Some things i wish i knew before getting a BADsenji:
Potty training is a nightmare. My boy is a year and a half and he just went nearly a week without an accident in the house until today. It's raining. So he refuses to potty outside and there has been pee and poop everywhere! Now it will take a significant amount of time to get him back to very few to no accidents in the house and as usual once he gets there it'll rain again and I'll be back at square one. I'm sure some are better than others but this problem isn't uncommon with the breed. Which i was completely unaware of until long after having him and getting absolutely no where.
Biting! All puppies bite. Basenjis are worse. You can't yelp or say ow to teach bite inhibition because that exites them and they bite harder. The last year and a half has come with many bruises and minor punctures. He no longer bites me, but he still has a go at the kids from time to time because they are not as good at controlling their reaction.
Begging! My Lord, never have i seen a dog that is incapable of being trained not to beg until the basenji came into my life. Never has he been given people food or table scraps, but that does not deter him from getting in your face (literally, nose to nose) when you have food. Instead of walking away when scolded as most dogs would, he cops an attitude right back. He knows his place command well, but chooses not to obey when there is something else he'd rather be doing.
My basenji doesn't wake up aggressive, nor is he particularly destructive. Though it is common for them to be.
Shedding seems to vary within the breed as well, mine sheds almost never, while some can have pretty significant seasonal sheds.
I have a behaviorist i work with and i have been very focused on training from day one and it's still a struggle. It's very much what i would imagine life would be like if you had a baby, bad mannered, velociraptor living in your home. But obviously a lot cuter.
Basenjirescue.org - Basenji Rescue And Transport's website has an excellent section titled The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. I highly suggest reading that, especially the bad and the ugly. It's always best to prepare for worst case scenario and decide if that is something you're willing to take on before moving forward.
I love my dog, even if sometimes i want to kill him lol. And i hear they calm down at about 3 so I'm looking forward to that. But i highly stress to others that adopting a basenji shouldn't be taken lightly. I've always had dogs, i have other breeds now as well, basenjis are not comparable to any other dog breed.
Even though my kids have been bloodied and bruised by this dog, and only this dog, he is their absolute favorite dog above all others. There is something about them that really pulls you in despite all the drama and challenges.