Bella is a GIRL!!! Tell THAT to people we meet!


  • Here's another misconception/unobservant thing that people do … almost universally when strangers or new neighbors see my basenji, they immediately think its a puppy. I'm not talking about little kids who call all dogs puppies, but grown ups. I think its because here in Minnesota the big breeds (labs, retrievers, etc.) are far and away the more common. So unless its a poodlething all other breeds are "puppies".


  • I think that many people are just plain unobservant, especially adults. My dogs are all related and have a strong family resemblance especially their markings, 2 are black and white and 2 are red and white.

    What I have noticed, most kids tend to ask if they are related like are they brother/sister, mom/child, etc. The kids will point out all their similarities where their white is, their curly tails and so forth. Adults who see my dogs often get hung up on the fact that the dogs are different colors and for whatever reason tend to jump to they are unrelated. How unrelated depends on the person. People who know just a little about the breed almost always jump to the conclusion that my reds are pure basenjis and my blacks are mixed breeds.


  • Okay, the appropriate response when JQPublic calls your little princess a boy is:

    Lift the dog and show the neather region.
    Say "She's a she. See, she has an eraser, not a pencil."
    Smile.

    (I actually did this in reverse with my grandmother.)

    I have lots of dog, but not basenji, people tell me how femine Zest looks. And yes, she is a very femine little tomboy princess.


  • You picked up your grandmother? 😃


  • er, no, silly. i picked up my boy dog and showed g'ma that he had outdoor pluming.


  • People tend to assume Mattie is a boy as well. Then they check and realize the error. I guess I could doll her up with a pink collar or something, but my son would probably have a fit. I think she looks like a sweet little girl no matter what they think.


  • Ok no cheating 😃 :p I'm Not putting there names cuz that would give it away ..

    Can you guess if they are females or males just by looking at there face ???? :p
    attachment_p_44561_0_000222.jpeg


  • Ok…totally stereotypical here...the first two are girls, the last a boy, cause the girls are sitting like ladies with their paws together. Plus to me they just have a "Girly" expression, don't know why though...
    I am probably wrong, but just thought I would guess 🙂


  • HaHa leave it to boys to lay with there legs open right ? lol lol 🙂 Anymore guesses before i tell ya ??? 🙂


  • @phoenix3:

    HaHa leave it to boys to lay with there legs open right ? lol lol 🙂 Anymore guesses before i tell ya ??? 🙂

    I think.. from left to right.. Boy, Girl, Girl… (I'm prob sooo wrong)


  • Nope .. 🙂 From left to right it's …........ Boy, Boy, Girl 😃 😃
    Aspen is first , Phoenix is second and Cheyanne is 3rd see if i put the names it would have given them away lol 🙂 Although none of them lift there leg when they pee so maybe there all kinda girly :p :p 😃 😃 Although Phoenix only lays down like that with his paws crossed cuz it's a B. Thing however i think if he had little shorts on u would see him in the pic sitting there with his paw down his shorts lol 🙂


  • When we took Lola for her second set of shots, the doctor was EXTREMELY nervous & we'd never seen him at our vet before so I assume he was new at this…. but he called her a he. It kind of irritated me because she was in his hands being examined... um shouldn't he have known?
    And Lola does not have any puppy fat at all (she's 6 months & never had a ton of baby fat to begin with) & since she's brindle, several people at the park have asked if she's a min-pin. They will even identify Booger (red & white) by saying, "Is that a basenji!!?? I've never seen one!?!?) & follow it up with "Is that one yours too?? What is it? Some sort of terrier?"
    I have to remember our breed isn't very common & try not to get defensive. Heehee.
    It is fun because not too long ago I met a woman at the park who asked me all sorts of questions about them. The next time we showed up, she was there. Somebody else started to ask questions about them, and she took over, telling them all she knew. It was really funny, a practical stranger listing off every detail she knew about my dogs.


  • For some reason people always hear Dallas' name & assume he's a she. I didn't realize that Dallas sounded like a female name…hmmm...

    & I actually was asked in Petsmart on Saturday if Dallas was a chihuaua!!!! I had heard the more common mistakes like a fox terrier, jack russell, etc. but a chihuahua?!? Come on people!!!


  • @Ninabeana26:

    For some reason people always hear Dallas' name & assume he's a she. I didn't realize that Dallas sounded like a female name…hmmm...

    & I actually was asked in Petsmart on Saturday if Dallas was a chihuaua!!!! I had heard the more common mistakes like a fox terrier, jack russell, etc. but a chihuahua?!? Come on people!!!

    I think Dallas is a real boy's name!

    And about the chihuahua.. They really do look like them…:p


  • @Janneke:

    I think Dallas is a real boy's name!

    And about the chihuahua.. They really do look like them…:p

    Only about 15 lbs. too big! Dallas could eat a chihuahua…and probably would if I'd let him. LOL


  • @Ninabeana26:

    Dallas could eat a chihuahua…and probably would if I'd let him. LOL

    Haha.. same with Mirtillo…

    We have two Chi's in the neighborhood. They drive me crazy with their barking... So happy that Mirtillo only lets out a yodel now and then 😃


  • I have a neutered male and people always mistake him for a female - I assume because they dont see any dangling "monkey brains" ….lol.

    In general, aren't females smaller in frame than males? I have noticed that females are usually smaller. But as mentioned by someone, if ppl arent familiar with the breed they wont know the difference.

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