I must agree that naive, first-time wanne-be owners need to do deep, extensive research. Basenjis are supremely unique and definitely not a good choice for a "beginner."
I adopted an 18-month old 3/4 Basenji (other 1/4 is Min Pin, yet another quirky little breed, with some "bad" similarities to B's). I was somewhat familiar with B's, but not even a little bit of "enough!!" Gosh, Izzy-Bella was a piperoo!! A little 18 pound bundle of energy, destruction, and escapism. BUT, I have always loved bad boys (9 years working in a high school), so a little bad girl was a sort of delight. But, again, it takes many years before these dogs mellow out and mature and maximize their amazing intelligence. Izzy is SO SO smart: her early unbridled destructiveness has pretty much ended, and now, at ten years old, she amazes us every day with her intelligence, innate understanding, observational skills, language acumen, and comedic skills. And at ten years old, she acts like a three year old! I hope this means she will live forever.
Once you have bonded with a Basenji, you are probably done and gone. But
first-timers REALLY need to do their research and homework.
Someone referred to entrusting their dog
to a family member. I would entrust my B to nobody except a bona fide Vet hospital/kennel, with big-time fences and enclosures, B's are exceptional diggers-under-fences and escape artists. And a Number One cause of
death for them is traffic. Their prey instinct sends them careening into
traffic. Dumber than deer.
But, bottom line: do your due diligence Basenji research, and understand early on that these dogs are singularly unique: indescribably destructive; escape artists; independent thinkers and behaviorists; smarter than you can even begin to imagine (I swear my Izzy understands everything I say and reads my mind!); and prepare to have lots of tissues on hand as auxiliary food, because apparently, Basenjis require wood pulp
projects to prosper!! I don't get it.
San Diego Meeting - Aug 24 at 4:30pm
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We're meeting once again. This time at Maddox Park in Mira Mesa (off Flanders Dr. between Camino Santa Fe and Camino Ruiz.
Sun, Aug 24 at 4:30pm.
Bring light snacks or beverages.
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Just a reminder that this San Diego County basenji gathering is today!
Sorry for the very last minute reminder, been a busy week. If you're in the area, see you there.
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Hello,
My friends were at the dog park today, and talked to you about your basenjis. He gave me your website. I have had my Basenji for 10 years, and have always loved the breed. Are there any meetings further north in the Inland Valley area? I would love to see more Basenjis or meet other owners. I joined this group today to find out more. Thanks
mariposadvm@hotmail.com -
Hi Vanessa,
Your friend must have had the St Bernard, right? We missed a great "which of these things is not like the other" photo opp when a whole pack of B's surrounded the St B to say hello
We have folks from all over San Diego county so we meet in various areas, from Balboa Park near downtown to North County. There's a SoCal group too, though, that I think meets in Pasadena (see thread on this page). Is that closer for you?
I'll send you an email tomorrow to connect you to our group so you'll get notified of our Sept gathering. Welcome to Basenji Forums! This is a picture-loving group if you want to post a thread with a photo of your basenji.
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Hey,
There must have been a bunch of people there. My friends had the small shep mix and a Jindo/Akita/Lab cross. How do I post a photo of my Lily? As for location, I live in Murrieta, so Pasadena is far. North County is much closer to me. When I lived in Ill, Lily and I would meet up with a few other Basenjis at the dog park and she loved it. She now lives with a Jindo, and a very distinct mutt who love to play together. Being 10 now, she has her grouchy moments, but has always been such a nice Basenji, which seems to be an unusual characteristic for many. Thanks again.
Vanessa -
We have a whole pack of nice basenjis, actually.;) I put your email on our list so we can let you know when and where our Sept gathering will be.
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And here's a link to some info on posting photos so we can see Lily.
http://www.basenjiforums.com/showthread.php?t=259&highlight=posting+photos
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Mariposadvm, we don't have contact info for you. If you're still around, note that we have a meetup this weekend and you're welcome!
