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Questions before I get my Basenji pup!

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  • 4 Votes
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    RugosaR
    My Rosa wrote the "How To Be a Basenji DIVA" manuscript - as many rules there were, it was so worthy of a 'script' at the end! She, and all her offspring, had spring and fall heats, but I only bred her once in the spring. That produced one puppy, my Captain. She always ruled over her pups, except when Captain came along - she did what HE said when he was about 2 weeks old!
  • should I get a basenji?

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    elbrantE
    @lovedogs @eeeefarm said in should I get a basenji?: wait until the time is right, even if you really, really want a dog now I agree... with everyone. Sometimes you just need to accept that (no matter how much you want a dog/car/kid/house) you aren't quite ready for it. I waited 5 years before I brought my Basenji home and it was probably the most adult thing I've ever done. I was still in recovery from a spinal injury and knew that I wouldn't be able to provide (her) the exercise she would want and require. Waiting made all the difference in the world. Whan I was finally ready, the most perfect little girl was ready for me. Don't fret about it. You can read, research, consider all of your options, and really prepare yourself. (Don't look at puppy pictures online! You'll fall in love without even meeting the pup(s) and it will pull at your heartstrings.) Remind yourself that "one day you will have a Basenji", just not today.
  • Thinking about getting a Basenji

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  • When to get another Basenji

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    ?
    Wow! Somehow, I never got emails letting me know I had responses to this thread and just assumed there weren't any. But now that I'm back in the loop, I did want to thank everyone for their feedback and provide some thoughts of my own. That makes me laugh about the rescue person who wouldn't let young families or lawyers adopt her dogs. :-D I can understand her rationale from both perspectives. It's a compelling argument on her part about lawyers, but not all lawyers are the same, of course. I know a lot of extremely busy lawyers in large firms who struggle to hit their billable hour requirement each month. They're machines instead of people, and I wouldn't even let them dogsit my babies for fear of neglect. That's not my situation, fortunately. The young family part will be, but I've been thinking really carefully on how I'll balance this when the time comes. My dogs are my first children, and I would hire as many trainers as needed and try as many alternatives as I could before I would give them up. Unfortunately, I don't think a lot of people have that mindset about their dogs. :( I would absolutely be open to the idea of having the breeder choose a puppy for us based on their experience and prediction as to personality. All basenjis are gorgeous to me, and as long as the markings aren't completely off-base and I can get a tightly-curled tail (I've seen that the Avongaras can be lacking in this area, and I need a cinnamon bun in my life), personality is the most important thing. I wouldn't nitpick it to death. I'll have to decide on a breeder at some point, and I'd love one who's relatively local so I could visit. The man I got Penny from had great pet Basenjis that he bred… I'd like to go with a more reputable breeder this time around. At the very least, he tested for Fanconi. I can be grateful for that, as all is well so far and I more than likely dodged a bullet when I ended up with such a fantastic dog. My plan would be to decide and get on a waiting list far enough in advance that if there were a couple litters that just didn't produce what my family and I were looking for, we wouldn't be waiting forever. In short, what I'm banking on is that the right pup with the right personality will fit in pretty flawlessly. I know what sets my basenji off in other dogs, and I'm hopeful that I could find one that would suit her and suit our home. Daisy certainly worked out well for her, and I'd love to have that same success again. I've done three puppies in my lifetime, and all of them have grown up to be well-adjusted adults. I know what it takes, and I know it's hard work. I would never go the route of having an infant and a puppy at the same time (isn't THAT actually the definition of insanity?? ;) ), but I am still trying to shoot somewhere in the next 3-4 year range so my two aren't past ten and too old to handle a puppy.
  • Basenji and Cats Question

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    myieM
    =) That sounds much like our place just not nearly as spacious. Well, they appear to have been calmer but they're probably just messing with my mind.
  • Thinking about getting a basenji…

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    tanzaT
    @JazzysMom: Well, it's a good thing we went straight to a breeder! I'd considered BRAT, but decided to get a puppy instead. Good thing, because with six kids at home and lots of other kids in and out, we'd have never gotten a dog! Sad isn't it….