I was thinking the same thing…maybe he wasn't abused. He may have been anxious in his crate and cut his face on the bars. The other thing is that some head halters if not fit correctly dig in and wear fur & skin down. Doesn't mean he wasn't abused, but there might also be another explanation.
It is hard to second guess what the cause is and what the marks look like...maybe post a pic when you get a minute.
Oh, and to Jinxed...welcome to the forum!
I was thinking the same thing about a possible head halter…would like to see some pics to help evaluate 
Scars do not necessarily mean he was definitely abused - my puppy has a scar on her ear where she's been scratched by my cat, a couple on her snout where she stuck her nose where it didn't belong with other basenjis, and one on the top of her snout which took off some of the black on her nose leaaving a pink line, because she grew quickly and when she was running full out didn't remember she doesn't fit under the benches at the park so easily - hope they all fur over, but to look at her, some may not. In any event, because his personality is so sweet he may not have been abused - b's get pretty angry and stand-offish when people don't treat them right.
@Shaye's:
…In any event, because his personality is so sweet he may not have been abused - b's get pretty angry and stand-offish when people don't treat them right.
True, the fact that he is so good natured is a positive sign… I hope he wasn't abused, but why was he so skinny (how "skinny" is he)??? Bless his heart, he has a good home now and a loving family!!!
I want to thank every one for looking at my post I cant get the pics on this site yet they are saying i need a security token and i need to find out what that is. We thought it might be from a muzzle or sumthin right away but the scar is a perfect circle around his muzzle about the width of a rubber band. It just seems to be too perfect for him to have done it. He doesn't howl at all he just kind of hums and sings under his breath it is the cutest thing ever. My uncle has a basenji and he says Beau looks like he is about 6 months old.
Ok I figured out how to put pics on here they are up now
you could see more of him then you should be able to, but he is already fattening up and isnt showing any signs of food aggression so i think he will be ok.
Wow, that is a Perfect Circle scar on his nose… not sure what it could be from?
It looks like whatever caused it had to have cut quite deep. If only he could talk, there's a story behind every scar!!
That is weird. Hmmm.
Needless to say we might never find out what those marks are, BUT to me they look like they were from a rope around the mouth (to maybe punish or train Beau in some way, what weird way I have no clue) or maybe a gentle leader type harness being too small and it grew into those grooves/scars. He is beautiful regardless, but it does make you wonder, doesn't it?
totally those explanations are all we could think of too, and the scar goes all the way around under the bottom too. It seems to be healed there isn't any redness or anything, I hope it grows some hair back but it really doesn't look like it will. I still think he is the cutest thing ever with it anyhow so if it doesnt bother him it wont bother me lol:).
There you go..
Yikes…that does look like a rubberband width! It is too perfect to be from a head halter rubbing, IMO. I know a dog that had a mark similar to that on his leg because some strings from a towel or blanket got wrapped around his leg as a puppy...and the scar stayed...but I don't know how that would happen around a muzzle and the dog would still be alive????
He is adorable..thanks for sharing pics of him.
Awwww, he is adorable. This scar makes me sad, and angry that someone did that to him! But it is in his past and he has a better life with a loving family now…
I thought the same thing immediately when I saw the scar, Andrea-a rubber band. Nice boy anyway, and hopefully no bad behaviour will come up in the future. There is usually a 'honeymoon' period in the beginning of getting a new dog.
My lovely Beau has developed a naughty habit… I came home from a festival and apparently he destroyed my blinds trying to follow me, then he opened a sentry bag that was on the dinner table and pulled out a brand new loaf of bread and he and our gorden setter, Walker, ate the whole loaf. Also when I leave him he leaves bowels in my daughters bedroom floor. How can we only have had the little guy about 2 weeks now and he already has seperation anxiety? Is it because I'm a stay at home mom and dont get out much? He watches me like a hawk and has to be where I am. If my fiance' is home he is a good boy but he paces and will just sit in the window waiting for me to return. I think he might be scaired of the dark too. Can dogs be scaired of the dark?
It is fairly common for B's to have separation issues. We crate our Otis so he won't tear things up. If I leave for very short times, like 30 mins, he is fine, so long as I leave him and our other 2 non-B's in one room or so, the only think Otis has gotten into when left like that is toilet paper, he has even opened the eyes on our Schnorkie…she does it more than him now...Maybe you should haev your fiance feed him every so often, so food comes from several different hands, so to speak. It might help in him not pacing when you are gone but he is still there. Other things to try is to leave something that smells like you, an old t-shirt you slept in, or a people blanket he is allowed to have. I have used a spray for dogs with D.A.P in it, while we travel, and it calms them down as well. You might want to search the forum for DAP, there is another post n here, with a B who had severe issues and wityhin days of using it, he calmed down. Just a thought..
My lovely Beau has developed a naughty habit… I came home from a festival and apparently he destroyed my blinds trying to follow me, then he opened a sentry bag that was on the dinner table and pulled out a brand new loaf of bread and he and our gorden setter, Walker, ate the whole loaf. Also when I leave him he leaves bowels in my daughters bedroom floor. How can we only have had the little guy about 2 weeks now and he already has seperation anxiety? Is it because I'm a stay at home mom and dont get out much? He watches me like a hawk and has to be where I am. If my fiance' is home he is a good boy but he paces and will just sit in the window waiting for me to return. I think he might be scaired of the dark too. Can dogs be scaired of the dark?
It is not at all uncommon for rescued/adopted dogs to develop separation anxiety.
When I adopted Ruby (as a 2yo retired show dog - never been an only dog), she bonded so strongly within a week that she wouldn't let me take a shower with the curtain closed…had to always see me and would follow me wherever I would go. She had to be crated for her own safety whenever I would leave the house...she would be frantic if she actually saw me walk out the door...once I was gone about 15 minutes, she could be let out of her crate, but she would still search for me for a while or if she heard any noise at all. Luckily, she was crate trained...but I also made her crate a super happy place, special treats (marrow bones, liver, kongs, etc.) so that she wouldn't watch me leave. One thing we also did was have my brother feed her and walk her...so that she would develop a stronger bond with him and less dependence on me.
Ultimately though, her real end to her separation anxiety came when we added Brando (another retired show dog - 1 mo. difference in age). So you can do what I've been doing...add a basenji a year (I'm up to 3) :D:D:D...that should do it. Oh, right, you have other dogs already! :D:D
Oh, and regarding being scared of the dark...yes, Ruby was afraid of the dark at first...wouldn't go pee or poop at night...would hold it until daylight. We put lanterns outdoors at the edge of the dog pen so that she could see what was on the perimeter of the property, pointed the outdoor flood lights into the dog pen...and would also walk her in the dark. Eventually, she was fine without the added light.
