do that with an intelligent breed like basenjis, you're going to get unwanted behaviors. You may want to read up on Dr Jo Thompson's work, as she also lived in Africa with these dogs. What wonderful experiences those of you who go to see where they came from.

There are some indications of hereditary factor,s but all dogs, including mixes, can have it. Good luck on Curly Sue staying healthy and having it found early. This is a good support and info site: http://addisondogs.com/

Wow Megan. I just looked @ my Basenji book again and it is INCORRECT. I did some research online and there ARE other breeds who have disconnected paw pads like a wolf. Thanx for the lesson!

I'm not anti raw either - just never seen any particular advantage in it, given that there are high quality kibbles etc available. So I've never fed raw - in about 38 years of breeding (and almost always keeping a pup) and running a pack of Basenjis which numbered 8 for a long time. btw - I will soon have to start re-setting the Basenji tummy clocks for when ours go back. Usually about 2 weeks before the Fall-back I feed them slightly later, morning and evening. So when it actually happens, there is no long wait for dinner !

My male, Valentino, stretches or lifts his leg depending on either how he feels or what he is aiming for. I had a female, Ella the alpha bitch extraordinaire, who lifted her leg to pee. She was a bit of a showoff.

My mix is just a little shorter, and there's a similar thread going on here right now. As I say in that one, only DNA can tell you. https://basenjiforums.com/topic/14838/i-know-you-are-tired-of-being-asked/5 -Joanne

She's very cute. Congratulations. Keep in mind that Basenjis are not that common, which means a Basenji mix would not be that common. That said, the down ears don't necessarily mean anything unless they're never up, and the ears are up in the other shot. So it's possible. The markings are definitely right. As suggested, if you really want to know a DNA test will be a lot better than guesses.