First off, you had a challenge placing a Basenji with other breeds, not a common choice among the educated Basenji enthusiast, but also not an impossible one. You must become part of a Basenji's pack in order to get his respect. This takes time. The training of a Basenji must be as strict a regimen as you can imagine. They will almost never be good off the leash and they will forever pay you back for crating them if the other dogs are not also crated….this means lots of walks, long ones, as exercise is a huge part of the bond you will ultimately form with a B. And it's more than worth the effort. Crating is dicey subject as many owners insist on it, I have never been able to crate either of my kids (Pipet - my first is 9, Diesel - my 2 year old Brindle was a rescue from this site now 15 months hence...and we are extremely happy) they are far too smart to not realize that you are doing it to them only (crating, that is) and they will retaliate with mischief after or during the incredible explosion of activity that comes from a release from said bondage.....very funny to watch. You've done well to not scold or slap him as a Basenji will make it abundantly clear that you scolding them with any malice in your voice, much less physical hitting of ANY kind, will be responded to with a growl, maybe a bite and certainly a warning letting you know they will never bow down.

I don't write with any particular advice as you are an experienced dog owner and it sounds like regardless of his behavior you are in it for the long haul. You won't regret it. I recommend that you watch Basenji videos on Youtube and converse with anyone who has had this experience - I'm stunned that you have had no replies! In any event, don't feel like you're stuck, you are blessed. If you, or one of you takes the time to be this dogs person (as we never own Basenjis, they own us) and so long as you utilize uniform commands and never stray from using them, within about two years you will have an amazing animal that seems to be linked to your inner most mind, soul and heart. They are loyal, they are great guards and they will stay in their yard once they are clear that it is theirs and that this new home and you, can be trusted. I'm curious how he gets along with the other animals, especially the cat...although I'm betting the three legs would make clear to a Basenji that they are dealing with a special needs creature and go easy on her.

My adopted Brindle is becoming a miracle of a dog after having three owners in his first year. These dogs bring out the uneducated "Oh honey....THAT'S the kind of dog we should get!" reaction. I spend more time explaining to people why they DON'T want a Basenji than anything else. I am immensely prideful of my dogs and I present them like royalty to all those with interest. But I make it clear that these dogs are a specialty item. An animal of intense genius and endless energy's. Amazing, tenacious hunters that use sight, hearing and smell all at once (only a few breeds do this) and possessed of astonishing night vision, high intensity hearing and an almost psychic connection to the humans they bond to tightest. You must love them intensely and be willing to get down on all fours to join their perspective on toys, mock murder (of toys) and generally behaving like a Basenji. You'd do well to read up on their roll in the tribes of the Congo dating back thousands of years. They bring all the experience of all the dogs that came before them as genetics play a huge part in who they are and how they relate to us.

Bottom line.....the fun is only just beginning. If you can muster the will to be Basenji person then you are basically showing the character it takes to be a great animal trainer and lover....like a guy who trains Siamese Cats to run 500mph figure eights around a poo.... The fun never ends! As I've said, I offer no particular tricks...if you wish to converse further I can be more specific about a lot of things....I am at your disposal as a lover of these dogs and a very successful trainer/pack mate.

I am curious, this being such an old thread, if anyone is still out there or knows anything else about what happened with the dogs from this enterprise that apparently went "out of business"? I ask as my girl Pipet, a five year old Red & White and great distinction, was a puppy from the sire Mar J's Blazing Glory and Dam Mar J's Eilte Lady. Pip was born on December 17th 2006 and I bought her at 14 weeks old from a very well known and respected dog store in the Detroit Metro area. The store had been there for a long time and all the folks I knew who had dogs from them raved about every aspect of the place, especially the dogs. My interest here is not only to know if Pipets parents are still alive, and maybe where they are….but also that I had, at great length, discussed in detail my need to be assured that the puppy's were not coming from any type of "mill" operation, especially those we here such horrific tales of.

Apparently, this place went out of business legitimately as opposed to be cited and shut down for some heinous activity against the dogs. From the info I gathered they had a good reputation for healthy strong dogs....and certainly Pipet is the picture of health and amazing Basenji qualities that we all love and value so highly in them. I was just stunned to find this when I discovered her lineage papers and ran a Google check on the breeder, that got me nowhere, but entering the Sire's name got me all sorts of info leading me to this story.

If anyone can tell me anything about the dispositions of this family, Pipets' family.....I would really value that. And for anyone who recognizes my name from earlier posts, Diesel, my adopted/saved Brindle one year old from Eau Claire Wisconsin, is just so great I cannot take the time to him justice herein....but rest assured, after almost 8 weeks, he is so happily settled in, loves the routine, is training brilliantly and is madly in love with his elder Auntie Pipet. The 3 AM round of "I.m Gonna Eat Your Head" has just gotten underway. Gotta love living the life of a Basenji!!

They have both been checked and all is well. Pip was cleared as a pup 5 year's ago and after a test strip on Diesel I went the extra step just so I could avoid doing the test, and yup, he's clear! We are in week 4 or 5, I honestly have lost track as once Diesel settled in we just got back into the rhythm of life in Basenji-Land. He got all his shots and will be fixed in a few day's as I postponed his surgery so he would be completely at ease in going to the vet after feeling well established at home….I did not want him to ever feel like he might be getting traded off again, so we waited.

The two of them are pretty much inseparable and he is learning as much from Pipet as he is from me. He is still a bit aloof about his name and any orders I give, but that's OK as I fully expected him to take up to 18 months to become fully responsive and at ease with our command structures. He is no longer tugging on the leash or dragging me like a bobsled on our evening walks and the two of them are absolutely majestic walking together. My neighborhood is loaded with rabbits so he is being tested constantly to try and stay calm and collected when he spots them and he spots them in the blackest of night streets from a block away, he could be a fighter pilot with those eyeballs!

When he came to us he was pretty lean in that his ribs were sticking out a bit more than normal, though he was certainly fed enough, he was not being fed the right stuff by and large so upon adding chicken and beef, pumpkin (for firming) and fruits, veggies, fresh fish and more...he is putting on a little weight and filling the rows between his ribs, he just looks amazing! So all in all things just could not be better!! The maniacs get in a good four hours of Big Time Basenji Wrestling in every day and into the wee hours depending on our schedule.....and Diesel makes it clearer with each passing day that he is that much more certain that he made the right choice and that his path was always meant to bring him here. Life is good!

If I could handle the drive physically I would go there and get him. I still haven't recovered from my drive to rescue my new brindle-boy Diesel who, is so happy with my 5 year old R&W Pipet that he just can't sit still (except for those long afternoon naps of course). Keep us posted, if anyone can get to me in the Detroit area I'll happily have three stooges!

Every Word is SOOO TRUE!! We are a very happy little family here in Michigan and Diesel is fantastic in every way, as is Pipet! Upon introducing them on neutral ground I approached from down the block with Pipet and at about 100 feet away Diesel saw me and saw that Pip was a Basenji (he had pulled on the leash and hackles were up for other dogs 5 minutes earlier), he got down flat in submission and waited till she was standing over him and she slightly gurgled/spoke and he stood, they smelled faces without a single hair standing up (amazing for Pipet and unseen until now with other animals). We walked them to the park where everyone went potty and just got along famously! It was 200% better than I ever dared to imagine for fear I would feel I let Pip or Diesel or myself down…..but it is as if they have been together all their lives! This is a link to my first Youtube posting of them as soon as we got home that evening (Wednesday). http://youtu.be/qZKxpcTv0xI

My deepest and most sincere thanks go to Moth, Dave, Nancy, my Cousin Karen, Cathy, Matthew and all the Basenji people who have played a positive part in this amazing and blessed event in our lives. The support and many insights given by those in this forum and on Facebooks forum have been so appreciated and valuable to us, we are off to a great start and with 2 day's under my belt I can happily report that gets better with every passing hour. ALL IS WELL IN THE DAVIS/BASENJI HOUSEHOLD! Diesel goes in for all his shots and spaying on Monday morning. Pip has received all her boosters for this period and both had Diastix urine tests today that are glucose free! Diesel will no venture forward with new flavors and experiences as he delves into the world we live in…...he is a very happy boy!

WOW! Really? If you could do Eau Claire to Madison and hand off to MOTH, that is half the trip and a HUGE help (all you guy's have to go on my Christmas Card List). Let me know if you can do this and what day's in the next 5 day's work best. Tag the note onto MOTH's last post and also to me at dedavis321@yahoo.com >CHEERS DAVID - From Pipet & Dave

@DaMac:

Well I can pick him up in Eau Claire, three hours each way and Madison is two hours South. I picked up my last half "B" over there in Jan. One of them retired guys so open most times.
Dave
davemcin@wi-net.com

I have a friend just outside of Chicago who is trying to get something going for that part of the trip and maybe all the way to me. I will speak with her later on today and as soon as I know more I will post it here for all to see and we will find out what is left to do then. (I'm off to spend half the day getting oral surgery, Oh Boy! Lucky me!) I will be in touch by this afternoon. THANKS WIZARD!

@wizard:

Dave,
I won't have a free day until after June 20 unfortunately and we still need someone to get him through Chicago.
Have you contacted BRAT or this transport option - http://operationroger.rescuegroups.org/
Would you consider sending him by air as a last resort?

Hi Wizard! I really appreciate your willingness to possibly assist in all this as it is truly the only way I can afford currently, to make it happen as I have some medical stuff of my own to tend to. As to the biting history, he has been said to be "nippy" and as that was what I used to speak about Pipet - my 5 year old (and incidentally - why is my profile picture not showing up on my posts…or is it?)....I do not worry that Diesel can and will learn through the same training method I employed for Pipet, to stop biting and I am certain loads of love and stability will benefit his personality and current underlying conflict/issues.

I guess we need to find the other person in Illinois or southern Wisconsin to assist us further. A very nice member has offered to throw in some gas money if we get this organized. I know the one week scenario is not a good one for any adoption, but I consider all the shifts Diesel has endured these past 2 weeks and my heart just aches to get him into a chair that is his, a couch that is half his and a yard he can chase Pipet around until he collapses unconscious in my loving arms!! PLEASE REACH OUT WITH ANY AND ALL IDEAS!!! Thank You Basenji People!!

@wizard:

I (living in Minnesota) might consider helping get the dog started on his way to Michigan if I knew for sure what the current situation was.
Is Dave taking this dog?
Does the dog have a bite history beyond the one person?
Will the dog go in a kennel?
If the answers are "yes, no, yes" is there someone in eastern Wisconsin or northern Illinois who could help with continuation of transport?

I've asked all the right questions and made all the pertinent requests. I have asked for a full reckoning of all known information, owners and any info relative to his birth, line and papers. Though earlier posts state that Tessa did not get papers from the previous owner, looking at recent photos of Diesel/Roscoe tell the tale of a dog about 1 year old, definitely still a pup, so how much could go wrong in one year? I don't honestly know, but I do know that he gets along very well with Tessa, she is giving him up because her fiance needs a dog he can be the boss of (for lack of a gentler description - I mean no offense at that as many dog owner's want the same thing). As to what I would do if there are no papers, I have asked for the number of the Vet he has seen while in their care, as a one year old he should have been seen at around 10 moths or so…..barring that info I would opt for having him get a full check up before I took ownership.....if he is healthy.. I am in, some adoptions cannot be perfect and as I am an imperfect man I can certainly accept a beautiful pup who needs love into my slightly unconventional lifestyle....because it works great for us (me and Pipet that is). I am not going to sweat these details if he is healthy is my bottom line.

@EskiLovr:

Dave, what will happen if you make all these arrangements and are ready to get him and there are no vet papers? Would you break your own heart and leave him? I don't think you would so it is important to think about these possibilities ahead of time. I want to see this dog get the very best care possible and I wish you no further heartbreak in this. I think that will be best achieved with eyes wide open. Is there a way for you to get copies of the papers ahead of time?

I've followed all these threads, but thanks just the same. I am not interested in his past as he is a baby, he needs a stable home and that is my issue He also has Vet papers regarding shots and whatnot that I will require for ownership to be transferred. We'll sort out what he wants to be called if he gets here.