Posts made by JeepJeep

Shirley the Brat coordinator found him a home in N. CA with a woman who'd had basenjis for a long time and just lost her last one. She is an older woman newly retired, I think, so Rowdy would have someone home a lot. I think she has a Chihuahua, too, and I wonder how that worked out… ;o) Rowdy got a long with my mom's little poodles. It was just the cats and my birds that he wanted to prey upon. I hope he's happy.

Hi all, remember Rowdy, the basenji fella who was adopted in S. Ca by my friend and then given to me? He and my cats didn't get along so I put him up for adoption on the BRAT website. They found him a good home. Anyway I wrote an article about Rowdy and it was published in Pet Folio, a Reno based pet magazine that is really neat to read. They also have an internet site, and the Rowdy article is on it, if you are intereseted. Here is the link http://www.petfoliomagazine.com/. I had to cut my whole article down quite a lot because in the first draft I had info on this forum and more funny stories of his mischief plus info on BRAT and Shirley who found him his home. But the magazine only allows 600 words, so that all had to be left out! I still think of Rowdy and I like this forum for helping me and welcoming me to the world of basenji, even though I couldn't keep him.

He is! He is! I hope someone will adopt him and appreciate his personality. Haven't heard anything from BRAT yet.

One time Rowdy pointed a morsel of dog food. He took it out of his bowl, put it on the floor, and then stayed a long time with his nose pointing at the piece of food before finally eating it!!

Yes, my husband suggested I find homes for the cats instead, but one cat I've had for 13 years and I love him dearly and the other is young but so shy, I'm not sure she'd find a good home. I think it will be easier to find Rowdy a good home, at least I hope so. Today he's been a good boy. This is hard.

Today has been rough with Rowdy. I have a feeling he is beginning to be comfortable here at my house and sure of his own worth, so he thinks he cuold be more important than the cats and the poodles. He's testing the pecking order, I think. Of course, he doesn't test Jenny, since she's top dog. Rowdy is so happy about it all. A smile continually plays around his mouth. I wish I was young and strong. I'd take him to obedience school and also try different methods of teaching a dog to accept cats. In the past I was very good at obedience trials and classes with my dogs.

Do any of you know how long it takes with the BRAT group to respond and place a dog? Not that I'm in a terrible hurry, just wondering.

Basenji Lovers, you will be mad at me. I have had to put Rowdy into the BRAT application for adoption. I have suffered a week with this decision and will suffer long after, I know. He is so lovable and funny and darling.

My friend found him in a shelter after he'd been turned in by a previous owner. He is approx. 4 years old. My friend saved him and thought I'd be an ideal forever owner for Rowdy, and I agreed. But he was an unknown quantity and now I find his only big fault in my eyes is that he chases and bites the two cats I've had for years and years and which I love very much, too. My house is small and open and hard to make into two areas for cats and dogs. I don't want Rowdy to be an outdoor dog, as he loves to be with humans. So that is why I'm looking for a new home.

I'll keep him for as long as it takes. He needs a basenji experienced owner, even though he is mostly good. He does get into the trash and anything else he can find to do. He is crate trained, I think, as he goes in his crate to eat very readily. He is submissive to my other dog, though he teases my mom's poodles a little. He is just so funny and likable, I hope I can find the perfect place for him, without cats or very small dogs.

If you know of someone in the western area, mention him to them. I live in Reno, NV, and can not travel myself. (I'm disabled with arthritis, which is another problem – Rowdy is too quick for me to squirt him for chasing the cats)

Rowdy was lying on the carpet by the glass door when he shifted and the curtain got caught on his head. Instead of moving he stayed that was quite awhile! Long enough for me to get a couple of good photos. Here is one:

Barkless, what a heartbreaking photo. And the irony of the words on the sign just add to the misery of the chained animals.

My mom's poodle groomer came over the other day, saw Rowdy, my basenji for the first time, and told my mom that her mother used to raise them and that they eat furniture! Then she said they had hyeana in their background, thus the strange sounds the basenji makes. I laughed, and doubted her facts, but thought I'd run it by you guys. I must say, Rowdy does sound awfully weird sometimes when he cries. He scraped his paw the other day outside and came in crying a high pitched squeal, begging me to fix it. He was Ok within the hour.

Another strange behavior is how Rowdy will snap his mouth open and shut in a chattering motion when trying to apease Jenny, the border collie. I'd never seen that in a dog before.

Is Goober part Jack Rabbit?? So cute!!!

I think your photos are awesome! The last one looks like that famous statue of the dog in King Tut's tomb!

Barkless, what a beautiful photo! Tasha, that letter is interesting. I agree that it seems the basenji is a dog who needs something constructive to do to keep him busy.

CeeKay, if you are still coming to check this thread, may I encourage you to think about the Austrailain Cattle Dog, which someone else mentioned? The dog of my life was a Cattle Dog (NOT an Australian Sheep Dog). They have some wildness in them from dingo in the background and even look a tad like a basenji, especially the red variety, but they are truly loyal, obedient on their own just for you and not food, protective, not too large. I loved Rex and Rex loved me. He was friendly to people, but nothing could keep him from wanting to be with me at any time. He won first places in obedience trials, and I trained him without food treats or meanness, just basic kindness and firmness. He had a sense of humor, too, and loved to pick up old tires and carry them around for fun. Anyway, these little working herding dogs are very much like your list of needs for a dog friend. Hope you find the best fit soon.

That is basicly the type of dog I've always had and wanted, but I also loved the idea of a basenji, and now I have a basenji. We are still getting to know each other, but I think the people here have basenjis down to a t.

One oddity, though. I think Africa is quite rainy at times – wonder why the basenji usually hates rain?

As I have been getting used to my new to me basenji, Rowdy, I've been musing on his habits and traits as they might have applied to his evolution in the settings of African tribes. For instance, the way he grabs the trash, grazes the counters, runs with candy wrappers makes me visulize a little dog having to grab what he/she can from the human society around and run.

Also the funny quirky character of the basenji I see as a trait developed to disarm the humans and make humans love them and so accept their presence and their mischief with laughter.

The way the basenji rushes into a new environment with curiosity and snoopy nose agoin' everywhere I can see as their hunting ability for the tribespeople who encourage that.

Maybe even the nipping is developed because in a tribe a dog must have some way of defending his/her trash teasures and keep up with all the other dogs and humans.

Anyway, maybe you all have thought these things before on the forum. It is interesting and makes me like Rowdy for what he is. Do you see any other tribe like characteristics they have?

All your stories are so interesting to a dog person like me! I have usually had two dogs at a time, but for the past three years we just have had Jenny and I agree it is kind of neat to just have one dog. Like a boy and his dog, only it is a woman with her dog (and husband- she actually loves him more than I), which feels good somehow. She's been my best little girlfriend. But now that I have the basenji Rowdy, I have two dogs to love. Jenny is happy with Rowdy, and Rowdy is submissive to her. They run together and act quite friendly with each other, which is good. But I find myself missing my "one dog, one woman" dog.

hug=huge, though he is huggy, too.

I have a cat named Willy, too, a hug hairy tabby who is 13 years old and pretty sure of himself. I also have a shy little Himalayan female named Chamois. Two weeks ago when the basenji Rowdy came into town and set his sights on the cats, he ran to poke them in fun and they ran for the hills. Then Willy turned and growled and became twice his usual big size – he even scared me, he was so big. As the days passed Rowdy got used to the cats and the cats have gotten pretty used to him. Even Chamois comes out when Rowdy is resting, which seems to be fairly often. Probalby you having a puppy will be good for the cats as they can be bigger than he is for awhile. Have fun.

I would be very interested in your replies, too, as I have a four year old border collie mix who still growls when my mom comes into our part of the house. She strides behind her, growling all the way. It seems to be friendly growling. She also barks at my brother who has been visiting every week for all her life! She likes him, but she always barks and puts her hair up when he first comes in. (she is part whippet, too.)