• Hello Basenji forums!

    I recently got injured on the job and found myself out of work for several months. Then I saw someone walk by my local convenience store walking a little baby boy basenji! I used to work as a groomers assistant so I recognized the breed right away. He was the cutest, most intelligent looking little pup and it made me realize I finally had plenty of time on my hands to raise a good dog, and a barkless dog would not bother my landlord too much. So I looked up a basenji breeder in montreal and went to see the pups! The breeder had 11 week olds as well as two 8 month olds who had been spoken for by someone who never came back for them.

    Very soon I was home with my new red and white best buddy Zenu. (Tagati's Lone Codebreaker) She was one of the 8 month olds and already crate trained and housebroken and finished with all the teething and such. She is totally amazing, and very calm and quiet for a basenji! Even when she went through her first heat she was pretty good. Now she is 10 months old and is an absolute pleasure to hang out with.
    Since i have so much free time I have been spending a lot of time with her and training her. Now she knows her Sit, Lie Down, Come, Back Up, Inna Crate, "Go Go Go", Get It, Drop It, and Wait. We are working on heeling and sitting when we stop walking on heel (she does tend to pull but not as bad as when I first got her, after lots of practice) and we're working on Give Paw, Roll Over, Stand Up, and Bang Bang, You're Dead! Her favorite toys are a rawhide ball, a stuffed panda, and my slippers.

    I got a kitten at the pet store to keep her company (the only kitten who wasnt trying to scratch her face off) and they play nicely together and sleep next to each other. Every time Zenu and I come home from a walk the kitty greets me and then rubs his face all over Zenu and gives her kisses and lies next to her. I think he thinks Zenu is his mom 😉

    I'm glad to find this forum as its given me lots of good info especially for feeding her. Looking forward to sharing my crazy Basenji stories with you all!


  • Welcome! And congratulations on your lovely little girl, she sounds delightful!
    Anne in Tampa


  • Welcome… has your girl been DNA tested for Fanconi? If not you should talk to your breeder and see if the parents have been tested... for info on Fanconi testing go to www.basenjihealth.org


  • well, we need pictures! congrats on raising a well behaved basenji


  • Thanks for the warm welcome!

    I talked to the breeder about fanconi and eye problems when I got her, because I did some research on the breed before I decided to get her, so I knew the health problems that they could get.
    The breeder has been breeding and showing basenjis for 30 years and she says she is always really careful about who she breeds to. When I go to get her spayed or to get her checked out next I will get her tested for fanconi for sure though, better safe than sorry!


  • @Chien_Rouge:

    Thanks for the warm welcome!

    I talked to the breeder about fanconi and eye problems when I got her, because I did some research on the breed before I decided to get her, so I knew the health problems that they could get.
    The breeder has been breeding and showing basenjis for 30 years and she says she is always really careful about who she breeds to. When I go to get her spayed or to get her checked out next I will get her tested for fanconi for sure though, better safe than sorry!

    If the parents were not test then yes, you should be her done.. IMO anyway. You can ask your breeder if she did DNA on the sire and dam.. or you can check yourself at www.offa.org Just do a search for on the name or registration number for the sire and dam. Who is her breeder?


  • Bienvenue a monde du Basenjis!

    OK, that's probably miserable French, but welcome!


  • Her breeder is Nancy Kneen of Tagati's Basenjis.
    I checked the page you've got there, and the Dam and Sire are not listed on it.
    The breeder works at a vet clinic so it will be crazy easy and hopefully cheap for me to get her tested. Any idea on the cost of testing her? I'm very poor right now due to my work injury but with time I can save some cash to do it. (Unfortunately, neutering the kitten before he starts spraying is #1 priority right now)
    attachment_p_48828_0_sleepyzenucropped.jpg
    attachment_p_48828_1_zenubw1.jpg


  • The test costs $60 and requires that you register for free with the Canine Phenome Project, http://www.caninephenome.org, then you will need to print the form from the site and submit a blood sample along with your payment to the University of Missouri. If there are other basenji owners in your area that are interested in submitting samples, it is much cheaper if you can split the shipping costs since it is pretty much the same whether you send in 1 sample or 21 samples.

    Also, I help Sally Wallis maintain her pedigree database and noticed that your girl isn't listed, http://pedigrees.zandebasenjis.com Would you mind providing the name of her sire and dam so I can send the information to Sally?


  • @Chien_Rouge:

    Her breeder is Nancy Kneen of Tagati's Basenjis.
    I checked the page you've got there, and the Dam and Sire are not listed on it.
    The breeder works at a vet clinic so it will be crazy easy and hopefully cheap for me to get her tested. Any idea on the cost of testing her? I'm very poor right now due to my work injury but with time I can save some cash to do it. (Unfortunately, neutering the kitten before he starts spraying is #1 priority right now)

    The test is 60.00, the other cost would be for having the blood drawn and shipped. Also you need to register her with CPP (but that is free). All the information is at www.basenjihealth.org

    Also Fanconi is a late onset, usually over the age of 3yrs, so you don't have to rush, but it is nice not to have to worry and know the results of her DNA test. It is too bad that her breeder has not tested. It really is important to the breed and anyone that has had a Fanconi affected dog can tell you it is a horrible, horrible …. and to not use this as a tool for breeding healthy dogs is really a shame.

    There is another site that you might want to look at http://www.pedigrees.zandebasenjis.com/
    it is a great site for pedigress. In looking at the breeding from your breeder, there is Fanconi and dogs that produced Fanconi in the pedigree of her dogs.


  • Hmm, Lisa…. we were posting the same thing at the same time... 🙂


  • Funny how that happens 😃


  • @lvoss:

    Also, I help Sally Wallis maintain her pedigree database and noticed that your girl isn't listed, http://pedigrees.zandebasenjis.com Would you mind providing the name of her sire and dam so I can send the information to Sally?

    Sure lvoss, the Sire is Can Ch. Tagati's Postal Code and the Dam is Can Ch. Tagati's Downwright LonesomeDove.

    @tanza:

    In looking at the breeding from your breeder, there is Fanconi and dogs that produced Fanconi in the pedigree of her dogs.

    Where is this? I looked at the zandebasenji's site, and I cant seem to find any reference to fanconi attached to the pedigrees of her parents. Can you include a direct link or name of the dogs who are afflicted/carriers? is it the Dam or Sire that are carriers/afflicted or is it farther back down the line? I hope she will be OK!


  • @Chien_Rouge:

    Sure lvoss, the Sire is Can Ch. Tagati's Postal Code and the Dam is Can Ch. Tagati's Downwright LonesomeDove.

    Where is this? I looked at the zandebasenji's site, and I cant seem to find any reference to fanconi attached to the pedigrees of her parents. Can you include a direct link or name of the dogs who are afflicted/carriers? is it the Dam or Sire that are carriers/afflicted or is it farther back down the line? I hope she will be OK!

    No the parents were not tested, but I know many of the old dogs in those pedigrees and they have had or produced Fanconi. One that is there is Arubmec's Victor, he has offspring and grand and great grand that have Fanconi…


  • for example if you went to breeding information on Arubmec's The Victor here is one of his offspring that is a carrier, as is this offsprings dam, noted by the (CR). This dam in this case also goes back to Victor. Victor himself was long dead by the time DNA for Fanconi came out

    Am Ch Arubmec's Happy Ending JC (CR) {F} HP082818/03 USA 17 Dec 2003
    Am Ch Arubmec's The Victor x DC Arubmec's Saturn Sattelite SC (CR)


  • @Chien_Rouge:

    Sure lvoss, the Sire is Can Ch. Tagati's Postal Code and the Dam is Can Ch. Tagati's Downwright LonesomeDove.

    I forgot to ask for Date of Birth also. I usually send Sire, Dam, Date of Birth, Registration Number to her.

    Thanks, once I send info to her it is usually on her site within a week, often sooner.


  • OK the Sire, Postal Code, was born on 6 nov 1998 and his number is HY574893 and the Dam, Downwright LonesomeDove, was born on 12 nov 2000 and her number is KW777254.

    And yes looking at the pedigree both sire and dam are grandchildren of Arumbec's the Victor. I am going to look up the rest of the pedigree here and see if there are any more crossovers to carriers/affected dogs… Damn.


  • Sorry, I meant the DOB for your dog. Sally has the info on the parents. That is how Pat found that your pup is a double Victor great granddaughter.


  • @Chien_Rouge:

    OK the Sire, Postal Code, was born on 6 nov 1998 and his number is HY574893 and the Dam, Downwright LonesomeDove, was born on 12 nov 2000 and her number is KW777254.

    And yes looking at the pedigree both sire and dam are grandchildren of Arumbec's the Victor. I am going to look up the rest of the pedigree here and see if there are any more crossovers to carriers/affected dogs… Damn.

    There are many, many Victor kids, grandkids, great grandkids, out there that are either clear or only carriers… so that is why it is good to test... then you know... and know if you need to worry or not... or at least know what you need to maybe be prepared for.....


  • @lvoss:

    Sorry, I meant the DOB for your dog. Sally has the info on the parents. That is how Pat found that your pup is a double Victor great granddaughter.

    Oh! I was wondering about that, heh. Zenu was born on Sept 11th 2007.

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