Greetings from Jerusalem Israel!

[ziko88]

Hello everybody!
My name is Zack I'm a soon to be 24 years old personal trainer and I lived my whole life in the beautiful capital of Israel, Jerusalem.
I never owned a dog before (for many reasons) but I've always wanted one.
So one day, about 3 months ago or more, I decided that I was going to at least look for the right dog for me.
Having slight allergies to a handful of things including dogs I started to look online for a dog that doesn't shed much and keeps itself clean,
Low and behold I came across this amazing breed of dogs.
It was pretty much love at first sight for me with Basenjis, So I immediately started looking for for a breeder here in Israel.
After 3+ months of looking I found one… the only one! yes there is only one guy here in the whole country that owns a male and female purebred Basenji! Insane if you ask me.
anyway, I still don't own a dog and on this gentlemen's waiting list for a puppy which I hope will be born next fall (fingers crossed)
So after this "short" Introduction you guys know a little bit about me and I hope to visit this forum often and learn a little bit each time as
I do my homework about owning one of this little devils
Thanks so much for your time
Zack B.

[MrBaRooampBitty]

Greetings Zack; There are many characteristics to a Basenji, both good and bad, but the one that you must , at all times , remember, they are more than intelligent. If you ask any B owner they will tell you that the little terrorists can reason. If you don't remember that fact you will find yourself , always, one step behind them. Other than that, they are lovable, comical and above all interesting, I hope you have a world of joy with yours as we have had with ours.

[ziko88]

I've read and seen a few things about the terrorism you speak of and I must of taken it to heat seeing as I already started planning everything for the (hopeful) arrival of the pup… even though he hasn't even been conceived yet (yes I am a control freak with a very dominant personality )
In any-case I'm always whiling and wishing to listen to any and all tips regarding B's, even-more-so as it'll be my first dog.
Thanks a lot
Zack B.

[Buddys Pal]

Hey Zack, so cool to see you found this forum and Welcome! Well, I did pick up on something from your description of yourself: If you are a control freak with dominance, Uh Oh! Your basenji WILL tear things up, will not listen to you all the time, will do things that you just will have to believe that he/she is getting back at you (not really happening) but YOU WILL HAVE TO HAVE A VERY VERY GOOD SENSE OF HUMOR! And no dominance, you have to practice patience, perseverance, and patience, and patience in order to have a good bonding relationship with anyone or thing but particularly our beloved BASENJI!… did I mention patience and humor???? Have you asked the breeder if you could spend some time just observing and being with his basenjis? It would be so cool and worth your time to get an idea of the b's personality quirks. Good luck and keep reading the forum!

[ziko88]

I did say that I'm a control freak with a very dominant personality but I said it half jokingly
I love knowing as much as possible and having things ready a long time before anything happens(that would be the control freak) and I am dominant but I don't think it'll get to the point of frustration with my "B to be" (that made me laugh when I wrote it). Also I've been watching a pretty huge amount of videos about dog training and I think I'm starting to "get" how dogs think.
I even spend some time with my best friends dogs (I used to avoid them cause they usually give me bad allergies, but since I'm taking a antihistamine on a daily bases I was able to hang out with them) she has a white golden-retriever and a small rescue mutt, and within maybe 10 minutes they were doing anything I asked them too and ignoring her (she didn't like it so much hehe) and the small mutt even cried a bit when I left the house.
so I'll keep reading and keep learning about B's and also keep you guys updated
thanks so much for the warm and informative welcome

[dmey]

Welcome Zack. basenjis are great dogs. The fact that you are here now, before getting your dog means you will be better prepared then a lot of us when we first got ours. One thing to consider with basenjis is that they are not dogs you can just let loose anywhere. They pretty much need fenced in yards or will be on leash at all times. This is important because it means that you can't take them anywhere where you don't have a secure fence or you will have to keep them leashed all the time. For this and other reasons they are also not a very easy dog to get someone to "dog sit" for if , say , you are traveling or something. Not everyone can handle a basenji for a weekend. I mention this, not to discourage you, but because this has been for me the most complicated thing about basenjis. They can limit your freedom, if you don't have the right setup. Does your breeder live nearby? You may ask him If he could possible "dog sit" for you if you need to travel. I have taken my dogs to many places with me, but I have also had to stay home many times I was invited places because I couldn't take him with me, and couldn't find a place to leave him safely. Its just important to consider this. ON the other hand, if you crate train him well, it can actually be easier to travel with him, then with a dog that is not used to his crate.

[agilebasenji]

@Buddys:

If you are a control freak with dominance, Uh Oh! Your basenji WILL tear things up, will not listen to you all the time, will do things that you just will have to believe that he/she is getting back at you (not really happening) but YOU WILL HAVE TO HAVE A VERY VERY GOOD SENSE OF HUMOR!

And then, right after you catch them being naughty, they will tilt their little head and look at you in such a cute/endearing manner that you'll say "Oh well, nevermind".

Actually basenjis LOVE learning, they are clever little things. Google clicker training. All of my basenjis have enjoyed clicker training as have I. It's sort of like a puzzle.

Oh, and could we have pics of Jerusalem? You said it was beautiful and I've never been.

[ziko88]

I have heard a lot about clicker training and also tried it with my friends dogs (the younger mutt loved it) and I intend to use a clicker with my B once I get him. I watched a lot of videos on youtube by a guy called David-The-Dog-Trainer and he uses a clicker all the time, I find his approach very interesting.
I will love to upload some pictures of my home town for you guys, though it is getting a bit late here (12:00pm)
I'll try to take some nice once tomorrow
good night\day and thanks again

[ziko88]

Dmey!
I plan on starting my pups crate training as soon as he walks in the house, more over I plan on having him (later) fenced into my room before eventually being allowed to roam the house.(my room also has a balcony which he would be allowed to go on.)
other then that I don't travel very often at all so I don't think it'll post to big of a problem, but thanks a million for the info!
I just have one question.
My nephew had a dog(half lab half German-Shepherd) that was very well trained and we would walk it without a leash all over town and he would never stray too far. would that be impossible to achieve with a B?

[eeeefarm]

@ziko88:

My nephew had a dog(half lab half German-Shepherd) that was very well trained and we would walk it without a leash all over town and he would never stray too far. would that be impossible to achieve with a B?

Nothing is impossible, but that would be very unlikely. They are not known for being reliable off leash. It is wise to only allow them loose in secure areas, as Basenjis are sight hounds and tend to take off after anything that looks interesting to chase. Yes, they are trainable and will know what you want, but will please themselves instead of you. Think cat in dog's body and you will have some idea of their attitude!

[ziko88]

Here are couple of pictures of Jerusalem!
One is taken from my balcony and the other is of an old windmill just 5 minutes away from my house

[bewler]

QUOTE: she has a white golden-retriever and a small rescue mutt, and within maybe 10 minutes they were doing anything I asked them too and ignoring her (she didn't like it so much hehe) and the small mutt even cried a bit when I left the house.

Hi Zack - and welcome!!! That Golden retriever? A Basenji is the polar opposite if THAT dog! I have had both. Goldens will stand on their heads of you ask them to - Basenjis won't do ANYTHING unless they think it benefits them in some way. So, although you had success with the Golden, know that it won't translate to the Basenji. As others have said - you need PATIENCE - not dominance with Bs and you need to be okay with them ignoring your commands. After a while, most of us just resign ourselves to the fact that these dogs won't do half of what we ask and we're okay with that. Of course, I can't speak for everyone - there are some well trained Bs on this site, but for me, life got a lot easier when I let my expectations go and made peace with the fact that these guys will kind of do what they want.

[Patty]

Welcome to the forum, Zack.

I reiterate all you've been advised by previous posters.

I doubt whether you'll get to the stage where you can walk through the city with your Basenji off-lead. Still miracles can happen! I do know one that walked happily through London streets with a Basenji off lead. They generally have a strong prey drive and will chase aftre anything that runs!.

Spend as much time as possible with your pup's breeder if possible. What is the breeding of his dogs?

I can imagine how exciting is the advent of your baby.

Well done for having done so much research.

[agilebasenji]

Love the pics - thanks for posting. What is the windmill used for?

[Kipawa]

Hi Zack, welcome to the Forum!

I was in the position you are in about 2 years ago, researching and getting ready to own my first basenji. After considering a few breeders, I was able to choose an excellent breeder, and we could not be happier with Kipawa.

You're definitely going about this the right way - good for you! Research and spend time with the breeder's basenjis. Basenjis are very unique dogs. They require a fair but firm owner and they need to understand that "nothing in their life is free" - that if you give something to them they will first have to do something for you. Always staying one step ahead of them in thinking is beneficial!

Basenjis do need a fair bit of exercise, I'm sure you're aware of this. So hopefully you'll have the time available for puppy classes (do you have that there?) and some good long walks. I agree with not letting a basenji off leash unless they are in a fully enclosed/fenced area. Many of us have heard horror stories of what has happened to people who have let their basenjis off leash or have had their basenjis escape out the door. No one wants to have that happen to a dog they love. Being off leash might work for months, but then there is that one time where your basenji sees something moving and they can't resist going after it. Remember, these dogs are sight hounds and to this day, are used for hunting. Their instinct is to hunt - to go catch something that is moving. It's not something that you can train out of them very easily at all.

One thing to be diligent about when you choose your puppy is to make sure that the parent dogs have been tested for Fanconi Syndrome. Again, I'm sure you've read about Fanconi in your research. Don't take someone's word that they have tested their breeding dogs. Ask to see the documents showing the breeding dogs have been tested. Request a copy of the documents. If you have the parent dogs names, you might be able to search online for the information. We can help you with that.

You live in a beautiful area of the world! So much history, a country rich in colours, flavours… so many things! Thanks for sharing the pictures, and once again, so nice to meet you!

[Mermandrea]

Hi Zack…. I'm in the states trying to help a friend in Israel find a Basenji.... to buy or adopt.

I would really appreciate some information about the breeder you found in Israel....

Please feel free to email me:
mermandrea@yahoo.com

Thanks,
Andrea in VT, USA