If your B is a family pet, and not for breeding I would stay clear of answering questions like this and the people who ask them, as they tend to ask such questions with all new posters. It will only lead to criticism and contempt, if the dog didn't come out of there known breeder community you will never hear the end of it.
Welcome, you will find decent people here, but also some snarky breed snobs that just can't seem to mind there own buisness as well.
Certainly not that case… if you have rescued your Basenjis from a less than responsible breeder then Kudos to you... main thing is that they are are least tested for Fanconi since we have a direct DNA test. That way you know... We have many here that have rescue Basenjis and everyone is welcome.
You will find more often than not that responsible breeders place their pups in pet homes... as those are the best homes.
I have been trying to decide whether to get into this discussion. I'm fairly new here, and I was welcomed without the 3rd degree about my dog, perhaps because he was an adult, not a pup. However, I have seen some new people interrogated to the point where they didn't come back, and that is unfortunate. I believe it is done with the best of intent, but can be overwhelming when someone has joined to gain more information and ends up feeling that they have done the unforgivable by not thoroughly researching the breed or their purchase before obtaining a puppy. If we were as kind and understanding to each other as we are to our dogs, things might feel a little more welcoming. JMHO. I respect everyone on this forum, and think the experienced breeders show an admirable interest in the welfare of the breed.
I was trying to make that point, thank you, albeit a little dramatically but it did get noticed, those wagon trains circled faster than a B doing the 500 around the living room.
It's a small group that owns these dogs, as compared to say a breed that can be commonly found in any town USA.
This is after all the top listed site if you Google Basenji Forums, as a new owner would do seeking information, but you show up with a new pup pic that isn't acquired from the community, and well it shift's real quick to where that pup came from because a breading contract was broken at some point, and that B most likely came from lineage associated with a reputable breeder.
I'm just trying to say questions of pup origin do not belong in a category labeled "introduce your self", that's it, even if the intent was for the betterment/protection of the breed. No disrespect is meant, I just said things a little more direct than most would.
please remember that ppl here are trying to make sure new owners are sure of the health risks and heartaches associated with fanconi and other health disorders that could be avoided by buying from responsible breeders. i bought my pup from a no-win situation in a petstore - super-discounted and an un-socialized biter. i was fully aware of what i was doing and felt a little guilty for it, but there was no way any family in their right mind would buy that dog (thus the major discount). when i joined the forum i received no terrible treatment for my ill-gotten little princess, just a reminder of the health testing that i should do as a responsible mom. i think you are over-analyzing the responses you received when you first joined. please remember that ppl are just making sure that you are not perpetuating the problem by senselessly breeding and are trying to help you out by making sure everyone knows about potential health issues so that they can address them early on if they see symptoms or signs. let's not discourage any new member from learning about all the joys and tribulations that basenjis have to offer, well-bred or not.
Ok, this has nothing to do with health issues, or breed education, your going to find that with any dog forum. I'm talking about this weird control vibe that goes on here.
Look at the poster above my last, I have no connection or knowledge of this person, but did notice some facts,
join date july 2011
let me post some interesting items from his/her post
'I'm fairly new here, and I was welcomed without the 3rd degree"
"However, I have seen some new people interrogated to the point where they didn't come back, and that is unfortunate"
Point in question- look at those key words "3rd degree" "interrogated"
Now I don't want to quote out of context, because I will also say they PRAISED the efforts of all involved in the community, which no one dis reputes.
So it would seem to me, you have driven off quite a few people over the years.
I joined in 08' and in 12' same crap, leave your breading contracts at home, god forbid someone might hear about a great and loving family pet called a Basenji.
i think the people getting the "third degree" are the people who haven't purchased the pup yet. the people on this forum are trying to prevent them from perpetuating the problem of BYBs by buying from them, and trying to prevent them from future suffering with a dog with major health issues. they are trying to protect people before they purchase the pup.
for all the people who come here and introduce their new dog, they are usually asking about breeding because a lot of the dogs are actually related. if the dog does not have testing, they simply let new people know about how they can get the testing done for themselves. to my knowledge, no one has ever implied that people with poorly-bred dogs don't belong here and should never come back. nor have i seen anyone shunned because their dog came from a less-than-ideal background. please try looking at posts and giving people the benefit of the doubt that they do not have any ulterior motives. they are simply to trying help out new owners and to help out the breed as a whole.
The person who was 'drove off' was a person looking for a puppy for her boyfriend for Christmas. She wanted a pup to give him for Christmas and looked a little desperate in trying to find one. Thus if she found one 'wherever' it would have been purchased without knowledge of health testing, breeding, etc. That right there is a major Red Flag. People should never just buy a puppy on a whim for Christmas or any other special holiday etc without knowing the breed. I also stated to this person that it was not an attack it was just that we as a group wanted them to know the trials and tribulations of owning a B. She herself had done no research, she just wanted a puppy…..now..... She obviously did not understand our concern or want to hear what we had to say. I just hope that she did the research needed if she did end up purchasing a puppy....from wherever it may have came from.
An example of what I referred to in my post occurred just after I joined, and I believe it ended up with us losing a forum member. Here is a link to the thread.
This person had their dog before they joined. I think it is unfortunate that we lost him because of an overzealous reaction to his dog's origins. It's fine to try to steer people in a responsible direction, but I'm sure it's pretty tough to be on the receiving end when you were just hoping to join a forum and expected to be welcomed, not buried in a sea of judgmental comments. It's easier to convince people if you don't alienate them first!
I apologize to the OP for the thread hijack. Perhaps we should take this discussion somewhere else if it is going to continue? Oh, and Merry Christmas, everyone! 
Nate, please don't be put off by some of the negative comments in response to your posting. There's always someone who can spoil it foir the rest and they can generally be ignored.
It's always interesting to read the breeding of other Basenjs and I see no harm in somebody asking. After all it could turn out to be a relation by Basenji. Actually it's very likely that most of our Basenjis are related at some point - I've traced many of the Basenjis on this forum back to common UK ancestors.
Is it also normal for breeders to go off forum (email) to discern breeding, because they lost contact with someone they sold a dog too?
it just seems a little OCD in the forum, because all basenji's are related here or should be according the folks that track it, and you know you do.
Do you seek out the one's you lost, and are out of your control, yes, and ask new pup owner's where they got pup's you don't know about. YES.
As a recipient of one such pup, to have in my home as a pet, then come here, a whole different perspective starts to open up, and persists because you condone it by using health as an over ridding factor, sorry, doesn't cut it in today's society. They are two different questions, so quit transferring the justification for one to the other.
So all of this goes back to the 2008 thread about your B Marley?
You totally hi-jacked this poor person's welcome thread and seem to have successfully run them off since they haven't posted again since you went on a rant against everyone on this forum. If you have questions about whether breeders work diligently to stay in contact with their puppies for their entire lives, why not start a new thread instead of continuing to post in this person's welcome. Obviously you are hanging on to a lot of anger.
Nate, please come back!
Yes, I did hijack the thread, my apologies to the op.
