@nyoung15 My basenji was super picky when he was a puppy.... until I started to cook for him amazing recipies heheeh, but then pandemic season was over and I had to go back to work and started to give him whole barf ( raw food ) it comes with meat veggies, fruits, raw bones and vitamines.
Positivity?
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@eeeefarm said in Positivity?:
up "close and personal" My boy, Perry....
What an amazing shot! He's gorgeous!!!
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Perry was an intense, beautiful dog. I lost him in 2016 at the age of 12, and I will miss him forever.
"In order to get along with a Basenji, you have to be at least half as smart as the dog!"
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-They yodel when they are happy, it's truly a sign of our joy!
-They don't like the rain and will bury themselves in bed covers or hide as they refuse to go outside. They will dance around and run around to distract you from putting on the leash. We lived in Portland when it rained so much but he still didn't change his mind : )
-They love to be warm. Ours sleeps in his own bed but in the middle of the night will come and paw my head so I wake up and place his blanket over him so he is completely buried. I don't like being awakened but it's a charming trait and I don't like the cold either!
-They will get you in shape. They love to walk and run. And you know that a tired basenji is a good basenji. And since they are sight hounds they know when there is another dog or animal nearby. Last week he stopped in this tracks and just ahead 3 coyotes ran down the road. They will check out the sky for airplanes and birds. They see the world sometimes you don't see.Good Luck! You have a forever friend!
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The reason the ‘Behavioral Problem‘ section is there, is to discourage just ‘anyone’ from getting a basenji. We encourage questions, research. We want to make sure you are prepared for your basenji, so he/she won’t have to be rehomed due to behavioral issues. BUT, to answer your question, here is my list: Independent thinker, makes me exercise (walking the dog), no doggie smell- even when wet, very little dog hair (unless it’s the change of season and they are blowing out their coat), no barking, basenji talk (not all do this), entertaining, a very unique bond. I’ve owned 4 since 1996, each with their own personality. Raised 2 from pups, and adopted the last 2. We wanted to adopt another after our female passed this past November, but our male resource guards me, and HE wanted no part of THAT. So we will be a single basenji home till he passes. Many of us are lucky to have what we call, a heart dog/bond, with our basenjis. I have never owned any other breed, so I don’t know how that compares, but a basenji is more than just a dog.
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to me, the beautiful and positive traits are the the thing you are warned about.
My personality made me want a dog that was a CHALLENGE:
I did not want a dog that stayed in an unfenced yard - I wanted a dog that wanted to explore the world! ( a dog that would enjoy exploring the world with me and my kids)
I did not want a dog that accepted all humans and dogs right away - I wanted a dog that required a human or dog that it met to prove itself worthy of it's attention! ( so we would have that in common)
I wanted a dog with an urge to hunt. In fact one of my goals in breeding was to produce dogs that I could throw out in the woods out back, and know it could survive if it had to.( I never threw them out in the woods, I just wanted them to retain the ability to hunt that their ancestors required to survive)
I wanted a dog that THOUGHT. I wanted a dog that would require me to out think it sometimes. (At times they would do something that we had to figure out WHY they were doing it. It usually came back to their need to hunt)
I wanted a dog that constantly assessed the situation, and decided "What's in it for me?" I probably go through much of life that way, and sometimes, what's in it for me helps me to realize why it was good, or not good, for someone else.
There are a couple of posts mentioning their sounds. I just wanted to explain that all dogs do NOT make these sounds. I had one line, staring with my diva, Rosa, that made NO sounds. I had another that had a most beautiful yodel, and was as different from Rosa in most basenji ways. (In fact, she was an embarrassment to the breed in Rosa's mind). Their kids and grandkids were/are the same. No sounds vs sounds. However the girl I have left from the 'embarrassment to the breed' girl, is so vocal, 3-4 times a day. Every time we make a big deal of it, because it's so beautiful (and we have to decipher what she's trying to say.
Please remember sounds/no sounds is not a reflection of their happiness with you or where they live. Sometimes it is genetics.And that makes me think of one last thing - basenjis are very good at reading your actions. If you think they're doing something because they love you (and you show it) they will continue to do it, to get the same reaction from you.
Be sure that whatever they are doing gets a positive response from you, you won't mind them doing forever. For instance, sleeping in a special spot - make sure it's ok if you let them do it, only once!Owning a basenji means that someitimes you just have to let things go, and not sweat the small stuff.
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@eeeefarm
Your Perry was an incredibly beautiful basenji. I know that “one eye peering out of the blanket” look! -
@vlukz Hello Vlukz, your puppy is so beautiful. Would you be willing to share the breeder's name? I am not sure where you are located we are in California but we got our last Basenji in North Carolina and I flew there to pick him up. Thank you! ariadne
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Another positive thing about Basenjis, at least I think it's positive. As many have said, they will make you laugh with their antics. This can present a problem, because if you are in the position of having to discipline a Basenji for a particularly egregious act the dog will try to distract you in inventive ways that make it near impossible to suppress a smile or even contain laughter, and of course laughing will be very reinforcing to the dog, so you have to try to keep a straight face. An innocent, teasing face and a throaty baroo can be hard to ignore!
Another positive Basenji trait: they are great peacemakers! At least, mine were. Particularly Lady. On one occasion my husband and I were having one of those typical married couple disagreements that had escalated to a shouting match. We were in the bedroom, either side of the bed, when perfectly house trained Lady jumped up between us and proceeded to pee on the bed! Well, that certainly put an abrupt end to our argument. She never did such a thing before or after that occasion, and she did not desperately need to go out, as we had just returned from a walk. The only conclusion is that it was a deliberate act to make her people behave themselves. I have had other experiences with Basenjis, but this was the most dramatic, and still makes me smile when I remember it.
"In order to get along with a Basenji, you have to be at least half as smart as the dog!"
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@eeeefarm
“........... The only conclusion is that it was a deliberate act to make her people behave themselves”Not only are basenjis smart they are also sensitive. I’m sure she didn’t want to see her “parents” arguing and it probably made her upset and wanted you to stop. When I’ve been extremely upset I know it makes my B anxious and she will start to pace. They are amazing little creatures.
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Basenjis are intelligent, silly, sneaky, elegant, easy to groom (they so most of it themselves), they don’t have that doggy smell.....8 They love their people. You can train them by rewarding them not scolding them. They do need to run, jump and play. They like you to talk to them. I promise you they will give you so much entertainment! You will laugh so much more with a Basenji in your life! So much character! Mine is a little snuggle bug. I love him so much!
