There are people whom seem to have the "win no matter whose toes they step on attitude"? These people seem to come to events with the mindset that no matter what it takes their dogs should win every single award. I'm all for the competitive spirit and trully respect the consuming dedication, but at the same time at least for us any win is meaningless without good sportsmanship and commradery. Especially when the ego driven evil impulse is aimed at an 11 yr-old child and her supportive family.

If you are one of those people who feel that it is your god given right to take home the awards in every event you enter, we have got a proposal for you. If you will email me prior to the event we will forfeit anytime where points may exist between your dog and ours that we also enter on the condition that you stay away and refrain from making negative comments about our daughter's dog simply in attempt to squash out the competition.

This seems like a totally fair proposition with zero downside for you. We'd be glad to sign a confidentiality agreement. For us the world of dog events is simply only about providing opportunities for our daughter to have fun. She really looks up to you ALL and she came into dog events with the respectful attitude that the adults should always place above her. Why? Because she appreciates the many years of effort the many adults have put into making these dog events be possible. She does not go into a competition with the idea to beat dogs or people. She goes into competition to do her best and hopefully better than she did before, and always have fun. Think about it, at each event you see her, she is very happy to pet and play with ALL the dogs because they are so cute and if you ask her to help you she does. Our own input has been to financially support dog events, usually driving six hours to events near every other weekend. We have additionally volunteered in event leadership roles and spearheaded new events within our local club. Events I might add that provide more opportunities for your dogs.

We also offer an additional bonus in that if you help encourage the next generation to stick with dog events, you will have a legacy left behind and doesn't that also sound like the highest award your ego drive could ever accomplish?

Now if you do not find that above proposition worthwhile, perhaps with your permission, might we be allowed to treat you just as you might treat your young four legged kids. Evertime you exhibit a negative behavior, perhaps we swat you with a rolled up newspaper sharply and swiftly on the nose. Or if that isn't the technique you use, maybe a sharp and swift jerk of the choke chain our 11 yr-old daughter will wrap around your neck and command "Quit It". Whatever form the idea is to try and speak your language to communicate effectively, "We got kids we love and we respect you got kids you love and our kids or loved just the same as yours."

My appologies for the vent and reminder of the negatives around dog events for those of you who are supportive of our two-legged kids. But seriously dog events are too small a world for us all not to enjoy ourselves while spending good quality time with our kids. I have yet to meet the dog that was upset they didn't get a ribbon.

get out a trashbag and rub on and put in a piece of your dog's favorite meat. then let your dog shred the bag up to get to the meat. after that get a lure stick, which can either be purchased at a show vendor or use a fishing pole with string on the end and put a plastic trash bag on it and wave it around in a circle to spark your dogs' interest. Once they start chasing after the lure stick bag use it as fun time in your back yard. If your dog starts to get happily crazy for the lure stick and bag everytime they see it come out, you can be fairly certain they will be enthusiastic enough to chase after the lure on a course. find a local club with lure coursing practice. first start with short straights of 50 yds with lots of praise for your dog going after to catch the lure bag. then gradually introduce a turn and increase the distance to 150 yds. please be sure to instill and reward recall back to you after the dog grabs the lure bag, by having a reward treat in your hand to give the dog immediately for coming back to you. after a couple practices like this your dog is likely now ready for a full course in practice. after a couple of successful practices on a full course your dog is likely then ready for it's first JC attempt. after your dog gets' it JC title, then it's time to go to practice and run against another dog. keep an eye out for agression towards the other dog and praise the dog up for running past without bothering or just chasing the other dog. when your dog can run without bothering other dogs and stays focused on the lure bag you are now ready for entering a trial. if your dog starts to cheat or cut the course to head of the lure bag, go back to practices and run some more straights, and also run some full courses with the lure bag just bunny hopping start/stops all the way around the course so that your dog is closely following the lure bag. if the dog still trys to cheat, stop the bag (fun) until the dog comes back towards it and then continue with the fun. the idea is to teach the dog unless they follow the bag around the course, there will be no fun. getting with an experienced lure coursing club and exhibitor will greatly help you thru the process and introduction, not to mention it's usually a whole lot more fun for you to have a human friend. have safe fun and good luck!!

Way to go Arrow. She is a future star on the field!

Yesterday at Tucson, our lil Miss Jocelyn age 11 qualified for Westminster in Junior Showmanship. She was given FC Nowata's I Did It Again SC, aka "Buddy" the current #5 coursing basenji, as a squirmy 3 month-old puppy by breeder Sherry Stevens on the sole condition that she try Jr Showmanship at least once. So if anybody needs help ex-ing B's at either Eukanuba or the garden grab her she's available. Happy Thanksgiving to all those kind soles who have mentored her with guidance and treating her as an equal on the line and in the rings. When we tucked her in last night, we asked if she'd had a good day. Her reply was "everyday I get to do fun stuff with my dog is a good day."

OK so I'm being a kind of proud dad. appease me a little

Jocelyn got her 5th Junior Showmanship win on Saturday, which qualifies her for Eukanuba National Championships. That has always been her "accomplishment" goal since she moved into Open Class. Then on Sunday she got her very first Best Junior Handler over about 30 kids which was goal of about eight hours, hehe. So now she has Westminster in her sights. With about a dozen more AZ Jr rings before the qualifiying deadline, we may need to start a plane ticket fund.:D

in our bed no matter how hard we try to get him to sleep with Jocelyn. but then Jocelyn snores really loudly so we can't blame him.

after instruction from the ever helpful Mr. Robert Reed of Illusions Basenjis, we got a dremmel and are now actual dremmel folk. there are no words to describe how much easier it is to use a dremmel vs nail cutters. and to a really weird surprise the dogs gait seemed to instantly improved. my gait would probably improve too if I ws no longer walking around the floor on stilts.

We just started using a target stick and clicker. so far Buddy can do a full circle on his hind legs. just a trick for Jocelyn to play with Buddy while she waits for her individuals in Jrs instead of hand stacking Buddy the WHOLE TIME and getting him/her frustrated, tired, and bored just before it really counts that he is alert and ready to go for the judge.

he was quite fun to watch, but the joy in your face that weekend was even better to see. Looking forward to seeing Dude and more of the Illusion crew at coursing events.

he's beautiful and did I read that correct he is just now showing as an older dog having already coursed to title?

I love how they put MAJOR on the showboard for the picture. Wish photographers would do that more often. Also wish when you earned a major it was a little different color ribbon then just a solid purple.

I found another swimming basenji.
http://www.zandebasenjis.com/pool.htm

yep he's a keeper, what you missed was the basenji 500 he does after he licks himself a bit. he runs around the yard, then to the pool and stands over the water looking at it intently right up to the edge with his nose almost in the water, then runs around again, back to the water, and so forth.

we haven't exactly figured out why he goes back to the water. but applying humanistic thought, maybe its "Ha Ha Ha water I beat you, come on take your best shot" or maybe it's a "I really want to do this again, but oh and here I just licked my hair and I don't want to get it wet again"

The strangest thing is if our daughter Monica age three is splashing on the steps, Buddy will actually get into the water on a step and stand next to her and lick the water off of her, even though he is getting wet from her splashes. It's like he just wants to make sure she will be OK.

http://www.azbasenji.com/juniors/BuddySwimming.avi

here he is getting out of the pool after a half hour swim. and he still shows his trait as a basenji for the distasteful water actually on him once he gets out of the water. he is so darn competitve in racing, we recently discovered that if we challenge him to race swimming he actually trys to outswim us. So if Dock Dog doesn't work out we may be in search of handler-dog tandem swim races. Yes it is hot in Arizona so please our brains are utterly fried.

yep that's the response would expect to get from near all basenjis. seems basenjis + water do not go well together. However Jeff Schettler hunts with his Axeman, check the pic in the July/August The Basenji magazine. However Axeman does it to retrieve the fowl and not a rubber toy. Our Buddy loves to swim in the pool and beat the Arizona heat. He's got amazing speed in lure coursing. So we figure if we can get him over that first jump fear, he might be a fun to watch dock dog in the making.

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anybody ever heard of a basenji to try it?

What size dremmel, (check spelling) do you use for the b's on their nails?

How often do you do their nails?

our boy wakes froma dead sleep as soon as the odor of any ice cream carries thru the air ducts. We just give him a taste, but if we could ever carry ice cream into the obedience ring, he'd surely earn High Trial that day.

Sherry Stevens of Nowata's Basenjis in AZ would be considered a GOOD breeder by all those standards.

We have a duaghter who has always been fascinated by dogs. We made her prove responsibility tby earning grades in school and doing chores at home. Well she did her part so we got lucky to meet a supportive and wise breeder in Sherry Stevens of Nowata's Basenji. Sherry gifted us Buddy whom she thought had the disposition for children and added the condition that our daughter at least once compete in Juniors. Well over 50 shows later and it was one of the best decisions we ever made. Our family has never been closer, albeit the many Subaru long show drives to and from Arizona. We also have a three yr-old whom Buddy is generally respectful and considerate of her. The only thing he has a bit of trouble with is eating all those little plastic toys she walks around with. That behavior seems to of resulted in another benefit in that our youngest daughetr has learned to keep her little plastic treasures inside her room and her door closed. So our house has never been more spotless. The well chosen basenji can and does get along wonderfully with children. There are about 20 or so basenji juniors competing across the USA.

The Basenji Fanciers of Greater Phoenix have begun lure coursing events. We've had two practices already, each with more than dozen basenjis attending. Next practice is August 19th, Saturday. check out www.azbasenji.com/events.htm for details. Lure coursing is where dogs run after a plastic trash bag attached to a string on continous loop course with turns and straights, usually between 550 and 850 yards. The dogs think the lure looks like a rabbit. All us humans do is release them, then it's all dog and their instincts.