Hello,

I want to get a dog and am thinking about getting a Basenji, but am a bit unsure, whether this is the right breed for me. This is my situation: I live in rural Australia on a big piece of land, where we grow fruit and vegetables which we sell in a little shop at the front of the property. My husband is not into dogs a lot, but he once knew a basenji and really liked its personality and appearance. I have never met one, but from what I have read about them, they seem somewhat suitable personality-wise to what we would like. My concerns are that we have freerange chickens, so the hunting instinct would have to be toned down a bit. Maybe if the dog is used to the chickens from a very early age on? Also we will start a family soon, so the dog will have to get used to a baby at some point, when it is not a puppy anymore. And my third concern is that we have random people come into the shop, which the dog really shouldnt be hostile towards, otherwise that would be pretty bad for business… And I guess the fact, that we have gates at the front of the property that are always open, could also be a problem.

And yes, now that I am writing this I do think that a Basenji may not be the best choice, but I'd still like to hear your opinion if those concerns are valid or if they could be overcome somehow.

Thank you!
Hanna