sort of looks like a Swedish Vallhund
B pup in shelter - Regina, Saskatchewan, CANADA
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Basenjis are wonderful, loving, caring dogs…. but they are ALSO crafty, combined with enough cleverness that they WILL outsmart you! I stumbled into this breed 7 years ago when I brought my Lucy home. Sadly, she died in April, but not without making such a warm imprint on our hearts.
Someone said that the pup is a "blank slate", and that is not altogether true. They will let you THINK that they listen; but the caveat is .... "if they want to". My new little Lola is learning the rules of our house, and does listen- she sits down and lays for treats; but yesterday, she managed to get outside. We went on a 45 minute escapade, where she chased every squirrel she saw, and finally, she befriended another pup. I tried the "running away from her" trick, and the "TREATS" command, but with no luck. (I only got her back because she went in the pup's house and we closed the door. :)). Using strict commands of "NO!" and whacking Lola on her behind would have done nothing positive at that point; it would just put fear in her little soul. So, I loved her and hugged her, and put her back on the leash, and she politely walked home- not one little yank.
Right now, Lola is cuddling up next to me, licking her paws like a kitty, and if she could purr, she would.
We are working on getting her to respond better to "TREATS!", but that takes time, discipline, and patience.There are unique traits for basenjis, but for me, those are the qualities that endear them to my heart. Your little boy will love you, and cuddle with you, and I wouldn't worry about the nightmare stories right now. I've never had any of my furniture eaten, but Lola is curious enough to see what's in the bathroom trashcan.
(Lesson to me: don't put anything too nasty in that trashcan, or if I do, make sure that door is closed!).In a worst case scenario, if you adopt this little Tike and then realize you made a mistake, well, there are many of us that will open our homes to him.
**The emotional rewards are so much greater than the bagful of "What Ifs".
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Good luck! -
I totally agree with the previous posts. I know that there are 'bad' things that every dog may do and if we believed everything we probably wouldn't have pets at all!!
Yes Basenjis can be naughty, they can be destructive, they can have other major problems (usually caused by incorrect upbringing and not by breeding) but then they may not. I'm sure if you read forum posts carefully you'll see just how delightful and addictive basenjis can be.
I've shared my life with Basenjis, both adopted and my own and wouldn't have any other dog in preference. Any 'badness' there might be is made up for by other very sweet and intriguing attributes.
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Everyone should watch this crash test and see what happens to the unrestrained dog dummy.
I can't seem to access this video.
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Seems to be working now. Oh how sad this would be to have it happen. Everyone, please secure your dogs in your vehicles.
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BEK-
I think it just depends on you and your individual dog. Not much help I know. I have a basenji who I do leave out in my house (or other places, like his breeder's home) and he does just fine always has, even at a year old. But I do believe that is maybe an exception. My 12 year old intact male will mark in the house if left out alone, but he's not really distructive. I have not tried my 3 year old. She's hungry all the time, so who knows what she'd find.My dogs are in crates in the car. This is a big factor in my descision:
http://www.newworldbasenjis.net/kennelaire.htm
I wear a seatbelt; dogs are in crates. That's just life at my house.Owning a basenji, or any dog for that matter, is a life change. If you must take your dog on off lead hikes, a basenji isn't a good choice, but a lab may be just the breed for you. If you don't mind the leash, but hate lots of shedding, a basenji would be a better choice than a lab. <shrug>It's all a matter of what you can deal with and your priorities.
And you're not really restricted to crates. Jet the tri-ing, my intact 12 year old, spends his day in an X-pen when we're not home and does fine. However, my crated dogs love their crates and race into them when it's meal time. BUT if crates really bother you, I'd suggest not getting a puppy of any breed, but go through rescue and adopt a dog that is able to be not in a crate when you're gone.
Sorry that's not more definate.</shrug>
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Best advise ever… you wear a seat belt, so should your pet... period... I perfer crates to doggy seat belts... my choice... and add to that you need to not leave them in a car with no climate control... not even for a short time... it either can can too cold or too hot... and well, leaving them loose when moving is an accident waiting to happen.
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Thanks for all the input. It's not so much that I think crating is a bad thing it's just that I don't want to have to do it forever. I totally understand that it's a good idea for training or for situations were a crate would be best such as travelling, and I would plan on using a crate in the beginning. However, I'd prefer to have a dog I can leave in my house alone, or at least in the kitchen without coming back to a disaster. Also, I'd prefer to be able to trust the dog in my car without my seats being chewed up. I understand the importance of car saftey but sometimes situations arise were you need to leave your dog in the car for a bit, obviously only if the temperature is safe, and I wouldn't want to have to load up a crate every single time I go somewhere with my dog, if anything I'd prefer to use a doggy seatbelt. If I didn't just purchase a brand new car and new furniture in my house I'm sure I wouldn't be as concerned. The only way to know if he'll destroy something is to leave him alone and see what happens while I'm gone, that's what I'm afraid of, it could go either way. I'm totally aware that many breeds of puppies will chew and will get into some trouble, but usually with training they grow out of it and wouldn't even think of chewing on anything other than their toys, at least that's my experience with the dogs I've known. With the basenji I'm getting the impression that they may or may not grow out of it, it's just in their nature, and even if they are perfectly trained not to, if they feel like chewing on a couch one day then they'll just do it.
Another thing that's concerning me is that my prior research was that B's shed "very little" and have very little dander and are a good choice for allergy sufferers…which is one of the reasons I was excited at first about the B, because I have dog allergies. I've looked at some of the threads which talk about undercoats and "blowing coat", which is making me think they shed more than I initially thought. What are your experiences with shedding? Do they typically only shed just a little?
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BEK,
Good questions. Our first 2 B's as pups were crated when we were not at home, but when they got out of the puppy chewing stage and mellowed a little we gradually let them have more run of the house and they were fine from about 2 years/onwards. Our new guy seems okay so far too but is crated when we are all out and will gradually get more "privileges" as he proves himself. That being said, the house is pretty much baby and basenji proofed (as much as possible).
On allergies, I am allergic for most dogs but am fine around Basenjis. Many people we know in the same situation have come over and not reacted either. The time we have gone on vacation and come back, I do usually get stuffed up for about a day. These guys do shed, especially spring time when the winter coat comes out, but other than the hair you will probably not react.
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Someone said that the pup is a "blank slate", and that is not altogether true.
By blank slate I meant that Ben is a pup and shouldn't have any deeply ingrained bad habits yet that you'd have to undo. You're basically starting fresh and Ben can become the kind of dog you want him to be keeping in mind that he is a Basenji and you're not going to be able to undo what evolution has put there (ie prey drive). A dog is what you make it.
-Joanne -
I am allergic and I do react to Blaze, especially when he sheds. I control it with a knock-off of the defurminator (I got it at a trade show for $20). It grabs a lot of the fuzz, and I usually do it every second day during shedding, and once a month the rest of the year. His tail tip sheds the most…
Definately crate train. I didn't, we thought we'd spoil him and let him have the hot tub room (fully ventilated with a hard top covering the tub). $17,000 worth of venetian blinds and one dead fly later... we got a crate.
ps. they are very prey driven...
Basenjis are not bad, just very smart and willing to show you the error of your ways. They are also extreme cuddlers, and you feel incredibly special when they choose you for warmth and love.
Enjoy him, he'll make you laugh and show you what true unconditional love is. -
@BEK:
I'm totally aware that many breeds of puppies will chew and will get into some trouble, but usually with training they grow out of it and wouldn't even think of chewing on anything other than their toys, at least that's my experience with the dogs I've known.
I just want to say this is a fallacy. I volunteer at my local shelter and have worked with many dogs of many breeds and mixes and a huge range of ages and it all depends on the dog and the training. Some with very little effort are great, trustworthy and non-destructive. Others require lots of training and management but can also become great dogs. Breed may contribute to certain behaviors but so does temperament and personality.
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After much thought and some tears, we have made the very difficult decision to back out of the adoption of Benn. Though we love the little guy, after all the research I’ve put in I just don’t think we can give him the time and attention he will need and deserve.
I really want him to go to a good family who will have the time to spend with him and exercise him. So if anyone on here is interested or know of someone, please spread the word. He’s a super cute and friendly brindle/white guy, birth date is February 1, 2010, he was previously in a pet store which closed down and was then surrendered to the humane society in Regina, Sask. He’s a purebred but we weren’t given any papers. The HS says he’s healthy, no fanconi testing has been done. He’s very lonely at the HS in a kennel all my himself, they wouldn’t even let us take him outside to play, so he’s pretty much cooped up in a kennel indoors most of the time - he gets very excited and happy every time we visit him to play. So he needs a loving family to take him asap so he can get out of there.
The HS will not under any circumstances let him leave until he’s been neutered, he has an appointment for June 8 (not sure if they’ll keep that, or wait and re-book once someone else adopts him). So if you are a breeder wanting him to breed, then don’t bother calling. I don’t think he’ll last long at the HS, but I really want him to go to a good home who understands the needs of this type of dog. Purebred puppies are rare at the HS, and unfortunately it’s likely that someone will just see a cute puppy and adopt him based on his “cuteness” without researching the breed, and the HS wasn’t all that helpful in educating us. The HS doesn’t allow you to put a puppy on "hold" over the phone, so anyone interested would have to be nearby, so if you know of anyone have them visit the Regina Human Society website, Benn should probably be re-posted there soon.
Thanks everyone for the information and advice. This was a very difficult decision. If we had a fenced in yard and didn’t both work full-time and go to school part-time, we would have took him in a heartbeat. Unfortunately we made a too-quick decision with our hearts when we adopted him, but I think we are making the right decision, as it would be much harder to take Benn home and then realize that we couldn’t handle it.
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BEK, I'm glad you took the time to let us know, so that if there's someone on here who can give Benn a home, they can do it quickly. I know this must have been a hard decision for you and your family, but you are doing what's best for your family, and that's important.
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BEK, kudos to you for doing your research and making the decision to back out, as difficult as that can be. There's no shame in admitting a mismatch rather than forcing yourself to plunge into something you'll regret later. I hope whomever snatches up this cute little guy is as conscientious.
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@BEK:
After much thought and some tears, we have made the very difficult decision to back out of the adoption of Benn. Though we love the little guy, after all the research I?ve put in I just don?t think we can give him the time and attention he will need and deserve.
Will you please e-mail me at: giza1@wildroseinternet.ca
-Joanne -
It does sound like you have a lot on your plate right now. Much like a marriage, it really is easier to call the whole thing off before rather than after. I'm sure you'll have a puppy that fits into your life sometime in the future. All the best to you.
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Does anyone know which shelter this pup is in? Our Rescue Coordinator can find no info on this pup at the moment.
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From BEK last post, humane society in Regina, Sask
The original listing has been removed so he may have been adopted.
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That's what we had been trying to figure out, thanks Lisa!