What do I need?

[tanza]

@bdenault:

I just purchased a beautiful tri-color puppy and I am picking her up this Friday from the breeder. I haven't had a Basenji since I was younger and was hoping for some useful products to welcome her home.

That would be my question, usually the breeder will let you know what they are sending home with the puppy. Things like registration information, health information, pedigree, puppy food that they are currently using, a toy or two that they are playing with now, a blanket or pad that they are using with their littermates, sometimes even a crate….

And as Sharron indicated, many of us have related B's here, who did you get your puppy from?

[bdenault]

I bought her from Nocturnal Kennels in Roxboro, NC. They claim to have been raising Basenji dogs for over thirty years now. I haven't had much time to talk to them, as I am in the Navy now, but they have been very helpful in the process. I am driving to NC. from Norfolk, VA on Friday to visit the kennels and pick up my little girl.

[lvoss]

Please make sure that your puppy is from Fanconi tested parents. They did not do the test before breeding last year and produced Affected puppies. They did test some of their dogs after breeding last year and found several were Carriers.

Also, the dogs that they sold last year were not AKC registerable. I know that one of their puppies from last year turned up in rescue needing rehomed before it reached its first birthday. Please be sure to ask if they are willing to take back their dogs at any time for any reason for the life of the dog. Any responsible breeder would not want to burden the already over taxed rescue system by not taking responsibility for the pups they have produced.

[bdenault]

The breeder states the pups parents are now tested, and said the pup was registrable. I will be sure to check into it all before i finalize. I have reasonable experience with breeders since I own a German Shorthair Pointer whom I bought from a breeder. His field companion passed away recently and he has been moping around. He is just shy of two years now and great with other dogs, I figure it is time for him to have some company.

[lvoss]

The puppies they sold last year were registered with an alternative registry not AKC so make sure that "registerable" means AKC registered and not APRI, CKC, NKC, etc.

Also verify for yourself that the parents and puppies have already been tested. It is required to be public on the OFA website, http://www.offa.org

Here are the ones that have their kennel name that have been tested, http://www.offa.org/results.html?num=&submit=Begin+Searchistrar=&namecontains=N&part=nocturnal&namecontains=N&breed%5B%5D=BJ&breedlist=ALL&variety%5B%5D=&sex=&birthday_start_month=&birthday_start_year=&birthday_end_month=&birthday_end_year=&birthday=and=Nand=N&rptdte_start_month=&rptdte_start_year=&rptdte_end_month=&rptdte_end_year=&rptdte=

[tanza]

If you have the sire and dams name, you can check out the status of DNA for Fanconi at www.offa.org. I would highly suggest that you do so. And saying the pup is registerable is one thing, but are the AKC registrable? As pointed out, their pups from last year are not. Please keep in mind this is a pure for profit breeder, so health and quality are not at the top of their list with so many other breeds for sale.

[bdenault]

Wow you guys are amazing, thanks for all your help so far, please keep it coming.

[tanza]

Please consider these questions on how to find a responsible breeder at the parent Basenji Club of America site and see if this breeder fits the profile. http://www.basenji.org/learn/Index.htm
Go to Screening breeders

[cahootz]

I'm curious how your German Shorthair will welcome the new puppy. When our first dog was two years old, we brought home our girl at eight weeks old. We purchased smaller nyla bones, a smaller dog dish and a little bed. Well, our older dog let her have the larger size of everything and was perfectly happy to chew away on the little bone and eat out of the little dish. He even squeezed into her little bed and let her have his. They were great friends and seemed to love the company. Now were thinking about a new puppy for our older dog.
Best of Luck!

[bdenault]

He has had a great reputation around smaller dogs, my old roommate used to have a miniature dachshund and he would prevent other dogs from getting too close. He actually did this for many random small dogs at the dog park. That being said I'm going to ease them both into the situation, and slowly introduce them in a neutral territory.

[bdenault]

I spoke to the breeder about the Dam and Sire for the pup and referenced the site you provided in regards to Fanconi. The Dam is clear, and the Sire was an outside source as the two registered were listed as carriers albeit not affected. The sire of this pup also checks clear. The breeder provided a pdf of the heraldry for both parents. When we spoke, as you mentioned before, the breeder said she would include a blanket with scents from home. One last thing, the breeder registers CKC due to color variations in other parents not yet accepted in the AKC.. aka the blues/grays. Upon futher investigation the European clubs do accept this color scheme, and it prevalent in the basenji dogs closer related to their African ancestry. The registration, is not important to me, I'm not breeding the female, provided the genetic line and health issues are intact.

[tanza]

@bdenault:

I spoke to the breeder about the Dam and Sire for the pup and referenced the site you provided in regards to Fanconi. The Dam is clear, and the Sire was an outside source as the two registered were listed as carriers albeit not affected. The sire of this pup also checks clear. The breeder provided a pdf of the heraldry for both parents. When we spoke, as you mentioned before, the breeder said she would include a blanket with scents from home. One last thing, the breeder registers CKC due to color variations in other parents not yet accepted in the AKC.. aka the blues/grays. Upon futher investigation the European clubs do accept this color scheme, and it prevalent in the basenji dogs closer related to their African ancestry. The registration, is not important to me, I'm not breeding the female, provided the genetic line and health issues are intact.

And did you check it out on the OFA site about the DNA for Fanconi? I know that sounds pushy, but you really want to do that…
And that is NOT true about AKC and the colors, we have no DQ for colors, in the show world, it may be considered a fault, but they can still be registered AKC. So what they are telling you is incorrect.

[lvoss]

@bdenault:

One last thing, the breeder registers CKC due to color variations in other parents not yet accepted in the AKC.. aka the blues/grays.

This is not true. If the parents are AKC registered the pups can be AKC registered, period, irregardless of the color. CKC, Continental Kennel Club is used by breeders who do not have AKC registered dogs usually because of mixed heritage at some point in the pedigree or the use of dogs marked as Limited Registration through AKC so designated as non-breeding by their breedrs.

Blues are absolutely registerable by AKC if their parents are AKC registered, they are listed in the alternate color codes, http://www.akc.org/breeds/basenji/color_markings.cfm

[bdenault]

lol i'm sorry i didn't make myself clear earlier, I did check the sire and dam on the OFA site, and you are definitely not being pushy. I really appreciate the information you are providing me. Also thanks for the heads up on the registration, i will be sure to review the papers again.

[tanza]

If I were you, I would seriously think twice about supporting a pure for profit breeder and unless the sire and dam are AKC and they have applied for the papers and depending on how much they were bred, requirements for DNA for parentage is required… I doubt very seriously that AKC papers will be available. And AKC papers has nothing to do with breeding for people that are just wanting a great family companion... they show that the breeder is responsible and has records that prove parentage, which is why AKC requires high volume breeders to supply DNA testing for parentage so that the offspring can be DNA typed back to the parents listed.

[lvoss]

Also, though Fanconi is easy to verify one way or the other if the dog is health, it is not the only health problem in the breed. The Nocturnal dogs do not have any of the other recommended health testing for the breed, OFA hips, CERF for eyes, or OFA thyroid. If they were tested and had passing results those would show up on the same listing as the Fanconi results.

Pat and I care very much for the breed and have both known dogs who were PRA affected, hip dysplastic, or hypothyroid and all of these disorders effect the dog's quality of life. Some have better treatment options then others but none are curable and all require lifelong management.

[tanza]

And there are many responsible breeders that you could support then a pure for profit breeder… again I refer to the parent club of the Basenji Club of America and how to find a responsible breeder.

[bdenault]

Thank you very much, I will definitely take your advice into consideration.

[Rita Jean]

Welcome keep us all up to date on the new puppy. Good luck.

Rita Jean

[sharronhurlbut]

bdenault, the advice that Pat and Lisa has sent to you is golden. I don't breed or show. I just do rescue and I deal with folks who have gotten a basenji from "someone" and ended up with a sick dog. I am not saying about this place, but if they don't do the testing Lisa and Pat suggest, you could very well end up with a dog who get sick
Some bad breeders will say, oh, well, if the dog gets sick, we will give you another one..but its not a sweater you just take back. We all fall in love with these b's.
These are wonderful dogs, great companion animals and to have one you paid good $$ for die before it should is heartbreak all around.
I have been there and done that…so please, do take their advice to heart and maybe wait to get a health basenji who will be with you many years.