I got my current boy at 5 yrs. old. Gotta say, it was certainly better then my first, who was about a year old, had been living in a barn. Of couse, my first, was my first and I had no idea about basenjis with that first guy. We learned to live together, this site helped me a great deal back then, He lived to 16. Had put down a couple of dogs growing up but that guy was the hardest as he was truly and only my dog. A month later my vet's office called (Dr. Tracey Leonard) actually Becky, and said I have the perfect Basenji for you. Doncha know, he has been my best friend since. He was the perfect basenji for me. Mellow to a fault, not at all destructive (believe it!) except for tissues: there's no stopping that with almost any breed. and calm as the day is long. there will never be another like him, I am sure.

All that said, I hope to also find another older B when my fella fulfills his bucket list (catching a squirrel, rabbit,my neighbor's sheltie–see he's not alowwed to fulfil these things - he has to stay with me the rest of my life)

My B never tells me it's time to get up, but we have a routine. He sleeps on the bed under his very own blankie, the alarm goes off, I get up, shower, clothe, then go to the bathroom to brush my teeth. That is his clue, when I brush my teeth, he knows its time to get up. If he doesn't, I go find him. It is kinda like waking a teenager for school. Fortunately, that is an infrequent occurrance, but I have to pull 'his' blankie away and kindof prompt him to get his butt up. As earlier noted, it is the cold. All this goes out the window when it is warm, sometimes.

It is all part of my pleasure of owning a dog that is not in any way typical. I love that he "purrs", tell that to your friends!

"half a hundred" Nice!

Thanks all, I'm thinking when i get out of the work force…..another or 2 B's. I will have time for them. I just want to see them play and be the B's that they are, My current B is the most mellow thing you have ever seen. I got him at 5 years, don't know what his sitch was , but i can't imagine such a laid back 'B'

Baroo, baroo; I'm 50 (thank-you, Basenji Foruams for your birthday wishes) now and, that AARP has sent me an application and I'm getting calls from "I've fallen' and can't get up' people. If they only knew how young my B makes me feel. :0

I just hope those pups got good homes, and they won't be back to SICSA. Forever homes for all, please.

Yeah, sorry for no link. I'm actually not sure how to do one.

I've looked at the site ( as noted by my fellow B friends) and it appears all the pups are gone> Some of my friends said they would get me a couple for my birthday But they know better. I just need a fence, a basenji-proof fence. I could do it if I had the money, I know what it takes to be Basenji- proof, mostly. Is there one that can really be totally B proof?

At SICSA, Kettering, Ohio. I generally have doubts when anyone says its a Basenji, but the pics are so Basenji-ish, despite the 'mix' with a Sheltie. I thought the pics were very cute and . I've seen claims of Basenji before that are just kinda,"Really, Why?" But these actually look it. Just putting it out there for anyone interested.

(if I had a fenced in yard I would be checking these pups out in a heartbeat)

So sorry! Quiz. But as others have said, Thankfully You and Butu are still happy, healthy, and among us. And Chelsie508, awesome with your B! When I got my first guy, I also lived in a 'not so great' area but never had an issue ' cause I'm kinda a big girl ( 5'8") and walk with some confidence while walking with my dog. I was approached several times but mostly by folks having curiosity about my B. I was approached once by a kinda scary looking young man with a doberman on a leash once. Turned out he lived on the other side of the complex I lived in and was was just happy to find another person with a unusual dog. We ended up meeting and talking quite a bit over the years. My B was quite pensive at first, but because of the other dog, not the human. The dogs actually became friends, played together while I chatted with that same, scary at first, young man. "Can't judge a book by it's cover", Lesson learned! :)

My house has been broken into twice, two different basenjis. Both were crated at the time, I was at work both times. I think, had they been loose, both would have just run out the door. My current B was in his crate the last time, shortly therafter I started leaving him out. I still think he would run away. 5 years and I still look for the signs of a break-in when I drive up to my house and my main concern is "Where will Arleigh be?" I sure hope he would come home eventually. That being said, he seems to have no interest in strangers coming to the door or the doorbell ringing. Whenever I go the the door, expected or not, he cares only that he may be able to go out front. (he usually is only allowed out back). Protective, not sure, my thing is just depending on him to hear stuff that I might not, which he does quite handily :)

Well, there you go with that third pic of the curly tail. I am not a breeder, nor show person, but the photos do seem somewhat basenji in the mix. Why does "spellcheck" think that Basenji is not a word??

When I say "bark", I don't really mean that. What's the word I've heard used? Kinda a chuff, is that it? When my dad visits, my boy is very happy and makes a noise completely different than my neighbors sheltie that just barks at the car pulling into my driveway. :)

Indeed, I have never met a paper that my B did not like. Some more than others, of course, Tissues and paper towels being the most desirable playthings.
I think it is great that you have your dog going in as a therapy/service dog. I think that might be something I would be interested in doing once I retire from my current employment and have some more time. It can't be wrong that animals, for many folks, are therapeutic. My fella makes me happy every day when I come home. :)

My fella will give a 'bark' when my dad comes over, he loves my dad and my dad loves him :) He will whine when dad leaves and try to chase the car. Otherwise he is very quiet. He sometime whines when he sees rabbits or squirrels in the yard, and sometime yodels when he wants to play, but he is mostly very quiet. I can get him to yodel, any time, with my harmonica, though :)

Yeah, sorry folks, haven't seen this dog again. I'm still hopeful, unless, like I said earlier, they were just visitors to "the hood". I do work outside the home, full time, and don't hang out on the driveway the way my folks do. Hmm! perhaps I should…...

I live on a dead end street that has 3 houses...I'm the middle one... the reason I think I may see this dog again is that there is a pedestrian bridge at the end of my street, and I think they came from there. We get a lot of foot traffic from across the hwy. 'cause we have Dairy Queen just a couple blocks away.

If I don't see them soon, we may have to take a walk across the bridge ourselves to see if we can find this dog. I have had good experiences the few times I've gone over there.

BTW: My fella loves going across the bridge. He gets to pretend he's bigger than those semi's flying by below us. :) I don't do it too much because when I'm walking him, it's usually for him to do his business, which he won't do on the concrete bridge. We have a park behind us that is just as fun and he will do his business. :)

Yeah, that whole setting off the 'glass break' thing was kinda freaky. it was not too long after I got my alarm system. My house had been broken into twice in 11 months so I had to do something. During those months my first B passed and I have another, They were both crated at the time of the break-ins and seemed no worse for wear, thankfully. I don't set the 'home' mode very much anymore. just kinda depends on how i feel.

Just to chime in here, I also remember those "is it live or is it Memorex" commercials. Sorry, Debra, but I didn't watch your links yet. Just wanted to say that I remember a while back the show 'Mythbusters" did a segment on this very subject….the conclusion was "plausible", which means given the right voice, with the right glass, and the right circumstances, it is indeed possible for a human voice to break glass.

As to the 'glass break detector' of ADT, I also have one. Though my B has never set it off, I have.....by slamming a cupboard door, not really that hard, causing some dishes to rattle. This was in the 'home' mode; window and door sensors active plus glass break, motion = inactive. My boy can be very vocal if he's in the right mood...hmm...maybe I should give it a test :)

Thanks all for the responses. I am hopeful that I will see this dog again and will definitely ask to get a photo. It was just kinda weird, most of the dogs i see walking by my house are labs or 'mini' somethings. I truly hope I may see these folks and the dog again. If they live across the bridge, where they came from, it is likely i will see them again.

Here's hopin'! I would be so happy to find another Basenji owner, faults and all, in my neighborhood :)

I have not idea, He was just a dog walking down the street. Very basenji - like

Perhaps I should be more clear…this is not about me, it's about work. We have this new form that we have to fill out that asks about "persons living in the household that YOU have a duty to support". So..do you have a duty to support your 27 year old son? your nephew? Your girlfriends children? Legally, do you have a "duty to support" anyone other than minor children that are biologically yours? Living in the household, of course.

BTW: I hate these new forms, it comes from the state and just goes to show how much they have no clue about local stuff.

Thank-you, Ivoss. I had assumed it would be a fault, but was wondering if it was even possible. I really hope I can run into these folks again and they let me take a picture of their dog. If they live near here and weren't visiting, I'm likely to see them again as the weather gets warmer. The fact that they asked me what mine was says they don't know what they have. I really want to talk to these folks, could be interesting. :)