• Welcome Will_s, and Marley. She's adorable. Thank you for joining and sharing the great pics.

    I was drawn to your post as I recently read a book called "Marley and Me". It's about a Lab, but regardless, I can't pass by a book with the sub title "Life and Love With The World's Worst Dog". Perhaps you'll be writing your own story soon and posting it here.:D


  • Thank you all for the kind word's, I got her from a local lady here in Springfield, Missouri. She has two B's, it was the female's first litter of 6, I met the mother she is a brown and white. Marley was the last pup available, I guess the timing was right.

    My wife and I also have two male Dachshund's. Marley has already become the alpha female of the pack.


  • If Marley's parents are not in the OFA database, http://www.offa.org as being tested for Fanconi then please order a test kit and register with the Canine Phenome Project to get her tested.

    You can order a test kit from OFA, https://secure.offa.org/cart.html

    Registration with the Canine Phenome Project is free and can be done at, http://www.caninephenome.org


  • Do you know, is the breeder a BCOA member?


  • Oh my gosh SOOOOO cute!!!!!! I've never wanted a black/white before, but seeing that face. Now I need one!!!!

    This is a bad time of year…. Thank God I've had puppies for two years & the thought of housetraining another makes me cringe.


  • Welcome to the pack! Beautiful pup - but just wait she may yet show "typical" basenji behavior (hide the tissue, paper towels, TP, etc). 😃


  • She is beautiful. She has that look in her eyes. If she is as mischievous and energetic as our Marley was then you are in for years of laughter and entertainment. Just remember to take a deep breath and laugh.
    I am so happy for you. Welcome from another new member.


  • Please please tell me who the sire and dam are - I have a bitch that I've lost track of in that area and want to see if she is being used in violation of my contract.

    It really is important - you can go to my website and email me from there - thank you


  • I am sorry but I am going to have to withdraw from this wonderful forum, I find diane mcarthy's repeated inquaries as to where I obtained my puppy completely out of line and offensive. I will be glad to post the email exchange between us over the past couple of days, because it seems you can't post here with out having proof of pedigree, even if it's evident in the pics that she is. So Diane thanks for driving off a newly devoted B owner.


  • So here is a partial exchange from her, great job Diane.
    \
    Oh well - that's too bad as you loose out on the opportunity to register with AKC to participate in some fun activities like Rally Obedience.
    In any event - it is likely that a male from a breeding that should not have happened is the sire. That would mean that on that side there is a thyroid issue temperament issue, fanconi and hip dysplasia, and progressive retinal atrophy. Since I don't know where the dam is from you will need to watch for fanconi, hip dysplasia, Hemolytic anemia, Malabsorbtion, thyroid and there is a puppy mill near me that has sold some dogs to some 'breeders' in MO that had Von Wildebrands (a blood disorder typically found in dobermans) Some there is screening for:
    fanconi - screening tool and then if affected you will want to start the diet protocol BEFORE symptomatic. if a carrier no worries unless you are going to breed. (for a small segment of the population this test is not working very well and some who came out clear - actually were affected. The variable 'appears' to be an old genetic mutation related to Malabsorption and to date only pinpointed by one breeder)
    PRA - need a vet opthamoligist familiar with a basenji eye (untreatable but will tell you that your dog will go blind)
    PPM - as above but will impair vision right now - sometimes iris to iris strands are a precursor to Glaucoma which can result in blindness, severe eye pain and sometimes you need to remove the eye.
    HA - Reputable breeders eliminated it from breeding stock years ago - PM's did not - untreatable
    Malabsorption - same as above - depending on the severity untreatable.
    hip dysplasia - you can x-ray at 2 yrs of age and send to Orthopaedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) so you know if as the dog ages you will have to consider replacing the hip.
    Thyroid - like everything else with a basenji - normal for all dogs in thyroid is too low for basenjis - when you do the thyroid screening ask for a full panel not just the T4. Start looking for this if: THe dog gains a lot of weight, coat is dull and dry, changes in behavior to more aggressive or hyper. Treatable with supliment of Soloxine.
    That about covers it - better to have info you may not need than need info that you may not have.
    --- On Wed, 10/22/08, regent305.excite


  • Sure glad I took the time to PRIVATELY provide information on what MAY be in the animal they have. FYI my lastest exchange to this person provided a link to the BCOA website for the list of Health issues, and for basenji companions as I think it is important to have a reliable source for information.


  • Don't know why Will-S found your comments offensive. I think you're giving out good information.


  • I actually think Diane's email was kind & well written. It wasn't too harsh or even critcizing. I think it's important for any new basenji owner to know that information & Diane executed it well. I'm also not too sure why Will found them so offensive…


  • I also think this information was something every new basenji person should have.
    Asking about the lines the dogs come from can often help us give the new owner advice about health issues that might crop up.
    I hope this person reads this with the idea that it was sent with help in mind…nothing else.


  • I believe in looking over what 'Will' sent to me - which I will not post all of here there is some very interesting information. He said, "maybe you will consider this a warning to curb why people post there and ignore the "where did you get the puppy post" . If the person just found the site - how do they know that people sometimes ignore the where did you get the pedigree post?

    I think there was an agenda here - and I'm sorry that providing a list of what to watch for - how to watch for it - the impact of it and other locations to find information was so offensive to this person.

    But highly unlikely I will stop giving what I feel is critical information out.


  • We all know that it pushes some peoples buttons when we ask about the pedigree or where they got their Basenjis…. We have seen that comment before... it is because we care about the breed and if you didn't get your Basenji from a responsible breeder that has been health tested and told you all about the breed, then it is important that you have the knowledge of were to find that information.

    It is important that the public is educated on where and how to find a puppy, regardless of the breed and how to find a responsible breeder.

    And like Dianne, I will not stop giving out critical information either...


  • I think that when people first find us here they are usually in what I'll call the "honeymoon" phase, totally loving their new addition, thinking how could there be anything objectionable about my new B or any of the choices that led to he/she being part of my life…and it's a long shot for them to be open to thinking critically about the implications of that individual dog for the whole breed. For many of us every new member and their basenji carries a lot of significance to the big picture of basenji health, hence the curiosity right off the bat. I do think we do the breed a disservice when people get turned away SO quickly, because there is great potential for learning here. I know that so many of us get quite a bit of attention from people we pass when we're out with our B's (especially if you have a set of 4!). In those small interactions there are opportunities to educate even just a little bit. I worry that when people get bombarded upon arrival here and strangers get on their case for taking a test without studying/doing their homework, we lose people who months down the road may have recognized that perhaps they could have made a better choice in where to get their B but they are still in a position to make a positive difference. These are the people who may get stopped while out walking with their B's and will be seen in that moment as being knowledgable about the breed (in comparison to the person who has never seen a B before). I know that my experience being a member here absolutely informs what I tell someone when they ask about basenjis. I wish we could delay asking THE question until people get a sense for the forum and the "culture".....or that people read for a month before posting. At that point they may understand why their B's origin is so significant.


  • Well put Mauigirl…. and I agree.... maybe there should be an "introduction" message to all new members with insights as about Basenjis, health, pedigree, responisble breeders, etc... maybe something like that would better prepare them for that "first" question, "where did you get your Basenjis or who did you get your Basenji from?"

    And as noted before by others, many times we have things, dogs in common with new members, so we ask... just like with Sharla, who posted about her Match Win.. and I asked if she bred the litter, etc... only to find out that she bred to a sire that comes from the same breeder that we will be using for our girl this year for breeding.

    And really, note that our next responses are typically about DNA testing for Fanconi, because it is important.

    I think the one thing, however that "really" jerks our chains is irresponsible breeding... and our "hackles" really go up....


  • I agree with Mauigirl. I am a b owner who did a lot of research into breed behavioral traits, health and etc before I decided on getting Beegin. However, I had never purchased a purebred dog before, as all the ones in the past had been rescues, so I wasn't aware of what it takes to make a responsible breeder. I was aware of puppy mills from tv and new about not buying from pet stores but I had no idea of breeder -vs- backyard breeder. When I figured out that Beegin's breeder was a BYB, I felt really awful and irresponsible myself.

    Everything that I thought were good things the breeder told me were "classic" backyard breeder attributes like "both parents on site", "breeding only as a hobby and not for money", "no signs of Fanconi" etc. Although I wasn't privately contacted by anyone from this forum, (which could make a difference in this person's case I suppose), the flurry of postings about pedigree, fanconi testing and etc were somewhat intimidating. No one was overly critical of me however so I suspect that Will was just overly sensitive in this case. Various alternative meanings and connotations can be takend from the written word that one never intended.

    I don't know that you all should worry too much about changing your tactics as they are all well-meaning, but at least considering the outsider perspective might help newbies feel less intimidated.


  • We all start somewhere when it comes to b's.
    Some are lucky or informed and get their b's from good breeders, some fall in love with the "puppy" in the window and then find out, wow…what do I have here??.
    Its really not meant as a slam, just information...important information that if someone does have a b from an area other than a responsible breeder, the owner needs to know.
    We all start somewhere and having to learn you beloved puppy can have health issues is pretty scary.
    So, hopefully, everyone who is scared will stick with this forum and learn.
    Knowledge is power and you can find a lot of that here.

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