i'm adopting rawley/raleigh/rahli (which spelling should i go with? – seriously!) from a sweet woman tomorrow, and i am so excited! he is a "special needs" dog, and hope to make him happy & live a fulfilled life!

he is supposedly a basenji/whippet mix. i see no whippet in him, but definitely basenji! i wish he was pure bred though i'd like to know his family line, and know he's got good stock. but i guess that's out of my hands. does anyone else here think he may be mixed with something other than basenji?

anyway, i am a brand-new owner, haven't had a dog since i was 15, and would love some helpful hints on raising a special needs dog. his current owner says he is "reactive", and i'm hoping the environment i'm bringing him into will be good for him, and he will be receptive to it.

He looks pure to me, i'm no expert but i have noticed on the ineternet that alot of people get them mixed up. The only thing i can say is have alot of patience as Basenji's are very trying anyway, without having other issues.

now that i've got him, i definitely see whippet in him. he's got the pigeon chest, same ears, same thin snout. but still very cute

How very sweet! By special needs what are the problem areas? I have a lot of experience in special needs b's! Maybe I can help. I had one that had dominance aggression problems and immune deficiency problems. I have another with Inflammatory Bowel disease and fear aggression.