@karann - The key in my opinion is to visit with Basenjis before you get one... Of course I always recommend that regardless. But for allergies, ask the owners to prepare a small towel that the Basenjis will sleep on for a few days... take that home and put it under your pillow.... will give you a good idea if your allergies will kick up
Advice please if a Basenji might be a good match.
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Yep, read Zande's Put-Off first. I don't worry about your cat being scared of the new dog, but more the new dog harassing the cat. Our basenji doesn't give the cat a chance to breathe (and the basenji has the scars on the muzzle to prove it). I'll be sitting quietly reading somewhere and then I'll hear a loud squeal - 'yep, the cat got the dog again!!' But, I would be more worried about the ducks and macaw. Our girl is obsessed with birds. Someone once told me that basenji's hunted birds as well as vermin, and I can sure see it in our girl, ducks in particular - she'll do anything to get them, as prey! If you find a basenji anything like our dog it'll be obsessed with the macaw and spend 23 hours of the day planning how to get it and the 24th hour attempting to get it. As Dagadingo says you'll have to evaluate the character. Good luck and best wishes with your decision and thank you for taking the time to seek advice and get the info before hand.
P.S. Here is our girl stalking a possum in the tree (most of her morning gone just doing this). And even though our breeder said that our girl was a climber she's never been over this small fence once, yet!!
Alison
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I agree with Pippi on the birds being in the biggest jeopardy. I have 3 chickens which my girl is fascinated with. She goes out to feed and check for eggs 2 times a day with me, all I have to say is "chickens" and she is at my heels, but they are safely in a large secure area which she is not allowed to enter. I am sure she would pick them off if I gave her any chance. I am not sure there are enough treats in the world to break that drive.
Piper loves my cat, but my old cat just tolerates the antics of the energetic 2 yr old. She has gotten a few smacks on the nose but they can be trusted together all day. -
I have to say that just reading the headline my initial thought was: "no, a Basenji is not for you". But Shar Pei's are, IMO, not the easiest dogs to deal with. Plus you have something of a pet menagerie, the maintenance of which requires no small amount of pet skills. So my guess is that you would be fine.
The great thing is that if you get an older dog from a reliable breeder you will have a very good idea of what you're getting. Puppies are more hit and miss in that it's hard to tell at 12 weeks how they'll turn out. So if you can find a Basenji which has the right personality you might have a good situation, enjoyable for both you and the dog.
My only question would be the cats and birds. Put crudely, Basenjis are killers. That would be something to consider.
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Thank you so much for your input/ responses.
At this point I really doubt that it will be a good fit unless it’s some kind of ideal situation. The cats were around dogs pretty much their entire lives and they would probably walk right to a new dog with no hesitation. Same with ducks. They are in the pen in the back yard at night but they walk around the yard with dogs and cats during a day. The parrot, it’s a large Macaw and I would not worry about him, he can be very intimidating and has quite a vocabulary to scare anyone away!) After having Shar Pei for over 16 years, in my experience, they are the nicest/ easiest dogs to have with some exceptions. My vets loved all of them.
Getting a Border Collie I was kind of prepared to deal with something like a Basenji and everyone around was saying.., oh! a crazy dog. She is a bit weird but not in a bad way, I guess because she was raised with Shar Pei she is a lazy couch potato.. and that’s one of a reason I want to get a companion for her, to make her move..My daughter wanted to ran a marathon with her.. she ran 1 1/2 circles - perimeter of our yard and came back home. No interest in freesbes either. -
I also just read the “put offs”
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We have a possum/ possums and raccoons coming every day and they are actually nice with ducks and cats.
On the pic it looks like a cat in a tree though..?
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Eldorado Basenjis is the only reputable breeder that I can think about close to us
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Another Reddie!! Sally's "put offs" should be part of everyone's research.
I had chooks (chickens)until two of the four hunted them and destroyed them, but they leave the wild birds alone, and don't hunt them at all. If they come across one that is in their path, wild or domesticated, then they will go after them, but usually give up pretty quickly.
I have grown to look for potential trouble, rather than let it happen. Sheep are another "prey" that they will chase until the sheep lies down through exhaustion. then it is a time to save the sheep and rescue the dog before the farmer takes to them with a rifle or shotgun - allowed to kill dogs interfering with stock here in Oz.The joys and trials of Basenjis are something to keep your mind active, to keep in front of the Basenjis. They can cuddle up when it is cool, and leave you to your own when it is hot. But they love company.
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@reddie
I'm also from the New England area.
I purchased my Basenji from:
Kokopelli Basenjis
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To find breeders in your area go to www.basenji.org you can search by state
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My husband and kids are searching Petfinder. Randomly... I don’t want to discourage them but it’s honestly.. ridiculous.. some mutt to be adopted from rescues $425, not that I have anything against it but I know exactly how it works, they bring litters of pups from VA, PA, SC etc already spayed/neutered and vaccinated and the shelters charge them $50 for a pup. Not a rescue... We fostered dogs from SC and helped with transportation and it was a great experience.
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How do I post a pic.. it’s listed on Petfinder as Nova2 Basenji mix in Southington, CT
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We had ours for some 14 years. When left alone, he would yodo , you can hear him a mile away.
For fencing, you did not post how high. Just to let you know the can climb chainlink fences.......
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@reddie said in Advice please if a Basenji might be a good match.:
Nova2 Basenji mix in Southington, CT
Why not just post a link? https://www.petfinder.com/dog/nova-2-44618673/ct/southington/best-friends-for-life-animal-rescue-ct280/
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Thank you!) They will be doing the house inspection..etc, we will see how it goes. She has never been around cats.
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Do you think that she looks like a Basenji mix though?
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Her face is suggestive of Basenji, size about right, too long in the body and of course no curl in the tail. Hard to be sure, and apparently she does bark, but so do some Basenjis. DNA test would tell you for sure. But if she's sweet and loving, how much does it matter?
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@morsesa said in Advice please if a Basenji might be a good match.:
Just to let you know the can climb chainlink fences.......
Only if they are tightly strung. I have 4 foot chain link all around the vegetable garden and it is very slack. No confidence, no climbing ! I've used slack chain link to keep Basenjis out of certain areas for almost 40 years. It's fine !
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@zande said in Advice please if a Basenji might be a good match.:
@morsesa said in Advice please if a Basenji might be a good match.:
Just to let you know the can climb chainlink fences.......
Only if they are tightly strung. I have 4 foot chain link all around the vegetable garden and it is very slack. No confidence, no climbing ! I've used slack chain link to keep Basenjis out of certain areas for almost 40 years. It's fine !
I had the same experience, but you have to watch out at the gate, since it's usually taut. My boys would try to get over it there, so I had to be careful. PVC pipe along the top of a chain link fence will usually deter them as well.
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I managed to buy three gates, complete with posts and hinges, many years ago for just a few dollars. They had been badly measured for an order and were going begging. No matter to me that they are all slightly different !
Before we put up the chain link (and the gates - all three of them) Shani chewed off a tayberry bush which fruits on year old wood - so no fruit for 2 years.
and as puppies she and her brother got fat on Brussel sprouts straight from the plant stem. Tuppy lay among the asparagus and ate the spears almost as they appeared. They were worse than the badgers among the sweetcorn, chewing the cobs as fast as they ripened. And as the the herb patch - Nothing quite like sage and oregano for rolling in if you are a Basenji puppy !
