I'm certain part of the issue stems from the fact he previously lived in a kennel. He had the run of a fenced area and could defecate whenever he needed to. We will just need to walk him frequently and for longer periods of time. Perhaps the traffic noise has something to do with it as well. It still has him a little unnerved. His previous home was well out into the country. I grew up with dogs who were abandoned in the country where we lived. With time an patience, they all adjusted eventually.

Zimir is more comfortable with the house. However, I was wrong when I said basic obedience training is the first objective. The first objective is housebreaking! He's okay with peeing outside, but has twice come inside from a walk and then pooped! Most of the housebreaking articles are all about puppies, but I suppose some information is better than none. I guess it will just take time and patience!

Just adopted a two-year-old black/white basenji named Zimir. We just brought him home last night. So far, so good with the cats. Two of them are totally keeping their distance. However, Mittens, our oldest gray has already established himself as alpha. One swipe to the nose and Zimir is keeping a respectful distance…at least for now. He has not been through basic obedience training, so that is my first objective. Wish me luck! He seems to be a very sweet dog.

Thanks for the input everyone! I will keep my options open. Snooper and the cats were never a problem. But then, he grew up with Mittens, our six-toed gray. They would often sleep within a paw's length of each other. I will definitely keep adoption in mind as we search for the right addition to our family. Thanks again! Barb

Although I am new to the forum, several of you know I am looking for a new Basenji to add to our family after saying goodby to Snooper last month. (Many thanks to all who have offered their condolences!) However, I may have a complication I had not considered before. To tell you a little more about our family, we also have three adult stray cats who wandered into our lives at one point or another. We didn't have the heart to hand them over the the local humane society or to leave them outside during the winter months. So, they are now three very lazy house cats. (But, three cats do not equal one Basenji!) I was talking recently with a Basenji owner in Oregon who is trying to find a new home for one of her Basenjis, but felt our cats would be a problem. I also was about to drive to Waynesboro, PA to check on a Basenji at the humane league there. (My heart went out to little Roxy!) I planned to drive down to see her this past weekend, but found, when I called, she had already been placed. But, the conversation with the Oregon owner does give me pause. I decided I needed the advice of the forum before I go any further. Unfortunately, South-central PA seems to to have few options when it comes to Basenji puppies and I would love to help a dog who needs a new home. However, do I need to wait until I can locate a puppy in order to have things work with Mittens, Meeko and Meesha?

Thanks for asking. I guess I'm looking for a puppy at this point. We also have 3 cats, previous strays, and I thought a puppy might integrate better than a adult. I live in Hummelstown, just outside of Hershey.

You have all made me feel so welcome. Snooper and I would just have been coming in from a late night walk about now. So, it's comforting to think of him running free over the rainbow bridge. I will follow the links and do my homework. We don't need a champion or show dog…just a basenji to love. Thank you all your your kind words. I'm glad I found this forum.

I am a basenji lover. Obviously so are all of you or you probably would not be on this forum. I grew up with a basenji mix, DiDi, who came to my parent's home as a stray. When my husband and I bought our first home, one of the first things we did was buy a basenji. We named him Snooper. He was a tri-color male and the best companion you could hope for. After 15 years, due to congestive heart failure, we finally had to lay him to sleep this past Monday. I really miss my walking companion! I hope to find another basenji friend, but am not certain where to start. We found Snooper as a fluke through a local newspaper ad. Over the years, I haven't seen another ad in the paper. Can anyone here provide some guidance?