Coat Question

[RogueCoyote]

Rogue's coat is just very soft and velvety. Is it likely to stay that way, or is that a puppy thing?

[Pawla]

I could be wrong, but it is my opinion that what you feed your basenji will determine the coat. I noticed a significantly softer coat once I started a Fish Oil supplement after adopting my adult b even though he was already being fed quality food.

[DonC]

I'm half with @Pawla! Diet definitely has an impact. However the coats can vary and some Basenjis have softer coats than others. Hard to tell unless you have something to compare to. And, since all puppies are usually cute and soft, so you'll have to wait and see!

[aprilk]

My boy was very soft as a puppy and now as an adult its pretty wiry. I actually like it this way though, he's very sleek and beautiful and the burrs don't stick! He can just shake them off! (we used to have a very soft mini schnauzer and I had to spend hours picking burrs out, agh!) If you ever walk through the woods you'll love a nice sleek basenji coat!

[RogueCoyote]

Thanks all. I guess we'll have to just wait and see. She's very picky. Right now I'm using 1/3 cup chicken soup for the soul puppy formula softened in hot water, 1 tbsp blue buffalo canned food, 1 tbsp plain yogurt or cottage cheese, and a few drops of olive oil 3 times a day. I re hydrate it half way through with more hot water, and mix in part of a dehydrated beef liver and tripe treat that's squashed to dust. Since I started that ritual, she's been eating all her food, and by the end of the night she looks like a little football, and she doesn't really vomit the yellow stuff in the morning anymore.

[RugosaB]

In my experience, a lot of coat texture seemed to be genetics. My dogs all ate basically the same thing, and in the beginning, the Ibis DNA coat was different than the Rosa DNA coat.
I said in the beginning, because though it was not the most important puppy quality, I did choose puppies to keep for possible breeding that had better coats.

I'm sure this was just my group of dogs, but in GENERAL, the ones with the coarser coats lure coursed much better (and caught rabbits in our yard) than the ones with the nicer coats.

[elbrant]

@rugosab said in Coat Question:

in GENERAL, the ones with the coarser coats lure coursed much better (and caught rabbits in our yard) than the ones with the nicer coats.

"You want me to run across that field? Whyyyyy? I just finished bathing myself!" :rolling_on_the_floor_laughing:

[tanza]

I agree that 99% is coat texture to be genetics. Mine all eat the same thing, my Red girl has a soft coat, my Tri has a harder coat. And I have not found that color of the coat makes much different either.

[Zande]

I have always been taught that a Basenji's coat should feel slightly harsher when rubbed the wrong way.

[tanza]

@roguecoyote - By the way, they will "blow" puppy coats so the texture is likely to change in time

[RogueCoyote]

Well, I guess I'll just have to enjoy it while it lasts ¯_(ツ)_/¯

[tanza]

@roguecoyote - Could be the same or different once they shed their puppy coats...

[Zande]

@roguecoyote It could remain pretty well similar to what it is now and in any case the change won't be overnight. It will be gradual as she grows and matures

[RugosaB]

@elbrant The first time I took Ibis lure coursing: I let go, and she ran straight to the lunch stand! It was in the opposite direction of the field.
I don't think she could figure out why a dog would run after an empty bag, when everyone knows, they're much more interesting when heavy!