Best posts made by Dreamskape

These are photos of my boy, Gadget... some older ones and some recent ones. He's 7 now. Anyone know what breed he may be crossed with? He's about 30 lbs.

Hello. I've been lurking for awhile and finally decided to introduce myself to the group. My name is Jackie and I'm originally from Indiana but now living in Costa Rica. Six years ago I went into the pet store to buy treats for our beagle and came home with a 13 month old Basenji mix. lol. His eyes met mine as I walked in the door and he wouldn't take his eyes off me. He was shaking and very nervous. It was an instant bond between us and I knew I had to take him home. His story was quite tragic. His previous owners were an elderly couple who where about to lose their home and the husband shot the wife while she was sleeping and then killed himself. I believe that "Tipper" (his name at that time) may have been in bed with her when she was shot and killed and that the husband may have been abusive.

Gadget (his name now) was very skittish when he came to live with us and it took several months before he would even come near my husband. But now he's a happy boy who is my constant companion, always at my side in whatever I do.

This is my very first Basenji and found that I love the breed! It hasn't been without it's trials and tribulations though... He can be very stubborn. When I give him a command he is always thinking about what's in it for "him"... so sometimes he obeys, and at other times he does not. Just depends on whether it's to his benefit or not. LOL And we have had some aggression issues around other dogs... especially those that come into our yard. He is definitely an Alpha dog and has been in a few scuffles with our neighbors female Staffordshire.

But overall he's been a complete joy to have around and I am so glad he came into our lives.

Do you see any redness or pinkish color between his toes or on the back of his legs just above his paws? If so he could have a yeast infection especially if you live in a wet climate.

Our Basenji mix is prone to this condition because we live in a damp climate and he is constantly liking his paws during rainy season. I have been giving him a probiotic and plain yogurt daily and this has helped keep the condition under control but he does have flareups every so often. When that has happened and I can't get him to stop licking I slip on a pair of baby socks and secure with a piece of bandage tape. And the cone of shame helps as well.

Thanks everyone for the replies... I agree that humidity doesn't help and the hot spots were worse a couple of months ago when we were having our rainy season. They are pretty much gone now that we are in the dry season but the paw irritation remains.

I have him on Taste of the Wild food because it is lower in yeast than other dog foods but didn't think about the bovine colostrum being dairy. I was using that because it is said to be helpful with skin problems so I wanted to try it when he was having the hot spots. The yogurt (2 tsp per day) is suppose to be a "good" yeast and help with infections so that is why I was putting the probiotic in with the yogurt.

I would like to try the Lavender Essential oil... do you now what the ratio is for mixing with water?

I thought he looked a bit like Shepard as well, but he is no where near the size of a Shepard. He is only sightly larger than a Basenji. As for traits, he has a wrinkly forehead, he does bark, but he also yodels with excitement when we return home from being gone.... (he only uses it on us).... not really destructive but he has a habit of ripping up the tissue paper in the bathroom waste basket into tiny little pieces. He has a tail curl, but not as tight as purebred. He is also very protective of me and aloof with strangers. And finally, he is headstrong... if you ask him to do something, he will evaluate whether it's going to be beneficial to him or not. LOL

Thank you Antigone! I will try both!