New Member - Sonny from Central New Jersey

[SonnysDad]

Hi Folks,

Just discovered this site after being a Basenji owner for the last 11 years. Sonny is a 13 month old boy who's all Basenji. My first B was pretty mellow compared to this guy. He gets the "zooms" going at least twice a day and grunts dissatisfaction more often than yodels for joy. Already he's taken down his share of backyard animals and even chased a doe into our sliding glass door (at full speed!).

Sonny has been shown several times last year and has a nice stack of ribbons that he'd just love to chew to shreds. He was a regular at the dog park until he turned 6 months - no un-altered doggies allowed

Sonny was a real handful and we had a hard time keeping him from stealing things from counters, tables, etc. Anyone with a similar issue ought to check out the little compressed air gizmos. A couple of shots from that in his vicinity and he wised right up.

My last Basenji had a pancreatic enzyme deficiency and passed at the age of ten. I still have a full jar of Viokase if anyone is nursing a dog with a similar condition, drop me a line.

All the best

[CrazySenji]

Welcome!
I show my boy occasionally as well.. who is your boy out of?

[tanza]

Welcome… and yes, please share his breeding, many of us are related by our Basenjis!

[nomrbddgs]

Welcome Sonny and Sonnysdad!

[Alessandra131]

at what age did he start yodeling? My boy is 7 months and he hasnt made a peep!!

[stash]

Hi to Sonny, keeping your owner busy like a good basenji should.

Jolanda and Kaiser

[SonnysDad]

Hi,

I am new to showing, so I will try to answer. His official name is "Alapocas Ace of Djakomba". His sire is CH Sonbar's seventh son of Djakomba and the dam was CH Lots of Laughter Alapocas. This is my second pup from the Djakomba line and they could not be more different!

He got together with his litter brother and sister last August (and a few other relatives) at a show in Morristown, NJ - https://picasaweb.google.com/104376871677677156907/SonnyFriends?authuser=0&feat=directlink

@CrazySenji:

Welcome!
I show my boy occasionally as well.. who is your boy out of?

[ownedbyspencer]

Welcome! Sonny is a handsome boy!

I have a 14-month-old girl, so it's continual zoomies at our house. Our situations are a lot alike. My previous boy was more mellow and zipped through adolescence to become a well-behaved boy by 10 months. My girl is still very much a teenager, testing every boundary, every day.

What is this "little compressed air gizmo" you mention? My Ava steals, jumps, countersurfs, demands attention constantly. She keeps me on my toes, but I'll be glad to say goodbye to her adolescence!

[SonnysDad]

Thanks for the welcome!

Your Ava looks very similar to my Sparky (photo attached), who happened to pass on the day Ava was born. Needless to say, she's a cutie.

Sonny is utterly relentless, so I feel your growing pains too. My wife bought me a "pet convincer" for Christmas and much to my surprise it really worked where all else had failed. More than anything it got his attention 110%. It's so nice to be able to use the toilet paper holder in the bathroom again without fear of a Basenji redecoration and we can actually stand up from the dinner table without being pounced on!

I imagine he will "grow up" soon and we will miss some of his antics, but judging by his older brother (from the same pairing) he will be keeping us busy for a good long time.

@ownedbyspencer:

Welcome! Sonny is a handsome boy!

I have a 14-month-old girl, so it's continual zoomies at our house. Our situations are a lot alike. My previous boy was more mellow and zipped through adolescence to become a well-behaved boy by 10 months. My girl is still very much a teenager, testing every boundary, every day.

What is this "little compressed air gizmo" you mention? My Ava steals, jumps, countersurfs, demands attention constantly. She keeps me on my toes, but I'll be glad to say goodbye to her adolescence!

[tanza]

http://www.amazon.com/Pet-Convincer-Dog-Training-Device/dp/B000QWPWDM/ref=sr_1_1/178-6494167-6349860?ie=UTF8&qid=1390612629&sr=8-1&keywords=pet+convincer

Here is the pet conviencer… problem is that you have to be present to use it... much like a squirt bottle...

There are also scat mats... that I think are a better choice for counters...

[ownedbyspencer]

Sparky does resemble Ava. What a beautiful boy– I'm sure you miss him terribly. I lost my Spencer about a month before your Sparky, just shy of his 15th birthday.

Love your photos! Sonny has a lovely coat and such nice wrinkles. Like Sonny, Ava is utterly relentless. She's very sweet and great fun, but equally tenacious. Every little victory is hard won.

I'll check out the pet convincer. Thanks, Pat, for the link! I've wondered about the scat mats. I've never had a countersurfer before. I wonder if it's mostly adolescent curiosity... or the start of a lifelong behavior? I don't keep food on the counters, but I don't want her to fall or break something and get cut. She's not left alone in the kitchen, but you turn your back for just a second...

Hope you stick around the forum, SonnysDad! Lots of nice Bs and their people here, and you'll learn a lot.

[SonnysDad]

He rarely yodels, he's more of a grunter. When accused of something he thinks he is innocent of, however, he'll yodel away until he gets some love. I think he started around 6 months or therebouts. My last B would sing his heart out when I got home from work everyday, so I guess it varies quite a bit.

[CrazySenji]

He's very handsome! Love his head