New here :)

[tanza]

@janebond007:

Thanks for the info. What I meant was hardwork in comparison to any other breed of dog…I know puppies need training and potty training and love and leash training along with supervision and the necessary obedience but was curious of how much more hardwork it would be for a basenji apposed to another dog puppy...

All puppies regardless of the breed are hardwork, IMO… A Basenji maybe a little more because they are a "thinking breed" as are most sighthounds and terriers... and IMO the better they are raised from birth, the easier the transition is to a new home.

[sharronhurlbut]

IMO b's are harder to raise properly, because they are a smart breed than most.
So, take more work.

[renaultf1]

@tanza:

…I don't send puppies home till they are at least 10 wks as I don't feel they are mentally ready before then (there are exceptions if someone already has a dog/basenji). They learn so much from their Mom's and other littermates especially regarding "soft mouthing".

Hey Pat, can you elaborate on what happens in puppy socialization, learning, etc. between 8 and 10 and why it is better to wait to 10 weeks. I've heard quite a few stories of pet people trying to get responsible breeders to release a pup to them at 8 weeks. Also, when you say, an exception can be made if there is another dog in the house…is that because that other dog will still keep the manners training up with the pup that the mother or siblings would do. Just curious.

[tanza]

@renaultf1:

Hey Pat, can you elaborate on what happens in puppy socialization, learning, etc. between 8 and 10 and why it is better to wait to 10 weeks. I've heard quite a few stories of pet people trying to get responsible breeders to release a pup to them at 8 weeks. Also, when you say, an exception can be made if there is another dog in the house…is that because that other dog will still keep the manners training up with the pup that the mother or siblings would do. Just curious.

Well, I can try… and this is just my personal opinion. As far as the exceptions, yes you are totally correct. The other dog will help with the training and manners (and believe me..it is a blessing with those little "needle" teeth of pups). Also many times the pup will follow the other dog, so even things like house training and crate training are easier. And if the humans have a Basenji already that they got as a puppy they "know" the ropes...

As far as the 10wk window, first I don't do the first set of shots till 9wks, I also to eye exams and that is between 8 and 9 wks. In the litters that I have raised, I believe that the true personality of a B pup really develops between 8 and 10 wks. It makes it much easier to be able to decided what pup would go to what home (as I do not let people just choose but try and place the best pup in the home that suits that pups temperament). I believe that at at 8wks a B puppy just has not developed socially enough to remove from the pack situation... they are just at that age figuring out what is going on around them for longer periods of time, as opposed to being sleeping little lumps... that sometimes get up and move around. They play more, they develope a pecking order within the litter, they continue to learn social skills from their litter mates... and as the breeder you can keep introducing new things that go on every day in the house...

And believe me... it would be much easier to "send" them to their new homes at 8wks for breeders... by the time that you have 8 wks olds, you think that if you had a litter of 6, you have 66 puppies!..ggg...

[renaultf1]

Great info Pat…thx.

[janebond007]

Should I ask the breeder to hold off on sending the dog to me till 10 weeks old….she apparently breeds her own dogs and is not a kennel breeder

[tanza]

@janebond007:

Should I ask the breeder to hold off on sending the dog to me till 10 weeks old….she apparently breeds her own dogs and is not a kennel breeder

She breeds her own because it is cheap to have the sire and dam.. they are not bred because she is working to improve the breed.

Sorry, but she is what many responsible breeders call a "for profit" breeder, she breeds to make money, period. She does not raise the litter(s) in her house… they are in a kennel situation.. quite different the raising the litter in the house and making that litter part of every day things that go on. She most likely does shots at 7 wks and I am pretty certain that there are no eye exams...

If you get a pup from this breeder, I would venture to guess, she has already removed the pups from their Mother to dry her up and not have to feed her as much.. so the only benefit would be that he/she is with her litter mates... and since she places at 8 wks, could be that before your pup was shipped they might be totally the only pup... Again I will stress that shipping a pup is very stressful.. and you might want to consider picking her/him up... If a pup is not used to being in a crate and by themselves... being put in on, driven to an airport, stuff in the belly of a plane... can be pretty scary for a baby puppy.. Again.. IMO...

And I know these are harsh statments, but they are my opinion... and the truth is that happens with many people that breed for profit.

[janebond007]

I understand….all I know is someone else I spoke with who bought from her too said her dog is great and she actually went to the breeders house and saw the situation and her dog is a year old now and is doing great. I can ask further questions to the breeder though

[tanza]

@janebond007:

I understand….all I know is someone else I spoke with who bought from her too said her dog is great and she actually went to the breeders house and saw the situation and her dog is a year old now and is doing great. I can ask further questions to the breeder though

As I have said, it is everyones personal decision on where to get a puppy… and that is great that the pup is doing well.. hope that it will continue (hopefully you will pass on the information about DNA testing for Fanconi to them). In the end, responsible breeders can not support a breeder like this.... so what a responsible breeder does in raising a litter doesn't fall across the board to other breeders that do not have the same practice. You really are on your own...
Let me also point out.. that while they may have gone to the home.. who is to say that the pups were not just brought in at that time?... If there are kennels that most likely they spend 90% of their time in there... not in the home. Being realistic, if she is raising 3 different breeds of dogs, how could she possibility give all those pups the time and attention they need? Even if all she has at this time is the 3 Basenji litters... how could you give that many pups the attention they need? And still care/feed/interact with all the the other adult dogs that she must have?

[sharronhurlbut]

Pat, all you can do is share info and let folks make their own choices.
We all try to help all we can, but in the end, folks will do what they want and live with the decision.
Hugs for all the work you have shared here.

[janebond007]

Again I am not trying to ignore all the helpful information u have shared here I truly appreciate it. I just do not know any basenji breeders here in N california or basenji rescues

[sharronhurlbut]

Did you look at
The Medfly Brigade Basenji Rescue
http://www.basenjirescue.com
also BRAT has dogs across the Us that need homes.

[tanza]

@janebond007:

Again I am not trying to ignore all the helpful information u have shared here I truly appreciate it. I just do not know any basenji breeders here in N california or basenji rescues

Have you gone to www.basenji.org and then to breeder listings? There are a number of Basenji breeders in California and in the Pacific Northwest. However, most breeders have prior reservations for their planned litters, so you might be looking at litters for 2009. Many of us have waiting for over a year for our pups when we first got into Basenjis, even breeders starting out. And there is a breeder directory at www.norcalbasenjis.org along with South Coast Basenji Fanciers http://southcoastbasenji.org/

Also like Sharron pointed out there is MedFly in So. California for rescue and they have a number of adoptable Basenjis available.

[sharronhurlbut]

Quality breeders are worth waiting for.
You will get a healthy puppy who is well socialized and ready to be part of your family.
Its worth the wait, if a puppy is want you require.

[Buana]

Welcome to the forum!

What Janneke is saying, thats also my idea..
It's a cute puppy but there a many more good breeders that are testing for health.

[lvoss]

Getting a dog from a responsible breeder is definitely worth the wait and the work to find.

At my vet's office we are "the good basenjis". My vet actually sees several basenjis in their practice and the only ones they look forward to seeing are mine. The reason, mine have never tried to bite them, nor are mine shy about being handled, they are healthy. My vet was really upset to have a new client bring in her 8 week old basenji fresh off the airplane, it was terrified of people and had slipping patellas.

My mom's vet is considered "the" basenji vet in her area. The majority of his clients have dogs bought from the internet or a local BYB. He became "the" vet because so many of his basenji clients are being treated for a variety of hereditary diseases. He was absolutely shocked when she came in with hers for their first exam. First off, that she was able to provide him with OFA information for both of her dogs plus information on the health of their parents. Secondly, because they were both in really good condition, good muscle tone, no signs of the disorders he so commonly sees.

I have much the same experience with dog trainers. There are certain issues that they get used to dealing with because the pups that come to them did not receive as much early socialization. They are pleasantly suprised to see well socialized puppies with good communication skills.

So what I am trying to say is that good breeding shows.