Hi everyone,
I'm interesting in raising a Basenji around 2 years from now. I was wondering when would be the best time to start contacting breeders, and if I should start to do so now given the estrus cycle of Basenjis and the potential long waitlist of reputable breeders.
I will likely be in CA around that time--I would be grateful if you can recommend some responsive breeders in the state. I've checked out the breeder directory on the Basenji Club of America site, but it seems like some breeders haven't updated their sites for a while, so I'm a bit unsure if they're still breeding.
Thanks!
This is a great time to reach out to breeders... you can find breeders that are members of the Basenji Club of America at www.basenji.org. And yes, one of my pet peeves.. LOL that sites are not updated... but call them or email them. Breeders would now be thinking about their breeding plans for the coming years. Tanza Basenjis will not however at this time be planning any breeding for 2020 or 2021
Oh wow, thanks for your quick response! Your site was one of the few that I saw, and I really like your breeding philosophy (I may have emailed you a couple months back actually). Do you have any breeding plans for 2022?
@leosnam said in When to reach out to a breeder:
Oh wow, thanks for your quick response! Your site was one of the few that I saw, and I really like your breeding philosophy (I may have emailed you a couple months back actually). Do you have any breeding plans for 2022?
At this time, we do not have any plans for 2022. Thanks for visiting with Tanza Basenjis on line and the nice comments.
Yes now would be the time. Can't start early enough.
Normally my advice would be to go the National Speciality and meet some breeders. You'd get to see a lot of dogs and meet a lot of breeders, and you could also introduce yourself in person. Unfortunately not sure what will happen this year with COVID. But there is also the next year which might see a vaccine or effective treatment and which might fit your timeline.
The other suggestion is to keep an open mind about adopting an adult. In a weird way this can work out better in many cases. Puppies are cute but they are a ton of work. An adult dog will take a lot less effort. Additionally you will know more about the dog you are getting. A breeder is not going to BS you about the dog -- above all they want a successful placement -- and since the dog is older the breeder will have a good idea of the dog's personality. .
Please note that an adult unless an ex-show pup... has as many issues as a puppy... so you need to find a responsible breeder that is looking to place a pup that is maybe a retired show pup... at least in my opinion. Rescues have more issues different than a pup... depending on the situation.
@donc
I second that. We adopted Teki when she was 7 months, potty training was already done for us but she was still all “puppy”. We didn’t really want to go through the early puppyhood even though that’s such an adorable time. Good luck! She’s a year and a half now and a crazy joy!
@tanza said in When to reach out to a breeder:
Please note that an adult unless an ex-show pup... has as many issues as a puppy... so you need to find a responsible breeder that is looking to place a pup that is maybe a retired show pup... at least in my opinion. Rescues have more issues different than a pup... depending on the situation.
Breeders may have a show or other dog that they have bred that they feel would be better served in a pet home. Or they may have gotten a dog back from a pet home for some reason -- illness, death, or divorce for example -- and are looking to rehome him/her. In the first instance they'll know the dog. In the second they'll usually keep the dog awhile in order to get to know them.
I'm not sure I'd describe this as a rescue in the traditional sense. That said, puppies present two sets of issues. One set of issues will be related to the personality of that individual. The other is related to their simply being a puppy. When you get an older dog from a responsible breeder you greatly reduce the risk from the first set of issues and eliminate those from the second.
The only downside is that you don't get that puppy experience of seeing the Basenji 500 on a daily basis and having your hands chewed up. LOL
@donc - Totally correct @DonC there are times when a breeder has kept a show pup and finished them but have decided not to use that dog/bitch in their breeding program and want to place that dog/bitch in a forever home or even got a pup back for whatever reason.. I would agree this is not a rescue situation, just looking to place this pup in a forever home. And yes you miss.. LOL the puppy teeth known as "razor" blades... not really a bad thing... But whatever you decide, this is the time to connect with responsible breeders and go from there
Where is this dog located? Is it still available?
