A very silly Cara Pose

[DebraDownSouth]

Click to enlarge

[nobarkus]

Looks like Cara is hamming it up for the camera.

[Shaye's Mom]

Shaye does that whenever you rub her belly - she keeps wiping her paws over her face - have no idea why….they are silly indeed.

[DebraDownSouth]

Silly and heartwarming. I just adore her.

[DebraDownSouth]

LOL I posted a video with Cara being utterly wild with my daughter not even 2 weeks after we got her. Someone here posted recently a chastisement about allowing her to do it, would create problems, and with her ears was she really a basenji etc. Since the person is HERE and knew it was me and Cara, I found it a spineless and uninformed snipe. However, in case the person missed my response, let me make it here too…

I have worked for well over 35 yrs in rescue. I have spent over 20 yrs doing rehab training with aggression issues in dogs. You don't have to worry that my allowing her to play bite is a problem. Teaching dogs bite inhibition is the way to go if you know what you are doing, and I do. She play bites with me wildly still... and guess what, never a bite mark. Learning a soft mouth is good. She also knows "no teeth" for strangers. She is good with children at Petsmart, the vets and public. YES, she was revved in the video... we did it for fun. But she has learned so much, wow,what a concept...allowing natural play to teach useful skills.

[DebraDownSouth]

Cara lays under the covers, but leaves her cute head out until I am ready. She tries to stay awake but sometimes (read that almost always) fails:

[Kipawa]

Cara looks like she is trying to be coy and shy in that first picture. Very cute!

As for MY experience with dogs, I have preferred not to do the type of playing you do with Cara. I've just found that I am not comfortable with it, so it doesn't happen. But I prefer not to judge others. All of us are different, and all dogs are different too.

[Arwen]

I love the waiting under the cover pictures!

[DebraDownSouth]

Fran, she rarely gets that wild now, but she came to us used to having dozens of play partners to just Arwen, who wouldn't play with her yet, and us. Now that Arwen works her energy off, she is much calmer. But when she does play, her mouth is very soft.

Leora doesn't let her play bite her at all now, but she still likes to hold her arm or hand in her mouth and rub with her tongue… almost a nursing behavior. Since Leora is a bit germaphobic, it is an act of love on both sides.

My response was to the poster on Youtube though. I agree people should do what they are comfortable with. I happen to think learning superior bite inhibition comes from play biting and keeping that mouth loose no matter how excited. And I think it is important lesson that simply "no bite" doesn't always cover.

Although... omg been so long I almost forgot! When we got Sayblee, I would squeal OWWIE and she bit more. I called the breeder laughing and said I just recognized a big difference between my Rotties, and in fact MOST dogs I had worked with, and Basenji. Squeak with other dogs, they get "that hurt, don't do it." Squeak with a Basenji and they think "Cool, do it again!" LOL.

[Lysh]

We play with our 5mth old Basenji like this, shes not as crazy but we "bat her" (actually touch her or roll her over) with our hands as she bats us back with her paws and she has a soft mouth as-well. She seems to just do B500's around the house when it all gets too much for her and then comes back (to start again). We get a bit more handsy with ours instead of tempting -patting the bed/hands in the air. I find she uses her paws alot more then her mouth too. She doesnt leave a mark and it gets some energy out! and she knows when stop means stop. Shes also very good with children (my partner has many <9> nieces and nephews (from 1-12yrs) which she has interacted with).

Each to their own how they play with their B.

---

oh and a question out of pure curiousity, i mean no debate or trouble i am just a new B owner and have only seen the "standards" of what a B should look like. Why does she have long ears? Is it a genetic thing from her parents?

Shes a beautiful girl

Just curious.

Thanks

[DebraDownSouth]

Darn, tried to find you a link and lost everything I typed!

Actually, that is NOT how we play with her even then… that was on purpose to rev her up for the video. Normally I play very hands on so that she has lots of contact and learns to play nice with skin. She has, however, stood on her back legs and boxed my jaws.

As for looks, she is a rescue. Her looks are very far from standard... her huge ears are up most the time now, but not totally.

She is huge, she has a lazy eye, back is higher than front, overbite. And I love her dearly. But this guy threw dozens of Basenjis into a field and let them breed. That said, my champion, Sayblee,

(she has been gone 2 yrs, and I still cry for her)
had enormous ears, but they were erect from the time she was a young puppy.

These are the dogs from that rescue:
http://www.ottaray.com/PICDog/wimauma/Doginshelter/index.html

http://www.ottaray.com/PICDog/wimauma/Wimaumapups6wks/index.html

http://www.ottaray.com/PICDog/wimauma/WimaumaHillsborough/index.html

[thunderbird8588]

Lovely pics of Cara and Sayblee.
Don't they just love to snuggle under a blanket.
I tried squealing when Malaika bit me only to discover it excited her and she bit twice as hard

[Patty]

The secret is in the way to squeal - I learn't from watching many Basenji puppies at play and their response to noises from their siblings. yes if the wrong tone is ud=sed it will excite them.

I totally agree about teaching soft mouthing being a good thing to teach and especially if the puppy was taken from it's Mum and siblings too early becaus ethat's when they would normally learn to do it.

Lovely pictures and no matter what her ears are like she is still your beloved girl.

[Lysh]

:S so many basenji's all have to go in for rescue thats so sad and how irresponsible! that makes me mad. Poor things

[DebraDownSouth]

LOL the giant basenji. CLICK FOR LARGER SIZE

The giant basenji uses the smaller basenji as a prop and pillow

I'll just ease up on her

Does she notice yet?

[Arwen]

Hahaha! Batman does this to Nayru only he's tiny. He will sigh and turn around 3" closer and then closer. She just opens one eye at him.

[DebraDownSouth]

They make me so happy

[curlytails]

I think Cara's markings are super distinctive, especially the black accents at the base of each ear. She's one of a kind!

[DebraDownSouth]

LOL she actually looks like several of the florida group especially 2 of her littler mates. I just adore her.

[WimaumaMom]

Hello everyone. This is my first post to the forum. Like Cara, my pup Dakota is one of the Wimauma super-sized rescues. He has floppy ears, is almost 20 inches tall and weighs 35 pounds. Dakota was born February 24, 2010 and is 8 months old. I think he's still growing. :eek: The kids in the neighborhood call him "Snoopy" because he has a really long nose and big long floppy ears. They think it's cool that "Snoopy" has a curly tail. If Dakota's ears stand up they're going to be really disappointed.