Hello, my name is Tahj. I am a 21 year old male. I actually don't own a Basenji but I am thinking about getting one in a year or so. I want to lean as much as I can about them before I can decide if they are right for me. I've actually only known about the breed since last night. I did a survey on Animal Planet's site and a Basenji was one of the top matches. The survey was only 10 questions so I cant bas my decision entirely on that but the 2 things that jumped out at me the most is their size and the fact that they are heat tolerant. After I graduate college I plan to move to Jamaica so it would be nice to know that my house mate / travel buddy will not mind the warm climate.
I have been watching videos on Youtube to get a better understanding of them I think the sounds they make are cool and they seem to be really loving and gentle even though they play rough. My main concern with them is if I will be able to control / train one because it will be my first dog. I would greatly appreciate your advice on whether you think a Basenji will be a good fit for me.
About Me:
Welcome to the forum, I can't offer more advice than do lots of research, and try and meet other people who have basenjis.
I say I can't offer much advice because my pup is my first basenji, and he is what is called a"Saint Senji" even at a 4 month old pup he is really laid back and mellow (now I've probably jinxed myself, LOL).
But please do your research and talk to lots of people!! As for training classes, if you are just looking for basic training and socialization IMO Petsmart offers so pretty good classes, once a week for 8 weeks and they are $99 for the eight weeks.
The one thing that you need to consider is this - in Jamaica - do dogs run free or are they confined. I mention that because I had a dog that was owned by someone who was going to move to Costa Rica or Panama eventually and they planned on taking the dog with them. The dog was 9 when they decided to make the move but after going down a couple of times - they realized that all the dogs where they were looking ran free and confining a basenji and not having fights seemed problematic.
I have not been to Jamaica but I have been to some Carib islands and know that dogs have free run. That I think may be what you need to do some research on yourself.
Welcome
O wow, thanx WBL. $99 is a lot less than i though it would be. thats not bad at all. I was expecting it would cost at lease $1000.
Hey dmcarty, yah most dogs in jamaica do run free. Leashes are a rare sighting. Most dogs are small mutts that roam their yard to alert the owner of intruders. Leashes and pure breads are almost unheard of. There are TONS of dogs in the country areas but I will be in the city / tourist areas where there aren't as many wandering around. I will look like a mad man taking my dog everywhere I go on a leash but it wont bother me at all. I would be more concerned about the Basenji chasing after other dogs than them picking a fight with us because most dogs roaming around are not aggressive.They are like pigeons in NYC…they are just there minding their own business. The aggressive ones are too busy protecting their territory around the yard.
You might also want to look up some Kennel Clubs near where you live - you are likely to find Obedience classes that are better, taught by more experience people for even less. My kennel club in MN ran a training center and classes for years. With Petsmart - is a toss up - sometimes you get a good trainer and sometimes not - some have better training places than others - I can't imagine training in the 10x10 squares that I've seen set up at most of the PetsMarts by me. A lot you can't do if the space is that small.
Good luck - and of course once you go back to Jamaica - each and every one of us on the list will be coming to visit! 
LOL
dmcarty did bring up a good point that I forgot to mention, as with wanting to meet a breeder and her dogs before choosing a pup, do the same with trainers. I highly suggest going and just observing class the trainers teach. She was right that sometimes there are good trainers at PetsMarts and there are ones that aren't . The training areas they have now in 90% of stores is a 20x20ft or bigger.
I used to train for them about 2.5 yrs ago, I know that somethings have changed since I left, and that they have lengthened the training that the trainers have to go through before they can actually train on their own, and that's to include 100 hours of training with the head trainer there for supervision and assistant.
Okay sorry rambled a bit. You can find many places to take your pup to obedience school, from petsmart/petco to kennel clubs and private trainers. best thing is what will fit in your budget and what you are comfortable with. So go and observe people training and talk to them. And IMO don't send your dog away to a "obedience boot camp" (they are the kinds where you have no interaction with your dog and someone else trains him/her).
I have found links the the Basenji Club of America and a list of breeders. The closest one is about 4 hours away. I do see a number with a local area code listed as a rescue resource so I think I will give him a call to see if I can see some and spend a little time with a few. I really would like to raise a puppy but I would be open to getting one that is a year or 2 if I find the right one.
Good luck - and of course once you go back to Jamaica - each and every one of us on the list will be coming to visit!
lol no problem. At least I wont be the only one with a 4 legged buddy everywhere.
I have found links the the Basenji Club of America and a list of breeders. The closest one is about 4 hours away. I do see a number with a local area code listed as a rescue resource so I think I will give him a call to see if I can see some and spend a little time with a few. I really would like to raise a puppy but I would be open to getting one that is a year or 2 if I find the right one.
Wonderful news!!!!
