• @torchsong:

    Basing a lot of this off memory…

    Dog - $600
    Cage/Crate - $80
    Vaccinations - $150 I think.
    Microchipping (came with the dog)
    Toys - $200 - we spoil the hell out of her
    Food - $10-20 monthly plus treats (throw in about $15 for those)
    Stuff she's destroyed - $1000+ 🙂

    Kisses late at night before going to bed - priceless. 😉

    Every living thing costs money - certainly. I honestly don't remember shelling out huge amounts. Yes - a vet visit here and there is an abnormal non-monthly fee. But - whenever me, husband or son gets ill - a co-pay here and trips to the drug-store all add up too. My wire crate was fortunately on sale at Pet Supplies Plus - around $40-$45. After a year, I bought another one for Daisy - same sale price. But I like the "kisses-priceless" comment. I forgive all the expensive items ruined by my two chewers. My material girl days have diminished since Duke entered my world 2 years ago. I long for nice things again - but am leaning on buying smarter and more durable lately. My bad for leaving open my undies drawer - and anyone elses bad for leaving their things vulnerable to the dogs.


  • @Barklessdog:

    My wife said it was around $388.00

    Wow! That's still high. I'm looking at the print out of the bill for Cory's last shots: It breaks down to: 17.50 Bordetella
    17.35 Rabies 1 year booster
    25.42 Brief Exam
    41.20 Heartworm Snap Test
    40.89 6 mo supply of Heartgard Plus

    I went to a different Vet for Jayden and I can't tell you how his bill breaks down because Jayden ate that part of it. Jayden didn't need any shots anyway.

    I just can't imagine why there is such a difference. Even the difference between the cost of living up there and down here (and Savannah is more expensive to live than a lot of places in Georgia) shouldn't account for that kind of price gap.

    Pat


  • annual visits cost us 60.. but mias first check up was only 14 dollars.. last month she got the DHLPP shot and that was only like 12 dollars and the worms test was like 10.


  • I would for sure check around for a vet – mine has low prices but he also doesn't have a super fancy office like the one within walking distance from my house. I liked his attitude and his ability to explain things and the way he listens to my concerns. And though he doesn't always jump on the latest research right away (he still gives 2 yr rabies for example) he doesn't poo-poo anything.


  • When we got our dogs several vets said they would not take Basenji's.


  • This thread makes me cringe.
    To actually sit here and figure out how much money we have spent on our 2 basenji's. Oah My God!!!!

    Chance cost 800.00
    Kiya cost 850.00

    Their shots cost anywhere between 50.00 to 75.00 per shot.
    Chance will be getting "snipped" this weekend and that will cost approx $498.00
    Yes the vet bills are a little high but we will not settle for a vet who does not know the breed. We drive 45 min out of our way just to see our vet. He is great with our fur kids and we know that they are safe in his care.

    Crates:
    First crate was 70.00 (puppy crate)
    second crate was 100.00 (a little bigger)
    Third Crate 140.00 (condo crate)

    Baby gates:
    (this is due to trial and error…basenji's are sneaky little ones)
    We have gone through 4 or 5 gates with an estimated cost of 400.00 for the gates.
    One gate was too large and they just squeezed right through. Another was too short and Chance jumped right over it.

    Toys: I have not a clue in the world anymore...now they just chew old socks and odds and ends. 🙂


  • @Vanessa:

    This thread makes me cringe.
    To actually sit here and figure out how much money we have spent on our 2 basenji's. Oah My God!!!!

    Chance cost 800.00
    Kiya cost 850.00

    Their shots cost anywhere between 50.00 to 75.00 per shot.
    Chance will be getting "snipped" this weekend and that will cost approx $498.00
    Yes the vet bills are a little high but we will not settle for a vet who does not know the breed. We drive 45 min out of our way just to see our vet. He is great with our fur kids and we know that they are safe in his care.

    Crates:
    First crate was 70.00 (puppy crate)
    second crate was 100.00 (a little bigger)
    Third Crate 140.00 (condo crate)

    Baby gates:
    (this is due to trial and error…basenji's are sneaky little ones)
    We have gone through 4 or 5 gates with an estimated cost of 400.00 for the gates.
    One gate was too large and they just squeezed right through. Another was too short and Chance jumped right over it.

    Toys: I have not a clue in the world anymore...now they just chew old socks and odds and ends. 🙂

    Small price to pay for all that JOY!:D 😃 😃


  • The vaccinations themselves aren't that much ($15-$20 per), but everything else that is done, i.e., the office visit ($15), the wellness exam ($20), the heartworm/lymes blood test ($ I forget), the six-panel thyroid ($80), the heartworm medication ($ I forget again), the fecal ($ more forgetfulness). So yearly, even though I don't vaccinate yearly, it comes to $150-$200 for the vet. Fingers crossed, Magnum's a healthy boy who hasn't had to visit the vet more than yearly.


  • Hold on a second – a vet that said s/he wouldn't examine basenjis?
    I'd report that vet to the state board!!!


  • Some animal professionals have a strong bias against certain breeds. Basenjis are one of the breeds that you will find people who really do not like the breed and do not want to have anything to do with it. Though it is unprofessional to refuse service based on breed, I would not want my dogs seen by someone who does not like nor trust the breed.

    My vet office loves my dogs, they are not only their favorite basenjis but some of the favorite patients in the whole practice. I have heard some of the techs though tell a new tech, "don't worry about that dog, it is one of the good basenjis". I know they have at least 2 other owners with basenjis and one is sort of in the middle not the easiest dog but manageable and the other has quite the reputation amongst the techs. I have also encountered bias against breeders, my vets are a husband and wife team and the wife has bred labradors and has always been great, she has used our dogs in talks with girl scouts as examples of responsible breeding. About 2 years ago they added a partner because their practice had grown so much they needed another full time vet. It was obvious at first that the new vet was not comfortable with breeders and really wasn't convinced that there was such a thing as a responsible breeder. Now, 2 years later, she is coming around, and though I still prefer to see the other two vets when my dogs need to be seen she is awesome with my cats.

    So the bottom line is that finding a really good vet that you trust with your animals is not an easy task. It took me several vets to find the ones I use now and even when I moved one town over, I still kept my vet.


  • the other has quite the reputation amongst the techs.

    Thats become my dog.

    I finally after 7 years brought him in for a knock out dental exam.
    We brush his teeth, it was time to knock him out to do a real check up and have some plaque build up removed.

    He hates having his nails trimmed and goes psycho, so we take him to the vet to have it done. At first they were able to muzzle him, but he's smart, so the mere sight of a muzzle now and he starts barring his teeth. Then we had to trick him, but he learned these tricks (doesn't get fooled again), so now the vet made a nylon slip noose to try to get around his muzzle, like the crocodile hunter uses. Now he has learned to stick his head between his front legs they can't slip it around him. It took three people to hold him down to get it on him, with him snarling and snapping.

    The funny thing is he fought them to the very end. We also drugged him before he came with a double dose of tranquilizers and he still fought like a hellcat. He would not let them pick him up, they had to use his leash and hold his head against the crate bars to inject him.

    The funny part was once they sedated him with an injection, he refused to breath the gas when they put the mask on him, on the table. He was holding his breath still fighting!

    I'm surprised they will even treat him, but money is money, $495 for teeth cleaning, including one tooth had to be removed & blood work, shots.

    In his recovery crate after that he whined & howled for over two hours and drove them crazy.

    When my wife picked him up he was horse from whining. He was pretty traumatized after the whole experience- we all were.

    Our other dog is the opposite, she gets so scared she squirts/shoots poop out her bottom like tooth paste.

    They are both such a delight for our vet.


  • At our first local puppy training classes, the trainer pulled my wife over and told her that she knows what basenji's are like and any funny business and she would kick them out of class!

    Basenji's have a reputation let me tell you (at least in Chicago)

    Also when we looked into boarding our dogs some places said they would not take basenjis. We ended up getting a pet sitter, but not because of that. We just could not bare to leave him in one of those places (cement floors & constant barking dogs)


  • @Barklessdog:

    At our first local puppy training classes, the trainer pulled my wife over and told her that she knows what basenji's are like and any funny business and she would kick them out of class!

    Uhm, let me get this straight. You take your dog to a training class, because you're trying to be a responsible dog owner and the trainer says if your dog acts up, you're out of class? Seems like if she were a competent trainer, she would be able to train you to train your dog and you wouldn't have to be thrown out of class. :mad:


  • @agilebasenji:

    @Barklessdog:

    At our first local puppy training classes, the trainer pulled my wife over and told her that she knows what basenji's are like and any funny business and she would kick them out of class!

    Uhm, let me get this straight. You take your dog to a training class, because you're trying to be a responsible dog owner and the trainer says if your dog acts up, you're out of class? Seems like if she were a competent trainer, she would be able to train you to train your dog and you wouldn't have to be thrown out of class. :mad:

    Well, I can see if the trainer was concerned that the dog would present a problem for the other dogs, as in attacking, growling to the point where the other puppies would be reacting, etc. I know our trainer's policy for ANY dog of ANY breed is that if it is an aggressive dog, it cannot be in the basic obedience classes with other dogs. It makes sense to me. {and they mean beyond the minor snarking that Jazzy did toward EVERY puppy that wanted to be friend. :o They all learned quickly to not play with her. 😞 and she was okay with that . She was certainly not there to make friends. [she is SUCH a bitch:rolleyes: ] }

    But to assume that right off the bat that because of the breed there'd be problems is just poor business and does show a real lack of understanding. I am not sure she'd be my first pick.


  • What's even more ironic is she turned out to be the mother in law of a dad/friend of mine in our Indian Princess tribe!

    It turns out she has had some bad experiences with them. My wife went through the class fine. Our dog trained very well and can do all the commands when he chooses or if food is involved.

    He responds very well to positive training (like- sit -stay, heel & lots of tricks) He loves training, just don't trim his nails!


  • @JazzysMom:

    But to assume that right off the bat that because of the breed there'd be problems is just poor business and does show a real lack of understanding. I am not sure she'd be my first pick.

    I couldn't agree more…The more I know this breed - the more I think there is an unjust stereotype of one of the smartest, wisest and naturally intuitive of its environment. Therefore, if a trainer is uncomfortable with a "preconceived" notion of Basenji trainability - then, move on with a confident trainer - Your B will know the difference and make you proud. 🙂


  • We did training with our breeder as well. We only did the one class. My wife sees things like that as a challenge. There were no other incidents after that.


  • One of my clients told me that another trainer in town told her she wouldn't train with a cocker spaniel, because they were all nasty! Can you imagine? A. there are lots of nice cockers and B. nice customer relations!!!!


  • @Barklessdog:

    We did training with our breeder as well. We only did the one class. My wife sees things like that as a challenge. There were no other incidents after that.

    Great! But the thing is, no one would need to be in a training class if there were no training issues in the first place. I have completed (4) training classes with my dogs and in every class - the kinks were worked out of not only my dog(s), but others as well. I'm so thankful for trainers with patience as they've seen it all. 😉

    I had to edit that I've not only been to (4) training classes but completed all (4) classes {32} sessions in all.


  • I have had personal experience with trainers who have had a bad experience with the breed and then painted the whole breed with the same bad brush. I have also had puppy people experience the same thing. The reactions have ranged from a the person refusing to handle my dog or in any way interact with the dog to keeping a puppy completely isolated from the other puppies in a socialization class because the breed is "vicious".

    The trainers that I have had the most success with are ones that use a variety of approaches in their training and treat each dog as an individual. It helps if they understand the "hard wiring" of a sight hound or primitive dog.

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