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I know you cant "make" them, but…

Basenji Talk
  • Squiggy is a very quiet boy, which is nice, but once every 3 months or so he will let out a big ol' baroo for no apparent reason. The other day he was making his "yawn-ie" noise where he opens his mouth like a yawn and says "ow" so I was praising him and doing it back (yeah, I promise I am not crazy:p ) and it worked a bit during that time.
    But I was wondering if anyone has "ways" in which they get their B to yodle or baroo. Or if anyones B was quiet and then became more vocal. Squiggs is 4 so I am doubting he will wake up all noisy one day, but a gal can hope…:)

  • Sorry, but I can't resist saying this. You gotta get him really excited enough to get him to baroo. A baroo is the basenji version of a good belly laugh. Try singing silly songs (Oscar Meyer Weiner or If You're Happy and You Know It Wag Your Tail) or doing a wild dance. Works for my Abbey!

  • My boy just doesn't yodel. No amount of encouraging will get him to do it. He will occasionally make happy vocalizations towards the girls when trying to entice them to play. His other vocalizations are his rather loud, "someone's forgotten me" or "I think I am lost" noises.
    My girls on the other hand are happy talkers. My husband encourages them by joining in on the barooing. Both girls yodel when we come home and will when they are very excited about something.

  • I've heard all of mine Baroo, some more than others. I have one female that grumbles more than she does anything else.:rolleyes: When I come home from work and let them out of their crates…...I can always count on a few hardy Baroos.:)

  • I'm not sure what happened but when I first brought Mali home she barooed every time I would go to fix her dinner… like she just couldn't wait and she got so excitied!!!! She'd sit down and watch me start to fix it and the minute I finished if I didn't put it down right then she'd quickly remind me with a baroo that I needed to put her food down so she could eat it.

    But now that she's almost a year old I never hear any noises from her anymore... except the normal "yawn" noises and that one time she growled at the new person in our house.

    I wish I could get Mali more vocal... I think it's funny tho, the reason we got another Basenji was because it was quiet... and now all we want to do is make her more vocal!!

  • fender only baroos when someone he really loves shows up (ie my husband or best friend). i dont know why he doesnt do it when i come home :( he always gives me a noisy yawn or two when he wakes up in the morning.

  • I really envy all of you that have quiet Basenjis. Cali is a Basenji mix and she yodeled for the first time the other day when I was playing music. I would love to get a purebred sometime in the future. She does the occasional baroo, whine, cry, and the incessant barking at other people and dogs that drive me and my neighbors crazy. She is definitely not a quiet dog at all and to think that I picked her out of all the dogs at the Humane Society because she was a Basenji mix and the only dog not barking:) She usually makes the yawning sound in the morning and will baroo when she wants to go outside or get my attention.
    I'm sure Squiggy will baroo again when you least expect it. They are always full of surprises:)

  • When I least expect it….
    Squiggy let out a big "hey give me back my rawhide, you are not suppose to have it" baroo lastnight. So I gave him a a fe "good boys". I will try the music thing.
    My boyfriend thinks I am crazy, he is always trying to get his french bulldog to be quiet and I am always trying to get my B to talk.
    Now my moms brat boy is always talking, grumbling and such. She and my Dad always say "I thought we got a barkless dog?"
    Getting those two together is so funny because they run laps around the pool and race up and down the stairs. Squiggy gets irritated when Petey poops out and usually lets out some noise to get him started again.
    I loves the guys!

  • @ChristyRutherford:

    so I was praising him and doing it back (yeah, I promise I am not crazy:p )

    I know how you feel. My boyfriend and I both try to yodel to her and sometimes I feel like she's just laughing on the inside at us. (I'm sure it's one of the silliest things you can see two adults doing willingly).

    And it's funny because only a Basenji owner can relate with praising a dog for making noises.

  • Im not sure Sandie barooooo's She does a sound while playing thats kinna lika … a roo roo ... we find this sound rather amusing...:D ... She also makes yawn sounds .. growls amd barks.. she is almost 7 months maybe she will find her inner voice and let out a yodel someday :D

  • Squiggy is being so vocal now! I almost didnt recognize the sound:)
    I have a male cat at my house to "visit" my 2 girls and squiggy is just beside himself with this new addition. Meatball (the male cat) growls and chases him and Squiggy thinks he is playing and will crowl and yodle back, it is too funny. Meatball has no clue about this strange dog and noise he is making, he is use to chi barks.
    Just thought I would update on the lack of barking. I know this is only a temporary phase and will be done with once they are used to each other or until Meaty goes back, but I am enjoying it:p

  • Yay Christie - good boy, Squiggy!
    I too wish my Stormie was more vocal - he's just not that kind of boy :(. I've tried everything from downloading videos of 'senjis "talking" to being crazy silly with him, and all to no avail (except that he got that look in his eye that said "I SO can't believe you're my hooman - you're supposed to be above this nonsense!" :)

    IluvMali said: I wish I could get Mali more vocal… I think it's funny tho, the reason we got another Basenji was because it was quiet... and now all we want to do is make her more vocal!!

    To that I'm just nodding my head in agreement! :D

  • I've been able to get one of my old dogs to baroo by making noises into a long vacuum cleaner hose. They get that look on their face looking at the end of it, and not knowing what it is. Then sometimes they'll be perplexed enough at it to give it a baroo.

    Well how mean are you? Buy them a nice pig ear, and let them smell it, and then don't give it to them for about an hour. Carry it around. If that doesn't irritate them into giving you a much deserved "ear full", I'm not sure what else would. Be careful though, they might just sneak off, and tear up your pillow.:D

    Vegas

  • I have work so hard to make Tobias yodel or barooo, I have learned that singing works very well, I dont know if its because he likes or dislikes my vocals! One thing Im sure of is basenjis wont do anything unless they think its thier idea. but we love them anyway, right?

  • Are you kidding I can't get my Abby to stop. She does it everytime someone comes up the stairs from the basement or my husband will hold his arms out like he is going to grab her and she will tilt her ears all the way back and let out a big barooooooooooo!

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