Where do I start?!
My name is Jessica and my Basenji is Shelby. She is about nine months old and the most adorable (part!) Basenji EVER 
My boyfriend and I adopted her in February and knew nothing about Basenjis at the time. I had never heard of the breed and had no idea how to even pronounce Basenji. We had been looking to adopt a new dog for a few months but hadn't found the right fit. I was searching Craigs List almost everyday. I saw a picture of Shelby (Sandy at the time) and absolutely knew she was the one. She was pictured in her kennel with the most obstinate, adorable look on her face. I called the number and an actual person actually answered the phone (every other dog I called on was a futile attempt). We were able to go meet her that night and both knew she was the one for us right away. (She was running circles around the previous owners apartment and endlessly fetching a tennis ball. She was full of energy and we loved it.) Needless to say, we love her. We've since learned all about Basenjis and have grown to love all of her Basenji quirks. I've never met a dog like her and she is such a joy (and sometimes such a little pain!) in our lives.
I am happy to find this forum and chat with other owners!
PS-We were told she is mixed with Border Collie. She does bark so maybe? And she has no wrinkles in her little forhead. Other than that, her behavior and looks are typical Basenji!!!!
As you can see in this picture, Shelby has a little faux hawk She gets this when she meets another dog or is nervous or in a new situation. or when we daily encounter the neighborhood cat that frightens her away with it's growls! After a few minutes, she shakes it off and you would never know it existed.
Hi Shelby, welcome to the forum! You beat me to it and posted a pic before I even got to tell you it's practically required around these parts
Shelby's a cutie! She's definitely got the lightly built B body.
Hello Jessica and Shelby, Welcome to the forum!
Shelby looks very pretty, definitely part basenji!
Hello and welcome!!! pretty girl!!! i love how fluffy she looks here!!!
Pretty girl.
Let us know if you have any issues you need help with.
My b's do the mohawk as well, when something new comes around.
You should get her into agility, or rally, bet she would be great in it.
Thank you all for your responses!
Sharron, we would LOVE to get her involved in agility. She is so athletic! My only concern is she has such a mind of her own. She's smart and I'm sure she would catch on quickly, but I could see her getting distracted and deciding something else was much more interesting mid-course. Is this an issue with most Basenjis?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v708/jboyer/shelbyball.jpg
Thank you all for your responses!
Sharron, we would LOVE to get her involved in agility. She is so athletic! My only concern is she has such a mind of her own. She's smart and I'm sure she would catch on quickly, but I could see her getting distracted and deciding something else was much more interesting mid-course. Is this an issue with most Basenjis?
Thank you all for your responses!
Sharron, we would LOVE to get her involved in agility. She is so athletic! My only concern is she has such a mind of her own. She's smart and I'm sure she would catch on quickly, but I could see her getting distracted and deciding something else was much more interesting mid-course. Is this an issue with most Basenjis?
I think all dogs can get distracted and can decide to do something else more interesting when their owners aren't interesting enough.. So that's pretty trainable. Especially with your girl. She's still very young.
Agility is a sport where dog and owner work together in a fun way, so I think it would only help to make you more interesting for her.
Your pup is adorable! She looks so fluffy. I usually don't like the black/white that much, but she's a cutie. Love her diamond on her head too!
The distractable thing is possible to overcome with the right treats/toys, imo.
That is why you go in agility with the right mindset…you hope to complete the course, but mostly, its fun for you and your b...
So, find some beginning courses in your area, go with a large sense of humor and bring home a very tired b...
Let us know how it goes...
Thank you for the encouragement. I'm sure we would really have a blast. Travis has been talking about it since we got her. Is there usually an instructor present to give tips? I guess I need to do some research. And Shelby will do almost anything for a treat. She's learned to sit, lay, shake and give a high five for them after her walks.
Oh, yes, there is a trainer…for YOU mostly! laugh.
but its fun and it is good exercise for both you and your dog.
Call the vets and ask if they know of a breed club in your area that does basic agility training.
That should get you going.
Also, check out lurecouring...b's love to run!
Here are some video clips of my husband and I with our dogs at an agility workshop. Just so you know, it took many months for us to get to the point of working off leash and they still have to work on leash occassionally since they can be a bit distractable. We haven't worked up to competition yet, though might try a CPE trial soon.
What a good looking pup. Agility is the most fun you can have with your dog! And yes, basenjis do tend to enjoy "free style" agility. Find a club/training facility and ask if you can watch a class. See if you feel comfortable with their methods and the trainer. Here are pics of mine doing agility
The Tri is Jet, right?
Yes, my Tri-ing dog is Jet. (Jerlin's Saint or Sinner since I know you like that pedigree stuff. And I just got his Fanconi in - Prob Clear.)
Shelby is gorgeous! The 'ridgie' comes with excitement, alert, whatever, not necessarily a sign of aggression. If she is a border=collie mix, she will excel at agility I imagine. Basenjis like doing the agility stuff, running and climbing, getting treats, etc, look for a club or group, as advised, you will be surprised how quickly she will learn what to do, and it is a great way to use up some of that energy!
Welcome to you and your girl, she is really pretty.
Anne in Tampa
Yes, my Tri-ing dog is Jet. (Jerlin's Saint or Sinner since I know you like that pedigree stuff. And I just got his Fanconi in - Prob Clear.)
I know him and always liked him…. gggg... you and I had some conversation a few years ago about breeding, but the bitch I wanted to lease never worked out... Braveheart was his litter brother.... who was a cool dog!
Seeing b's do agility, or rally, its wonderful.
Your b's are great reps of the breed.
Thanks for sharing your photos.
Kudos on the fanconis clear!
Yes, Jet is a Braveheart littermate. I've saw a tri that looked a LOT like Jet at a show once. Started talking to the people and they told me of thier dog's pedigree; he was a Braveheart son. And yes, I remember you asking me, but didn't know if you remembered his call name or just the long one. I only have 3 basenjis, all different colors, so it's easy to tell them apart
