Thanks for the advice. It's definitely helped!
Hestekin
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Thanks, Pat!
We do have to get him neutered, but would anyway. There is a low cost place that all the vets rave about around here that does it for $65, so that isn't a problem.
I definitely feel comfort in the fact that if it really doesn't work we are not stuck with a stressful disaster on our hands.
I was thinking the whole puppy vs. adult issue…do you guys think you bond less with a dog that you get when it is older as compared to a puppy? Or in their long lifespan does it really all come out the same in the end?
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This has been an interesting thread to watch, though it doesn't have any relevance to our situation. So…
Totally random injection of opinion and I don't know if you'd consider me qualified to comment since we've never had a B puppy. We have had other dogs as puppies, though, I've never been as bonded to any dog (and I'm old - we've had a few dogs :p) as I am to our two basenjis, each of which we got as an adult (one at 3, one at 4). IME B's are smart creatures, and they know when they're loved (um, and fed, spoiled, etc) and they return the favor, no matter how old they are when you connect.
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I was thinking the whole puppy vs. adult issue…do you guys think you bond less with a dog that you get when it is older as compared to a puppy? Or in their long lifespan does it really all come out the same in the end?
I foster for BRAT and the fosters even in the short time I have had them (not longer than a month) have bonded and fit in very well in our family. The reports I have seen regarding my fosters in their new homes, have shown the same. The last boy I had was kept outside all the time and was very skiddish but he came around quickly to us and even in just a few days time has started to bond with the new owners. It did take him longer to get in the swing of things with my B but in time he came around.
As far as us, I didn't bond less to them.
Good Luck!
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I have 2 b's that I got as adults from Pam…Ruby and Brando (technically a foster). Both came on a 30 day trial to see that they fit into my home situation. Both are really bonded to me and my family...I don't remember it taking any time for that to happen. Ruby was a little skittish around my brother (he is 6'5"...so I think she had never seen someone his size) for the first month she was here...now she jumps up in his lap when she needs to get away from Brando :D. I added a b puppy to the mix about a month ago. To me, there is no difference to me as to how Aaliyah (pup) has bonded with me, vs. how Ruby & Brando bonded with me.
Money wise, I'll spend a lot more on the puppy than I will have on the adults because they came to me with all of the testing already done. Initial cost of pup, puppy shot vet visits, obedience training, (in my case, show handling classes), wellness exams, CERF, hips, patellas. Now with Brando & Ruby (because they have been bred), I will still have CERF, thyroid and wellness done, but in general, I think an adult costs less than a puppy until they become seniors.
I too think the price is fair. Because I know Pam & Sheila well and visit with them often, I know what they put into their dogs and all the testing that they do. I'm really amazed at it all...and the money they put in. All you have to do is look at the OFA site and put in Eldorado and you see all the testing they do.
Based on what you wrote, I think they are having a friend of theirs finish Dillon and then he'll be available as a pet.
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I was thinking the whole puppy vs. adult issue…do you guys think you bond less with a dog that you get when it is older as compared to a puppy? Or in their long lifespan does it really all come out the same in the end?
I think you can find success with either option. An adult simply takes a bit more time but they do come around. I got my B when he was about 7-8months old. I'd say it took a solid month or two for him to fully adjust but he did just fine. He's been with me 4 months now and i'd say the bond is very noticeable. He always wants my attention and wants to be nearby. Usually sleep up against me when i'm watching tv.
I went this route solely because I knew I would not have the time to watch over a puppy. I've been through it before and I know the dedication it takes. It was simply not my cup of tea. I was more than happy to take the extra bonding time with an older puppy. Housebreaking was easy (less than 10 days he was fully adjusted), he slept through the nights fine, and he did not have those sharp puppy teeth.
There are pros and cons to both options. Go with what works best for you.
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I have to agree with what some of the others here have said. When I got my Eski, he was two or two and a half (by vet estimate–he was a stray.) Honestly a dog and a person could not have been more closely bonded than we were. He was totally and entirely devoted to me, and vice-versa. I think that an animal as smart as a Basenji (or and Eski) knows when you are devoted and gives it right back! You fall in love with their quirks and they fall in love with yours.
Good luck with Dillon. I bet he'll be your absolute best friend in no time, esp if you are visiting him in advance. (One thing I would encourage, is to leave behind something with your scent on it for him, before you take him home. A t-shirt, pillow case or bathrobe that you have slept with is a good choice. I've seen this work many times, and it makes the transition less confusing, because the scent is familiar when moving day comes.)
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Great idea about leaving something behind, we will be sure to do that with him, maybe I will even bring a toy of Pig's too, so nothing is completely new.
I do think the idea of finding an adult is sounding more appealing since it will be less time consuming in the long run. I really like Dillon, but I also got an e-mail back from Sue at Klassic and she said they need to re-home a 4 year old that a friend has (so they know he was well taken care of) also in Cleveland. So maybe we will be going to visit both of them in a few weeks. What do you guys know about Klassic? There are lots of listings on OFA and she seems really nice from the e-mails.
Though I am really into the young adult idea, my husband isn't so keen on the idea of getting a "used dog" as he put it jokingly, but I think the point about saving money on wellness exams, second and third rounds of shots, etc. is . Not to mention the value of anything lost in the teething stage because we didn't pay enough attention to our stuff
He'll soften as soon as he meets him. -
Though I am really into the young adult idea, my husband isn't so keen on the idea of getting a "used dog" as he put it jokingly, but I think the point about saving money on wellness exams, second and third rounds of shots, etc. is . Not to mention the value of anything lost in the teething stage because we didn't pay enough attention to our stuff
He'll soften as soon as he meets him.Not to mention you'll get more sleep, won't need to clean up as many accidents, etc.
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Great idea about leaving something behind, we will be sure to do that with him, maybe I will even bring a toy of Pig's too, so nothing is completely new.
I do think the idea of finding an adult is sounding more appealing since it will be less time consuming in the long run. I really like Dillon, but I also got an e-mail back from Sue at Klassic and she said they need to re-home a 4 year old that a friend has (so they know he was well taken care of) also in Cleveland. So maybe we will be going to visit both of them in a few weeks. What do you guys know about Klassic? There are lots of listings on OFA and she seems really nice from the e-mails.
Though I am really into the young adult idea, my husband isn't so keen on the idea of getting a "used dog" as he put it jokingly, but I think the point about saving money on wellness exams, second and third rounds of shots, etc. is . Not to mention the value of anything lost in the teething stage because we didn't pay enough attention to our stuff
He'll soften as soon as he meets him.I know Sue very well… she has some very nice dogs and with good temperaments.... Our Kylie that we are breeding this fall is from Sue... and "auntie" to Maya over there in the UK! Sue's co-breeder Jeff Gillespie is the one that lives in Cleveland... Sue lives about 3 hrs away... and I know Jeff very well also
Did Sue tell you the name?
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I will ask her the name in the next e-mail. I think it was more of a pet dog, but maybe Jeff did show it too, I don't know. She is waiting to hear back from Jeff to hear whether or not the dog is still available. I think she said that the owner was moving and that was why they were finding him a new home. Jeff is good friends with the current owner.
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Klassic dogs took breed and best opp this year at westminster. And all the Klassic dogs I've seen are just gorgeous. Very well-thought of (dogs and Sue) in the breed.
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Klassic dogs took breed and best opp this year at westminster. And all the Klassic dogs I've seen are just gorgeous. Very well-thought of (dogs and Sue) in the breed.
Klassic dogs have SUPER temperament as well. Both Sue and Jeff are people that I really feel happy to know, and call my friends
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From either breeders… you can't go wrong... IMO...
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Holy cow! My e-mail box is flooded, everyone seems to be passing my e-mails on. Its pretty great how many options we have to entertain now.
I feel like this is my basenji search diary
I have talked to Laura Mae Hesse about the possibility of a co-ownership of one of her boys, Frances. We are still entertaining that but I just don't think we have the time over the next year to commit to that. I am also not sure we want a boy we have to keep in-tact.
I also talked to Sue Joyner about one of her puppies that is supposed to go to a show home, but his teeth may not be quite up to par. He is black and white, which is our first choice in color, so I am looking forward to hearing back from her.
I also just got a e-mail from Michelle at Pandora and she has two brindle fosters that are not from her breedings but are from her bloodlines. I am waiting for more info from her on them.
So much info to sort through!
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I also talked to Sue Joyner about one of her puppies that is supposed to go to a show home, but his teeth may not be quite up to par. He is black and white, which is our first choice in color, so I am looking forward to hearing back from her.
My puppy Zoni is from the same litter as Nick! I have some pictures of him at 4 weeks in another thread but not anything recent unfortunately. I might see him at the puppy match next weekend. He's a cutie and from what I can tell from Zoni, they were all well socialized around her adult dogs. Sue is really nice and helpful as well.
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How cool, Nemo!
I got an e-mail back from her that there was one other non-show home that was interested, but that she thinks they may have gotten a pup already. Maybe we will get lucky and he will not go to the show home and the other will have already found a puppy. -
Hey, I'm just curious, but what is the story on the litter of basenji puppies you bred in 2007. I was looking back thru old posts and found this thread:
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Its a long story but here goes the short version (surprising, I know). My ex-boyfriend and I got a basenji from Eric Williams and I fell in love with it. When we broke up I decided to start looking for one of my own. I found a pair that appeared perfect so I went to get them from Missouri after talking to the "breeder" on the phone for a couple of months. I was told they were raised only in their home, and were previously shown (both turned out to be untrue).Things seemed pretty good on the phone but when my sister and I got there it was a puppy mill (well over 100 dogs of 7 breeds and one couple caring for them), I am not going to throw the name into this story, but if you look at other threads I have participated on you can put it together. My sister and I decided we couldn't leave them there so we decided to take them with us. We had no commitment to them and could have turned our heads, but we didn't. We got them home and they had serious health (all which could be treated, worms, a fungus, etc, not genetic issues) and behavioral issues. Upon contacting the "breeder" to make them aware of everything we had encountered she stopped talking to me.
We weren't getting them as a breeding pair, though they had produced one other litter, and after all of that we certainly weren't going to do it. In two months we took them back to the vet and things were fine. My landlord and a couple of friends started asking if we were going to breed them and before we knew it we had already found buyers for most of the puppies through good friends and other people we trusted before we even thought much about it. Over the next couple of months we did what we thought was enough research (I know better now) and decided it was a good choice. We planned to keep one. I got a hold of both of the original breeders (the place we got them had gotten them from two separate places) and they confirmed the bloodlines and testing results and sent me all of the AKC info on each of their parents. So with their encouragement and that of my friends and an aunt, who had bred jack dogs for years, we decided to do it.
I was I know how you guys feel about this, and after being a part of this message board and becoming more involved in the basenji culture I am not proud of our decision either. However, what I am proud of is that each one of the puppies are all in great homes that we have remained in contact with and in the summer months we actually see most of them on a monthly basis at the park.
What happened to the parents you are asking, and I would too. Well like I said, we planned to keep one puppy and both of the parents. We worked for months with the parents even before they bred. We had a behaviorist come and work with them, and his assessment was that they had been abused, which we had always suspected from their behavior and a couple of scars on the male. We could not ever get the male potty trained, which the behaviorist attributed to his living outside his whole life. Then a couple of months after the last puppy went home, the unthinkable happened, the female aggressively lunged and bit one of my friends. Two months later she bit my husband. We took her to the vet and they suggested putting her down, that most rescues wouldn't take a dog with such a bite history. We wanted to keep them together and decided that we would look at other options until we found the right one. Eventually, we found a new home for them on a farm with a couple of other basenjis. It was the hardest thing I have had to do, but the best decision for them.
Again, I am not proud of what happened and I know it could have turned out worse than it did, which is why I don't throw the story up on the forums. From what we had researched at that point (which was not enough) it was not a bad decision to breed them. I don't regret it because they are all loved and in great homes with no health problems to date. I acknowledge that it wasn't "responsible breeding" but at that point I did not know any better (which is no excuse). So, if you have any other questions to ask about it, I will gladly answer them.
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We all learn hard lessons… and you obviously have... so... just be glad that you 1. found good homes (hopefully all are spayed/neutered).... that said you might want to encourage the owners to DNA test for Fanconi on all the pups from that litter... 2. found a home for the parents.. hopefully too they have been spayed/neutered... and 3. Have learned about responsible breeding...
In the end... can't ask more than that...Thanks for sharing you experience....
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How cool, Nemo!
I got an e-mail back from her that there was one other non-show home that was interested, but that she thinks they may have gotten a pup already. Maybe we will get lucky and he will not go to the show home and the other will have already found a puppy.Good luck! I'm guessing you have to wait until his permanent teeth come in? He is almost 14 weeks old now.
