• My favorite question came from a group of several teenaged boys: Dude! Is that a fox???

    I almost said yes.


  • When out walking I used to get lots of people in my neighborhood asking what kind of dog Shaye was, with lots of them guessing jack russell but odd colored. Most of them now know the Basenji because they see her a lot. When we got Gemma, who is seven months older, 12 pounds heavier, tan instead of red, furrier, and part collie, people began asking me if they were twins - or related anyway - I guess the differences are more apparent to basenji people than they are to others.


  • I don't have my basenji yet, but when I tell people this is the dog I am going to get, you can see the confusion on their faces. I have yet to have anyone indicate they know the breed. Wait, I take that back. I actually mentioned it to a vet (who is no longer at the vet hospital I go to) and she just screwed up her nose at me and said "why would you ever get a basenji?". Wow. Glad she is no longer at my vet office!


  • My vet said the same thing. "You don't know what you're getting into with a basenji!" Oh yes I did, and I don't regret getting Abbey. Not counting of course the times I've been tempted to put a FREE DOG sign out front….


  • I have had the same comment about Cooper being a Shiba Inu, and my Vets' Receptionist as had her Shiba called a Basenji !!!!!

    Being the only Basenji in my village, Cooper is a bit of a local celebrity !!!. I was walking in the fields the other day and a fellow Dog Walker came over and said " oh this is the Basenji I've heard all about ", a bit worrying to say the least. However I am very careful about people, we have a gypsy camp a few miles away, and I have had reports of dog theft. I had a car draw up beside me the other month when I was walking Cooper, he called out " is that a Basenji ? haven't seen one for years, do you lure course him ? ". Not liking the look of the bloke I said no he was a cross breed and just a pet who wouldn't know how to chase !!!!. I then went back home waited a while and set off in the opposite direction. It's a sign of our times I fear. Most of the time people haven't got a clue what he is…................and I like to keep them guessing lol !!!!!!


  • @Scoops:

    It's a sign of our times I fear.

    hate to say it but it seems that way no matter where u are just seemed over the decades its all been going down hill… ok enough of that lets talk about b's 🙂


  • @Kipawa:

    I actually mentioned it to a vet (who is no longer at the vet hospital I go to) and she just screwed up her nose at me and said "why would you ever get a basenji?". Wow. Glad she is no longer at my vet office!

    I think the proper retort is "Why would anyone get anything else?" 😉


  • Certainly is !!!! like u say we'll talk b's :D:D:D

    I'm extremely lucky with my Vet, he actually knows about the breed !!!! must admit he did look a little horrified when I came in with Cooper and not one of my Dobes !!! but he thinks he's great. One of the Vet Nurses turned her nose up and said you can't possibly get one of those, oh yeh really …..... well get aload of my red/white boy then !!!, when I challenged her as to what she knew about B's, she soon shut up !!!!!!! lol


  • I get that question a lot too. I have two and they always ask if they are related, even though Cody is 4 inches taller and has a completely different shaped head that Aurora. But recently I was at the groomers getting their nails trimmed and a young boy looking to be about 10 or 11 asked me what kind of dogs they were, I replied Basenji he immediately said Oh, the barkless dog from africa. I was impressed. He sat down on the floor and asked he could pet Cody and I said yes, boy was very comfortable around dogs.


  • @GenJMar:

    I have two and they always ask if they are related

    What is it about other dog owners that always assume that two basenjis together are related? The most common thing said to us at dog park is "It was so nice of you to keep those sibling Shiba Inus together!"

    I think I'll stop correcting them next time, I'm getting tired of saying the same thing. Maybe I'll just put a card around their necks saying "we are not shiba inus"

    :rolleyes:


  • @smharr4:

    I think I'll stop correcting them next time, I'm getting tired of saying the same thing. Maybe I'll just put a card around their necks saying "we are not shiba inus"

    :rolleyes:

    I keep telling my hubby I am going to have a shirt made for them. I am a Basenji. No, I don't bark. Never seen one before Well, now you have!


  • It's amazing what people assume (or don't notice) - when I passed a neighbour while I was walking two red/white and one tri-colour Basenji she asked me if they were the same ones I'd walked by her about an hour ago. The earlier ones were three red/whites!


  • @GenJMar:

    I keep telling my hubby I am going to have a shirt made for them. I am a Basenji. No, I don't bark. Never seen one before Well, now you have!

    A Basenji jacket for the dogs would be awesome - plus it would be guaranteed to fit correctly, I'm having difficulty finding a jacket that fits her across the chest 😞


  • @smharr4:

    A Basenji jacket for the dogs would be awesome - plus it would be guaranteed to fit correctly, I'm having difficulty finding a jacket that fits her across the chest 😞

    Wish I could sew I would make my own because I can never find one that fits the way I would like it to.

    With zoe (my red/white) I had alot of questions, most guessed chi which I hated. One even asked right off what kind of mix she was, assuming since he didnt recognize the breed she must be mix. Now most are used to zoe in my town but find my tri boy every bit as interesting. When other people see them the most used adjectives is stunning.


  • @Forever:

    Wish I could sew I would make my own because I can never find one that fits the way I would like it to.

    There was a ZenTek booth at the Evergreen Basenji show last month, and I took a look at some of the stuff they had. They sell a variety of coats with different length backs for different types of dogs. Their 'Straight back' coat for small dogs is modeled by a Basenji and it looks like it's a good fit. I did pick up one of their kennel blankets, and the PCM seems to work as advertised, so I'm tempted.

    @Forever:

    With zoe (my red/white) I had alot of questions, most guessed chi which I hated. One even asked right off what kind of mix she was, assuming since he didnt recognize the breed she must be mix. Now most are used to zoe in my town but find my tri boy every bit as interesting. When other people see them the most used adjectives is stunning.

    This happens to us too - Roxy is red/white, short and stocky, while Rocky is long-legged, thin and tri, so I often get people pointing at one dog, and asking 'What breed is that one?' even though they're both 100% Basenjis.


  • @smharr4:

    There was a ZenTek booth at the Evergreen Basenji show last month, and I took a look at some of the stuff they had. They sell a variety of coats with different length backs for different types of dogs. Their 'Straight back' coat for small dogs is modeled by a Basenji and it looks like it's a good fit. I did pick up one of their kennel blankets, and the PCM seems to work as advertised, so I'm tempted..

    I will have to look into that. Zoey is such a little B. All legs deep chest and tiny waist even had a few say she looks like a fawn. She has a very fine coat so it doesn't keep her warm in the winter the poor girl is always cold. So would like to find something with maximum coverage.


  • I do get this a lot too. I live in a small town (about 3500 people) and occasionally people do stop me and recognize a basenji. Most of them once had one or knew someone who had one. Apparantly there was a breeder in my area who passed away years ago, so some had gotten B's from her in the past.


  • At my dog park everybody thinks he is a rat terrier. My Vet also commented that it was the nicest and most well behaved basenji she's ever met. I asked what she meant and she said that all the basenjis that she has seen have tried to bite her and her staff. I hope that mine can set a good example and she can like basenjis 🙂


  • My Vet also commented that it was the nicest and most well behaved basenji she's ever met. I asked what she meant and she said that all the basenjis that she has seen have tried to bite her and her staff.

    My vet has said something along the same lines. She made the comment that she was impressed with how my guys let her handle them with ease. My dog trainer once dropped a treat while demostrating with Cody something and she bent down and picked it up. She told me she would have never done that with another basenji b/c they would have taken her hand off to get to the treat. Cody was nicely rewarded for staying in his sit position.


  • @Forever:

    Wish I could sew I would make my own because I can never find one that fits the way I would like it to.

    I actually can sew, but have bought the last few coats for my guys from here:

    http://www.deswildrags.com/customdogcoats.html

    For the price, I'll let De do the work <gg>. She's always been very receptive to ideas, etc. So I'm sure if you had some ideas or input, she'd be happy to work with you. In fact, she's working on a couple of "house" coats for the boyz right now. I had some fabric I liked and she was happy to use that fabric.

    Just tell her the Basenji Princess from Colorado sent you. She'll know.</gg>

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