My son had to watch his friend's two dogs, a Lab & a little flopsey mopsey type dog. The lab was 7 years old and the little dog was 3 or 4 years old.
He brought me along as I was going to cover for him due to him having to work.
We got to the house and the dogs were so different then basenjis. Its like the commercial where you hit the "easy" button.
They leave the dog's food out (they were not fat), they were not interested in eating. The dogs seemed brain dead. They were expressionless and just kind of stood around.
Then it was bathroom time and my son just takes the dogs out front with no leashes, the dogs go out side sniff around & go potty. No leashes or invisible fences. I was panicking waiting for them to realize they were "free" and bolt away. They did not care, went potty and just went back in, on auto pilot.
It was like no one was home inside these dogs. They just took up space. It was so weird. My son keeps telling about other peoples brain dead dogs and I did not get it till now. I know this is not true of all other dogs, but labs?
Basenjis are so amazing and challenging, like they are people, not dogs.
I could not wait to get back to my dogs.
My son told me about an episode of Caesar (who I do not agree with his methods, but he is right about some things)he watched, where he said if you just give everything to your dog and do not "challenge" or make your dog think / use his "dog skills" that the animal looses its spirit or will and becomes complacent and inanimate. I witnesed this first hand I believe.