Mister Two Dicks is five years old. I got him when he was 18 months old. Because I was a police officer, I had to work 12 hour shifts and would have to leave him alone for 12.5 hours each day. While I was away, he had the full access to the inside of my home through the doggy door and the backyard as well. He had lots of toys to play with and when I returned from work I would play with him for hours both inside and outside. One of my favourite things he would do was the basenji manic run around my house and out the doggy door into the backyard and back again. After a while I felt that although he was a happy dog, there was something missing. So I decided to get a companion for him. Pepper is 3 years old and I especially wanted a younger dog so that Mister Two Dicks would be higher in the pack, as he was here first. The best laid schemes of mice and men oft awry. Although Pepper is 2 years younger than Mister Two Dicks, from the very moment she arrived, she was determined to be the alpha bitch. The amount of times that I have had to take Mister Two Dicks to the chiropractor because of her jumping onto his back from the top of the stairs. But I digress. All those toys that I bought (my children often lament that I bought more for Mister Two Dicks than I ever bought them) that he loved playing with, he never even looks at anymore. It wasn't until after Pepper came onto the scene that one of my neighbours remarked that often when I was at work, Mister Two Dicks would sit alone in the backyard and yodel for hours on end, however now he happily plays in the backyard with the evil one. Do you ever wonder what your dog does while you are at work for 8, 9, 10 or more hours. Now that I am retired I get to spend more time with my basenjis and I feel lucky for that.

Yes, so far so good. I forgot to mention that the new sliding door plus the new doggy door replacement will cost me AUS$1000.00. Gee I love my basenjis. Is there nothing I won't spend on them??? Getting back to Pepper, I have to agree that she is a smart dog. She worked out how to evade the water spray hazzard to headbang the doggy door and get inside. Who said basenjis weren't smart???

Well. Pepper did it again. I went for a 9 hour drive in the country side and left the two dogs outside. When I arrived home, everything was fine. The two dogs were happy to see me, the doggy door was intact. The next day I locked them outside so that I could visit the local shoppng centre. I was away for 45 minutes. When I returned she had broken the doggy door and the two were happily waiting at the front door for me. Well, I am sick of it and have bitten the bullet. I have arranged to have a security screen door fitted to my rear door. If she breaks that I am going to have to find an area in my back yard where I can dig a basenji grave.

I apologize from the outset if anyone reading this is offended. Mister Two Dicks has been neutered, so he has no balls. But for the life of me he loves gnawing at where they used to be, and I don't mean for a few seconds. He goes on with it which feels for hours. It sounds like he is gnawing on an old bone. He especially loves to do it under the bedsheets in the very early morning, while I am trying to get my last few minutes of shut-eye before I have to drag myself out of bed. Is this common? Or is he just a deviant and I have to live with it?:eek:

@Hana:

Hana wags her tail a lot when greeting us, it sort of unrolls out, whips around, curls back up, wiggles and waggles floppily…. I was surprise how much she unrolls it and rolls it back up though, I think depending on her mood. Her happy tail flopping around is the cutest thing ever !!

That sounds really cute. The more I hear about basenjis the more I think no two are the same. LOL

Thank you Michye7994 and agilebasenji. I will definitely check out the books you suggested. And agilebasenji, thanks for letting me know about the previous posts. Teach me for not checking out the forum properly.

Thank you all for the informative replies. I was surprised to hear so many have basenjis that wag their tails. I have never see that in any of mine. Benkura, I thought it was a problem in the transforming from hard copy to digital. I too find the misspellings a daunting way of reading a book. Thank you all for the suggestions and links too.

I have just started reading "The Basenji Revelation" by Simon Cleveland. I purposely bought the ebook because it mentioned a basenji in the title and I would like to read stories about basenjis. I was startled to read this sentence, "My little furry friend wagged his tail and whimpered from the confines of the cage." Have any of the members here seen their basenjis wag their tails? Both my dogs let their tails uncurl when they are in a really relaxed mood, but wag their tails??? Has anyone else read this book and if so, what did they think of the book (please don't tell me the ending as I am only 25% through it) and can some of the members suggest a basenji related book to read?

@bewler:

Cody will lick my (or my husband's) forehead and (Ewww) closed eyes in the morning when he's waking up between us. It is, to say the least, a very disconcerting way to start the day!

Awwww. Cody is just telling you that he loves you and your husband. LOL

Gee I am glad I started this thread.

You might like this link…http://www.cafepress.com.au/+basenji_mom_tee,103160866. There is a whole lot of funny basenji shirts at this website (more that I can afford) and before anyone suggests it, no I am not in any way connected with the company. If I were I would have more than three t-shirts. LOL