Things I have learned from/since getting my Basenji…

Basenji Talk
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  • MothM

    1. Everyday is an occasion for a ticker tape parade, even if you have to use paper towels and tissues to make your confetti.

    2. Basenjis are not very good at helping you make the bed. They are however, great at unmaking it.

    3. Cuddling should happen at any time even when you are busy with something else…just stop and cuddle!

    4. Running is not about a hurry to get somewhere... It's about joy!

    5. If you are adorable enough, you can get away with almost anything! :D

    Visit the Curly Tailed Brigade

    http://curly-tailed.blogspot.com/

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  • S

    Yea, your hooked…glad you joined this basenji lovin' cult!

    Sharron Hurlbut

    BRAT, basenji rescue

    Evergreen basenji club

    Seattle Purebred Dog Rescue

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  • KipawaK

    Splendid thoughts about our basenjis! You have definitely been hit by basenji disease! :)

    Fran Harder, BAB

    With Barney in my heart

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  • bewlerB

    Wow. I can't agree more. It frightens me to say so. But honestly, they wiggle their way in your heart and what others find horrifying, I just find amusing and cute! Am I now officially hooked on Basenjis?

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  • tanzaT

    @bewler:

    Wow. I can't agree more. It frightens me to say so. But honestly, they wiggle their way in your heart and what others find horrifying, I just find amusing and cute! Am I now officially hooked on Basenjis?

    You are!!!

    Pat Fragassi

    Tanza Basenjis

    www.tanzabasenjis.net

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  • P

    You've joined the rest of us suspended from those hooks!!

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  • jonny b.J

    Yep. that about covers it… oh and:
    6. Its "mine".

    jonny b. and HAnsel, he's so hot right now

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  • KanangaK

    7. Sunlight is always more important.

    :)

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  • krunzerK

    8. That food MUST be for me!!

    Owned by Becca and Tucker![](images/smilies/biggrin.png "Big Grin")

    BRAT rescue

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  • RivermoonR

    Yep, you're hooked!
    I don't even get upset at chewed furniture anymore… I figure it will always be there to remind me of them!

    Lynn, Apache, Cheyenne, Zuni & Marlowe![](images/smilies/biggrin.png "Big Grin")

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  • eeeefarmE

    Basenji Wish List

    Sunshine, full belly,
    toys, treats, races with my friends
    warm bed at night, bliss

    "In order to get along with a Basenji, you have to be at least half as smart as the dog!"

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  • agilebasenjiA

    oooooh, that's lovely eee!

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  • T

    @eeeefarm:

    Basenji Wish List

    Sunshine, full belly,
    toys, treats, races with my friends
    warm bed at night, bliss

    a haiku! yay!

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  • KitKatK

    9- There unconditional love. :)

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  • 2baroos2

    Anything that falls on the floor is mine!
    If I can take it from you-it's mine!

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  • DebraDownSouthD

    12- Things on counter tops are there to help me keep mentally and physically fit by figuring out how to get up there and doing it.

    Debra

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  • DebraDownSouthD

    LOL, btw– We have not one but 2 people wanting this dog (she opens jars of stewed tomatoes, no breaking of the jar or lid) and eats them. She came out of puppymill-- bless her heart she is making up for lost time! Opens cabinets... LOL, yes we learn a lot about the world, and how insane we must appear to others to enjoy it!

    Her foster Mom says she’s breaking records for jumping up and on things such as the kitchen table and counter, without really pushing herself too hard. She’s learning not to counter surf and hop up on tables. Apparently, she has an aversion to hydrangeas–she's twice taken hydrangeas out of a vase (without upsetting the vase) while leaving other flowers alone, even if the other flowers are right next to the hydrangeas. She's responsive to training when she is caught in the act. She’s moving along with house breaking. The new forever family will have to continue to work with her on this.

    Her behavior is mostly good when someone is home, but all bets are off when no humans are around. She's a Houdini, escaping from two different crates. She can open cabinets, jars, just about anything. Tansy is a very smart girl and needs a home that is basenji experienced and will stay one step ahead of her or at least try!!! She’s doing best in her foster home by confining her and the resident basenjis to only a couple of rooms, using two stacked baby gates across the door. This is less than ideal as there are still many things for them to get into, which they completely have done.

    Debra

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  • MothM

    @DebraDownSouth:

    LOL, btw– We have not one but 2 people wanting this dog (she opens jars of stewed tomatoes, no breaking of the jar or lid) and eats them. She came out of puppymill-- bless her heart she is making up for lost time! Opens cabinets... LOL, yes we learn a lot about the world, and how insane we must appear to others to enjoy it!

    She sounds like little genius dog…I love dogs with smarts and opinions :D

    Visit the Curly Tailed Brigade

    http://curly-tailed.blogspot.com/

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  • P

    Debra - she sounds like a sister or soul mate of my Bungwa - at 7 he is still the same!

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  • krunzerK

    I thought hydraneas were poisonous to dogs?

    Owned by Becca and Tucker![](images/smilies/biggrin.png "Big Grin")

    BRAT rescue

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  • J

    Where/How To Get a Basenji Hunting Bell?

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    So I've not given up on this. I went back to rainshinefoundation.org.au and researched it a bit. It looks legitimate to me, and I'm really skeptical. This isn't an endorsement. They claim they are funneling the majority of donations back to the people they are providing assistance to. I could get behind this. Is a Basenji Hunting Bell worth $300 USD? In my best Texas accent, "Hell Yeah!" If they really are sinking the percentage of money they receive back into direct support as they claim on their website... it's hard NOT to get behind that. I'm still trying to verify that. Feel free to chime in. Coconut is too big. Western Buckeye is too thin. If the above is legit... I don't want to compete. I don't want to make something that mimics those from Africa. If it's legit... I'd rather support the cause and spend the $300 USD. So mine have to look different. They have to resonate sound. Which wood? CNC engraving? Laser engraving? Slots? Collar? Clasp? How do I support Basenjis? Tooling is going to cost a bit. I think I have have the bell figured out. I may also have the clappers figured out too, but I need to test all of this. The part that concerns me is the collar. Weaving, macramé, braiding, sewing... Anyway... these are thoughts in motion...
  • L

    should I get a basenji?

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    elbrantE
    @lovedogs @eeeefarm said in should I get a basenji?: wait until the time is right, even if you really, really want a dog now I agree... with everyone. Sometimes you just need to accept that (no matter how much you want a dog/car/kid/house) you aren't quite ready for it. I waited 5 years before I brought my Basenji home and it was probably the most adult thing I've ever done. I was still in recovery from a spinal injury and knew that I wouldn't be able to provide (her) the exercise she would want and require. Waiting made all the difference in the world. Whan I was finally ready, the most perfect little girl was ready for me. Don't fret about it. You can read, research, consider all of your options, and really prepare yourself. (Don't look at puppy pictures online! You'll fall in love without even meeting the pup(s) and it will pull at your heartstrings.) Remind yourself that "one day you will have a Basenji", just not today.
  • ?

    When to get another Basenji

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    ?
    Wow! Somehow, I never got emails letting me know I had responses to this thread and just assumed there weren't any. But now that I'm back in the loop, I did want to thank everyone for their feedback and provide some thoughts of my own. That makes me laugh about the rescue person who wouldn't let young families or lawyers adopt her dogs. :-D I can understand her rationale from both perspectives. It's a compelling argument on her part about lawyers, but not all lawyers are the same, of course. I know a lot of extremely busy lawyers in large firms who struggle to hit their billable hour requirement each month. They're machines instead of people, and I wouldn't even let them dogsit my babies for fear of neglect. That's not my situation, fortunately. The young family part will be, but I've been thinking really carefully on how I'll balance this when the time comes. My dogs are my first children, and I would hire as many trainers as needed and try as many alternatives as I could before I would give them up. Unfortunately, I don't think a lot of people have that mindset about their dogs. :( I would absolutely be open to the idea of having the breeder choose a puppy for us based on their experience and prediction as to personality. All basenjis are gorgeous to me, and as long as the markings aren't completely off-base and I can get a tightly-curled tail (I've seen that the Avongaras can be lacking in this area, and I need a cinnamon bun in my life), personality is the most important thing. I wouldn't nitpick it to death. I'll have to decide on a breeder at some point, and I'd love one who's relatively local so I could visit. The man I got Penny from had great pet Basenjis that he bred… I'd like to go with a more reputable breeder this time around. At the very least, he tested for Fanconi. I can be grateful for that, as all is well so far and I more than likely dodged a bullet when I ended up with such a fantastic dog. My plan would be to decide and get on a waiting list far enough in advance that if there were a couple litters that just didn't produce what my family and I were looking for, we wouldn't be waiting forever. In short, what I'm banking on is that the right pup with the right personality will fit in pretty flawlessly. I know what sets my basenji off in other dogs, and I'm hopeful that I could find one that would suit her and suit our home. Daisy certainly worked out well for her, and I'd love to have that same success again. I've done three puppies in my lifetime, and all of them have grown up to be well-adjusted adults. I know what it takes, and I know it's hard work. I would never go the route of having an infant and a puppy at the same time (isn't THAT actually the definition of insanity?? ;) ), but I am still trying to shoot somewhere in the next 3-4 year range so my two aren't past ten and too old to handle a puppy.
  • K

    Thinking about getting a basenji…

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    tanzaT
    @JazzysMom: Well, it's a good thing we went straight to a breeder! I'd considered BRAT, but decided to get a puppy instead. Good thing, because with six kids at home and lots of other kids in and out, we'd have never gotten a dog! Sad isn't it….
  • tashaT

    Food Stuck, Is This a Basenji Thing?

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    MantisM
    Caesar started doing this around 4yrs old, or I started noticing it then….the chewing licking air after dinner for a while? I massage his jaw at the back and it loosens the food. He was officially ready for a teeth cleaning (big bucks) at age 5 and probably had that problem all of his life. Teeth were all fine. Now, after dinner, he comes to me to rub the back area of his jaw to get the food out. He must feel a real difference now that his teeth are clean. I dont ever stick my fingers inside his mouth, just rub the outside and it is good enough. I feed Caesar Innova Evo and Natural Balance Duck and Potato back and forth.