Posts made by Izzy-Bella

Oh gosh. We have loved and cherished Izzy-Bella, a 3/4 Basenji-1/4 Min-Pin Mix for over a decade. She was a rescue, adopted at 18 months old. She turns 13 at the end of June, and seems to have more energy and personality now than she did a decade ago. She does not shed, like other dogs. But, her little short black hairs are all over the white chair she likes to cuddle in with me when we watch HGTV and Food Network. Tee hee. There is hair, lots of it, but not flying tufts of hair that you find with other dogs. I think there are more cat hairs all over our floors than dog hairs. But, boy, those black hairs scream out on white furniture!
Basenjis--or even mixes--are definitely NOT for first-time dog owners. They are unique, to say the least. Our Izzy has mellowed so much now that she approaches her 13th birthday, but she still revels in stealth-stealing tissues; and she sleeps under the sheets and blankets in bed with us every night, between my legs. Lots of destruction in the beginning,(she even won blue ribbons for her badness--Basenji Owners are weird, to say the least, even weirder than their dogs) when we adopted her at 18 months; much destruction in the house. But, just the beloved tissues (it seems that Basenjis might possibly require tissues in their diet, since so many love tissues so much) now at almost 13 years. But, she prances and dances and goes berserko when "walkies" are imminent. Neighbors cannot believe she is almost 13. We have enjoyed many beloved dogs of various breeds, but this little Basenji Mix is the ne plus ultra. I sincerely hope Izzy lives as long as our beloved Malti-Poo, who died at 17 years. But, we are not exactly young and sprightly, so adopting another Basenji down the road could be problematical. But, they are THE BEST, if you know how to read them and coexist with them and deal with their very special personalities.

Naomi is a beauty, to be sure. She is definitely dainty at 16 pounds. Those big old bells would wear her down! Maybe some little Christmas bells???? Ha Ha.

Ditto, on Kembe's comments on the hand-made hunting bell. Too cool!
Izzy-Bella does appreciate her ever-changing fashionable collars, but I'm not sure how much--or little--she would like a bell around her neck, or anywhere else.

Oh gosh, I love this thread. Years ago I researched these bells, because it just seemed that a Basenji parent should have a Basenji hunting bell. But, alas, the prices were SO exorbitant. I could have dealt with $200, maybe even a bit more, but $600 and beyond? Not so much. I would still dearly love to own a bell. I did buy a very "dear" vintage slim book about Basenjis, which I bought in lieu of the bell. I do not recall anything in it about putting the bell around the stomach. But, who knows? Correct me if I am wrong, but I think Basenjis exist in a very wide swath of The Congo, so maybe different peoples/tribes have different customs.
I would LOVE to have an authentic bell.

Oh my lord, I am so extremely sorry for your loss. This is devastating. We are all thinking of you and sharing your pain. And leaking tears.

I see Basenji, for sure. But I am a very biased person, with a 3/4 Basenji, based on DNA testing; but one who the nay-sayers on this site would no doubt probably poo poo results if they they just looked at her photos.
Nevertheless, that is a really adorable dog: super duper cute. The ears are wonderfully delightful, maybe not so much Basenji-like, but so much else is Basenji. Do the testing!

Beautiful! She's a peach. Enjoy!

Oh my gosh. When I first read this posting, my heart jumped, because I thought a Basenji smothered in bed with its people. My Basenji sleeps deep under the covers every night, so I had horrible images of Death Under Cover. Never mind she's been doing this for almost
ten years.
And then when I saw the deconstructed dog bed, it was like, oh duh, been there done that. How many crate mattresses have we gone through this past year? It seems that our girl yearns for the most expensive tempurpedic-type mattress out there. When her beloved most
favorite mattress had to be finally disposed of, alas, every subsequent mattress was summarily destroyed within mere days. The current replacement is a paltry replacement, but
it is working so far. Lord knows, the new kitten loves it.
Anyway, I think these furry people denand the best in beds. They have standards. Swedish Tempurpedic, preferably with built-in massage capabilities. Otherwise, it's a flurry of foam. Been there.
It's all too funny.

@kembe

Wow, my Izzy-Bella would be so jealous. Squirrels and bunnies send her into mad-dog frenzy. Oh, to capture one of those pesky little vermin--sublime! She tries, but, alas, no luck.

Izzy loves Big Dogs. She is an unashamed little Ho. She tries to kiss their faces and their ears. It's frankly embarrassing.
She doesn't hate small dogs, as long as they like her. But she yearns for handsome manly Dwayne Johnsons of Big Dogs.

Good on you, Patty. I agree. The DNA tells the story. You simply cannot look
at a mixed breed and declare a conclusion.
Several years ago there was an article centering on visual recognition, particularly featuring possible pit bull heredity. There were about a dozen pictures of dogs who all looked like flat-out pit bulls. Almost all were not. So much varied DNA in these featured mixed breeds, and dogs with extreme pittie features had no pit bull DNA at all. Fascinating. Meaning probably in the other direction that some cute little guy like yours can contain Basenji DNA, whether the arrogant purist breeders like it or not. Basenjis are notorious escape artists. In a previous Basenji group that I belonged to, there were at least two rather notorious and egregious escapes. One involved a dog entrusted to a breeder for mating purposes. The dog escaped and was never recovered. Egregious irresponsibility. The other escaped during a family trip and was missing for weeks. Fortunately, it was recovered safe and sound, but who knows what sexual havoc it wrought during its adventure.
Let us know what the testing reveals. I hope there is Basenji in there somewhere.

I must agree that naive, first-time wanne-be owners need to do deep, extensive research. Basenjis are supremely unique and definitely not a good choice for a "beginner."
I adopted an 18-month old 3/4 Basenji (other 1/4 is Min Pin, yet another quirky little breed, with some "bad" similarities to B's). I was somewhat familiar with B's, but not even a little bit of "enough!!" Gosh, Izzy-Bella was a piperoo!! A little 18 pound bundle of energy, destruction, and escapism. BUT, I have always loved bad boys (9 years working in a high school), so a little bad girl was a sort of delight. But, again, it takes many years before these dogs mellow out and mature and maximize their amazing intelligence. Izzy is SO SO smart: her early unbridled destructiveness has pretty much ended, and now, at ten years old, she amazes us every day with her intelligence, innate understanding, observational skills, language acumen, and comedic skills. And at ten years old, she acts like a three year old! I hope this means she will live forever.
Once you have bonded with a Basenji, you are probably done and gone. But
first-timers REALLY need to do their research and homework.
Someone referred to entrusting their dog
to a family member. I would entrust my B to nobody except a bona fide Vet hospital/kennel, with big-time fences and enclosures, B's are exceptional diggers-under-fences and escape artists. And a Number One cause of
death for them is traffic. Their prey instinct sends them careening into
traffic. Dumber than deer.
But, bottom line: do your due diligence Basenji research, and understand early on that these dogs are singularly unique: indescribably destructive; escape artists; independent thinkers and behaviorists; smarter than you can even begin to imagine (I swear my Izzy understands everything I say and reads my mind!); and prepare to have lots of tissues on hand as auxiliary food, because apparently, Basenjis require wood pulp
projects to prosper!! I don't get it.

@kathyb

Wow, this little sweetie could be a twin sister to my Izzy-Bella. She and Izzy have the almost identical same markings (and lack of!). Izzy is a 3/4 Basenji, 1/4 Min Pin. Mostly black, with residual white on her chest and a tiny
white-tipped tail, which is half curled.
What is Layla's heritage?

I am pretty sure my attempt at humor totally leapt over your head. Hmmm, perhaps, my bad.
Trevor is my second best male cat ever. He requires no interventions.
Time for me to opt out of yet another social media site.
Tah.

I am so happy and impressed that you are reaching out to Basenji owners to research this unique and quirky and oftentimes, difficult, breed.
The Basenji is a pip and not meant
for the faint of heart. YES, they are destructive--extremely so; and YES, they are escape artists--extremely so (at least in their early years.)
I actually coexist with a now 10-year old female rescued Basenji Mix (3/4 Basenji, 1/4 Min Pin, and the latter share several characteristics with the B's, such as prey instinct and escape artistry).
In the early days, my husband had to resort to extreme measures to secure the fencing in our yard: giant rocks and wire mesh to cover up and fill in the gaps under the fence where the little brat dug and dug and dug her way to China, or wherever. On one epic escape, I--at an advanced age--chased Izzy-Bella on foot
through the neighborhood and eventually literally tackled and body slammed her to the ground to catch her. Pathetic.
However, I am happy to report that she has mellowed enormously. She obeys us (mostly, sort of); there have been no escapes in years; she has gotten smarter and more intuitive each year and amazingly reads our behaviors so perfectly; and she is the best most fun and funny intelligent observant dog ever. BUT, the destructive instinct is slow to die. I suspect it is a hunting instinct thing, And this notion that massive amounts of daily exercise will dampen that instinct is just plain balderdash! When they get all hyped up with play fever and excitement, their jaws just start going into overload. Blankets, afghans, throw pillows, socks, tissues, the sweaters and blouses you are wearing--yum yum. When my granddaughters come to visit and bring their precious favorite stuffed animal friends, they make a big point of putting the stuffies way up high and out of Basenji harm's way. 'Cause, vad

He's a real cute boy, to be sure. I would suggest doing one of the DNA tests. Basenji mixes can look so vastly and unbelievably different from each other. And their peculiarities also encompass other breeds, sometimes. My mix is obsessed with facial tissues, preferably
used, but she also loves cardboard.
Basenjis are famously destructive, but whole bunches of other breeds--and mutts--are as well. Do the DNA testing; it's a fun revelation.
And love that little cutie!

There are Basenji owners in the Reading, PA area who show their dogs and make a point to appear at various dog events in order to showcase the breed and introduce it to the public. Some searching on the Net might yield some results. I opted out of all things Facebook and Internet-related years ago, so I can't offer exact contacts. But, check out Reading Basenjis. And good luck. Be aware that B's are unique and special and more challenging than a
typical two-year old child. But, my Basenji mix is the best dog EVER.

Well, interesting thoughts and opinions here. First of all, that is a very handsome and obvious Basenji mix. Lots of Basenji DNA in that cutey. And the behaviors are pretty spot on. I have a 3/4 Basenji mix, a rescue, who is the most delightful dog ever, in life. I don't know her history (somewhere in Iowa) but I am forever thankful that she ultimately landed in our home.
It's a unique breed that is not far removed from its origins in Africa. I totally support the idea of sustaining the purity of the breed. But I suspect these many mixes are the result of escape accidents or ignorant irresponsible back-yard breeders. And those people are LEGION, across America, working with all breeds. But, you know, mixes are not a bad thing. I had the opportunity to engage with a Basenji group, and almost all of those dogs were grumpy grouchy and anti-social. My mix was the friendliest dog in the house. Izzy absolutely loves everything and everybody. Purity can have some drawbacks, and that's a fact.

BUT, whatever, I positively adore my Basenji mix, Izzy-Bella, smartest, funniest, best dog ever. Thank you, careless breeder/owner/whatever for
providing the opportunity for this little canine treasure to become part of our family.

Gosh, Basenjis. Possibly the "ne plus ultra" of dogs. We co-habit with (ha! More like daily defer to) a 10- year old 3/4 Basenji rescue named Izzy-Bella from a shelter in Iowa. Ten years old, really? Does she know she is a senior dog citizen?? Nope, no way no how. True, the early toddler pre-teen destruction genes have largely subsided, and escape artistry has dissipated, due to highly focused parental restraints; but the basic demented Basenji-ness still flourishes. For which we are thankful, as she makes us laugh at and love her every single day.
Well, maybe not when she still pees in totally inappropriate places. My oriental bedroom rug is NOT a Congolese forest floor, Izzy. You get massive numbers of walkies every single day, so what's up? And do not even TRY to blame the cat. Trevor is a saint. Well, except maybe when he throws up breakfast every other day. . .
I love animals. Do goldfish have bad habits??

I am pretty sure you can't just look at a mix and declare what it is. Scientific studies have debunked that over and over. Best to do a DNA test, in my opinion. I have a mix who was advertised as a Basenji Mix, and her DNA results confirmed it. If you just looked at her and made a judgement, it would be mixed: her color was all askew, her tail was half-curled, she was smaller and featured more slender face and feet than a pure-bred B.
But, apparently, the 1/4 Min Pin (the ONLY other DNA in her sample) contributed some significant traits. Behavior and personality wise, Basenji rules the day. Again, I recommend a DNA test, and they improve by the day.
What is this other B identity thing that is mentioned in this thread? Is it also a DNA test, or something else?
Oh, and hey, your baby is way cute!

Oh gosh, these are wonderful and too funny stories. Basenjis are just simply the "ne plus ultra" best.
My Izzy-Bella was pretty ornery early on, after being adopted at 18 months. She was a pip, destroying many minor items and one major item: the den window blinds and window sill. She was always "on point" high alert for squirrels in the back yard, and she hurled herself from the back of the couch into the windows.
Destruction ensued.
Over the years, she has mellowed, and destruction is confined to tissues, preferably used ones. I think tissues and other forms of paper are sort of a special food treat for Basenjis. Strange and weird, but it's Basenjis, who are the epitome of strange and weird. AND--THE
BEST. Why would you want a boring dog when you could have a Basenji??
Rooing: Izzy does a beautiful expressive Roo when I initiate it. It is truly sublime. (Hers, not mine). We are pursuing a record contract.