• Sahara gets a bath about every 3-4 wks., or whenever, I can smell that doggy smell. I have taken her to the groomer, just to get her use to letting someone she doesn't know clean her, cut her nails. They tell me that she does great. Sahara as a general rule doesn't like to get wet, but she will sit pretty for a bath, this took some time b/c she use to try and jump out. I always give her a treat when we are done, just for good behavior. I give her most of her baths, especially when the weather gets warmer. She has been to the groomer only about 4 times.


  • Chance jumps in the shower :eek: :eek: :eek: WOW!! I wish 🙂


  • Jazz HATES her bath, but does stay quietly for it.

    I eased her into it when she was a pup by giving her a teeny taste of treat for being in the tub, after I wet her, after I soaped her, after I rinsed her, etc. She learned that if she is a good girl, she gets goodies.

    Now she gets a treat only at the end of her bath, after her "shake it off!", and one when she jumps out of the tub {on command only, not if she jumps out when I don't want her to}.

    It is cute because she goes into the bathroom willingly when a kid is in the bath – to check on them, I guess, and she's fine when Gypsy gets a bath, but if she sees HER towel in the bathroom, she runs and tries to hide from me. LOL When I get to her she just hangs her head and looks so dejected.


  • I give them a bath every 2 months and cut their nails every week reason why I cut their nails so often is that you only need to cut a tiny bit no risk of bleeding also it keeps their paws nice and tight.I also brush their teeth couple of times a week.
    They are both so accustomed to the grooming so they rarely protest;)


  • That is so funny hearing all of you that bath so often…. mine are lucky (unless we are showing) if they get a bath 2x a year... However I do brush them at least once every two weeks and go over them with my hands looking for lumps and bumps... and during shedding season, at least once a week... I can honestly say, mine have never had a doggy smell... one thing that I love about Basenjis. And ever this time of year when they lay in the dirt... it just really "falls" off of them... the dust...

    I do nails at least every two weeks, every week if showing... and I use a grinder and not clippers. Brushing teeth should be a daily thing...


  • I didn´t wash Max for 6 months then the pup came and i´m not sure i´ve never been allergic to dogs had them all my life.But suddenly I started to feel this rough sensation in my throat.It´s like the air is pungent not with odour but something that feels sharp when i breath.I then read on the forum that you could minimize the allergens by washing more frequently the dogs.I certainly hope i´m not developing an allergy my doc said it´s rare since I haven´t reacted before in my life but puppies have more allergens .I would be devastated if I had to give up dog´s so I hope this is a sensitivity and that by Myran growing up it will pass.I vacuum and wash the floors twice a week.
    About the clippers that´s what we use in scandinavia I never heard about dremmel ?before I came to this forum.
    I hope this explained a bit more thoroughly:))


  • @myran:

    I didn´t wash Max for 6 months then the pup came and i´m not sure i´ve never been allergic to dogs had them all my life.But suddenly I started to feel this rough sensation in my throat.It´s like the air is pungent not with odour but something that feels sharp when i breath.I then read on the forum that you could minimize the allergens by washing more frequently the dogs.I certainly hope i´m not developing an allergy my doc said it´s rare since I haven´t reacted before in my life but puppies have more allergens .I would be devastated if I had to give up dog´s so I hope this is a sensitivity and that by Myran growing up it will pass.I vacuum and wash the floors twice a week.
    About the clippers that´s what we use in scandinavia I never heard about dremmel ?before I came to this forum.
    I hope this explained a bit more thoroughly:))

    Dremmel is a rotary tool that can be purchased at more hardware stores. I use the ones that are battery operated. Most pet stores on line carry them too, made by Oster, but you can get them much cheaper at the hardware stores. I used the sanding band and you just grind the nails instead of clipping them off… In my opinion much easier.... go to a pet supply website and search for nail grinder


  • Ok is it used because it´s better for the nails or just because it´s easier both my dog´s are so used to it that it takes less then 15 minutes to cut them both.I use a sanding band for Max dewclaws(not legal to cut them in sweden same as you can´t cut ears or dock tails) but that´s about it:)


  • @myran:

    Ok is it used because it´s better for the nails or just because it´s easier both my dog´s are so used to it that it takes less then 15 minutes to cut them both.I use a sanding band for Max dewclaws(not legal to cut them in sweden same as you can´t cut ears or dock tails) but that´s about it:)

    I think both, better for the nails and easier for the dogs… I can do all 5 of mine in under 15 minutes... but of course that is because I am used to using it.... I always made the nails bleed with clippers


  • I´ve been lucky sofar that´s one of the reasons I do them every week to avoid injuries.It was much more difficult in my childhood when we had two black greyhounds(showdogs) which ofcourse meant blacknails that was a challenge.


  • @myran:

    I´ve been lucky sofar that´s one of the reasons I do them every week to avoid injuries.It was much more difficult in my childhood when we had two black greyhounds(showdogs) which ofcourse meant blacknails that was a challenge.

    Yes, that is for sure, black nails were/are harder to trim…. the grinder makes it a little easier... but like I said, I am used to it and so are the Basenjis...


  • I´ve tried to look for dremmel but clipping seems to be the thing in our part of the world.


  • You may want to try to contact the company themselves-see if they'll ship one to you. Anyone have a link for the Dremel company??


  • How about a foot file the smoother side that´s what I use for Max´s dew claws.The one´s that owned him before ahd let his claws grow too long so it´s taken be sometime to get to acceptable length especially the dew claws I couldn´t clip them so I used the file.


  • Mine are self bathing. Like my cat, who is self petting, just stick out your hand and he'll rub against it.


  • @tanza:

    That is so funny hearing all of you that bath so often…. mine are lucky (unless we are showing) if they get a bath 2x a year... However I do brush them at least once every two weeks and go over them with my hands looking for lumps and bumps... and during shedding season, at least once a week... I can honestly say, mine have never had a doggy smell... one thing that I love about Basenjis. And ever this time of year when they lay in the dirt... it just really "falls" off of them... the dust...

    I do nails at least every two weeks, every week if showing... and I use a grinder and not clippers. Brushing teeth should be a daily thing...

    I wouldn't say that mine "need" baths, but I sure can tell the difference. Their coats feel "dusty" to me {in the summer after they've lain in the dirt/dust of the yard}, and their white just doesn't look as white. I love how the coats feel after the bath, and the whiteseems to sparkle. So I don't bathe the Basenjis because they stink or anything, but they just look and feel so much nicer.
    {Gypsy, on the other hand….. NEEDS bathing! LOL}


  • Gibbs likes to explore the shower too..but ONLY if he knows he can exit upon choice. I have found him dancing around in the bathtub trying to rip up the suction cup plastic (need I say more?) bathmat many, many times. He also learned to flip the lever up and turn the water on to get a drink! I was worried about the hot water lever so I have taken to closing the bathroom door. He only gets entry to the bathroom if I am home and can keep an eye on him and what he is up to. If he does leave my side I KNOW I better check and see what his bad-boy-self is investigating….as for grooming: unless he is a muddy mess, no bath. He will allow it but looks insulted. The pet wipes will help sometimes but most of the year he does his own Basenji-self-cleaning-ritual. Gibby adores the glove brushing! He thinks that's pure Momma-love time and I just talk to him as he gets a brushing so he thinks of it as petting. The vet attends to his nails and on occasion if he is tired and sitting on my lap I can use an emery board to smooth them.. We are on our 10th toothbrush--it's not that he so strongly dislikes the teeth cleaning but he flippin' loves finding where I store the toothbrush for him (ugh). He really had some damaged teeth and I just try to clean them as best as I can. He allows you to use the finger-swab brushes easily as he thinks he's getting a treat. It's so funny how particular they can be..

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