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.

@Barklessdog:

Its like the commercial where you hit the "easy" button.

Thanks for making my day start off with a laugh!

I witnessed the brain dead phenonmenon with that trainer I used last winter. She would bring her mastiff to class but it would just sit in an xpen while the trainer worked (read talked at us) and then the few times she came out to demonstrate something it was just like a fur-covered robot. There wasn't even any sparkle in her eyes. Brain dead for sure.

@Barklessdog:

Basenjis are so amazing and challenging, like they are people, not dogs.

That sums it up really well.

I think a lot of dogs are brain dead because their owners don't undertake nice things with their dogs, they just don't know better, they are numb….
actually I feel sorry for such dogs. allthough it will fit me also now and then :p

ofcourse I dont know if that is also the case with these dogs, I dont want to offend anybody, so please don't get me wrong

That's why Basenjis are not for everyone. But that's not to say that there aren't other breeds that are just as wild like Jack Russell Terriers or should I say Jack Russell Terrors. Some breeds are more laid back than others.

oh yes that is so true!! but the labs that I know are way more hyper then my basenjis