New and future basenji owner
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I've had dogs my whole life, and have never experienced anything quite like a Basenji. They are definitely different in every possible way except that they eat and poop. That's where the similarities end. LOL
I love them and couldn't imagine my life without them now. Dh loves them and probably wishes we'd brought home a cockapoo! LOL
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Frankly I think you would be better off with a different breed.
It takes a lot of training on your part and why bother with your situation?
Get an "easy" dog that is easier to train.
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Sean, I'll give you an example of how intelligent these dogs can be. When I first moved back out to the country, I only had Shadow. Since he was such a good boy (or so we thought) we tied him out the back when we were outside on a chain with a latch. I told my DH never, NEVER show Shadow where the chickens were kept. Well, my SmartA took him out the back to the barn and showed him where the chickens were. When he came back with him I told him he was going to regret it. Shadow waited two weeks, sitting there thinking, licking his lips, staring at the chickens. Then, BAM. He undid the latch on his leash, ran out to the chicken pen, got inside the chicken pen and attacked the chickens. He only hurt one sortof badly, but this is what they are like. Single minded. At least IMO!
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I think you should think about an older basenji, perhaps retired from a breeder or from a known home- ie not an unknown origin. The BRAT site has some great friendly b's that are a bit older, and as I have learned from Sol, it is great to get an older dog whose personality is set and known. For example, you need a basenji that will get along with your other dogs– and even with socialization some b's are not great with other dogs.
Kris
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Actually, I run w/Ruby and ride my bike w/Ruby (on a leash of course) and she has never tried to stop to sniff or change course to chase something. She's great to exercise with and runs great on a leash and loves the exercise as much as I do. She runs about 14mph when I'm on the bike…any slower and she's pulling. She's even taken me up a pretty good hill at 11mph. If I'm running her (or biking her), even if she sees wildlife (deer, dogs, cats), she has never attempted to stop or alter her course for them. She has looked at me, but knows the drill and knows that I'm not stopping and keeps on running.
And even when I only walk her, she doesn't stop all the time, because I don't allow it and she is handsomely rewarded for good behavior. She's allowed to stop in one spot (halfway thru the walk, run or biking) to sniff, pee, poop, they we are off again. Her exercise outings are just that, for exercise. There are other walks throughout the day that she is allowed to investigate her surroundings more.
So as far as exercise--running, walking & biking, I say basenjis are great companions!
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we have a guy near us who runs with two basenji's regularly, although I did see them jerk him around once while he was running.
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Basenjis don't make the greatest jogging companions either. Unless you don't mind stopping every 50 feet or so when they decide they "urgently" need to sniff/pee on something. :D
Mine would both be great for that. If we are walking, it's stop and start; if we start moving with any real speed, they really focus and go!
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Sean, as a new member of the Forum but an old doggy daddy I have had a lot of experience with many breeds. Reading about your requirements for a dog I have to suggest that you consider getting a rescue greyhound, it will be a great companion for when you run and the rest of the time they are very laidback. Basenji's are very intelligent and require a good deal of intellectual stimulation, otherwise they get bored and a bored B is a mischievious B.
