Happy Birthday Kiora!

[AnandaKiora]

In truth I don't know when Kiora was born but I picked today to celebrate her birthday…it seemed a normalish time for a Basenji to be born. She is three! My little girl is all grown up! Well I suppose she has been grown for awhile but she is the "puppy" of my pack. She was about 8 months old when I adopted her and had already been through 3 homes. I really think that fate brought us together because I was walking home from my very first day of work at PetSmart and her then owner stopped on the road to talk to me about her because he recognized my shirt. Coincidence? I didn't think so when I saw her stick her head out the window...a Tri-colored basenji! I love sighthounds and I knew that Basenjis were considered independant and naughty. When the man told me how she was destroying his apartment and screaming while he was away, how she had been rehomed before...how he couldn't keep her anymore. I became determined to adopt her; And a week later I did. She had only met me briefly the time before but when I took her leash and led her away she never looked back and neither did I.

It wasn't a very easy ajustment , for either of us I think. She had zero obedience training, was not crate trained, wasn't housebroken, she had seperation anxiety, she knocked down the trash every oppertunity, she chewed up several pairs of pants.She and Ananda didn't get along...For the trash and the clothes I had to learn to make adjustments. the other stuff came with time, patience, and lots of work. I had to learn how to live with a basenji and she had to learn how to live with structure. She and Ananda still aren't friends but they tolerate each other well enough, and Kiora found a best friend and minion in my sister's dog Keoke.

Anyways we didn't have too much fanfare today. Kiora got a pack of bully sticks, and a new cushy dog bed for her crate (She hasn't chewed her bedding in over six months...knock on wood) My sister and I sang her Happy Birthday and she got to eat a can of Wingaling to herself. She was so excited while I was putting it in her dish she sat and waved at me the whole time! (her favorite trick)

So happy birthday to my little "Roo Dog" at times she's made my life hell and at times she's made it great, and she's always made it an adventure!

Ps:Sorry about the length of my post. When I started it I didn't realize I was going to get sentimental and start rambling.:o

[Schouiffy]

She is cuuute! reminds me of my tri - Happy Birthday!

[Janneke]

She's very cute! Love the story about how you got her!

[Andrew]

What a great story!! Happy Birthday!

[tanza]

What a great story… and how lucky is she to have found you.....

[Chelbell26]

Happy Birthday! What a lucky dog to have gotten so many nice treats on her birthday!

She's adorable (then again I'm partial to tri pups)

[AnandaKiora]

Thanks everyone for their well wishes! I think she's cute too….maybe i'm a little biased though. There are not many B's were I live, and I think Kiora is the only tri. many people we meet think she is a mix because they don't know that they can come in other colors then red.

[wizard]

Happy birthday Kiora - many happy more.

[MacPack]

Happy Birthday to Kiora! I love her story, you two were obviously destined to be together.
Anne

[BasenjiByTheBay]

Bless you and Kiora for making each other so happy. It's wonderful that you found each other. Best wishes for many terrifc years together!

[bellabasenji]

Happy "B"-day!!!:D

[dmcarty]

Happy Birthday this month to a ton of basenjis - just realized that today was the day for a couple of mine too!