Howdy!

[bskatezy]

My name is Brianna and I recently adopted a Basenji from a shelter with my boyfriend. We believe he's mixed with something since he doesn't yodel and he does shed quite a bit. Either that, or he's just a rebel.
His name is Murphy and he has captured our heart. He is sweet and then he has these incredible spurts of energy where he can keep himself entertained for a good 10 minutes of nonstop play. We call those his "spaz attacks." It may be just about the cutest thing we have ever seen. Murphy loves the leash free dog park and loves to play with his cousins, a beagle and a pit/lab. He has learned sit, come, and wait. We're working on those commands mostly before we move onto the next one. He's TERRIBLE on a leash. I bring him out 4-5 times a day and every time feels worse than the one before it.

Murphy is a military brat, but we think he fits right in. He loves car rides, so hopefully, he likes moving every four years, too!

[sharronhurlbut]

Welcome, glad you found us. I have 2 purebred b's and they are mostly quiet. Other folks have very vocal b's. I am not that lucky. Thank you for saving this lovely boy .

[2baroos]

Hello and Welcome! My B girl was horrible on the leash and then we got a halter and she walks like a dream! Maybe try a few differant halters and leashes and you never know!

[bskatezy]

Thanks! We'll definitely try! He's great on the leash when he's tired.

[Kipawa]

Hi Brianna, Murphy and 'boyfriend'! Welcome!

I have to agree with Sharron - thank you for rescuing what looks to be a very sweet dog. You will learn so much about basenjis on this site. I was a a couple of years ago when I started researching basenjis. I found this group, and I now have a wonderful male named Kipawa who is amost 16 months old.

Kipawa was a big puller, but he walks very well now. I had to use a halter with him (I still do). The halter I use attaches in the front. I found that with the halters that attached in the back, he still pulled.

Spaz attacks are quite common with basenjis, and I think we commonly refer to them as the Basenji 500! At this time, the brain seems to vacate the head, while the legs work fine (and fast!). Furniture gets moved around the living room when Kipawa does his B-500, as he likes to bounce off our couch and chairs! But being basenji lovers, we smile and think it is wonderful.

Again, so nice to meet you!

[tanza]

I would guess maybe mixed with a Corgi.

[eeeefarm]

Welcome to the forum. Would love to see more pictures!

[Shaye's Mom]

Very cute dog! Thank you for rescuing him and welcome to the forum. My purebred has never yodeled, she whines and mutters a lot when anxious though. I have mix who barks, so my PB has tried imitating that occasionally, but it sounds pretty pathetic. Whatever he's mixed with he definitely has that basenji look in his eyes, which will mean lots of mischief to come. My girls are still bad on a leash, after 3 years of trying all the methods suggested. They are easier on the Easy Walk harness, which hooks in front of their chests, but this is not to say they are "good" because my PB, Shaye, manages to get out of every harness we ever tried on her if the tension is lessened at all. She merely backs up, makes her head and front legs look like one long bullet, and pulls out backward. A modified choke collar is the only thing that contains her, and at that, she still looks like she's trying to choke herself to death when something catches her eye. So, keep trying different methods - if you can get him to wear a Gentle Leader, I've seen that be quite successful. Mine simply lay down and paw at those, refusing to stand up at all. Good luck.

[bskatezy]

Kipawa, I have a video of his spaz or b-500 on youtube right after bathtime on youtube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ar1BOcDI80Y

Tanza, we had thought maybe Corgi but the more we see him with his beagle "cousin" the more we think he's part beagle.
We will be going to the vet on Saturday for a checkup and plan to look into DNA testing.

We believe he is one of the "Wimauma Dogs" because he is at the right age to be one and we're about an hour from Wimauma.

Thank you all for the tips on leash training. He is an absolutely amazing dog and has already learned so much in such a short time. If the leash is the only thing he's bad with, we consider that a win.

[tanza]

Yes, I could see Beagle also from the last picture you posted. There are a few here that have Wimauma dogs, so they might be able to jump in and give some input.

[krunzer]

Welcome to the forum! Murphy sure is a cutie! I think he looks like he might have a smidgin on Beagle in him too. I mean look at his tail!!! Does it curl over his back or just stand straight up? I am glad you rescued this boy and I hope he steals your hearts and he will try to steal everything else too. Socks, toilet paper, you name it!

[Patty]

Welcome to the forum. Murphy sounds a great dog.