• Congrats on your new addition. I hope you two/three have many, many years of happiness.

    As far as crate training, you may want to consider training him to a different type of crate than the one he was transported in. For example, if he's shipped in a plastic crate, you may have an eaisier time training him to a wire crate. Just in case he has a bad association with the plastic one. Stay away from soft/cloth crates. They have short lives with young basenjis.


  • I know, I was looking into Falconi yesterday and its truly a horrible disease 😞

    I will be ordering the DNA test kit today.


  • agilebasenji, I was actually going to ask you guys about that as well, he wouldn't associate it with his flight and he would also not be able to chew his way out of it 😃

  • Houston

    Welcome to the forum…


  • Thanks Basenjimamma:D


  • I thought DNA testing could only be done when they are close to 1 year, due to the amount of blood needed?

    Oh and welcome to the forums!


  • @NerdyDogOwner:

    I thought DNA testing could only be done when they are close to 1 year, due to the amount of blood needed?

    Oh and welcome to the forums!

    The Fanconi test is done with a cheek swab and not done by blood draw. When Ruby had her pups they were done before 10wks old.


  • @NerdyDogOwner:

    I thought DNA testing could only be done when they are close to 1 year, due to the amount of blood needed?

    Oh and welcome to the forums!

    Nope the marker test for Fanconi using blood can be done as early as six weeks old (or as soon as a puppy is big enough to withstand the blood draw)…but now it is done with saliva swab anyhow.


  • That is incorrect. The DNA test does not require blood anymore and even when it did puppies could safely be tested by 8 weeks. Puppies can now be tested at 3 weeks old, once they can be kept from nursing for at least 2 hours before testing.

    My puppy L'Ox was tested at 3 weeks old and I have had his results for 2 weeks now, he is 6 weeks old. He is from a Carrier x Clear breeding so I wanted to know whether he was a Carrier or a Clear.

    Of course, the age of puppy testing is fairly irrelevant as long as the breeder was responsible and tested both parents BEFORE breeding so NO Affected puppies are ever produced.


  • Blood needed?

    I thought it was a swab to the cheek test?


  • It is now a cheek swab test. When the test first came out, blood was required. It has been cheek swab ONLY for several months now.

    What are you going to do if you puppy comes back as Probably Affected after you have already shipped him out to you?


  • Myself and my partner will discuss that when and if it happens.


  • Why not look for a breeder that bred health tested parents so there is no need to have that discussion?

    I really don't understand why you or anyone would support a breeder who cares so little for their animals they wouldn't spring for a $65 test to make sure they produced healthy puppies. I would really like someone, anyone to give me a reasonable explanation.

    If you don't care about health, why not save a life and rescue a homeless basenji? Medfly Basenji Rescue has nearly 100 basenji needing homes because they came from breeders who didn't care for them either and so they got dumped in shelters when their owners didn't or couldn't keep them anymore.


  • I don't know Ivoss, I had nothing to do with the purchase.

    But I am positive my partner would of done his research about the breeder, he is meticulous when it comes to research.

    Who said I didn't care about health? I sure as hell didn't.

    Do you "interrogate" every new member like this?


  • Actually, if you go look at most new puppy threads, yes, I do. Fanconi is heartbreaking and 100% preventable. Your buying from a breeder who won't test only means you are supporting their decision and insuring future puppies will be bred with no testing.

    If you are buying an untested puppy from untested parents then the only conclusion I can draw is that you don't care about health otherwise you would demand the test results prior to spending money.


  • How many times do you I have to tell you.

    I HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE PURCHASE.


  • But you are aware of the issue and this puppy is supposed to be a gift to you. So why are you not having the discussions with your partner now instead of holding breath and hoping for the best?

    I am not trying to interrogate, I just honestly do not understand. Dogs are such a huge committment. I don't understand the concept of a "surprise" puppy and I don't understand not asking questions when there are reasonable and fairly serious questions to be asked.


  • @SpoliedKai:

    I don't know Ivoss, I had nothing to do with the purchase.

    But I am positive my partner would of done his research about the breeder, he is meticulous when it comes to research.

    Who said I didn't care about health? I sure as hell didn't.

    Do you "interrogate" every new member like this?

    I must agree with something what lvoss wrote.
    Firstly I would want to be acquainted with choice of breeder since the start. IMO buying of dog shouldn't be surprise as same as shouldn't be Christmas present, birthday present etc…
    From what I saw at the website of your breeder I can say I don't have a good feeling of that. I couldn't find any info about parents of puppies, their health info and more important info.
    For me it seems your partner wasn't as meticulous as he should.


  • I have only known about Kai since Sunday afternoon, I have been aware of the issue since sunday night.

    Myself and my partner will be discussing it tonight, but I am damn sure the puppy will be falconi free, my partner has had Basenji's in the past so he knows what he's doing, he's even already bought everything required, so the online shopping spree I was SO looking forward to won't be happening…damnit!

    I myself was raised with dogs, my parents used to breed Rottweilers for dog shows in England so as for being a huge commitment, I know all about it.


  • Here is a link on how to find a responsible breeder, it has been posted on the forums many times and is on the Basenji Club of America parent club site. I think that if you read though this, you can see that maybe the research was not as good as it could have been.
    http://www.basenji.org/learn/ScreeningBreeders.htm
    That is a good place to start when interested in a breed, the parent club site. You learn about health issues, responsible breeders, Basenjis in general, local clubs (which you have in Southern California)
    Note that there is a section on screening prospective buyers…. and the one statement that says "A breeder who will sell/ship a puppy without references and a thorough screening process should be cause for concern". And again, this is just one of many tests that should be done before breedings. Here is an example of a well health tested Basenji and all the records are made public so that anyone can see them.
    http://www.offa.org/display.html?appnum=1293496#animal
    I do not think you will find that from the breeder of this puppy boy.
    This breeder breds more then one breed, how can this person/persons properly socialize a puppy with that many different breeds? Leads to the question, how are they cared for? Are they raised in the home? Or in a kennel when they do not get the socialization of family life? Things like hearing the TV, radio, Vaccuum cleaners, all kinds of day to day family things….

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