Hello new basenji owner in Wisconsin


  • Welcome to our pack (from neighboring MN) - there really is a wealth of info here as well as great stories - we've collectively experienced it all with these little beasties!

    I would ditto the comment about checking out the health website already mentioned and look through that section on this forum - Fanconi's is a nasty genetic disease but one that can be controlled so well worth having the test done.


  • Hi there,
    Welcome, I am fairly new on here myself and I'm sure you'll find this forum and these lovely people on here as friendly, helpful and genuine as I have.
    Was good of you to take your little boy in, I would love to see some pics if you want to put any on.
    Hope to chat to you soon
    Kat, Gavin and our little Eesha


  • Welcome to the forums, from another wisconite. glad to hear you opened up you home and heart.


  • Hi we decided to name him Beau. It seems to suit him lol. My uncle thinks he is about 6 months old. Im in milwaukee, Wi. And I finally managed to post some pics of him at first the site was saying i didnt have a security token, but eventually it let me post anyhow. Everyone in this forum is so nice and helpful already thank you guys so much I'm sure I will need the help if B's are as naughty as people are telling me they can be lol.


  • Welcome Jinxed. Beau sure is a cutie. Thanks ever so much for taking him in. Learning about Basenji ways is a lifelong experience:)


  • Welcome to the forum!

    Great you gave him a permanent home!

  • Houston

    He is so pretty. I can't believe how deep those scars look on his poor face. You might, with the vets approval, I guess, want to try some scar cream on the scars and see if they blend/heal better/less visible…if you think his scars are bothersome.

  • First Basenji's

    Welcome! Beau looks like such a sweetie.


  • There's a basenji club in the Milwaukee area (I think it's called Southeastern Wisconsin Basenji Club or something similar - too bad they're not in SW Wis. or I'd go) that has all kinds of activities - get-togethers, training tips, rescues, etc. etc. You might want ot check them out.


  • I never realized there were so many Basenji owners around here I am so going to check out that basenji club Wizard thanks I didnt even know there was one.
    Does anyone have any ideas about how to get him to quit begging and taking food off the table? He will even put his little feet up on the edge to see if there is anything good to go for on the kitchen table. When telling him no didn't work we tryed to lay boundries by useing our body to force him out of the area (like on the dog whisperer) He doesn't care so we closed him in the kitchen with the baby gate. How high can basenjis jump cuz he is very impressive. He already jumped the baby gate at my mother in laws house, mine is taller so he hasn't yet. He even puts his nose into the babys lap in the high chair and when i take her out of the chair he is up on his hind legs looking for left overs. He doesn't like water… do you think nailing him with a water gun or spray bottle would be too mean? Never had a beggar b4 need help lol

  • Houston

    I feel your pain…we are dealing with Otis doing that too, and my husband is sick of it..We use a babygate and lock the dogs in the litchen while we eat, taht way they see us, buty won't bother us. In Otis' obedience cass the trainer said that you could use a spray bottle for all unwanted behavior, but I haven't tried it yet..might work wonders.


  • One of the great advantages to crate training… put them in their crates when you are eating dinner, especially when they are babies... give them something to chew/play with... let them out when you are done.


  • @jinxed_1980:

    I never realized there were so many Basenji owners around here I am so going to check out that basenji club Wizard thanks I didnt even know there was one.
    Does anyone have any ideas about how to get him to quit begging and taking food off the table? He will even put his little feet up on the edge to see if there is anything good to go for on the kitchen table. When telling him no didn't work we tryed to lay boundries by useing our body to force him out of the area (like on the dog whisperer) He doesn't care so we closed him in the kitchen with the baby gate. How high can basenjis jump cuz he is very impressive. He already jumped the baby gate at my mother in laws house, mine is taller so he hasn't yet. He even puts his nose into the babys lap in the high chair and when i take her out of the chair he is up on his hind legs looking for left overs. He doesn't like water… do you think nailing him with a water gun or spray bottle would be too mean? Never had a beggar b4 need help lol

    The website is www.bcosw.org. It's a good group of people. If you go to the events page you can see all of the different activities. Hope to see you at one!


  • Hey, congratulations on getting your first basenji! As much as a handful they are, they are SO much fun, and will make you laugh constantly. We are also in Wisconsin, near Sheboygan, and come to Milwaukee often, if you are interested, we should do a meet up sometime, i've only met another basenji once, and would love to see more! Plus it's always fun to share tips 😉
    As for the begging, Tosca does it too, in fact I am eating by the computer as I write this so she is doing it as we speak. I have not been successful in stopping her, other than to remove her, but what I do sometimes is give her her supper while we eat, and I put it into a kong. That way, while we are eating, she'll play with her kong, and work for her food 😛 That is kinda a fun way to keep her occupied. Good luck!


  • That would be so cool to hook up sometime my fiance's uncle has a basenji too so it could be a little pack playdate!!!! I am totally up for it, but it would probably be best if we wait awhile. Beau was an unexpected addition to the family, so I have to save money for awhile to take him to the vet, but when he gets everything squared away I so would love to set something up. There is a fenced dog park by the airport down here it is supposed to be awesome. I would love to be able to let him off a leash and see what he is capable of.


  • @jinxed_1980:

    He doesn't like water… do you think nailing him with a water gun or spray bottle would be too mean? Never had a beggar b4 need help lol

    90% of basenjis don't like water LOL and many of us use the spray/squirt bottles as training tools. These are considered non evasive training means and if perfectly harmless means. Best to give a verbal correction first of "AT AT" (yes right now he will ignore you) then squirt with the "AT AT", then he'll figure it out that you can just say the "AT AT" and if he ignores you like mine you should only have to just pick up the squirt bottle and he'll stop the naughty behavior.

    You can use the squirt bottle for just about any naughty behavior too other than begging, but try not to over use, try to use it more as you re-directive means after he is not working with alternate training techniques

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