B pup in shelter - Regina, Saskatchewan, CANADA

[nomrbddgs]

I'll let the BCOC know.

[sharronhurlbut]

I recieved this from the Pres of BCOC the breed club in Canada.
Here is an update on the Regina Humane Society puppy:

They are not willing to release the little guy to a shelter as he is highly adoptable. They will include information that I have given them in their adoption package. That is the best I can do I guess

Lynn

[BEK]

Are you guys talking about "Ben" from the Regina Human Society? If yes, I just adopted him yesterday. Just waiting now until he can get neutered, then I can bring him home!
I came upon this site doing research on Basenji's….so any tips you can give me on this breed would be great.

[BEK]

Also, do you know where Ben came from? They didn't tell us much about that at the humane society.

[Basenjimamma]

BEK, thank you for adopting this little fella..

Read as much as you can about the breed if you are not familiar with it, they have their little querks, much of which us basenji lovers adore and some that drives us crazy, but we still lov'em.

Few things off the top of my head.
-Never trust him off leash unless it is in a fenced in area. Basenjis (and other hound dogs) are notorious for running with their nose, meaning their nose (and eyes) will catch something of interest and off they go…recall is not going to work..in most cases.

-Basenjis biggest enemy is cars, getting loose or free running and seeing a car it is trying to outrun, or running across the street with a squirrel in mind..

-Most (not all) are very destructive if left alone and allowed to get bored. Either have him crated while you are gone, or if he is good, make sure he has lots to entertain himself with.

-They are curious...and if you lock it up it must be worth trying to steal.

-Paper, preferable toiletpaper are huge hits, they love to shred paper, most do anyways.

-They love the sun, detest being cold and especially wet..many won't "willingly" go out to use the restroom if it is raining., yet they love to steal your wet towel after you are done with your shower...

-Some are very treat/food motivated and will learn quickly should you teach him tricks and commands. They are thought to be stupid...far from it, they are extremely smart, just chose to show their smarts when "they" feel like it, not when you want them to.

Overall, it is one of the most fascinating dogbreeds, in my opinion, and you will adore that little bugger in a heart beat.
Do not hesitate to ask questions, several members are long time breeders and lovers. Lots of information is to be had, read as much as your heart desires..and have a open mind, you will be thanked thousand full in return.

and, by the way..Welcome onboard..

[lighthouseparkB]

BEK,

Congratulations on adopting the little cutie! I'm so glad to hear someone who is obviously concerned enough about getting as much information about your new dog adopted this little guy from the shelter and found this forum online. We're in Vancouver, BC and while we haven't had a Basenji pup in the house for almost 11 years, we had 2 at the same time (littermates) - we lived by the old adage that "a tired Basenji is a good Basenji", and with the recent addition of a 3 year old brindle boy we have rediscovered the benefits of beef/veal chews…they provide something that takes time for them to work through with their teeth that isn't yours!

There was little to no information on the Petfinder posting that I saw, and Basenjis are hard to come by in Canada.

Regards,
Elaine

[sharronhurlbut]

Glad you got this pup. Make sure you do the fanconi testing. It will help you know the future with your b.

[giza1]

@BEK:

Also, do you know where Ben came from? They didn't tell us much about that at the humane society.

This isn't a "for sure", but there is an, um…"breeder" in Winnipeg who produces a lot of brindles, and her dogs have ended up in the Regina humane society before. I have a 2 year old brindle male that is suspected to be one of hers that I got off of Calgary kijiji last summer. He's a great guy! Maybe Teak and Ben are related.
-Joanne

[BEK]

Oh, do you know anything about that breeder, like are the parent dogs clear of fanconi? Have you tested Teak for fanconi?

[nomrbddgs]

She doesn't test her dogs as far as I know of if it's the same 'breeder'. I would definitely get him tested if this is a dog that comes from the breeder I am thinking of. If you need any help, you can e-mail me privately.

[BEK]

That's unfortunate that there are irresponsble breeders like that. I am suprised that the humane society didn't say anything about fanconi or tell us to get him tested. Do we just get that test done at the vet and is there a certain age that's best to get it done? Do you know roughly how much it costs to get the test?

[nomrbddgs]

The humane society was supposedly supposed to give you info that the President of the BCOC had given them. I don't know what happened from there. I think it's $65 US. Very easy to do. Register the dog with the canine phenome project and then order the DNA test through the OFFA. I'm sure either Pat or Lisa can confirm this.

[tanza]

Go to this link to order the test https://secure.offa.org/cart.html scroll down to the Fanconi DNA test. It is 65.00 us dollars and is a cheek swab that you do yourself and send in.

Here is the link to register with CPP (this is free) and if you don't have registration information like for a rescue, you can just make up a number
http://www.caninephenome.org/

[nomrbddgs]

Thanks Pat, I knew either you or Lisa would have the links. Yes, it's very easy to do.

[BEK]

Thanks for the info, I will have to get that done. I went to see little Ben today and the lady there said they are pretty sure the "breeder" he came from was a puppy mill situation…so I'm a little nervious now that we might have bought an unhealthy dog. I sure hope not. He's very cute though, a little bundle of energy. It's too bad they won't let us take him home for over 2 more weeks, he looked so sad in the kennel there.

[sharronhurlbut]

The good news is that you can watch if your boy turns our affected. But even if its the worst thing and I am hoping it isn't there is a great group you can join and way to suppliment the dog so he can live a long life.

[BEK]

I've spent alot of time going through the differenet forum discussions on here….and I have to say I am getting quite worried. I did do research prior to signing the adoption papers but I didn't come across the stories and issues that I've read on here. It seems like the majority of Basenji's are "bad" as in they will likely ruin my house and anything that's in it if they are given the chance and I won't be able to trust him alone in the house or car ever, unless he is in a crate....is this true for the majority of Basenjis? Or am I just focussing too much on the negative stories? I thought I did enough research and I knew he'd be alot of work but figured once he's trained he'd be okay to trust in the house, I really don't want to have to crate him at all times and not be able to take him in the car without a crate. Now I'm getting worried that I may have made the wrong decision after spending hours online reading the bad stories. Since I haven't brought him home yet it's not too late to back out of the adoption, I'd rather do that then get him and realize that I can't handle him if he turns out to be destructive, because I know it would be very hard to have to give him up after bringing him home. But then there's also the chance he'd be perfectly good and I missed out on a great dog. Any advice?

[sharronhurlbut]

I do dog rescue. I tell folks they will read a lot of stories, some will apply to their basenji, some will not. WHAT we don't want to hear, is that, "you didn't tell us that"!
As b's are unique as folks are, we tend to show all things that can happen.
THAT way, YOU pick up your special books, or the kids toys, and when they get chewed, because they were down, you don't call us yelling.
All b's can do all of the things you read. BUT you will find your b does some of these things. The good news is with a bit of work on your part, you can make sure it doesn't happen to you.
Hope that makes some sense to you.
Oh, typed by a person who had to have 2 sets of lap belts replaced in a new car, because I was stupid.

[Schouiffy]

It's great you are doing your homework!
I think it's a bit simple to say Basenjis are dogs with many "bad stories". Most of the time Basenjis are great dogs with loads of love to give and a genuine enthusiasm for life. Many destructive behaviors are out of sheer boredom and a lack of mental stimulation - and can easily be remedied with long walks and interesting chews. With proper human concern - destruction of one's things is not unavoidable. Crate training on further research is not something you need to feel guilty about - many dogs on this forum are crate trained and perfectly happy. Some would argue it's far safer for a dog (any dog) to be in a crate whist the humans are away than loose in the house. If you read more into the dog "psychology" of crate training it's easier to see why dogs enjoy a "den" environment when we are not at home with them (there are lots of links to literature if you search "crate training" in the search box of the forums). Furthermore, some dogs as they grow up crate trained and then are fine in the home alone outside of it when they are older - every dog is different. And that's key to remember, all dogs are different, and your puppy will be unique. I sincerely respect your thoughtfulness on the subject as too many people rush into buying these dogs and don't take the right amount reflection time to see the impact they will have on their lives. I think by taking this pause you are doing the most just thing you can for this puppy. He may turn out to be a little whirl wind of terror, but the people on the forum are always here to help you through that. In the end I find, even with the small destructions (I got lucky, my 2nd Basenji is not a chewer) these dogs fill you up with so much, you can let the smaller things slide. Do what's best for you, and in such a way you will do what's best for the dog. Good luck

[giza1]

@BEK:

I've spent alot of time going through the differenet forum discussions on here….and I have to say I am getting quite worried.... But then there's also the chance he'd be perfectly good and I missed out on a great dog. Any advice?

What Ben is right now is a completely blank slate who has the potential to become a wonderful companion or be ruined by mishandling, the choice is yours. A Basenji can learn to live within the boundaries set for him, as long as those boundaries do not involve trying to turn him into a breed he was never intended to be… he will never be Lassie.

Everyone has a different idea of what constitutes a good dog, and has a differing tolerance level for certain behaviours. Ask yourself what behaviours and characteristics are, or are not, important to you in a dog. A Basenji can definitely be a good dog for someone who appreciates the personality of a Basenji.

Anybody who is committed to raising a good Basenji can do it. You have a good support group here, if any breed needs a support group the Basenji is it!
-Joanne