Thinking about getting a Basenji, need help!!

[agilebasenji]

I just saw a PBS documentary on Coywolves 2 nights ago.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/meet-the-coywolf/infographic-a-field-guide-to-the-coywolf-or-eastern-coyote/8663/

I don't think we have them here in Colorado yet, but I have seen coyotes trot across my property (and jump my 5 foot fence like it was nothing). I'm lucky I live in the rural area, people in town have bears and mountain lions to deal with.

[Timesthemyth]

"Show Dog Champions" have nothing, absolutely nothing to do with good health - or personality. I would recommend you choose someone close to where you are now, and go meet them in person. This will allow you to see the puppies and meet the parents to see if they are actually hypoallergenic.

Paying MORE MONEY will not guarantee a healthier dog BTW. I paid 700 dollars [ price dropped down because I took the time to fly out from AK] for Beo and he is the healthiest dog I've ever had. You want a healthy dog? Get a dog from a 'responsible' breeder.
Otherwise you might as well be talking out your ass.

Health testing isn't just so you can look good, it's so you can thoroughly check to see if there are any problems… most of which will cost you a buttload of money BTW. You will not be able to get your money back for a puppy that ends up having fanconi/hip displaysia if you buy a puppy from an irresponsible breeder. Trust me, it won't happen. It will come directly out of your pocket.

[tanza]

And again, I will remark, it is up to the buyer to check out health testing… these are public records, if the breeder has had the DNA tests done, there is NO option then to have the results public regardless of the results.

I always, always recommend that potential buyers check it out for themselves.....

[CrazySenji]

I'm going to answer these questions with my own experiences with MY two basenjis. They are/were not exactly the same and didn't aways follow the "rules" of the breed. Each dog is different and by taking your time and talking to breeders you will find the right one for you.

First off, are they good pets? There is no perfect breed of dog that is OK for every person on the planet. -I- Think they are the perfect breed of dog for me! My two are/were wonderful dogs who make my life better! However, if you are dead set on a dog who will be always obedient, rarely get into mischief and can be fully trusted then you may want to look at other breeds.
tricks? to house train the dog? to behave on walks and around people? Of they like food they learn tricks pretty easily. Just keep the sessions short because they get bored! Cody took awhile to house train and Elliot was trained in 2 days. Each dog is different! My dogs have ALWAYS been good around people. Kids, adults, either gender.. fine. They were both well bred and very well socialized! This breed can be snippy so socialization is a must! Neither are too fond of other intact males..
They are independent but how independent are they? Cody was far more independent than Elliot. I could have left him alone for a week and he would have figured out how to feed himself where as Elliot is very clingy to the family. Extended family members have referred to the breed as "stuck up" (ps I hate that family member) because they would sniff guests and then go about their business. That being said.. they LOVE to cuddle!! Warm person with blanket? YES for a basenji!
Also, i know they dont bark, but how much do they yodel? Cody would yodel when he was very happy or if he wanted something and at 16mo Elliot has yet to yodel. They make a lot of other noises from whining to screaming. If you step on Elliot's foot your ear drum might rupture. They are not shy about letting you know when something is upsetting them. If I lived in an apartment for Elliot's first few months I would have been evicted.
I've been allergic to dogs all my life. I'm allergic to most animals to some degree. For me the general every day interaction with my dogs doesn't bother me but if I rub them on my face it does itch a bit. Elliot LOVES to be carried and I love to snuggle him so it's something I deal with.
She neuter's/spays the dogs at 8 weeks old. Is that too young? EEK! No that's not OK! Shelters do it to adopt pets out quickly and to ensure they don't reproduce but I have never fully been OK with it. To hear a "breeder" is doing it makes me sick. My two Bs have been show dogs and have remained intact but I were to have it done I'd wait to closer to a year for a dog and right before first heat for a bitch.
She says that both the parents a fanconi clear so that's good. I'm going to echo what others have said and say that just saying it isn't enough. It's very easy to check yourself and I would personally still get my dog tested. Both of mine are/were carriers.
I understand the dog sheds a little, every animal does, but how much? I have two cats and a golden retriever so I don't notice basenji hair. Elliot shed a lot while loosing the puppy coat but hasn't shed much since.
Will my Basenji be okay with me leaving or will it become depressed? I don't know. I don't allow my dog to become so attached that they can't be without me. He loves my whole family and I have always been able to hand my dogs off at shows with little issue. Elliot does get upset when I leave but I didn't give in and rush back to him and he got over it. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE be sure your parents want and will love this dog as much as you do! My parents have always loved my dogs and it makes things so much easier! If they don't want the dog or are "eh" about it then all the bad things the dog might do will make things that much stressful. Please wait if your parents aren't all in!!!
Cost You get what you pay for. Testing, health, temperament and performance is a must for me personally. I will not buy a dog who's parents don't have all of that. There are some breeders who will breed to a dog who isn't a champion and that's not always a "bad" thing if the reasoning is sound.

If you feel comfortable listing the breeders you are looking at please do so. A lot of us know each other and might be able to tell you if it's a wise choice!

[nomrbddgs]

Yes, Jean is about 4 hrs from you. But worth it. But you should at least contact her. don't know if she had puppies this year, but you could ask her. She is Hounds of Timar-you can google her.

[Knipper]

Basenjis are amazing creatures that form strong bonds, not based on loyalty, but respect and trust. Just be aware that if you leave for school, you may not be your basenji's first choice for leader when you return. Rebuilding that trust will take time and patience.
If your parents aren't able to actively love, train, and maintain the leadership role with your basenji, it will not work out. It will act out and things will be destroyed.
How do you feel about taking on a dog that can live 15+ years? That's a pretty big commitment.
Also, "the dog ate my homework" is a very valid statement when you mix school with a basenji… Mine ate my ultrasound request form last week.

You need to be honest with yourself and your situation. I was lucky that my parents were at least okay with my first basenji while I was in school. But they were thrilled when we moved out. He destroyed a lot of their stuff while acting out.
I know a girl out here who got a basenji when she was in school. Her parents weren't as lenient. She ended up returning him to the breeder. It was not a great experience for her, her parents, or the puppy.

[Mikecherves]

Sorry for taking a while to answer guys. I checked Jean out and it seems she only breeds tri color basenji. Im looking for a red and white basneji. here are the two sellers im looking at. This one is the breeder who neuters at 8 weeks and the pups have champion bloodlines. http://www.topdogbasenji.com/index.html
This is the other breeder that im looking at which is a tab bit closer. http://www.basenjipuppy.com/
I will definatly contact Jean and ask her. Ive also found another New York breeder, "Donald, John Kudabin in Orchard Park, NY". Anyone ever buy from him? Is he good?

[CrazySenji]

It's nice that they seem to be testing at least some of their dogs but I would personally never purchase a dog from the websites listed. Neither appear to be breeding to standard and that is very important to me. If they have nothing to offer the future of the breed then they have no business breeding.

Sometimes you need to be willing to travel to get the right dog.

[lisastewart]

Run in the other direction from Top dog basenjis. Their website is a pack of lies, their claims of Eukanuba can be proved false just by looking up the names of the dogs who really did qualify, I was there, they were not.

[lisastewart]

Run in the other direction from Top dog basenjis. Their website is a pack of lies. Your best bet is to contact the basenji club of America for referrals, there is a possibility a reputable breeder might still have an available puppy, but most litters are reserved a year or more out

[agilebasenji]

you can research pedigrees at this site:

http://www.pedigrees.zandebasenjis.com/search.html

I know that names and such may not mean much to you at this point in your basenji knowledge, but "show quality dogs" generally have LOTS of dogs with CH in front of their names in their pedigree. And the farther back in the pedigree the less that Championship counts. Ideally, you also want lots of dogs with performance titles, but you don't find a lot of performance titles in basenjis other than coursing titles. And, IMHO, for the price quoted on one of the websites you posted, I'd expect a show quality dog with lots of health testing. (Of course prices on either coast, tends to be more than prices in the middle of the country.)

I'll give you one of my dog's pedigrees for example.

Jet the trying is Jerlin's Saint or Sinner. So if you put in Sinner in step two of the zande website, you'll see Jet's name as #5, so you can click on the Pedigree with links button. In his pedigree, you will notice a lack of Fanconi status, but his birth (over 16 years ago) way predates any of the fanconi testing. His pedigree is light in the performance area, but given the time frame of his parents, they predate most performance sports other than obedience. But, you have to go back to a great g'mother to find a nonchampion.

for more health testing, you can go to
offa.org
and put in the dogs' registered name. you may have to play around with it as some kennel names have an apostrophe and sometimes that gets omitted for some reason.

[agilebasenji]

i also noticed that you were thinking about getting a puppy in the spring. mostly basenjis are born around Xmas, so you're looking at a 6 month old puppy. Have you thought about getting a rescued dog? I know Colorado basenji rescue just aquired 15 basenjis on Xmas day (2 litters of puppies in that number). Of course Colorado is a bit far to travel, but there are rescues closer.

[tanza]

@Mikecherves:

Sorry for taking a while to answer guys. I checked Jean out and it seems she only breeds tri color basenji. Im looking for a red and white basneji. here are the two sellers im looking at. This one is the breeder who neuters at 8 weeks and the pups have champion bloodlines. http://www.topdogbasenji.com/index.html
This is the other breeder that im looking at which is a tab bit closer. http://www.basenjipuppy.com/
I will definatly contact Jean and ask her. Ive also found another New York breeder, "Donald, John Kudabin in Orchard Park, NY". Anyone ever buy from him? Is he good?

Never heard of Kudabin in NY…. Top Dog is not a responsible breeder and I am pretty sure they are getting out of the breed because the owner will tell you she really doesn't like to breed very much. The other breeder is also (in my opinion) not the best of breeders as far as quality of the Basenjis. There has been some question regarding parentage of the puppies and if they were mixes with Fox Terriers in the past.
But again I urge you to check out health testing yourself... DNA for Fanconi and DNA testing for PRA (which causes blindness), Hip testing, Thyroid testing and routine eye exams by a board certified eye specialist.

You can find more responsible breeders by going to www.basenji.org (website for the parent club for Basenjis) and search for breeder referrals. These breeders are members of the Basenji Club of America

[lisastewart]

Do not limit yourself to breeders nearby, most reputable breeders have a network of friends who travel to shows and help transport puppies to new owners, I know a number of people bringing pups for handoff at Westminster in a few weeks, many breeders travel to NY shows, I believe there are still some nice red and white pups available at reputable breeders in Ohio and Indiana. Be warned though that most litters were very heavy on males this yr, I suspect females are already placed from most breeders, just not a good yr for having females.

[CrazySenji]

One of the best decisions I ever made was to drive 6 hours to Indiana to get my boys. When you put the time and effort into something you REALLY want you will be rewarded!

[tanza]

When we brought home C-Me, Franie, and Trip, we flew to Chicago, drove to Cleveland, Ohio to pick up C-Me, back to Chicago to pick up Franie and Trip, flew home to California….

[CrazySenji]

I'm spoiled.. so many wonderful breeders in the Midwest!

[lisastewart]

I redeamed airline miles and flew to Allentown Pa to pick up Trog, have been lucky enough to be able to drive for all the others. I have delivered basenjis, whippets, beagles and ****er Spaniels for friends to their new owners at dog shows, its just something that happens normally with breeders.

[nomrbddgs]

John Donald has been around for years, but I'm not sure he is breeding anymore. You can send him a line. Last I heard he was on Hiatus from breeding and was ballroom dancing.

[Mikecherves]

Again, thanks for the answers guys. I wont buy from Top Dog basenjis as most of you do not recommend them. I've seen Jean get mentioned twice, but can you guys recommend me any breeders? Which breeders did you guys buy from? Honestly, the price doesnt matter. If it insures my dogs health and safety, im willing to spend more money.