Ask the breeder how big the sire and dam are. That's a good idea. My first basenji, who was a champion, weighed nearly 26 pounds when she matured. My 2nd one would have been about that, but thanks to steroids, we did good to keep her at 30. My current rescue is a giant. We won't go there. I first dreamed of a SMALL dog, maybe 15 pounds tops after years of being a BIG DOG person (rottweilers and chows). I don't see that ever happening.
New Blanky
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Ok, I will go a little deeper into a previous comment. When I am under a load, there is a set time limit in which I have to drive from point A to point B. When I stop for the night, I am often tired enough to attend AJ's needs and my necessities, catch up here and then go to bed.
My truck is made up of the cab area, which is the two seats and a little 8 inch space behind them. The sleeper area is made up of two full height, bolted in cabinets and then a twin sized bed. This is an "open floor" which means there is no wall between the cab and the sleeper. It is walk-through. AJ has a crate, but it stays folded up, inside its box behind the passenger seat unless I need to put him in it. I use it for times the truck is in the shop or in a rare motel room. He crates up easily, but doesn't like it.
He would have to spend 75% of his life inside the crate if I put him in there while I drive. The crate would have to be in the bed area, which means he wouldn't be able to sun himself when he wants to. When I stop at night, I would have to fold the durn thing up and stuff it back into its box before going to bed because there isn't enough space to store an upright crate.
The only benefit (in some opinions) would be him inside a crate. To me, that's not a benefit. He's not livestock. He's my friend. He has a very comfortable bed at the foot of mine where he spends a large part of his time.
My truck and trailer, fully loaded, weighs between 75,000 and 80,000 pounds on an average load. If I get into an accident with that kind of weight, the truck would most likely flip because it is extrememly top heavy due to it's 13'6" height. When a truck flips, there are rarely survivors inside the truck. It's a risk of doing this job.
Since I'm almost always found tooling down the road at around 62mph, I am usually in the granny lane and everybody passes me. The benefit here is less stress to me and better safety for my truck since I am not changing lanes and speeding everywhere.
Again, I weighed carefully the benefit of confining AJ vs. the risk of allowing him loose. He's almost always in the back snoozing on his bed, where there is a rear bulkhead behind him and a bolted in cabinet in front of him, if I hit the brakes, he won't go anywhere. He'll just stand up, shake and give me a dirty look. Sometimes, he's on the passenger seat, where he can't fall on the floor because I have that area built up for him.
Please don't lecture me about how safe it is for a dog to be loose in a semi unless you have driven a truck or are familiar with the construct, operation and physics of a tractor-trailer combination.
I apologize if I've stepped on any toes or offended anyone. That was not my intent.
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AJ's human,
Please don't think that I am lecturing you. AJ looks like a very happy boy.
I am just taking the chance to share the stories that influenced my decisions, and what has worked for my family.-Nicole
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I understand you are sharing your experience and that is greatly appreciated. It's what this forum is all about.
I just felt like a few folks were judging me for decisions I made for my fur friend after long deliberation.
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One little picture that is so sweet and look at the mess. I am with you 100% Belinda. When I drove my dog's were in co seat or on floor up front or back in bunk. They were with me and I was with them that's what it's all about. A car v Tractor lot's of difference. There have been times I wish I had a tractor just to drive for my everyday car LOL take Eli to school in that now that is funny. AJ you got the best seat in the house.
Rita Jean
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Ms. Rita, it's not really a mess. I just don't think many folks understand what we do and how we live out here. I've been trying so hard to be good here, but I had to paint a picture so folks would understand.
Given the choice between having AJ out here on the road with me or allowing that beautiful animal with his huge heart to be killed, well, that decision is made. Now it's my job to make his life as wonderful as I can.
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I think AJs Human just wanted to post a nice pic of AJ with his new blanket for people to enjoy. And she has a right to that. A new thread titled "Dog restraints" could of been started" and left this thread to the subject of " New Banky".
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Your really correct most people do not understand about life on the road. You are making AJ's life great your with AJ all of the time or most of the time now everyone can say that. AJ's life wonderful I think you have all ready done that. When I was on the road my Tractor was more my home more so than my wood home that I hardly ever see. In my home my dog's ran around and in my Tractor the same enough said.
AJ handsome picture and I want to see more.
Dan right on.Rita Jean
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Indeed, NoBarkus!!
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That's a great pic of AJ sleeping on his new blanky!! Thanks for sharing.
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Please accept my apology for hijacking the thread. AJ is a very cute, and very lucky boy. He gets to be with his person all of the time.
Please keep posting your wonderful pics and quizzes. I do enjoy them so much.
I started the new thread for restraint discussion here:
http://www.basenjiforums.com/showthread.php?p=93034#post93034-Nicole
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No apology is necessary. You posted a couple of informative url's. There's nothing wrong with that.
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I see it all the time. Maybe Pat has a picture of what her RV when she had it looked like. Crates for all the dogs well secured.
I will look and see if I can find one…(picture, I know I have one of Mickii stealing the silverware out of the sink!) but if you ever go to dog shows, you will find hundreds of RV's all complete with crates for the dogs... And yes mine were secured, we had taken out the bench seat, put down plywood and bolted the crates down.
Also I too have seen many people in RV without their pets restrained... I think it is a bad idea...
As far as AJ goes... I can certainly understand that the situation of being on the road is different then most people that transport their pets... and I can understand if he doesn't want to crate him... AJ certainly looks totally well cared for and loved... my only point was there are ways (as someone posted a great link) of having him uncrated but still with some restraint in case of an accident
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I love his blanky too, he looks like excudes happiness.
