I must agree that naive, first-time wanne-be owners need to do deep, extensive research. Basenjis are supremely unique and definitely not a good choice for a "beginner."
I adopted an 18-month old 3/4 Basenji (other 1/4 is Min Pin, yet another quirky little breed, with some "bad" similarities to B's). I was somewhat familiar with B's, but not even a little bit of "enough!!" Gosh, Izzy-Bella was a piperoo!! A little 18 pound bundle of energy, destruction, and escapism. BUT, I have always loved bad boys (9 years working in a high school), so a little bad girl was a sort of delight. But, again, it takes many years before these dogs mellow out and mature and maximize their amazing intelligence. Izzy is SO SO smart: her early unbridled destructiveness has pretty much ended, and now, at ten years old, she amazes us every day with her intelligence, innate understanding, observational skills, language acumen, and comedic skills. And at ten years old, she acts like a three year old! I hope this means she will live forever.
Once you have bonded with a Basenji, you are probably done and gone. But
first-timers REALLY need to do their research and homework.
Someone referred to entrusting their dog
to a family member. I would entrust my B to nobody except a bona fide Vet hospital/kennel, with big-time fences and enclosures, B's are exceptional diggers-under-fences and escape artists. And a Number One cause of
death for them is traffic. Their prey instinct sends them careening into
traffic. Dumber than deer.
But, bottom line: do your due diligence Basenji research, and understand early on that these dogs are singularly unique: indescribably destructive; escape artists; independent thinkers and behaviorists; smarter than you can even begin to imagine (I swear my Izzy understands everything I say and reads my mind!); and prepare to have lots of tissues on hand as auxiliary food, because apparently, Basenjis require wood pulp
projects to prosper!! I don't get it.
Meet up Central Ohio??!
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Hi everyone!!
I just got my first Basenji and am looking for a new play group! We havent interacted with other Basenjis and would love to meet up for a play group! Theresa few large dog parks in the area and we would love to meet up! -
Is this close to South Australia?
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I know we have some Ohio owners. Hopefully some will speak up.
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Wish I could. I am in Colorado. Hope it works for you!
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I am in NE Ohio near Cleveland but I don’t go to dog parks
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We rescued our little girl from CBR. However, we were cautioned - NOT just because she is a rescue but due to the breed not to ever take her to a dog park. These are the reasons we were given: too many other communicable diseases, possible aggressive other dogs and many other safety / hazard risks. She did recommend socializing her with other Basenji or even other dogs in a 'not'so-public' setting, just not dog parks. Therefore, we have never taken her to one but I am certain it would be up to your discretion.
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I'm in South Florida. Broward County.
Any Basenji or part-Basenji owners in the area? -
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@debradownsouth said in Meet up Central Ohio??!:
Contact @Pam Hamilton with Camp Basenji. There are a LOT of basenjis in Florida.
Debra, thank you.
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Hello, my family and I live in Central Ohio as well. We do not have a Basenji but are looking to get one. I was curious to know If your Basenji was good with children, if so, would you consider meeting so my children can interact with your Basenji prior to purchasing one?
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@mvdperez said in Meet up Central Ohio??!:
due to the breed not to ever take her to a dog park.
I"m surprised. I take doodle to one of our local dog parks on a regular basis. Three times a month, maybe more, and she
it!! As long as I don't take her every day... then she starts thinking it's her backyard and gets a bit agressive. For us, that meant teaching her words like, "stop" and "gentle", both of which worked really well. So, for now.. every 10 days or so. I realize that there are dogs there that are not cared for the way I take care of doodle, but she has all her shots, so I feel like she's protected from 'whatever'. Every once in a while we see another Basenji.The first time it happened, she went running up to him and it was like "love at first sight". LOL They had a blast! But doodle almost always has fun being around other dogs. And I feel like it's good for her. So, I'm sorry to hear that your pup doesn't ever get to go.
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I am in Charleston SC and would live to connect with other B owners for Yappy Hour.
