Happy 3rd Birthday Zumi! Pic overload!


  • On January 9th we celebrated three wonderful years with my handsome little evil one Zumi. Here are a few pictures. Enjoy! (sorry for the poor picture quality)













    i know the stacked pictures aren't wonderful, he wanted to chase the cat, and well, mom was taking pictures lol.

    On a bit of a sidenote, I am now in my third trimester and Zumi is loving all the new stuff! all the strollers, crib, CLOTHES!!!! and oh he did enjoy snuggling the Boppy pillow. He loves to snuggle up to my tummy at night, and if the baby is very active he watches my tummy, sometimes with his head tilted at it, and/or he will lay his head on my tummy. He seems to know there is something different, but is not upset with it at all. i let him check everything out, and he doesn't mind at all. though he is a bit of a pain when i'm trying to put things together. so nosy!
    I have never had an issue with him and children of any age yet. My sister brings her small children over all the time. He is very careful around her younger baby (one year old, in the picture above), and often gives her a little lick in passing, and of course he loves to do the B500 with the 6 year old. Its quite comical!

    The only thing i am not sure of right now is his anxiety when a baby cries. We had put the little baby down for a nap, but she was having a cranky day and was crying, Zumi was running to the door and to us, back and forth, just absolutely frantic. After a bit of her just not settling down we decided to give it up for now and took her out of her room, Zumi was standing on hind legs to sniff her, his hackles were raised, his tail down and was shaking a bit until we set the baby down to him to "inspect" and make sure she was ok, and he immediately calmed down, but would not leave her side! Does anyone know if this is normal? He was whimpering, and sneezing, pacing, very upset.

    ~Char and Zumi

  • First Basenji's

    No thoughts/experience on baby crying…

    Just wanted to say WOW, that is some fancy neckwear! 🙂


  • I think they each react different…. so I would not say "not" normal.... he obviously considers the baby part of the pack and is concerned. But those with babies and B's might be able to answer you better.


  • Love the "bling" your b is wearing…did you make that beaded collar?


  • Gorgeous collar - love it!

  • Houston

    Very nice, Happy birthday Zumi.


  • Truly now is the time to be teaching him "leave it." It will help him comprehend that some things are not up to him to worry about. If you have leave it already firm, use it with a baby. I am not suggesting you poke the baby to get crying, lol, but replicating the situation will help you to work on leave it. And enforcing it even if it means getting a leash and removing him. Make him sit while the baby fusses (and have someone else handle it, not you if possible). Like any new noise, he needs to adjust. What you want to make sure of is that he does calm because for some dogs a baby crying can set off prey drive. It doesn't sound like that with him… he was worried. But again, he needs to know it is not his job, period.

    I am utterly impressed with the collars, especially the dangly one. Be honest, did you drug him to get him to not tear it up? OMG I want one. Gorgeous. But really, the most impressive part is his wearing it!


  • Very nice, happy birthday.


  • Happy birthday Zumi.
    I'm surprised he didn't try to rip off the bangles on that collar!


  • Happy birthday Zumi! I have to say that the collar with the beads would not have lasted 5 minutes with any of my basenjis - well the collar would still exist, but the beads would be gone. 😃


  • Happy third birthday Zumi. I love his beaded collar.
    Congratulations on your pregnancy too.


  • oh thank you everyone for the kind words.
    and nope! i did not drug the little beastie. he ADORES his "pretties" he gets VERY excited when i take it out to put it on him, lol. When he wears it, he usually has his head held high, puffed up chest and just prances about the house, or wherever we may be.
    He has never, not once tried to destroy the beads. which to be honest surprised me as well. I bought it from a seller at a show in California. The Mission circuit? i believe, and MANY of the basenji people who were there as well even jokingly said he must not be an actual basenji for not tearing at the beads. He is not really a typical basenji that way. he is not destructive to very many dangly things at all. He even slept with the beaded collar on, with the beads going every which way..never bothered them. here are a few more pictures of him when we first got the collar at the dog show. we let him wear it around. we got SO many compliments! so no, i did not personally make the collar, i had it custom made for him. expensive!! but well worth it!




    Also, to Debra, He has a very good "leave it", very firm. With all the cats we use it often! But he does listen very well, he immediately comes to me and sits at my feet to see if its ok to go play again. I suppose i will ask my sister to bring the kids over more often to help teach Zumi. she is a very happy baby and very rarely cries, but.. i'll see what i can do.
    I just was worried, because i'm soon going to be a very harassed mother to a newborn and dealing with a conniption fit of my B-boy every time the baby cries would be a bit daunting. i will definitely work on a firm leave it with the baby. thanks!


  • Happy Birthday Zumi!


  • Congratulations on the coming 'event'. I agree with Debra - work on the 'leave it when the baby is crying especially if it's a sudden scream. It can exacerbate the prey drive. I suggets you have a special command for this rather than leave so he definitely knows what to do when it is the baby crying.

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