Hi everyone,

My name is Cristina and I live in Brooklyn, originally I am from Brazil but I have been living in NY for almost 10 years and Brooklyn specifically is definitely the place that I called home. I came across this breed in the beginning of the year when I started to do some research about anti-allergic dogs and the Basenji kept pupping up on my searches… Once I started looking more into it I've became obsess and completely in love with them.

We have plans to get a Basenji only next year after my boyfriend and I move in together and get settle we don't want to get a dog before we are ready to welcome her into our family. As you can tell I have join this group in order to be able to get more information about the breed and be super prepare when is finally our time to have our Basenji.

The more I read about the more in love I get. I was able to finally meet up with a Basenji owner and her dog via BRAT they were kind enough to search someone in our area that were willing to talk with us and answer some questions. It was an amazing experience and more then ever made me realized that Basenjis is the way to go.

Now is just a question of keep up with our research and wait for the right time for us to adopt our Basenji. If anyone can recommend a good website for us to get more info it would be great..

All the best

Cristina

Hi,
I too am hoping to get a Basenji puppy in the future, this is the best forum ever to find out all about them. Read as much as you can especially about responsible Breeders and Basenji health and you will be on the way to getting yourself a great dog.

Hi Stash,

I was told that as a first time owner we should NOT get a puppy … I was advised to get one that is at least 2 years old since puppies are really hard to control... what do you think ??

Welcome to the Forum. Please remember that Basenjis are not totally anti allergic. Also I've homed puppies with people who've never had a dog before and they've been very successful homes as they don't have any preconceived ideas about how a dog should behave. Basenjis are very different from most dogs. Having said that it would be wonderful if you can offer a loving forever home to a Rescue Basenji of any age.

@Patty:

Welcome to the Forum. Please remember that Basenjis are not totally anti allergic. Also I've homed puppies with people who've never had a dog before and they've been very successful homes as they don't have any preconceived ideas about how a dog should behave. Basenjis are very different from most dogs. Having said that it would be wonderful if you can offer a loving forever home to a Rescue Basenji of any age.

+1. I have 3 basenjis, all with the same grandfather, but Digital's fur tends to irritate my skin more than the other 2. On the flip side, they are pretty easy to bathe in the tub at home. Zest sleeps under the covers with me and her fur never seems to bother me. Diggie I have to bathe about once a month, but since he goes swimming once a month, I don't have to bathe him as often. (of course we haven't been to hydrotherapy in several weeks b/c of really bad weather and so I was really itchy holding him yesterday.)

@criscamara:

Hi Stash,

I was told that as a first time owner we should NOT get a puppy … I was advised to get one that is at least 2 years old since puppies are really hard to control... what do you think ??

Hi
Well for me it all depends on your home situation, if you have had dog's before, young children etc and in my case two cats who will learn to accept a puppy easier(fingers crossed) than bringing in a dog even though they were brought up with my previous dog. I don't work so a puppy will have my full attention regarding training etc(you reap what you sow) and have young adult children so puppy will not be mishandled by accident, and the most important thing I have a responsible Breeder and this forum for advice for any situation that crops up.

This is a great website for learning. The BRAT website is great for looking for B's that need a new home. Ask lots of questions and you will find that everyone is very helpful here. I got my first B when she was 6 months old. Still a puppy but didn't go through all of the teething and up to take out for potty 5 times a night. Still this did not prepare us for what a basenji is really like. We had her for 4 years before we also came home with a puppy (I think he was maybe 12-16 weeks). It was a totally different situation. If you are home a lot and have the time for a puppy great, if not an older dog may be more suitable for your situation. If you can find a retired show dog, they should be a well rounded, balanced dog, who is already crate trained and you have the breeders backing for questions to ask. They would also be able to tell you more about the personality.

Good luck for your future B.

Hi,

I'm not really allergic to dogs is just that my roommate/best friend has a pug Madison I love her to death but she shades so much that sometimes I do have to take some allegra. So for that reason I've decide that once a get my own dog it will have to be one that shades normally… I don't know if you are familiar with Pugs but darn it they can be cute but the hair for me is just overwhelming.....Is like you have to save 15 mins before you leave the house to lint roll your entire outfit hahaha

Thanks Krunzer,

your reply was very helpful ! I do work full time and so does my boyfriend, he does have a easier schedule then me since I'm in Marketing my 9-6 can easily turn into a 9-10 hahaha my time away from home is something the do worries me and we have plan to schedule our lifes better before we can get our B. The idea of a retired dog show sounds interesting I will do more research on that.

Thanks so much

Cristina

We adopted a retired show dog when she was 11, and she was the best dog we ever had. I would definitely suggest that route.

-Nicole

Welcome to the forum. Another great website with a ton of information is the Basenji Club of America's site - basenji.org. There is a section called the Basenji University which has a lot of great info for people new to the breed. There is also a breeder referral section, what to look for in a breeder, etc. I, too, adopted 2 retired show dogs originally (both 2 years old at the time) and then added 2 puppies later. For retired show dogs/adults, many breeders have adults/young adults that are looking for homes - even though they may not be listed on their websites. Best to call to inquire - I've found some aren't great about email.

Good luck in your search!

I am a first time basenji owner, and we got our lovely boy Kipawa as a pup. I love the people that put out their homes and hearts to rescues, but for us, I wanted to be able to have close contact with my basenji's breeder to be able to raise a happy and healthy dog. For us, this was the best decision.

I do not believe that raising a basenji pup was any more difficult than raising another puppy breed. We knew our breeder concentrated on show dogs that had excellent temperament. With puppy classes and consistent at home training, Kipawa has become, at 1.5 years, a dog we are incredibly proud of.

I do understand though, that some people would prefer not to go through all of the puppy stages. Some situations can get on your nerves a little, but if you remain calm and consistent through them, I don't see a puppy as being an overwhelming challenge. You do, however, have to look at all the situations in your life to determine if a puppy will work with your home. It sounds as if you are doing that, in addition to doing a lot of research on the breed. Good for you, because whatever you decide, you are setting yourself up for many years with a wonderful dog.