You might reach out to BRAT and ask if they have any foster's in your area that would dog-sit for you. They seem to have Basenji foster parents in every city, so they are experienced with Basenji's and would be able to adapt to short stays. Offer a "donation" of sorts and make it very clear that you are not surrendering your little lady. (worth a shot)
What is your typical day with your B(s)?
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We get up at 6:30 and go downstairs for the morning walk which only lasts about 5-10 minutes. Then it's upstairs to eat our breakfasts. One bowl of kibble for him, one bowl of oatmeal for me. Time for MY shower.. which Orion feel he has to be a part of so he patiently waits for me to get out before licking my legs and following me around until I'm allllll dry and dressed. Then it's time for our second walk of the morning. Another 10 minutes or so before momma heads to work and he goes in his kennel. NO whining either. I come home for lunch and take him out then eat lunch and take him out once more. then we don't see each other until 5:30 and I miss him like crazy! Walk, then I prep my dinner and feed him when I sit down to eat. We wrestle and play some before going out for yet another walk. Then it's lazy time in front of the TV. Orion doesn't always agree and wants my full attention. About 9:30-10 we take our final walk and head to bed. In his kennel he goes where he whines for exactly 10 seconds, and we both fall asleep… at about 2:30, I'll wake up and unlock the crate.. 30 minutes later he sneaks in bed with me and I wake up at about 6:30 and repeat!
very routine, and very nice for a mawmaw like me
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Most days for us we get up about 8-815 go outside to pee, come in and get breakfast for the cats and Kaiser(he runs in and first thing he does is check the cat bowl to see if they left him anything), he is very keen on his brekky(raw meat mix of meat bone organs and tripe with a little fish oil to keep his skin moisturized). Mum needs her cup of tea and checks the internet while drinking it, not long and Kaiser needs his walk, should be a 30 min walk but is always longer as he has to stop and look at everything and everyone and of course sniff out all the good stuff. Get home rinse off those feet for pollutants and time for snooze and this continues most of the day, he might wake up for a snack(scrambled egg or can of sardines) or to investigate something. Have a play sometime in the late afternoon then dinner is served at around 5-5.30 (yummy chicken carcass or some other meat with bone and always with tripe) Loves Wednesday nights as we are off to the dog park to play with all the other doggies. Might give the cats a hard time before he snuggles up on the couch with mum and dad, out for a pee then off to bed at around 9-9.30 and sleep(snore and fart) till morning and nothing will get me out of my crate until brekky.
Jolanda and Kaiser
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Up at 6h00 and dogs all the dogs go out into the yard for their morning duties (Jenga and Rudy, our 2 B's and Diixie our German Shepard). After 10 minutes they come in for breakfast while I prepare breakfast and lunches for the family. At 7h00 we are down to the barn to feed the horses. Jenga has a long chain he stays on as he has proven that he likes adventures. His most recent one lasted for 10 days and he was found about 30 kilometres away. However, the other 2 play with him and run around to check out if all is in order on the farm. Once horses are taken care of we take a 20 minute walk and then they come back in the house and sleep while I do the morning households. Around 11h00 we are backoutside usually for a ride or arena work. If it is arena work they all go in the kennel but if we ride Jenga comes on the saddle with me or in a bicycle basket I have rigged for him and the other two tag along for an hour long in the forest above our farm. He is also learning to walk and jog alongside while on a long leash. Then, it is back in the house for lunch and nap. They will sleep for a few more hours. Around 15h00 it is back outside to ride another horse or lesson a client. Two days a week they stay in a stall while I go with my horses to practice cow work at another farm. The longest I have left them alone is 5 hours now and they do well with toys and chewies. They go with me in the car for kid pickups and shopping trips. They all love riding in the car! 18h00 another walk, then dinner and out in the yard for duties. Most nights they are tired and crawl in the bed around 19h00 by themselves while we eat dinner. They will pop out of bed to say hello to the kids as they arrive later from their dance classes. Then it is another duty call around 22h00 and then down for the night. They both sleep in our bed as do most of yours I imagine. Then it all starts again the next morning.
I have always had a life that revolves around animals but I will admit I really am in love with my 2 B's. My husband, not so much as he is not very tolerant of some of the chewing damage we have endured over the past year. For example, our bed frame, many items of clothing and shoes, horse tack, table legs and corners, pillows, each others dog collars or harnesses, etc. Am sure you all know about this.
They bring so much humour and joy to my life! But, I am the first to admit they are high maintenance and like little kids most of the time. They sure are MY BOYS and I can't imagine my life here on the farm without them. They keep me on my toes.
They love to taunt the goats and are quite cunning in their antics. Luckily, my 3 goats like it. You will see the dogs and goats ,who are standing on their hind legs with head lowered, doing a dance around each other. All in fun. However, every once in awhile I will hear a scream as one of them "got it".
They love the snow as long as it is not for more than 30 minutes and jump right in the water of our little creek.J, Jenga, Rudy and Dixie in Switzerland
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I won't get into specifics but I will say that not a day goes by that Oakley doesn't eat some paper product, whether it be toilet paper,paper towels,napkins, the newspaper…bills...that much is a garuntee...the rest varies by day!! Lol
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Kaiser just likes to shred paper items etc, toilet paper or tissues he carefully shreds then rolls it to a wet blob in his mouth and spits it out as if it tastes yuck, looks so funny when he does it. Loves envelopes with the plastic window which is crunchy when he chews it. He is always testing new things to see how much fun they can be.
Jolanda and Kaiser
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Oakley is obsessed with eating it…like a billy goat he will sit there with a foot of toilet paper and just eat it..it drives me nuts!
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I am fortunate with my current boy, because he isn't destructive at all. Most of my previous Basenjis liked to at least rip up tissue, but with Perry we have gotten quite careless. You can leave most anything around and he won't touch it.
My typical day starts with feeding the horses. Then I come back inside and wait for husband and dog to appear. As I write this, nobody has showed up yet, and I have been up for an hour! Sometime soon I will hear dog feet hit the floor, and then he will appear, wanting his breakfast. I will boot him out the door to pee, and then feed him. After our own breakfast, at some point I will take Perry out to do his business. Today I may walk him down the field, but in the dead of winter we usually head for the hay barn, where he can use the facilities in relative comfort, out of the wind and snow.
Around noon I will give him a roller ball with kibble in it, and leave him on his own while I head out to run errands, grab some lunch, etc. After I get back a couple of hours later, I will likely take him for another outing. Either a walk in the field, or in good weather perhaps a walk in the woods.
He eats his supper before we do, and takes his last run outside usually before 8 p.m. After that he is good until the next morning, often 12 hours!
So that is our basic routine, Of course, there may be spontaneous play sessions, or impromptu training, but otherwise he just hangs out where I am. He may demand attention if he thinks he isn't getting enough of it, but he usually is polite about it, tapping me with a paw or squeaking one of his toys. Perry at nine years old is very pleasant to live with…..
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Sadly, you must be careful with paper products. They can impact from too much. I just never get it, across all breed lines, I don't think I have had a dog that DIDN'T love paper products in some form.
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As I am now retired and Karin workes from home, sequestered in her home office, I get to interact with the 'terrible three'. It being winter the first thing in the morning, the blind on the back door is pulled up to signal that it is time for their morning run. Baroo and Buddy dash to the door and mill about until I open the door. Bitty, of course is still hiding under the covers on my bed hoping I will forget her. Our back yard is just over a half acre in size so the boys love running the 'circuit' as we call it. Once i dig Bitty out from the covers she is pushed out the door to stand shivering pathetically on the deck until Buddy comes to chase her out into the yard.
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My dogs sleep with me or as they would put it, I sleep with them. We're up at 8:00am, my alarm is set for 8:30am but Khalani decides it should be 8:00am….hmmmm.
I let the dogs out for a pee while I make breakfast. They come back just in time to watch me eating my breakfast, there's nothing stranger than two sets of eyes watching the spoon go up and down. When I've finished, I feed them and then it's out for a 20 minute walk.
I then do 15 minutes of clicker training with the 11 month yo Khalani.
After lunch I do a 20 minute obedience training session, sit, stay, drop, and heel etc with khalani.
Around 3:00 PM I give the dogs another 20 minute walk. I prepare their evening meals and then I prepare mine. At about 6:00pm I cook my dinner and sit down to eat at about 7:00pm. The same thing happens at dinner as it does for breakfast, eyes go up, eyes go down, disappointed look on their faces when they get none. I then feed them their evening meal. Again, it's out for a 20 minute walk or until they do the number 2's.
Then we settle down for an evening of relaxation. One dog up my jumper ( he's a minpin). The Basenji between my legs....snoring usually.
Just before bed, I take the boys out for a quick pee and then it's to bed we go.
I have to sleep on my side as the minpin has to sleep next to my stomach and the Basenji behind my knees. I am not permitted to move, if I do roll over the boys do a kind of ballet move to reposition themselves in their respective places.
And the cycle go on............. -
All of our Bs have loved paper products too. We regularly have toilet paper "confetti" at our house, and Jubilee will sneak napkins out of unsuspecting guests' laps at dinner! He knows we will catch him so he only goes for newbies
