@eeeefarm I think quality of life doesn't just 'come into it' - I think it is everything. To keep a dog going when the quality of life has deteriorated a great deal is thinking of oneself, not the dog.

Sometimes there is only one decision you can possibly make to show an old friend how much you love him or her and that is to make a decision which hurts you. To let him or her go with dignity when it is time.

Mine have almost always come and told me, Mom, please help me. And I would, as someone on this forum said a year or so ago, prefer always be a day early than a day late.

Eating is a good gauge of quality of life, but it mustn't be the only criteria. There is so much to take into consideration and I am the first to admit it is a time I absolutely hate.

Hoover who died in August, is the first one in all these years of running a pack of Basenjis who has not died in my arms, here in the garden. She died in the car, racing towards the vet on a Saturday morning. The first one I wasn't cuddling.

So I DO understand and my thoughts are constantly with all of you who have to go through this - but believe me, knowing you are doing the best for the dog you love, is itself a consolation.

Oh dear, I'm so sorry you had this spot of bother. First thing to remember - treats and food cause problems if not properly dispensed / monitored !

I would take them out somewhere away from home and try to get them interested in other surroundings, on a walk, a free run in woods (if you can trust your boy). Once they accept being together away, then reintroduce them to the house. Best to let the boy in first and then the girl, i.e. the one who is 'at home' before the visitor. OK not a visitor but he's been there for longer. It might take two of you, each with a dog on a lead and then gradually get them together and sniffing the same blade of grass. You may have to do this a number of times and when you are sure of them (as sure as one can be with Basenjis) then get them indoors again and, standing ready with a noisy toy or something to distract their attention at need, leave them loose.

If he is severely injured, don't separate them to different rooms. Make sure they can see and smell each other all the time. We had up to eight living in the house and often there were be some kind of contratemps but it was always of short duration. I am always the alpha, I am bigger than they are and it is MY house. Any injured dog was crated in the kitchen in full view of the rest of the pack as they came and went.

Meal times were absolutely fine. I have a big kitchen and as long as the food pans were put down from the same hand to the same dog in the same order and on the same spot on the floor at each and every meal - they knew when it was their turn and never fought over food.

Spaying the girl is not going to stop fights ! And as the boy is neutered there is no immediate hurry.

Good luck !

@praz thank you for making the right decision.

@mikesull No - the solution is certainly NOT to crate him all the time you can't be with him. You need to allocate a room or a space, with plenty of toys, chews, bones, things he can't hurt like newspapers, the inside of toilet rolls - and you need to have fun time with him.

He is a baby, for Heaven's sake, he needs lots of attention and commitment. He needs confidence, which I sense at the moment you are not giving him. He will settle down in the weeks to come if you are patient with him and let him know you are there for him rather than for your work-outs. Give him the confidence that you will come back.

If you scream back when he screams, you are letting him know that screaming attracts your attention to him. It may not be the attention he wants, but it is attention. Stay calm and try to ignore him, let him know screaming doesn't pay dividends.

The less crate time you have to subject him to, the better.

@tanza said in Considering a Basenji. Thoughts?:

only on their terms.

That about sums it up beautifully.

'only on their terms' applies to just about every aspect of life with a Basenji. Life is a compormise (on their terms !) the moment a B steps into the house.

Thank you @JENGOSMonkey ! It went ok and Mku and I are back in bed. I am more tired than I expected. Tomorrow will be a day of rest and then I will be able to take the patch off and my now one lensed specs will sit better on my nose.

They don't knock you out here and the sight of a needle coming right at your eye is terrifying ! I was able to hear what was going on around me and some of the time could see from the other eye until they covered it up. The surgeon gave me a running commentary.

At least I will know what to expect in 2 weeks time when, fingers tightly crossed, he does the second eye

This is the most difficult decision - it is never easy. If he is not telling you it's time, maybe it isn't quite. But it sounds as though it soon might come to it.

You have to weigh up his dignity and quality of life and ask yourself if you are prolonging it for him or for yourselves. As I've said before, it is the last chance we get to show them we love them. By letting them go with dignity before quality of life deteriorates too far.

Far better to be a day or too early than a day or so too late.

I've been this road so often over the years with my pack - its heart-breaking but there is consolation in knowing you have done the right thing by your beloved Basenji.

The thing about Basenjis is they will play, cuddle, show affection, when it suits them, and it is very difficult to make a child understand this. But you must. You have to keep the child from ignoring warning signs - often a soft rumble, not even a growl - when the Basenji needs its own space.

For this reason, I have never sold a puppy into a household where there are very young children. Except once. But I watched that particular three year old with my own pack for quite a while and knew for sure that the parents would train the child. Some 18 years later, those parents bought that young lady, no longer a child, a Basenji puppy from me for her 21st birthday present !

You have to train the child, the dog needs space and frankly, respect.

Keep a very close eye on the situation and whisk the child away at the first signs from the Basenji, or better perhaps, forbid the child from approaching the dog at all unless you are close by, preferably on the floor with them or at least on the same level.

This is one occasion when you have to side with the dog against the child. The dog is behaving perfectly naturally, for a Basenji. It wants to dictate the time for cuddles and play. Life with a Basenji is always on its terms.

If you are not able to do this, better to let the Basenji go to a new home before any traits become engrained. Let it go without too much unnecessary 'baggage.' It would perhaps be the best thing for the dog and you can get one when your son is old enough to learn and you will have gained from this experience.

We had one who had a massive seizure at 14 years. The night duty vet was a locum and he asked if he could try a steroid shot. If not successful he would come out next morning at no extra charge and send the boy on his way to the Rainbow Bridge. He helped me carry a large crate upstairs to a spare bedroom and we put the boy in and pulled the curtains. He had quietened by then anyway.

Next morning all hell broke loose. The crate was being rocked from side to side by a very angry Basenji ! What am I doing here ? I want OUT ! I want my breakfast - NOW. Let me OUT.

So I opened the crate and he raced downstairs. Marvin shrugged his shoulders but put down his feed bowl as usual and the meal disappeared in short order.

We had him for another full year, no more seizures, perfect normal - so I would not dismiss steroids. OK long term they may damage kidneys, but this was a single injection and I would guess quite a strong dose.

When the time came, he told me he was ready this time and asked for help. Basenjis almost always tell you when they are ready to leave and it is wise to listen. You show them how much you love them by letting them die with dignity and without suffering. I would always rather be a day early than late.

Thank you all for your good wishes. I can see but it is all very blurry yet and there is double vision to an extent, especially looking at the computer screen so although I am a very fast touch typist I won't be working on the database for a couple of days until it clears. For fear of errors.

Sue will walk Mku around the fields - well she will walk, he and Maisie the Border Terrier will race and tear and get very muddy. She lives in the village and lost both her old rescue dogs just before Christmas so enjoys canine company and walks them Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Very good point, Shirley. I honestly don't remember how many Basenji litters I have actually had born and growing up beside the Aga in my kitchen but watching the interaction between siblings and Mom (and Granny, because in Basenjis, grandmother often lactates to help Mom at feed times) is very instructive. Some Moms have been seen to nose the more bouncy pups out of the bed box as a way of disengaging.

I have also watched a friend's Doberman litters and while the two breeds are poles apart once out of the nest, the puppy / Mom relationship gives clues to early training. Her Dobes are renowned for their good manners and were I ever to consider changing breeds (unlikely) I would only ever buy a pup who has had as good a start in life as hers receive.

Walking away, turning away, basically just quietly disengaging, brings home to Basenjis that enough is enough. They soon learn !

@Roux Good question. Cheese, chicken too, but mostly I boiled ox liver up with garlic, dry it, chop it into small squares and freeze it. That does in the show ring and as a reward for returning to Mom in the woods.

@Kembe But Kembe, it is nothing to worry about. It is perfectly normal for Basenjis and so far this year I have to agree with @Micah, my boys have (until now and touch wood very hard) been much more relaxed than when they were younger. As long as I can tire them out in the forest where they chase squirrels, they are fine indoors.

In fact, I wish I could train them to find mushrooms ! There are more around this year than for a long time and today, for instance, I collected about a pound (once cleaned) of edible cep. Last week I filled my bag most days. The boys love these foraging walks because I don't even follow back trails, I go totally off piste into the tall timber. And while I am foraging for things to eat, they race around and tire themselves out.

Just be patient. As long as you understand what is going on with Iko that is a BIG step in the right direction.

@Lustopher I am afraid you have another couple of months of the rutting season in our breed. Basenji bitches come into season (in the Northern Hemisphere) normally from late September to the beginning / middle of December. These days there are many litters born out of the usual time-frame too - but I reckon my boys will snap out of it early December and by Christmas all will be back to normal again.

Taking them to the woods to hunt squirrels will no longer mean they have to check every female they meet - or for that matter males too. Other entire males could pose a threat - - -

From the New Year though, everything will be sunshine and light and they will bow politely in passing but not expect to sniff every canine rear end in Christendom !

Neutering them doesn't prevent this behaviour in the rutting season. As I have so often said, you can cut off the means but you can't remove those 6000 year old urges. You just have to be patient. This too shall pass -

@Roux phew ! We are all so relieved to see you back. Good luck for the show and all your others plans !

Roux - we are starting to get really worried - PLEASE come on briefly if you possibly can -

@Lustopher Welcome to the rutting season ! This is the time of year Basenji bitches in the Northern Hemisphere come into season and the boys know it. They also know that the very survival of the species depends on THEM. Even neutered Basenjis males will get edgy this time of year. My two have started checking up on every dog we meet in the woods - and while some don't mind, others object so I have taken to going earlier and earlier to avoid seeing other people with dogs.
Have a read (on my own website) of http://zandebasenjis.com/rutting.htm Basenji Boys Have A Rutting Season Too -
Be firm and it will all settle down again around Christmas !

Neutering is not going to help - training is. But a good trainer will train YOU to deal with the dog. If a trainer can get him to behave but you can't - there is little to be gained from paying out money. This is something you should never have allowed to happen, but since it has, I think you should deal with it and @JENGOSMonkey has given you a good idea to start you off. Withdrawing treats is a good idea, but also, get up and walk away. He could be biting to get attention and therefore you withdraw the attention at the first sign of a bite, with a firm NO.

@eeeefarm said in Wet weather exercise:

physical control no matter via what tool doesn't allow the dog the chance to make mistakes and learn.

I agree there - 100 %. I'm not a trainer but for 41 years now I have owned, bred and showed Basenjis so am not exactly inexperienced at getting my dogs to behave and conform and have fun !

@t89rex said in Wet weather exercise:

That feels like it might be close to a year before he's up to that kind of exercise

You certainly shouldn't embark on 10 km (6 mile) runs before he is structurally up to it ! There are all kinds of theories about distances for young puppies. Personally, with 40 years of experience and anything from 1 to 8 Basenjis at a time, I find they let you know when they have had enough. And having a sling to carry a small dog in is a godsend.