I am not sure that I agree that humans are taking the Basenji in the right direction @JENGOSMonkey.

Heads for example. Basenjis are becoming longer in the foreface with pointed noses, no cushion and very little side wrinkle. Judging around the place - Russia, Australia, Scandinavia, Estonia, Germany, Czech Republic to name some, I have often surprised myself by putting up brindles although not caring for the colour.

When I did the German specialty, my BIS was a brindle from Norway and BOS a brindle from the Czech Republic. They had proper, if you like, old fashioned, Basenji heads (and apart from that, also true Basenji gait !) and I finally figured it out. . . .

Humans had had fewer generations to muck about with the natives brought back from Africa and so they retained much of what now we are losing. Sadly from brindles too.

btw @JENGOSMonkey , if you message me your email address I will send you some pieces you might be interested in.

I am getting my Covid jab tomorrow and the second eye (at my own expense but I have no choice. Insurance won't pay at a different hospital) on Friday. So don't expect anything too soon !

@tanza said in We are looking for R/W puppy to join our family:

@eeeefarm - Agree eeeefarm, but I do not believe that with responsible breeders this is happening with Basenjis at least not in the US.

Nor the UK either !

@eeeefarm Oh that - yes, I've read that too. (but no, clicking on the links at my end didn't take me anywhere). I have always heard that, even if Story Book Basenjis were not actually used, they were dogs from USA, provided by John Crice Rich.

Looking through the Breed Record Supplements, there isn't a record of VTW sending four at once. And in another piece of her writing, she gives a graphic account of taking two Basenjis to the premier of the movie. I have it somewhere - she names the two dogs but I forget off-hand who they were.

My Lady otC, bred by Mr E.A. Collis, was granted an export pedigree in 1957. This was typical of VTW. She would buy in whole litters and put her affix on them. My own Lovebird of the Congo (Lady), my foundation bitch purchased from VTW, was actually bred by S.F. Guest.

The BRS - of which I have a complete series going back to 1938 - is a fascinating history of Basenji movements. For example, VTW always claimed never to have exported a Basenji to USA but that it had a 3 generation certified pedigree. But BRS shows at least 11 went to America with only 2 generation pedigrees.

Kito is curled up on my feet. He was hoping to come on my lap as he did yesterday afternoon while I worked on the database but he wasn't much of a help. It's bad enough having to type one-eyed without a puppy trying to play on the keyboard.

@eeeefarm Your links don't lead anywhere -

@eeeefarm Veronica didn't provide the dogs, John did !

I assume @JENGOSMonkey meant the movie Goodbye My Lady but can't see to type on my phone !

@JENGOSMonkey Good Bye M'Lady was actually about 6 different dogs, all with slightly different markings, provided I always understood, by John Crice Rich.

But I agree, a good tri can be stunning.

@jengosmonkey They arrived on time and I found the 1.5 totally useless at the moment for both eyes. Even with magnification my arms are simply not long enough and anyway, they work at different distances for each eye which makes things a bit difficult !

The 1.75 is SUPER for the operated eye, but useless for the unoperated one. Whereas the computer glasses I have under prescription work for the unoperated eye and are useless for the operated one.

And again, they work at different distances for each eye.

What I am doing is using the 1.75 and my prescription computer glasses by turn and shutting or otherwise covering up the other eye. This way I avoid headaches.

The operated eye is becoming more settled and (to make this Basenji relevant) my son drove me to pick up Kito - my new puppy, Mku's half brother, and I wore only wrap around sunglasses designed to go over normal spectacles. No double vision and much more clarity.

So far (it is almost 6 pm here) the hospital has not carried out its threat to cancel my post-op checkup tomorrow. So I HOPE to find out more about when the second eye will be fixed and I can have my eyes tested for glasses to correct the astigmatism. Bifocals seem to be indicated.

Kito is divine ! He wriggled on my lap all the way home until he found my bait pouch. We had walked Mku in the woods on the way to pick him up. I tried to get a photo of his wee head right inside the pouch as he served himself lunch from Mku's kibble.

They have been curled up asleep in the same bed this afternoon and - touch wood VERY hard - I have managed to get him outside in time. Once he appear to ask to go out - or perhaps I read the signs correctly (!). Anyway, out into the garden and he emptied on the grass.

He is a food orientated, astute, self assured little monkey who is going to fit in here very easily and quickly. Mku is still slightly apprehensive but playing gently with the puppy.

Recall training starts tomorrow - or Tuesday - cos of the hoped for hospital visit.

Your breeder is absolutely right ! I'll bet that as soon as you see another dog coming towards you, you tense up. This communicates itself down the lead to Dino.

As he is on a leash, I am not sure how much he can actually play, even with females.

I agree with @DonC that he may be quite happy not stopping for any socialising with other dogs. You certainly have another possibility there. I hadn't thought as far back as the eunuch of ancient Turkey but that is a lovely argument against castration for aggression although you say he is not aggressive.

First thing is for YOU to learn to relax and then you can either walk on by, talking reassuringly to Dino the while. Or stop and make friends.

But no need to cut him.

If you possibly can, avoid any form of castration. At least by 3 years he should be more mature, I scream when people neuter before hormonal and structural maturity - they have no idea what they are doing to their dog for the future and into old age.

I think it is highly unlikely castration will materially alter your dog's behaviour.

Your breeder is absolutely right that Basenjis can be wary of dogs they don't know but that goes for girls as well as boys. It all comes down to early socialising and that takes place most effectively long before they reach three years ! Basenji puppies need to be handled and socialised - the most effective time is 3 - 6 weeks of age, but it is not too late as soon as they leave the nest.

If you can train him these are not enemies, stop a while and stroke the other dog, tell Dino 'hey, this is a friend of mine, he should be yours too' and get him to learn to behave. I take it he is on a leash when you meet them ? If loose in a dog park step in and don't haul him away but try to convince him that there is nothing to fear from the other dog.

Of course, you may find that, now the rutting season is over, he calms down again. Basenjis are intensely aware September through till about Christmas that the survival of the breed depends on THEM and hormones race accordingly. But they normally settle down - till next season when you will know what primordial instincts are surging and can take care to avoid encounters.

In any case, it can take a couple of years for these instincts to die down, they remain latent, even after castration.

Leave him entire and work on him if you possibly can.

Good luck !

Email me privately. Address in signature block websites. But this is not a year to be thinking about Basenji puppies. And lists for next year are being compiled by some breeders.