New basenji owner to Milo, 6 months old. He is outdoor/indoor dog and we found him going to town on a bird. Is this normal? And what anout chasing rabbits?
Totally normal! I've heard of a B jumping in the air to catch birds as they pass by and succeeding. B's have a very high prey drive anything that catches their interest they chase. Mine chase squirrels here.
Birds? Oh my yes - my female catches them just as they begin their takeoff from the ground!
Rabbits? Mine have all learned to corner these and then …
Chipmunks? Yes indeed.
Muskrats,
Mice,
etc
Absolutely wizard, birds, rabbits, chipmunks, squirrels, I've even known a few to take on possums and raccoons. Egads! Tough little buggers, aren't they?
Jaycee digs same way but she does somersaults head down over she gos first time neighbor saw it they could not beleive it. I think neighbor came over every day for a week waiting to see it again and Jaycee would do it. Yes I very much second that digging usually will cause the great B-500.
Rita Jean
When Cory and Jayden get into something special (in their eyes) that they suspect they aren't supposed to have, they go and hide in a chair so they can examine it and chew it in private. There is no "Let's go show Mom!". Often Cory will rat Jayden out. She will make such a fuss that I've learned to recognize her "tattling" ruckus. If I want to get on the computer, I have to secure them in the room with me or put them outside. If not, Jayden WILL find something for them to get into. He is tall for a basenji and I swear he can use his front paws like hands!
Pat
Owning a basenji requires a good sense of humor and a large dose of patience and a willingness to do some creative thinking to convince the basenjis what you want is really the same thing as what they want.
So true, never a dull moment with these dogs