My boy does not bolt, escape, climb or run for the door. I have a feeling he wouldn't run away because he has very good recall in the house and the yard. But he is still a basenji and I have not had the guts to take that chance. I honestly think it is for a few pretty specific reasons. He is extremely attached to his brother Buddy and can't be without him for one second. Buddy isn't a runner and would never try to escape. Another one is that when Corky was a pup I spend a lot of time teaching him to sit at the top of the steps near the door that we use to go in and out of the house. Also, I called him constantly when he was a pup and when he didn't come I would get up and have him follow me to where I was. He was always so good about following.
He is also the first of my three to greet people at the door. He'll even hug guests if they bend down to greet him. He's not the least bit aloof with strangers. He loves people. Although only his favorite people get yodels. 
I believe this is because when he was little I handed him to people as soon as they walked in the house. As you know basenjis are the cutest and most cuddly puppies, it wasn't hard to get people to hold him. I carried him around with me all the time. He would nap in my arms and go all over the house with me.
Other than these things, he's all basenji. He loves to sleep under the covers with us. He smells our mouths constantly. He can't be left alone in the house uncrated for more than 2 or 3 hours. Everything he sees belongs to him. And once his eyes lock on something, I have to physically move his head to get his attention.
Hmm, lets see Alani lacks many traits that are strong B qualities. She also does not bolt through the door unless it's one of us leaving and even then she just bolts out and then stands there and waits like 'ok lets go…where we going?'. She also LOVES people, we're trying to get her to not jump up which is difficult becuase she gets so excited when she sees someone. She licks more than I thought she would. She still doesn't lick as much as other dogs and her licks aren't wet at all, which is nice. I guess the last thing would be that she doesn't over exhert herself to get into things. Unless it's right out there in the open for her to get into she doesn't bother with it. Oh yeah, and the only time she does the B-500 is when she gets yelled at for something.
Well Chamo soen't lick much either and he loves childred and other dogs. I find that he is sometimes kind of fearfull in the street, especially when he turns a corner and someone is coming towards us. He's also kind of scared of things in is way on our walks like fallen garbage cans. Other than that he is all crazy like a B. Oh yes and he sheds a whole lot. Wait he dosen't acknowledge kongs and won't eat peanut butter.
Dash is very patient with people. Especially kids. He puts up with a lot from other kids that want to pet him and they have to play with his tail. He is also not aloof with strangers really. At the dog park he could care less about anyone that does not have 4 legs but at home he is so happy to greet anyone that comes in the house or yard. And he doesn't mind getting a bath.
Well my Garrett lacks many of the B traits I hear of too…
Does not chew anything at all-does not nip-good with all the other pets I have had-likes other basenji's @ the park-likes other dogs(except little weird about dogs in my neighborhood)-great with kids-doesnt care if I move him or wake him while sleeping-doesnt mind baths-good with grooming-could care less about rain-not a digger-for the most part learns new tricks easy-very calm at home-never has accidents in the house-does not scream (he used to when we first got him thank god that stopped lol)
But there are a few things we are still working on for example out of the blue he started wanting to chase motorcycles when we go out for walks :eek:
The one that really bugs me though is he gets all worked up in our neighborhood when we are walking and he see's another dog I have to cross the street becuse he's so fussy about it. Its a shame because he only acts like that around our block. Just a few weeks ago I took him to an adoption festival and he was just walking around all sweet with hundreds of other dogs!
Oh well, I'm really determend that one day he will be just as sweet with the dogs on our block just takes a little work!:)
Dash is very patient with people. Especially kids. He puts up with a lot from other kids that want to pet him and they have to play with his tail. He is also not aloof with strangers really. At the dog park he could care less about anyone that does not have 4 legs but at home he is so happy to greet anyone that comes in the house or yard. And he doesn't mind getting a bath.
Actually, this SHOULD be a normal basenji trait. I would consider this good and normal basenji temperament (well, maybe not the bath part). I think breeders should be striving for this
I am not going to say what my dogs do that isn't basenji-like because then they will start tomorrow; or maybe that should be don't do that IS basenji-like
I do have one that barks…quite often! Boof...boof....boof.....barooooooooooo,roooo,rooo....
**Lets face it, in our eyes our B's are all perfect! 
Not without a "slight imperfection" :rolleyes: here and there, but perfect just the same!!
I wouldn't change my B if I could, because then he wouldn't be the Peanut that I love!!! :D**
My little girl Jojo is almost perfect (at least in my eyes)…a B perfect? hummmm...I wouldn't change her for the world except maybe make her younger (she is 11yr)...
Uh…well....I have one that is way less than perfect 
but we love her (most of the time) none the less
The term "aloof" does not exist in my household. My dogs LOVE visitors and quite frankly make themselves pests by plopping on their laps and "grooming" them. I also have never had to deal with any major destruction issues….knock on wood!
Oh Gosh, I'm sorry. I didn't in any way mean to imply imperfection. We did a lot of research on basenjis and as Corky grew up and matured the things he did or didn't do that were not the 'typical' basenji traits really stuck out.
IMHO there's no such thing as an imperfect basenji. This breed is top notch in my book and I will have another one. As soon as the baby I'm carrying is old enough to understand how to raise a dog, he or she will learn this with a basenji. What better breed is there to teach your child to learn that patience and love bring wonderful rewards?
Aloof doesn't exist in my house either, However, outside my house it does… and as far as I am concerned that is how it should be. As pack leader, I expect my Basenjis to greet people that I have brought into our home as I have... but that doesn't mean that I expect them to like everyone or hang on everyone... if they want to fine, if not that is OK too... typically in our home people come in, the B's are all over them... then they are bored and go back to whatever they were doing. Again, I do watch my B's reaction to different people, it is very interesting to watch them and their take on people... and sometimes they have made the difference when people are visiting to talk about getting a puppy...
But when we are out, I do not expect, nor do I want them to be running up and climbing on strangers.... it was the fact that they are aloof with people that I liked about the breed... and I certainly would not want them to go running to jump in a strangers car either... so if you meet my Basenjis in the home, you are fair game... if we are outside the home at a show, trial, etc. they "did" read the standard and are aloof...
My little girl Jojo is almost perfect (at least in my eyes)…a B perfect? hummmm...I wouldn't change her for the world except maybe make her younger (she is 11yr)...
I know the feeling!! Peanut is 11 also, yet when I look at him I see a pup. If he only knew. :rolleyes:
My boyfriends dad has one that acts like a VERY TYPICAL basenji. Especially with chewing I'm not used to that so when we go over his house he takes anything I leave on the floor and destroys it!!! He acts kind of wild too.
We had to do some work with our boy because when we first got a basenji I said to my boyfriend I dont want our dog to act like Angus (my boyfriends dads basenji) he's cute but too naughty!!!
I was out walking with only 1 basenji and the funniest thing happened. We were walking minding our own business - which is astounding in an of itself. We passed this house where they have a newly fenced in yard and they have 2 dogs (1 choc lab and 1 sort of golden ret). The Golden type dog ran over to the lab as we walked by, put her face right next to the dogs ear and started to bark in the labs ear like crazy. The lab then got up and they both stood at the fence and barked.
It was as if the lab had it's own service dog.
Anyway - I was amused.
Quercus, you have one that likes to bark oh my gosh lol.
At the moment I'm trying to teach my dog to yodel on command. when we go out and we meet new people they always ask "can you make him yodel".
I met one at the park that yodels for a treat "so cool!
@vstripe:
My boyfriends dad has one that acts like a VERY TYPICAL basenji. Especially with chewing I'm not used to that so when we go over his house he takes anything I leave on the floor and destroys it!!! He acts kind of wild too.
We had to do some work with our boy because when we first got a basenji I said to my boyfriend I dont want our dog to act like Angus (my boyfriends dads basenji) he's cute but too naughty!!!
Come to my house and if you leave it on the floor, it is free game….gggggggg My B's love to go through your "stuff" looking for good things even at their ages...
Sahara is full flegged Basenji, I think she has all the B traits. She loves to chew my things, (will she ever out grow this) even though I provide her with things to chew instead. Hates the rain, will not go out to potty when it's raining unless I drag her with a leash. She loves to chase my cat and try to drag her by her neck around the yard, is very jealous when the cat gets near me or my hubby. She will bolt to the door when the door bell rings, and tries to jump on whoever is there, (can someone tell me how to correct this), I don't want her to jump all over my guest, some do not like dogs. She is very friendly to strangers and children, loves children and other dogs. She whines when left alone or in the crate, wants to be with me all the time. She scratches at my hand when she wants my attention. My hubby and I love her to pieces and would not change one thing except the jumping on people, and the chewing. We have lost lots of things to her chewing, she had my hubby's $800 new glasses last week and put a couple of scratches on them, he was sooooooo mad, but still loves her.
Ah… the old, if it is in my reach, it belongs to me...gggg.... Like I tell people, with a Basenji you will learn to put things out of reach....
As far as jumping, I would suggest if you have not, working some OB with Sahara.. teach her sit and stay. Practice when you come in that you do NOT pet her, until she is in a sit/stay, if she doesn't, she is ignored completely..... then you can work your way to people coming in the house, you put her in a sit/stay and she is only acknowledged when she is... however you may need to put a leash on her so that you have control to correct her when she doesn't listen... it is much easier to control your dog when they have a leash on...
While this is not typically what is done in Obedience, in the show ring if I have a dog that jumps up on me (for the treats) they are greeting with my knee... I don't kick them, but just a well timed "run into my knee) with a comment of down/stand/stay (since in the show ring for conformation we don't want them to sit)....
