New Member from Louisiana

[JD Thornton]

I guess I should make a formal introduction, since I am apparently the owner of a partial Basenji, maybe 25 or 30%, and some husky and shep mix maybe. Who knows? Anyway, I have owned 2 other dogs in my adult life, both rescue animals and each lived more than 12 years. So Mika is pup number three, and I hope she is with us for as long.

I am the Chief of Staff of a mid-size Sheriff's Office here in north louisiana, and six months ago I got a call from the City Animal Shelter about a teen trying to give away a very young and very sick puppy. I drove over to her location, took one look at the pup and figured she wasn't long for this world as sick as she was, so I took her right then. Without even consulting my very patient wife. So here we are with this fine canine, and in my own 60th year trying to discourage this little dog from chewing everything is sight.

I am looking forward to learning about Basenji dogs, and will try to see Basenji traits in my own pooch, if for no other reason than to claim some sort of exotic connection to these remarkable canines.

Attached is a picture of Mika the very day we got her.

[Rita Jean]

Years ago we had a husky they can be a handful sometimes also. We ended up with 1/4 husky, 1/4 akita and 1/2 shiba Inu try that shoe on for size. Your puppy is beautiful and the blue eyes really hit home here. Your great for having taken the pup and giving it such great care.

Rita Jean

[Nemo]

Welcome! And you are wonderful for taking in a wayward pup. And all are welcome on the forum, doesn't matter if your dog is part basenji or not. There are DNA tests that supposedly can give an idea of what type of mix you have. Although, I read a review of them in Whole Dog Journal which said you can get different results from different companies as they all apparently use different markers for breed differentiation.

[jonny b.]

He is BEAUTIFUL. Enjoy him!

[wizard]

Whatever she has in her she is very pretty. And kudos to you for rescuing her. May she give you many years of happiness.

[Basenjimamma]

Welcome to both of you. She is a very striking dog..I love her blue eyes.

[DexterDex]

Whatever she is, she is absolutely beautiful! I'd love to have a doggie that looks like that!

[JD Thornton]

Well, it has been awhile and Mika has grown up. She's over two years old now, still holding in at 30lbs, and we still don't know what kind of dog she is. But she has turned out to be a pretty good frisbee-catching dog, a good travel-dog, and a great jogging partner. Two pictures attached: one is a pic of dog and me in the Arizona desert somewhere and the other is the dog looking worried as we crossed Wolf Creek Pass Colorado in snow and ice.

[Patty]

She's grown into a lovely girl.

[Patty M]

JD, she is certainly a beautiful girl! I love the picture where you are driving, and she is patiently waiting for the sun to fill up your lap?

Is she a sun-hog? Most basenjis are. I have a dog that is supposed to be a "rat terrier", but since the AKC didn't have a standard for a rat terrier until this year, I think Joker is a basenji- terrier mix. He has the smile, little frown wrinkles, but he can bark. When he barks, he has two distinctive sounds: "I hear you dog, I'm barking back", and "Hey Human, you are a stranger… get out of my yard!"....

Thanks for being a great Mika lover...

[JD Thornton]

I'm pretty sure there is lots of terrier in my dog. She is so goofy looking with those too-long legs and too-long body, but she is the ideal size and shape to be a jogging dog. I am still a runner in my advanced age and I can't go far enough to actually get her tired, although once we ran enough miles to get her panting some. She has excellent sight, can see a cat at the other end of our street, and as I mentioned before, can watch airplanes and hawks and other flying creatures.

She barks. She howls. She whines. She makes all sorts of unusual "talking" noises.

She travels very well on our trips but has somehow established herself in my lap or wife's lap as we drive. Not safe, I know, but hard to resist.

[DebraDownSouth]

Whatever she is, she is lovely! Thank you for rescuing her!