• Okay, so you have to picture this.

    Ren – 9 years old; rescued from a hoarder; currently wearing a cast from her stifle to the bottom of her paw -- is one of those unusual Basenjis that you can trust off-leash. Yesterday I was out in an unfenced area of our property with her and Tie -- 17 year old Australian Shepherd -- when I noticed Tie and Ren heading down the driveway. They got to the road, turned left and were walking south against the sunset.

    Where were they going?

    "Get over here!" I yelled (actually my husband did, his voice is louder) and they obediently came back. But now my mind has a snapshot of Mutt and Jeff, a very old medium sized dog and a small dog wearing a cast, apparently leaving home to find some sort of adventure. Goofs!


  • This reminds me of an older rescue about 13 years old, Pixie, and she could always be trusted off leash and would walk right beside you. She was a show Ch. so I thought she learned it from that. Well one time she started running down the sidewalk and crossed the road and went into an alley. I had no idea what she was doing or where she was going but I was running after her yelling her name. It turned out she was chasing a bunny that I did not see. She stopped in the alley as she had lost it. Scared me and after that she was never off leash again! It also taught me that her eyesight was not as bad as I thought it was. I thought she had no interest in chasing things because at lure coursing events she showed no interest at all in the white plastic bag.

    Jennifer


  • Joanne, I can just visualize that pair ambling off into the sunset, just out for a stroll.


  • and Jennifer, even old basenji eyes can see a bunny or bird! We had a 17 year old who would look up at the sky and 'track' some 'imaginary' bird…...that eventually we would be able to see too.


  • Jennifer, I didn't trust my Basenji off leash until she was 17 and then she could surprise me. I only managed to train others to be steady around sheep when they were 11/1 2

    Joanne, I love your image of them trotting off together on the great adventure.

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