Guppy never escapes. Even when his sister does. I will come home to one dog out and Guppy on the couch.
Lately, I've run my dogs in Puppia harnesses to protect their necks from the martingale collars. This morning, however, Shaye slipped her harness when she stopped to pee: just turned around like lightning and backed right out of it!. It took me and half the people around and outside to catch her. She ran down to the garbage dumpsters at the back of our development, and by the time I got there she had her head through a plastic bag that "missed" the throw evidently, was digging in whatever that was, and when I grabbed the bag she tore out of it and ran all over the empty fields nearby, between houses, up and down the streets, everywhere, but always running back to the area, just out of reach. I first thought if I drove the cart away from her, she'd follow and want to jump in to ride. Hah - no such luck. So I drove back to the field she was in, and when she stopped to poop I nearly had her, but just as I grabbed, she bolted. Some woman with a jack russell terrier was out walking with her dog, and Shaye ran up to her trying to get at the jack russell, which the woman picked up so Shaye she couldn't reach her. She said her dog is very unfriendly. Two guys were outside putting lights up on their house close by and they tried to tempt Shaye with treats, but she'd get real near to them and then bounce away - too smart for that routine, I guess. We had traffic stopped because they were afraid she'd come barreling out between houses and run across the street and they'd hit her. She would not come to me of course, that meant being brought home and that little burst of freedom was just too wonderful in her mind. Thank God we live in a close-knit little community and everyone drives slow and watches out for such stuff. Eventually the woman with the jack russell put her dog in her house, and came back with a piece of bacon to about 20 feet away from me. Shaye did go up to get the bacon and she grabbed her. If it wasn't for that, I'm afraid she'd still be running around. And, even after all that, when we got into the house, her first steps were right to the cupboard for a treat. Oh yeah, that was likely. Plus all through this nightmare poor Gemma, my b-mix, sat right on the seat of the golf cart and never tried to chase Shaye, didn't make a lurch for her own freedom, didn't bark or anything else. She just sat there watching, probably thinking "what's wrong with that bitch?". What a good girl. In retrospect, my thoughts on all the remarks people were making: "what a beautiful dog," "wow isn't she fast?" all fall into the category of be careful of what you wish for as I consider how much and for how long I wanted a basenji before I got Shaye.
Shaye wanted you to have more excitement in your life, haha!
So happy that Chipley was safe! (Have you posted pictures of this little one yet?)
Hi Patty…he's not so little! He gains weight when everyone else is losing, eating the same amount of the same foods! I'm not good with posting photos to this site, sorry, I don't think I have posted any of him. He is a tall boy and has grown a thick winter coat, I am teasing him and calling him a 'border collie mix' !
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"We chose our house, on a quiet rural cul de sac with an 8' Basenji proof fence, with the B's in mind. On the few occasions they've gotten loose, my reflex action is to grab their Cookie Jar. The neighbours think I'm nuts when they see me running down the road clanging dog biscuits in a huge glass bin, but it works like a charm. I even used it to lead a shy puppy mill foster boy home after he bolted out the door…he wouldn't let me put a leash on him, but he was happy to follow the jingling jar!"
That would probably be a funny scene with the cookie jar! But it works! sounds like something I do too. I have 10 acres and he does go off leash on the part that is not fenced in at times (our back yard). So when I want to recall him, I had him very well conditioned to the whistle as he partially learned it from Candi the hound mix. Both are so food driven (luckily...). When I blow it, he comes running to a screaming halt to get the 'treat' I always have for him. I am not saying it is 100% fool proof, but he has dropped a mushroom in exchange for the 'whistle treat'. 99.99% he comes 'running' to me immediately, sometimes he takes his time....but he comes.....Really wouldn't want to experiment in a residential area, but he has been to the neighbors house 5 acres away playing with the other dogs, and he does come back within a few minutes, and a few blows from me!
Wow - did this just come through this way or is it someone posting in another language - anyone know??
That is great that Chipley is ok and didnt run away. It's so scary when a dog gets loose.
Growing up, our Basenji, Jodi, was such an escape artist. We got him when I was 11. Open the door just a little and he was gone. And it seemed it was always me that had to run after him. He would always play the keep away game and we would go for blocks and blocks until he decided to let me catch him. He was so mean tempered, I couldn't have strangers try to help me, he would bite. And he hated being picked up, he would bite. I am a tall person, walking him home, bent over, hanging onto his collar was not fun as we would be far from home and I would never think of grabbing a leash as I tore away after him. As I got older, one way to get him to come back was to open the car door and ask if he wanted to go bye-bye in the car. That usually stopped him and he would turn around and jump in the car and we would go at least around the block. lol One thing he did love was being out front on a chain screwed into the ground. He would go out there all day long, resting under the tree. When he was done, the chain was long enough that he could get to the front door to scratch to be let in. Do any of you let your dogs out front like this? He loved watching what went on in the neighborhood and it kept him stimulated. He and I also went for hours and hours of walks, too.
Wow, that's how we used to catch our first basenji back in the 70's…drive past him and open the car door. There was no way we could catch him on foot.
I would not want to tie one out in the front, other loose dogs could come and bother them and they would not be able to get away. We take long walks, go to dog park every day, and they have a fenced back yard with tormenting squirrels to chase. In fact, out county is making it illegal to 'tether' dogs !
We didn't have a problem of other dogs picking on Jodi, Jodi was the one that started fights. He never backed down, which was so scary. He got in a few fights while walking with loose dogs coming up and challenging him. In all the years he was out front, we never had a dog attack him while out on the chain. Maybe we were lucky. This was back in the 1960's, I guess it is frowned on nowadays. But he loved it so much. I personally would not do it now, too many loose pit bulls in my neighborhood.
In all the years he was out front, we never had a dog attack him while out on the chain. Maybe we were lucky. This was back in the 1960's, I guess it is frowned on nowadays.
I used to do this too, back in the '60s with my first Basenji. Corkscrew tie out on the front lawn. My mom used to put her out there on nice days and when I got off the bus a block from home she would see me coming and "baroo" a greeting. I would unclip the chain, and she would follow me to the house. Looking back, I suppose I was lucky, but at the time it seemed the most natural thing to do. Ah, the good old days! 
I used to do this too, back in the '60s with my first Basenji. Corkscrew tie out on the front lawn. My mom used to put her out there on nice days and when I got off the bus a block from home she would see me coming and "baroo" a greeting. I would unclip the chain, and she would follow me to the house. Looking back, I suppose I was lucky, but at the time it seemed the most natural thing to do. Ah, the good old days!
Good to see we weren't the only ones that did this. The other dogs didn't like being out there at all. We had a Beagle and a terrier/poodle mix and they hated being out front. Jodi would litterally stay out front all day long when it was nice out. We figured it was like being out on the savanna, surveying all that went on in his kingdom. And we always would have the front door open with the screen door closed so we could hear if there was a problem. Being that he didn't bark, we had no problems with him barking at people walking by.
Taz got out of the house one day between my bf's legs and since we had just gotten him he took off. The only thing I could think of was to use the one thing I knew would get his attention. The squeaky toy! He loves the squeaky toys. So I grabbed Levi and the squeaky toy and headed out to find him. It took only about 10 minutes to find him and came, tail wagging and jumping on Levi. So I have been worried about this ever since. Then the other day he got out the back door and not having my shoes on, I went to the door to call him and with in minutes he came flying through the door. Needless to say, I am not worried about that anymore.
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I will admit that catching the basenji does get easier. My boyz (now 14 and 15 years) are much, much easier to catch. 
Actually Jet the trying has decided he hates being outside, even if the weather is nice. Except yesterday. He wanted to stay outside so he could eat grass and throw up. It's hard to find nice edible grass in January in Colorado.
