Thought I'd give a Sparkle update. More observations and thoughts than an update...
So... Sparkle's been with us since December '20. She Joined Logan, who we'd gotten in September '20.
Again, observations and thoughts. I met both Sparkle and Logan on the same day. Given a choice I would have chosen Sparkle. Circumstances allowed us to bring Logan home and he and I bonded immediately. Maybe even on the way home. I would posit that he and I bonded faster than ANY dog I've ever had as an adult. I've loved all my dogs and always will, but Logan filled a break in my heart so big that only a dog's love could have filled the Grand Canyon sized wound. And, he did so with so much love. He just gave it to me. So, a few months later it was Sparkles turn. Never had a female dog of my own. What would that be like? Never had two dogs at one time. Would I be able to truly bond with more than one?
Sparkle is a gentle princess. A sweet petite Basenji who's shown me, once again, that size doesn't matter. She's fearless, assertive without being overly aggressive, observant, self reliant, and affectionate yet not overly needy. She's insanely curious, cautious when it matters, and she has manners. Never snaps for a snack. She is the Duchess of Morgan.
I think that because she's not needy and has confidence... maybe it took us a bit longer to bond. My breeder, @Astarte, told me that it really takes about three months for a dog to realize and accept their new home. She took to my wife immediately, so I wasn't concerned, but I still wanted... her and I to bond. You can't force these things though. I don't. You have to look for opportunities.
Logan and Sparkle were born 10 days apart, but were raised together. Essentially litter mates. They're two now, so mature and still possessing o so much focus and energy. Logan's focus is food. Sparkle's focus is the outdoors and all that it has to offer. So, recall has proved challenging.
Our town has one the largest fenced dog parks in the county. If we get there early there are no other dogs there and we can turn them loose. Logan will come if I yell "Logan, come!", whistle, or use the clicker. Every single time. He lives for the treat on my end. Sparkle doesn't care. It's all about being free. I get it. I wouldn't come back either. But, if I ever want to be able to turn her loose I have to be able to trust that she'll come back. Check this out. I hooked them both up to a brace similar to this, I call Sparkle ("Sparkle, come!"), and Logan drags her back to me because he's so food driven. I always treat her first because I called her, then him. Now she's finally starting to come on her own without him when I walk her separately, or when we're in the dog park. We're still a ways off from freedom without a fence, but we're getting closer.
She loves diving a shoulder into me, rolling over and begging for pets and scratches now, which I absolutely adore. I adore her attention. While Logan is vocal about how he demands attention, her left paw cannot be ignored. She really is a force of nature. Very much the most Basenji basenji I've ever had and I love it. She's taught Logan to drink from gutters and puddles, which I always stop! YUCK! Fertilizer and mosquitos. She taught me to carry a dog water bottle during our walks. I should write a book... Stupid Human Tricks, written by Logan, Sparkle and Jengo.
I love Princess Sparkle. She's our sweetheart. I believe she's found her home in that she dominates every couch back in the entire house. She owns them. They're hers. It's her kingdom. It's her birthright. To her... how could it be any other way?