My B seems to go on and off his appetite. I don't feed him scraps, I can explain it if there is a female in season but that's not to often. I have had trouble keeping his weight up since I brought him home. The breeder said he was a good eater and I wouldn't have any trouble. Well, she just didn't know me I guess.:o

I have tried different foods, including the one she fed him. He will eat good for a while and just when he starts to look good he looses interest and slows way down on his consumption.
He's been tested for worms and seems otherwise healthy. I'm hoping it is normal adolesence he grows out of it since I plan to enter him in shows.

does anyone have any experience with this? He is just lingering at about 20lbs. he is a smallish framed b but needs to be more like 24lbs I think. at least needs to hold a good 22lbs.

those few pounds are really frustrating me.

I wanted to put Tuneys pics on here but I could only figure out to do the attachment like you. Now I don't feel so bad. lol Can someone let us in on the secret?:o
Gorgeous pics. you guys have real cameras don't you! I have a motorolla razor. lol

That makes me feel a little better about spending the money on having him chipped. I think it is great aside from those doubts that I had and prefer it to tattooing.

it was our very 1st show on the very 1st day of a 4 day cluster.
With my very 1st Basenji. I was used to just strolling around the ring with a pom not running around with a hound where EVERYTHING shows. No hair to hide anything in.
I was a little nervous to say the least. I was standing back against a wall of bleachers that were pushed up into the wall trying to relax and let my dog relax and stay out of the traffic. I had a puppy dog so I was going in the ring with the first class of basenjis. we were just waiting for the longhaired dachshunds to finish.
Tuney standing up on his hind legs sniffing all the interesting smells in the spaces between the boards of the folded up bleachers. I didn't think any thing of it. He is a hound and likes to smell things and I wanted him to relax.:rolleyes:

they were just about to judge winners bitch in the dachshunds and there were only a few of them and I knew I would be going in after one more class of them.
That's when I looked down and noticed Tune had something all over his previously immaculate head!!:eek:
Upon closer inspection and touching it…. eeeewww. It apeared to be old dirty CHEWING GUM!!:eek: I was on the verge of hysterics as I frantically looked around for something that would take GUM out of fur in an instant at RINGSIDE! It was smashed into his fur, short as it was, I could not pick it out without leaving a bald spot.
I saw the superintendant table and quickly headed for it with poor confused Tuney in tow making our way through the crowds of 3 other rings. of course we were the farthest. When I got to the table hoping to find some handi wipes or something,,,,,, NOTHING. Then on the ringstewards table I saw a dispenser of hand sanitizer and a roll of paper towels. I thought, what have I got to loose. If I didn't get that gum off his head [it was smeared around in various spots quite noticably] there was NO WAY I could take him into the ring. I could just imagine the look on the judges face if I had presented to him a dog with GUM on his head. :p
So I politely asked the steward if I could use their supplies. I was glad I was not at my ring and 3 rings away but I was nervously trying to see through the crowd afraid I would miss my class. The steward graciously agreed with blessings for my situation. I got the paper towel and putting the hand sanitizer on it, [my hands were shaking badly] turned around to my apply it to my dog, only to find him with a whole pork chop almost completely enveloped in his mouth. He had been busy too. Imagine the surprise on my face. I quickly set the paper towel down and grabbed what I could of the porkchop out of his mouth, which wasn't much, less than half. Some one had conveniently left a baggie with 3 of them unattended on a chair at just the right height for Tuney. How could he resist! All this time I'm thinking,, Dear God please don't let them call in my class yet…
So I started rubbing at the gum on his head thinking, there is no way this is going to work. But lo and behold, it came off like it was nothing!! TO MY RELIEF AND AMAZEMENT!
So I rushed back through the crowd and into my ring area praying that I still had time to get there. By now I was mentally, emotionally, exhausted. Thankfully I actually had a few minutes to catch my breath.
We went in, Tuney free stacked the whole time. I was too spent to do much else. besides he was looking good and no sign of the gum or the hand sanitizer. The Judge was looking at him alot and to my disbelief, we took the class, a class of 4. I was thrilled. We went back in and took winners dog from the puppy class defeating a total of 8 other dogs for a 3 point major, our very first time in the ring! WOOOHOOOO! talk about beginners luck. :D I couldn't beleive it.
Definately a show I'll never forget. I wish the breeder had been there but then again, It's probably a good thing she wasn't. LOL She got there Sat.
Both the Thurs judge and the Fri judge, who gave him reserve, said they really liked him.

He usually put his hackles up when he meets a strange dog but if nobody reacts to it he is fine. It seems to be out of defense more than dominance. So far he has never shown aggression towards any dogs accept a Brindle Basenji he encountered ringside. The Brindle got aggressive and Tune got really aggressive back at him. luckily we both had control and left each others vacinity.
He saw that same dog at a different show a month later and it was imediate recognition and aggression towards him. He remembered that dog.

Other than that incident, he has been pretty good about getting along with other dogs.

He does has some issues with my male pomeranian. He seems to think the pom is fair game when he is coming in from outside on his way to his crate. A simple sound from my lips, posture, etc is enough to detour him from acting on his prey drive. It is strange though because he can be out in the yard with him and doesn't bother him. Maybe he just thinks he has to defend his territory from such an inferior little male. LOL He never bothers the female pom.

My B got those right and left in the same areas you have described. My vet, whom I work for, called them seromas. pockets of serum trapped under the skin. he drained some of it out with a needle and showed me. It didn't seem painful to the dog at all. He said it was a common response in some dogs, to a slight trauma [injury, vaccine injection etc.]
and they went away in about 10 days to 2 weeks. I believe he was getting most of his from squeezing through the fence post and the house. After I blocked that off he didn't have any more of them accept once from a vaccination.
Of course if you have concerns and doubts, the best way to reassure yourself and put your mind at ease is to have your vet look at it. Like we always tell clients. diagnosis can't be made accurately over the phone. nor over the internet.
Hopefully though and most likely it is nothing serious and is just a simple seroma. not sure if I'm spelling that right. I'm the groomer not the tech. :D
Hope this was helpful.

Hello Basenji people!
I got my 1st Basenji a year ago in July after about a year or so of research about the breed. I was reluctant after all the warnings and horror stories of their destructive habits and independant natures.
I really think for me I had enough doggy experience with a wide variety of some other difficult breeds that I have hardly noticed. In fact, my B is one of the best behaved, reliable dogs I have ever owned. Now, of course he isn't going to hang on my every whim like my St. Poodle did but I know his limitations. lol
He is a wonderfully unique little guy and I couldn't be happier with my choice. Or should I say his.:D
I bought him for show and our very 1st time in the ring [after getting the gum off his head :p ] we got a 3 point major win! For those of you who aren't familiar, you need 2 Major wins with a total of 15 points to get a championship title. I was so stunned, I thought I was going to faint. By the way, I found out by accident, 2 minutes to ringtime, that hand sanitizer takes gum out of fur very nicely!;)
He just turned 2 and I'm looking forward to many new adventures with him.

I have my B chipped. The thing that bothers me is that I read somewhere that there are 3 different companies that make chips and the scanners and they are NOT interchangable. Has anyone else heard of this? I would hate to lose my dog while traveling and not have him returned because the scanner couldn't read my brand of chip.
:confused:

@Lucythebasenji:

i dont know she has a little bed that she sleeps on without being forced into it so i stay away from the crate

That is what I prefer for Tune at home but it certainly wouldn't work very well at the dog shows! LOL He would be having WAY too much fun causing a rucuss and putting himself in danger! It is a VERY valuable asset to have a dog that will crate when it is necessary.

Hi. New on here. When I put my Basenji in a crate at my house, he acts like he is going into an epileptic FIT! Trembling, whining, you'ld think he was about to die. Oddly though, I can put him in a cage at work or at the dog show and he behaves quite nicely. doesn't even chew his bed which he would otherwise shred until there was nothing left if he were in his crate at home.
The breeder I got him from says she has not had any problems and that it is because I spoiled him. SHE IS RIGHT of course. He knows that I will cave and feel sorry for him. That's why he doesn't do it anywhere but at home.
Luckily thanks to the breeder, he is the utmost ANGEL when left loose in the house. That's saying alot when he can be left loose and none of my other breeds can.