Aw, she's gorgeous!!! Thank you so much for replying, it helps do much to hear from someone who has had a breed similar to Pugs and can tell me how they are similar and how they differ! I really think more and more that Basenji's could be a really good fit for me!

Oh I'm so sorry for your loss.

Thank you for your input, that really helps a lot! It sounds from what you've said, Wildberry, that Basenjis are similar in the areas that matter to me, like being affectionate with their people, and where they differ are the areas that are really not important to me, like off leash reliability and being friendly with strangers. I do tend toward being the sloppy sort, leaving stuff around, but I figure a Basenji could be good for me there, teach me to put my stuff away or else! LOL!

I still have a lot of research to do, and plenty of time in which to do it, but so far, it really seems like they could be a really good fit for me. Super excited about that!

Oh, and the minimal shedding, while not a requirement for me by any means, is a big bonus. I adore my Pug, Kuma, but ohhh the hair!!!!

Met my first Basenji at the dog show this weekend, and I think I'm in love! He was reserved, but so sweet and polite, and I even got a little Basenji kiss on my hand.

Yay, going to the Northwinds Dog Show at the end of the month, and there's one Basenji entered, lol. One is better than none though! Can't wait to meet my first Basenji!

@eeeefarm

Sounds good, I already have boots for Kuma, forgot to mention that was also part of his winter wardrobe, lol. And I'm good with cuddly on their terms, Kuma's very much the same, loves to cuddle, but if I try to cuddle him when he's not ready, he just gets up and walks away, lol.

@LittleFrog said:

AI really just don't care about trainability.

Oops, that should read, AND I really just don't care, lol.

Thanks! I'm glad to hear that! I know Basenjis aren't fans of wet and cold, but neither are Pugs, lol, and Kuma manages just fine with boots and a jacket, with a sweater added for extremely cold weather. There's Basenji breeders in Ontario and giza said she's from Alberta, and Winnipeg isn't THAT much colder than they are, so it should be manageable.

But yeah, Kuma is extremely smart, but trainability? LOL. He learns things quickly, as he's extremely food motivated, but skip a food reward more than once in a row and he'll go "screw you lady, I expect to be PAID for my work!", lol. You can literally see him thinking it through, whether it's worth his while to obey or not, lol. And when I taught him the "off" command, as in, he has something he's not supposed to have, I tell him "off", he spits it out and gets a reward? It took him all of 5 seconds after learning it to figure out that the more things he steals, the more rewards he can get, LOL! Now he'll go looking for things to steal so that he can parade them in front of me to blackmail me into rewarding him, lol! He also has no patience for long boring training sessions, you have to keep them short and fun, and switch things up a lot to keep him interested.

I love it though, it keeps life entertaining, and I wouldn't have it any other way. AI really just don't care about trainability. I'm not going to be competing in obedience trials, and aside from the essential basics, I just don't care that much. I view dog ownership as much more of a partnership than a dictatorship, having a dog that instantly obeys each and every command isn't important to me. My brother and sister-in-laws Black Lab does that, and while he's very sweet and the perfect dog for THEM, I honestly find him rather boring, lol.

I think the biggest concern I have is how destructive I've read Basenji's can be, I've been spoiled by Kuma, as he doesn't ever destroy anything, but I can adapt, and it'll be good for teaching me to pick up after myself more, lol. I was also concerned that Basenjis might not be as cuddly as I like, but after lurking here and reading a ton of threads, it seems like that shouldn't be a problem, it sounds like most of them are actually quite cuddly with their people, or am I wrong about that?

That's awesome, thank you! And yeah, I own a Pug, lol, I'm very much accustomed to smart, but not so trainable dogs with a distinct "what's in it for me?" attitude towards training, LOL. I love it actually, love animals with attitude, lol.

I'll definitely check out those shows you mentioned, thank you. I think Basenjis are absolutely gorgeous, but definitely want to make sure they're the right fit for me before taking the plunge and getting one!

Interesting, although I definitely would not want to support anything but a reputable breeder or rescue. I would love to have a chance to meet some Basenjis though.

When looking at my original post, does it sound like a Basenji might work for me? I'm not looking for definitive answers, just would like to know if it's an obvious no or not, lol. If they're clearly a bad fit, I'll move my focus to a more suitable breed.