Skip to content

When should we get him fixed?

Basenji Talk
  • We don't plan on breeding our basenji dog and will get him fixed. He is almost 6months old now, but I have heard theat if you want your dog (especially boys) to grow to their full potential you should wait a full year so they have completely gone thru puberty? Anyone have any recommendations?

  • we waited the full year. We thought we might want to do agility and lure coursing, and had read that early neutering could lead to thinner bones. Thinner bones means more chance of injury, so we figured we'd wait.

    He seemed to sail right through the surgery, recovery wasn't too bad.

    I say, why not wait, if there is no intact female in your household, and the dog is properly contained.

Suggested Topics

  • Getting a basenji, but...

    Basenji Talk
    11
    0 Votes
    11 Posts
    4k Views
    M
    on the heat of the sun???? Basenji love the heat. If you had a fireplace, it will be within inches of the hot logs.
  • Getting a new dog

    Basenji Talk
    9
    0 Votes
    9 Posts
    9k Views
    eeeefarmE
    Her face looks Basenji, maybe not the muzzle however. Are they destructive? Can be, don't have to be. I don't like to crate and I never have, beyond the initial puppy stage or with a rescue until I can get a handle on what to expect. I do restrict access to areas of the house that might be vulnerable until I am sure of the dog. Not all can be trusted to have free rein. Be consistent in what you expect or will tolerate, and be very watchful until you understand what behaviour is "normal" for your new dog. Are they really that active? I would say no. She is likely excited to be in a new place and curious about everything. She should settle down. Of course, with a rescue there may well be reasons someone gave up on her, and it's not always immediately apparent if a dog has problems. Hopefully she will fit in well with your family. Invisible fence......likely not a good choice for a Basenji, particularly if there are coyotes in your area. You need to protect her. Coyotes will go after a small dog, and sometimes even a not so small one. I know someone who lost a Jack Russell when he was lured by coyotes and then attacked once he was beyond his master's protection.....and Jack Russells are tough little dogs! However, invisible fence can be useful to back up a physical fence if your dog turns out to be an escape artist. Regarding landscaping.....there are some deer fences that blend well and become almost invisible. Perhaps combined with invisible fence that might be a good option. Otherwise, walks or biking your dog should help, and definitely challenge her mentally. Basenjis are clever and I believe they enjoy learning. I taught my boy to retrieve objects by name.....it was fun for both of us. Good luck with her.
  • When to get another Basenji

    Basenji Talk
    11
    0 Votes
    11 Posts
    14k Views
    ?
    Wow! Somehow, I never got emails letting me know I had responses to this thread and just assumed there weren't any. But now that I'm back in the loop, I did want to thank everyone for their feedback and provide some thoughts of my own. That makes me laugh about the rescue person who wouldn't let young families or lawyers adopt her dogs. :-D I can understand her rationale from both perspectives. It's a compelling argument on her part about lawyers, but not all lawyers are the same, of course. I know a lot of extremely busy lawyers in large firms who struggle to hit their billable hour requirement each month. They're machines instead of people, and I wouldn't even let them dogsit my babies for fear of neglect. That's not my situation, fortunately. The young family part will be, but I've been thinking really carefully on how I'll balance this when the time comes. My dogs are my first children, and I would hire as many trainers as needed and try as many alternatives as I could before I would give them up. Unfortunately, I don't think a lot of people have that mindset about their dogs. :( I would absolutely be open to the idea of having the breeder choose a puppy for us based on their experience and prediction as to personality. All basenjis are gorgeous to me, and as long as the markings aren't completely off-base and I can get a tightly-curled tail (I've seen that the Avongaras can be lacking in this area, and I need a cinnamon bun in my life), personality is the most important thing. I wouldn't nitpick it to death. I'll have to decide on a breeder at some point, and I'd love one who's relatively local so I could visit. The man I got Penny from had great pet Basenjis that he bred… I'd like to go with a more reputable breeder this time around. At the very least, he tested for Fanconi. I can be grateful for that, as all is well so far and I more than likely dodged a bullet when I ended up with such a fantastic dog. My plan would be to decide and get on a waiting list far enough in advance that if there were a couple litters that just didn't produce what my family and I were looking for, we wouldn't be waiting forever. In short, what I'm banking on is that the right pup with the right personality will fit in pretty flawlessly. I know what sets my basenji off in other dogs, and I'm hopeful that I could find one that would suit her and suit our home. Daisy certainly worked out well for her, and I'd love to have that same success again. I've done three puppies in my lifetime, and all of them have grown up to be well-adjusted adults. I know what it takes, and I know it's hard work. I would never go the route of having an infant and a puppy at the same time (isn't THAT actually the definition of insanity?? ;) ), but I am still trying to shoot somewhere in the next 3-4 year range so my two aren't past ten and too old to handle a puppy.
  • Who gets the computer chair

    Basenji Talk
    7
    0 Votes
    7 Posts
    2k Views
    P
    What a funny story. I can relate.
  • Considering getting a Basenji

    Basenji Talk
    4
    0 Votes
    4 Posts
    2k Views
    lvossL
    Yes, early socialization and positive experiences is the best way to go. I think the most important thing about puppy kindergarten is that it is positive based and focuses on socialization with both people and dogs. Some basenji don't necessarily do well with the small dogs and other love them. Sophie was always the best with the new pups of any size in her puppy class, she just had phenomenal dog language and would make herself as small as possible and go at their speed. What you want to be careful about is people who have already formed a preconceived notion of basenji behavior. My mom's first puppy class instructor always expected her boy to be aggressive even though he never showed any aggression and was always very appropriate in his interactions. I crate puppies next to the bed while housebreaking and it works fine. I have always used a large stuffed toy in the crate and this year used SnugglePuppies, they were wonderful. The pup snuggled right up to warmth and fell asleep, provided we did a good job of tiring him out for the night. I got my first basenji while I was in Grad school and lived in an apartment. It is doable as long as you are willing to make sure they get enough exercise and mental stimulation.
  • Cali gets houseguest

    Basenji Talk
    11
    0 Votes
    11 Posts
    7k Views
    tlbuddyT
    The neighbors boxer was not so much aggressive with Cali as she was with my brothers boxer. Cali usally plays with their German Shepherd pup and they get along really well. True, I shouldnt have taken Lady anywhere near their boxer, but I thought they would get along because their boxer gets along with the other boxer down the street.. My brother also has a Cane Corso(Italian Mastiff) and a Rottweiler and his Boxer is used to playing with them all of the time because they live together. When I say discipline I mean more of a "time out" in the crate or a stern NO! Sometimes if I clap my hands once and say NO! at the same time she gets the message. I have had her 2 months now and we are both making progress. I am learning what worked for my other dogs does not necessarily work for Cali. I do notice that training her is a lot different from my previous 2 dogs (Pitbull/Rottweiler mix and a German Shepherd). I have been reading a lot of the posts about obedience and training on the forum and it has helped a lot. Cali is like no other dog that I have owned, but I like being challenged.:) :) :)