So my boyfriend and I were in New Haven yesterday driving through town on the way to eat. I saw a pair of pointy ears out the window through some bushes and immediately perked up and said "is that a basenji??" and sure enough when we got closer, it was! We came to a stop at a light not far from the people walking the dog and Ondrej said "do you want to get out or something and go talk to them?" I laughed and said no, but actually, I kind of did want to get out and talk to them. I wonder if they owners would have thought I was crazy…
I still remember the first time I went to the dog park in NY with Tayda and Lenny... we walked up to the gate and standing inside the gate looking at us were a pair JUST like Lenny and Tayda... a brindle boy and a red/white female. It was like a mirror image... so cute! The owner of that pair ran over and said "well who do we have here!?" He and I immediately became friends!
That is how Ann found me and then got a pup from me… she was drive down the street and saw someone walking two B's.... jumped out and started talking to her (FYI, Vanessa it was Donna when she lived down by Ann) and asked her about breeders. Donna gave her my name and number since I was expecting a litter that year....
I wish I knew what I'd do, but I only have seen one basenji while out and about. I was driving on the highway, and the person was walking their dog nearby. I have never seen a B away from the shows or club events.
OH I am awful about stopping people if I see another B. It has happened a couple times. I think most folks are OK with it. I have been stopped a number of times with Zaire. And I will admit that I am more happy to talk to people if they ask "Is that a Basenji?" rather than "What kind of dog IS that?"
I LOVE when people know what she is and stop me to talk about her. 
Hehe! I get so excited if I think I see another B. This is totally funny. I was at the dog park and one of the regulars told me the next day that when I left another B showed up. I was like "Oh my god no way!" I've never seen another B in my town or area. Gosh I hope I don't act like a big dork if I get to meet another B and their owner.
If in my car I wouldn't stop!
But once I met a b and his owners in town and i jumped on them, at first they probably thought I was crazy
I was stopped at a stop sign the other day and someone was waiting to cross the street. You bet I rolled down my window and said "Your basenji is beautiful! I have on too. He's tri." She was completely RUDE and not impressed.
Another time we saw a tri little girl at PetSmart and stopped her and her people to say that we have a tri too. They were THRILLED to meet other basenji people.
I also comment on Shibas. It seems that basenji and Shiba people get each other.
I also comment on Shibas. It seems that basenji and Shiba people get each other.
Oh I LOVE Shibas… the basenji with a winter coat.
I saw a man walking two basenjis down an alley, I swung my cruiser around, approached him from behind, pulled up beside him, and gushed "what amazing basenjis!" He was pretty thrown, but recovered quickly enough. We chatted and exchanged e-mail addresses! Then I had to leave to continue enroute to my call. Darn work!
I'm of the "stop and talk to them" type. Some people are obviously just as cool as me, and they will talk back with as much enthusiasm as I approached them with. Others are not as polite, and don't seem to care at all that we share a love for the same breed. I guess its like with most other things in life. But I LOVE it when people stop me & want to talk about basenjis!
I was in NYC a few months ago walking around the south street seaport and walked past a basenji that was sitting outside a bar, just soaking up the sun. I couldn't believe it. I looked a little closer and saw that it was attached to a lead, and a few feet away was a man sitting at the bar having a beer! I stopped to talk to the guy and he was SO excited that I knew that he had a basenji. I could not believe that his dog was sitting there so calmly just watching all the people walk past!
BIG SIGH….no others in my neighborhood......however, on vacation we met B owners in Philly and Seattle. All were gracious and allowed us our 'fix'....talk, pet, and sometimes cuddle their B's.
When we walk ours, many people over the years have stopped cars to chat and we are always glad to talk to them. I have also screeched my car to a halt and jumped out to talk to a basenji owner…but that was almost 30 years ago and they not as rare a sighting now as back then. I vote for stopping (safely) to talk. REAL basenji people are thrilled to talk to another crazy person.
Anne in Tampa
OMG I know of Stick's family in my area but thats it and I do believe we BOTH freaked when we saw each other and that was because Sick and Jack looks SO alike but the tail curl in different directions (lol) I kept THINKING i was each Jack play, lol…I miss him...Id LOVE to have a CT playdate when we get the new puppy tho...
OH I am awful about stopping people if I see another B. It has happened a couple times. I think most folks are OK with it. I have been stopped a number of times with Zaire. And I will admit that I am more happy to talk to people if they ask "Is that a Basenji?" rather than "What kind of dog IS that?"
I LOVE when people know what she is and stop me to talk about her.
Or the other classic question that we always get in our area, "Is that a Jack Russell?"
Jason
I have only seen 2 other basenjis out and about walking. It was hilarious! My boyfriend and I ran across the street and ran after the person walking their dogs. Then we yelled out (out of breath) "Are those Basenji's?!?!" We were so excited we could hardly contain it.
It is really great when people know what B's are. We get stopped a lot with great comments from people and I enjoy chatting with them about Nulla.
I stopped and talked briefly with a lady who was out with her tri (she lives too far away to make it a regular connection). I do so enjoy when someone stops me and knows EL D is a basenji - or at least guesses. It's so much better than the ones who say "what will he be when he grows up"
And Knipper does your comment about the cruiser mean you're an RCMP? I would love to have our coppers respond like you.
Municiple bylaw, maybe a mountie in a year or two
