@basenjicurious
It’s great that you’re doing your homework on the basenji. I think the reason you read all these “horror stories” is because they are not your typical dog. They are a beautiful and highly intelligent breed with a very strong prey drive. My Kembe is my first basenji but I was familiar with the breed because my brothers were basenji owners. I got her when she was 1years old - she was returned to the breeder by the previous owners. Kembe has never been destructive, she has free reign of our house, and I can leave her at home alone. It’s extremely important to exercise them regularly - especially exercise and stimulate their minds, and establish a routine (I can set my watch to my dog). They are definitely trainable - it scares me to see how smart she is and also well behaved. Basenjis are extremely lovable and hilariously funny. If I have a treat that my dog especially likes - she will do her whole “repertoire of tricks” without me even asking her. She dances to let me know it’s time to eat and will sit right next to me and hit me with her paw when she wants to go for her walk.
I think our basenji chose us - when we went to the breeders home to look at her - She jumped up next to my husband on the couch and curled up! I was sold on her! I really hope you find a basenji that right for you!
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Researching Basenjis
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What Lisa said.
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You may want to volunteer as a foster for BRAT, they are always getting dogs in that need to be homed. I saw a post of three that need immediate pickup from Amarillo TX today. I was a whippet foster a few months ago and adopted her despite her severe PTSD. Could not bear to see her go through more trauma being shuttled to another home after the horrific upbringing she had.
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All good advice. My first instinct from your thread was that a rescue would be an excellent idea for you. If you are patient, and persistent, the right one that needs you and vice versa will come your way. I learned this very recent in my search for an AKC breeder (was looking for a yellow lab) got burnt, and decided on a rescue and got some mix….but a beauty and great temperament for my Uzi tricolor B-boy. Got a call yesterday from a yellow lab breeder that lives a few blocks away.....go figure. the cards were piled up for me to adopt a rescue for sure!!!
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I don't think I could ever actually just buy a dog anymore. Sometimes I think I'd like a dog that I can show again… but no, I couldn't buy from a breeder, not after knowing how many dogs are out there without homes (purebreds too). Someone's got to give them a home, might as well be me. Rescues make good dogs too, and out of the 5 rescued purebreds I've had, 3 originated from "show" breeders. And I'm not necessarily maligning breeders (though the term IS used rather loosely) nor people who choose to buy from them, I'm simply stating that I couldn't.
And regarding crating Basenjis, I'm on #6, 3 show and 3 rescue, and all 6 could eventually be left loose in the house.
-Joanne -
Well breed with proper conformation, well temperment, healthy Basenjis come from breeders… Not sure what you mean per say "show breeders"... there are many, many breeders that while they show, they also do other things with their Basenjis along with them being family members first.. While I do show, I also do course... not many show homes and if I think they "need" to be shown, I keep them (unless someone is really really interested)... and 80% of the time, my pups are placed in wonderful companion homes... So responsible breeders will take offense to your statement about breeders.
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Oh, I agree with you about the merits of buying from a GOOD breeder, and yeah, if you want to buy from a good breeder, go ahead, I don't have a problem with it. I just mentioned the fact that I couldn't do it anymore. There is nothing I said that should cause a good breeder to take offense. By "show breeder" I meant a breeder whose puppies are meant for the show ring… or obedience ring, agility ring, coursing field, etc. Compared to a breeder whose stock is intended for a pet store, or buddy whose stuff is sold out of the trunk of a car. The term "breeder " covers those people too.
And the "show breeder" I got my rescues from... one dumped the dog when the dogs' bottom jaw wouldn't quit growing, the other breeder turned into a hoarder and over a hundred crated Basenjis were removed from her property.
-Joanne -
Ya know, I know this chick who refers to people who have biological children as breeders. She is adamant that no one should produce, doing so it selfish, should only adopt. Never mind that then leaves "breeding" to people who are not ready/able/responsible enough to raise the children necessary to make adoptions possible.
I am not a breeder now and I take offense. It is one thing to say you choose to get rescues because that is what you feel is right for you. Quite another to lump breeders together, or indicate that show means represents all show. It would be like me talking about people who rescue and give an example of someone too lazy to take the time to research and too tight to spend the money on a well bred dog. It insults breeders, it insults rescuers, who do either for the RIGHT reasons.
I sit here with one insane rescue basenji. I have her on prozac and a use thundershirt because frankly, many of the group are very fearful and unstable. They also have very high rate of fanconi in the pack (lots of carriers too but since spayed/neutered not an issue) and several have digestion issues resulting in a lot of ruptured anal sack issues/vomiting bile, etc. (and btw, my first and 2nd basenji from a (fill in the blank) breeder who produced 2 litters with massive issues including serious autoimmune problems– which I didn't know til I got the 2nd one)
I have spent my freaking entire adult life working in rescue, adopting as many rescues as I have had well bred. And I can promise you that IF I got another dog, it would be one from a responsible breeder with generations of the best health testing out there. I'd like the odds, at least, of getting a really healthy dog. My choice. With my health, it won't be happening, but I have absolutely advised my daughter to go that route when she is through with school. Work in rescue, get one later, but start with the best bet for a healthy sane dog.
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But I wasn't lumping breeders together at all, and I certainly wasn't insulting breeders, and I don't know how you figured I was insulting rescuers . If you notice I had "show breeder" italicized meaning the particular breeders I was referring to, bred for the showring and beyond that they probably didn't give a sh*t. And I don't exactly have the lunatic, Peta type attitude of the person you know, I fully realize that there is a very legitimate place out there for GOOD breeders (and just because a breeder shows, that by itself doesn't necessarily mean they're good).
Rescue rescue dogs DO make totally good pets, It's unfortunate that yours didn't work out for you. All 5 of the dogs I have now are rescues, a few more have passed on, and I'm sure I'll have rescues in the future. All of them have been good dogs, both health and temperament wise.
-Joanne -
But I wasn't lumping breeders together at all, and I certainly wasn't insulting breeders, and I don't know how you figured I was insulting rescuers . If you notice I had "show breeder" italicized meaning the particular breeders I was referring to, bred for the showring and beyond that they probably didn't give a sh*t. And I don't exactly have the lunatic, Peta type attitude of the person you know, I fully realize that there is a very legitimate place out there for GOOD breeders (and just because a breeder shows, that by itself doesn't necessarily mean they're good).
Rescue rescue dogs DO make totally good pets, It's unfortunate that yours didn't work out for you. All 5 of the dogs I have now are rescues, a few more have passed on, and I'm sure I'll have rescues in the future. All of them have been good dogs, both health and temperament wise.
-JoanneOkay let me try again.. I didn't say YOU insulted rescues, I said your comment on breeding was like ME lumping rescues.
And for the record.. you might want to not make assumptions. I am 58 yrs old. I have had probably 4x as many rescues if not more than well bred dogs. And I sure as hell have done more rescues and helping rescues and transporting and fostering than I have ever bred.. about 10 x more actually.
MOST of my own rescues have been fantastic. And to say "not work out for you"… no dog is more loved than this crazy dog. She will never have another home, she will never have a day in her life that everyone here doesn't love and adore her. She has "worked out." But she also has health, stability and other issues. I've dealt with a lot of dogs with a lot of health issues from rescues and desiring to have one with much better odds of health doesn't mean anything other than I'd like to own a healthy dog next time and want to up my chances.
However, not meaning to gang up on you. I have yet to own a well bred chow because there's always another rescue in need every time I thought about it. And I am certainly, as someone who has spent decades in rescue, happy for people who adopt.
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And I wasn't assuming anything when I said "not work out for you", you yourself mentioned that you've dealt with fanconi, anxiety issues and immune problems, I never implied that you didn't love any of the dogs that had these issues. Maybe I've been relatively lucky with the rescues that came through here. But the odd well-bred dog can have issues.
My heart dog was a purebred, bred by myself, his parents had all the appropriate testing, nothing sinister in their backgrounds… this dog was born with the majority of his pancreas missing (which wasn't discovered until his necropsy at age 8). He was my unhealthiest dog of all, but I loved him the most.
And for the record, I'm only a half dozen years behind you.
-Joanne -
Rescue rescue dogs DO make totally good pets, It's unfortunate that yours didn't work out for you. -Joanne
And I wasn't assuming anything when I said "not work out for you", you yourself mentioned that you've dealt with fanconi, anxiety issues and immune problems,
You are assuming they "didn't work out" for me. Having issues doesn't mean they didn't work out. It doesn't mean not good pets. It MEANS health and other issues. As you pointed out, you have a chance of problems even with the best bred. But research has consistently proven that testing sure as shootin' gives you a lot better odds.
So yes, you assumed that because they had issues it "didn't work out." That's a huge reach from having problems. I don't consider issues as "didn't work out."
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Well, if you go back to your first post on this topic, the way you were writing about the rescues you're had gave (me) the impression that you were disappointed with them, and in my mind, if you are disappointed with your dogs, "they didn't work out" for you. So that's not really a huge reach.
That's the trouble with the written word, if you don't chose your words carefully, what one is trying to communicate doesn't necessarily come across, and may give the wrong impression. And no, I am not accusing you of incorrect word usage.
-Joanne -
Joanne, unless someone SAYS something, and at no point did I say disappointed in or didn't work out, then the only issue is the reader's assumptions. That you stretched my describing my current rescue into a lifetime of disappointed rescues and not working out when no such thing was said… well, I do find it funny you want to justify your ASSUMPTIONS on my post but jump others for interpreting yours. Hmmm. Done with this. Have a good day.
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Bottom line to this thread that I recommend that people look to a responsible breeder that health tests before breeding and that those results are public available at www.OFFA.org That said… responsible breeders will breed FIRST for temperament and at the SAME time to a Basenji that represents the breed standard, period! Breeders that show, breed to that standard INCLUDING health, conformation, temperament in total... not one or the other... show breeders (as you call them) breed first for themselves to improve the breed, but they can't keep everything... so most important is temperament and health for the pups in that litter that they place... at least for me
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I applaud you for getting a rescue. There are tooooo many out there. For a first timer, an older one would be good, at least 18mos old or more where their personality is who they are at this age. Research all you can, and if you fill out an application and are denied, no not stop trying. I was denied by a Basenji rescue, and Uzie is my second where I found him right here 'free to good home' so we drove two days to pick him up and he is thriving without fenced in yards. (not for everyone as not everyone lives on 10 acres or more…I get this....!) but he has blossomed and doing well. So, don't give up!
