Hi everyone,

I have been riding/showing horses for ~20 years now but I decided to take a break for a bit due to experiencing some burnout being a part time horse trainer, giving lessons, and having my own horses. I have my miniature horse still, he has a forever home with me and wants for nothing, but no current riding horse. [edited]
Dogs, particularly Basenjis, have caught my eye! I love them, their personalities, I love that they’re active, and of course they’re cute! [edited] I’m not really interested in being super competitive at this point, but knowing me, I might end up wanting to be competitive one day.

I am currently living in an apartment, it’s a decent size one bedroom apartment and there is a dog run plus running trails on the property- I do enjoy running, hiking and exploring the parks in the area. I am an active person. I work in an office 3 days each week, it’s only 10min from my place so I am able to spend my lunch hour at home. [edited] Anyway, I am in Wisconsin, Milwaukee area. I was just wondering if anyone had recommendations for somebody nearby that I can kind of learn the ropes from as far as purebred/show dogs go?

I am willing to travel anywhere in the US for a great Basenji breeder and would be open to an online mentor kind of situation, but it would be nice to have someone in the Midwest who I can meet at a show and kind of see how a dog show operates and if it’s something I would be interested in doing eventually. If there is nobody in my area, also would be interested in anybody who is willing to kind of guide me through an intro to dog showing online or over the phone or whatever might be most convenient. I’m in no rush to get a pup and finding a breeder who is willing to share their knowledge and help me take the leap is my priority. Thanks!

EmKayLyn