Hi there-
Just thought I'd make the formal introductions. We are Harley's (the "famous" forum dog) new family. Me (Crystal), my hubby (Alex) and 6 kiddos ranging from 9 to 15 years old.
I grew up w/a grandpa who raised/bred/showed Portuguese Water Dogs and went to tons of dog shows with him, which is where I first saw & fell in love with Basenjis. Over the last few years, I've done plenty of grown-up research on the breed to decided whether my childhood crush was worth pursuing.
The kids & I have been wanting a dog for a while. The ultimate decision of what kind rested with me, cuz as I'm sure you know- the "kids' dog" often becomes "mom's dog" in not too long! I've been dropping hints with my hubby for a while- even bought an ornament to hang on the Christmas tree last year that said "Dear Santa, all I want for Christmas is a Basenji". My husband thought it was really funny!
We finally convinced my hubby…actually he convinced himself. We watched a special on a guy who is dying of cancer and doing the "last lecture" (if you haven't heard of him, google it- very inspiring) and Alex sat me down and said that after watching that, he didn't want to be the one responsible for me not getting my dream of owning a Basenji and his kids not getting the experience of growing up with a dog. He is a special guy...for sure!
I didn't want a puppy and I loved the idea of getting a rescue dog, so we filled out a BRAT application, knowing that it could take weeks or even months before a dog might come along that would be a good fit for a family with kids.
Just a few days later, we get the call/email from Sharron asking if we would consider fostering Harley. We took him (telling the kids we were just doggie-sitting) and we have been so pleased with his loving nature and gentle personality. When we had our "family meeting", the kids were overjoyed to discover that we were doing more than doggie-sitting....our 2 girls even cried out of happiness.
Harley is a delightful boy...such a cuddle-bug, great with the kids. Even my hubby has warmed up to him- FAST. We've had neighbors comment on him, our families have said nothing but nice things about him, he gets along well with my parents dog (which was important to us) and is fitting in with our family so nicely.
So thanks to the forum members who made this possible! I'll post some pics of Harley in the appropriate spot if you'd like to see. Glad to find a great source of info from other Basenji lovers!
