@elbrant That's how all my 8-some learned to catch.
If food dropped on the floor - you lost it ! So they all stood on their hind legs and it was like feeding a nest of fledgling sparrows. A gentle toss of the treat and someone caught it !
Meet Gracie. She is 5 years old and we assume that she is a basenji x american cattle dog mix. Our family rescued her back in April of 2016 at 11 months old.
She is very playful and LOVES to run laps around our backyard. Gracie is very talented at fetch and loves her toys! She also had a tendency to repetitively “jump lift” her front legs in excitement.
Although basenji’s are characterized by having no bark, we believe Gracie’s occasional bark comes from her Australian Cattle Dog side.
Hopefully the photos below post successfully!
Gracie says Hi!!
Beautiful! She's a peach. Enjoy!
Gracie is very cute! How much does she weigh? Hard to see from the pictures. FYI Basenjis will let out a bark once in a while, mostly when someone unknown shows up.
Gracie is adorable!
Just waiting for someone to rub her belly!
She is so cute! Love those eyes in this first picture.
Gracie is adorable.
Cute ! and the 'gimme tummy rubs' expression is pure Basenji.
@graciedoggie
Gracie - is BEAUTIFUL! Thanks for sharing - she’s a real cutie. ️
@graciedoggie said in Meet Gracie! Basenji Australian Cattle Dog Mix:
we assume that she is a basenji x american cattle dog mix
Just out of curiousity... why do you think she's part Cattle dog?
Oops! I meant to type Australian cattle dog. We think so because her tail doesn’t curl, she barks quite a lot, her “forehead” isn’t as wrinkled, and her snout is on the longer side.
But honestly, we aren’t completely certain. When we rescued her, the shelter went with the loose assumption that she was part american fox hound. However, we see more Australian cattle dog, and ACD x Basenji is more of a common mix than AFH x Basenji.
I’d love to hear what you think insight is appreciated.
@graciedoggie I see a lot of Basenji characteristics, but I can't figure out the Cattle Dog part. I suppose that's why I asked. I just can't "see" any influence from a Cattle Dog. We've seen a few dogs that look like Basenji's and DNA results tell a different story.
A Basenji's forehead wrinkles will come and go based on expression and they way they hold their head at the time. Her face doesn't seem out of proportion (based on your photos). The barking is the real bell-ringer for me, that might be the most "un-Basenji" trait you listed. When I take "doodle" for a walk, there are certain neighborhood dogs that will bark at her (or me?) as we pass. Doodle will look at them and tilt her head a little bit, as if to say, "What's your problem?", before we continue on.
If you are referring to that kind of barking, then I would guess (whatever her mix is) that would have been passed down from a non-Basenji parent. If her barks are just random one syllable "woof's", then she might not be as much of a mix as you are assuming. ( shrug ) The only way to really know is through a DNA test, but it's only important if you think it is.
The important thing is the love and attention you lavish on her. I'm glad you've built a good family with her in it. Congrats.
@elbrant Our Stella is ½ Aussie Cattle Dog (her mother was rescued from a kill shelter while she was pregnant, so we got to meet her!) and we’ve always wondered what her other ½ is … she could be Gracie’s doppelgänger! I’m going to do a DNA test anyway (happy birthday present to me!) so I’ll keep y’all posted.
Here’s Stella with her mama!
That Mama/puppy relationship is beautiful ! I love the puppy ! Welcome to the forum and we look forward to hearing the results of the DNA test.