Soooo anxious waiting for my puppy to be born!!

[OmegaTandy]

Hello all!! I swear this is a light hearted post! I am soooooooooooo anxious about the arrival of our new Basenji, "Kenji"! So we have an amazing breeder named Tad Brooks from Meisterhaus Basenji's! Tad is incredible! He even sent me pictures of the potential "Mommy's" ! Secretly we picked which one we hoped was his Mom, and she is whelping any day now! It is soooo hard not knowing if he is inside her or not! (Don't laugh at me! ) Do breeders do sonograms? Lol...all great breeders have waiting lists and we are the 9th deposit so I am not sure where we fall in wanting a male/female etc. I have been looking at pictures of babies on Facebook! Just to help me pass time!

Give me some fun advice for "waiting" for him to get here! I am going crazy!

[CrazySenji]

Welcome to the family! I have 2 Meisterhaus boys

[OmegaTandy]

@CrazySenji yay! Send me pictures So how did it go with your boys? We want a boy too! Did you get them your first shot at it?

[DebraDownSouth]

Some breeders do xrays to count spines/skulls so they have an idea how many.. but not genders. Good luck with your new puppy!

[CrazySenji]

Well, I was looking for a show dog. My first boy was 4 months old when I got him because he was held back as a show prospect. Elliot my current red boy was also a show hold back Tad offered to me after my first boy passed away and was 5 months when I got him. Morgan was the one I waited for and was just as anxious as you lol. Again, I wanted a show dog and had to wait to see how the pups turned out. He was 10 weeks old when I got him :).
Tad will pick the right puppy for you and your family!

[OmegaTandy]

Look at those handsome boys!!! So okay, explain to me the difference between a show prospect and my Kenji..do they hold the puppies until they see how they turn out and then determine whether they are show dogs or not? So if Kenji isn't picked as a show dog but then turns out as handsome as your boys will Tad offer to show him? What do they look for?

[CrazySenji]

Those are questions to ask Tad. I only know how the process went for me and I don't know how it goes for pet only people. I went to him looking for a dog to show myself so that's what I was given. It's a hobby/passion of mine but it's not for everyone. Showing a dog is not cheap, can be incredibly frustrating, often requires travel, not every dog WANTS to be a show dog and they can not be fixed.

ALL basenji boys are handsome, but not all are meant to be show dogs.

[OmegaTandy]

I understand! I just know how busy Tad is I hate bothering him lol..

Thanks for all of your help!

[Nancy Berry]

@OmegaTandy We'll be waiting for some pictures ~ Please!!!!

[DebraDownSouth]

@OmegaTandy
I am pretty sure the info will be in your contract.

From my experience, usually, people who get pet puppies that turn out show worthy, you can work with the breeder if you want to change from a neuter/pet contract to a show one. They generally will demand health clearances and a title before you could breed the dog. As your dog gets older, around 6 mos, if you are sure you are interested, the breeder can help you find people he trusts to evaluate your pup and tell you if your puppy has potential. That said, it is a very expensive hobby. There are so many other venues you can do.. agility, lure coursing, obedience <cough>, etc. I recommend you attend some shows... maybe ask a breeder if you can go with them, help with their dogs in return for asking them lots of questions and getting some experience at show.

[OmegaTandy]

@Nancy-Berry I promise I will!

[OmegaTandy]

@DebraDownSouth I have zero interest in showing my little Kenji! However, I didn't know if the breeder would have "rights" to show him if he turns out to be worthy of showing! I am trying so hard to learn how the breeding thing goes.

[DebraDownSouth]

The best source is to ask the breeder for a copy of his contract. Honestly, that's best since every breeder is different. I'd be glad to help walk you through things though!

[Nancy Berry]

@CrazySenji As well, it can also be said that "ALL Basenji girls are beautiful, but not all are meant to be show dogs." 1st. off, to CrazySenji & OmegaTandy ... I'm NOT trying to be a smarty pants or know it all.... really ~ I promise I'm not!! ALL Basenji boys ARE handsome bcoz they're males & ALL Basenji girls ARE beautiful bcoz they're girls!! I've only had 2 b's, they were both girls. So, imho, ALL Basenjis are handsome & beautiful bcoz ... they are ~ Basenjis!! But I bet the waiting time to get the puppy seems like the longest time ever!! I just want to see some pictures!!

[OmegaTandy]

Nancy I agree 100% I believe that all basenji's are beautiful and handsome! I know certain dogs are picked for show because of different reasons (which I am learning). I think like you said the hardest thing for me has been the wait! Lol!

[OmegaTandy]

UPDATE******

When we were in the process of choosing our breeder I contacted several of his references!! One of them I was able to stay in contact with. He emailed me last night and answered all of my questions! Our breeder will determine at about 5-8 weeks which pups go to which home. He does that based on personality of the pup and of our families lifestyle and personality. He is watching each one closely to pair them up with their new home. This is the reason I haven't heard if our puppy is born yet, because he doesn't know! LOL..understanding that process has helped a TON!

This is what I love the most about the Basenji Family, everyone is so helpful! I can't wait to keep you all updated! Until then, help feed my anxiety by posting some more pics of your b's!

[Nancy Berry]

@OmegaTandy I'm glad you got your questions answered! I would guess that helps you a great deal! It amazes me how the breeders or rescue people are able to match up a puppy or a rescued dog to people! My guess is that, it's a bit more difficult to match a puppy to the new parents than matching an older dog to someone but ~ maybe not! I guess the breeders have done it long enough that it's like tying your shoes!! lol ... I don't know but, I'm really happy for you! I'm sure you probably know this but ~ ALL PUPPIES have the sharpest little teeth EVER!! So ~ Beware the puppy teeth ~ they do hurt! (Keep some toys handy)! When a Basenji loves you, it's a different kind of love than other dogs!

[OmegaTandy]

Do you feel the puppy teeth are sharper in comparison to other breeds? (German Shepards, Pit Bull, Boxer, or Pug) @Nancy-Berry

[Nancy Berry]

@OmegaTandy Oh nooo! ALL puppy teeth are sharp ... like sewing needles!! lol

[OmegaTandy]

@Nancy-Berry absolutely! Just making sure it wasn't a different sharp hahahah...