she could affect my allergies
Our breeder had us visit and sit with her dogs to see how they affected my allergies. It seems like the best way to ensure that your sensitivities are not affected by the Basenjis you're looking at. I know this is not scientific, but it worked for us, and seems like a good practical step.
Also, our breeder, being responsible, wanted to ensure that she was placing her dog with a family where the allergy problem would not disrupt the transition to the new home.
In New York City, we have a meetup group of more than 100 Basenjis/owners. We hold monthly meetings at local dog runs and usually have an attendance of about 6-12 dogs. These dogs get along with one another and thrive in a dog run full of other dogs.
I think urban dogs do have to find a way to identify with a wider number of dogs and that for many the dog run is respected as common ground. I have met Basenji owners in New York who report their dogs do not get along with others. At the same time, there are many who enjoy the company of dogs (Basenjis and others). Our B will stop on the street to meet nearly every dog she sees. She visits a dog run twice a day and sees three other Bs there in the course of a week. You'll see her photos below including two from her daily park visits.
The Basenji Meetup in New York City has a list of breeders who provided dogs to members. You can find it at: http://www.meetup.com/basenji-nyc/pages/Breeders/.
@Mikecherves
Are you aware of the New York City Basenji Meetup? We meet monthly in (mostly Manhattan) dog runs for a few hours. Most meetups have 6-8 Bs and their humans. You're welcome to join us if your girl is comfortable at a city dog run.
We had the August meetup today (in Brooklyn). Learn more and join us at:
http://www.meetup.com/basenji-nyc/
@mattlick12:
Neither of the dogs were growling or yelping and seemed to be having a good time.
That sounds like the important fact. Keep taking Finley and let her play. Though we have only 2+ years of experience with Fuji, who loves her daily dog run visit (and has lots of frisky play sessions), it seems very clear when the play is too much. Usually the yelp or growl will let you know, and if a time is required, step in. Our best results are always with the regulars, both dogs and people. It is clear that both groups need to learn the rules of the run.
Good luck and best wishes that you meet more experienced owners than naive ones. And that Finley continues to be a good player at the run.
Hey Jasper, welcome to NYC. You might want to come join a nice bunch of Bs at our monthly meetups at a dog run. Our next one will be in May. If you're interested, join us at www.meetup.com/basenji-nyc/ .
Fuji (dictated, but not signed)
@mattlick12 and others in the New York City area: consider joining the New York City Basenji Meetup. We hold monthly (good weather) gatherings at dog runs throughout Manhattan. We had some nice new additions last year and hope to have some in 2014 as well. See us online at:
http://www.meetup.com/basenji-nyc/
We have had the Shiba Inu and Jack Russell guesses. Also many furrowed brows after we say "Basenji." Therefore, we made small business card we hand out. See the attached images.
You might look for a Basenji meetup. If New York City is convenient you can visit our monthly (except for winter) sessions. See us at http://www.meetup.com/basenji-5/
We frequently have visitors without their own Bs. My wife and I learned about our breeder from a visit a few years ago.
eeeefarm
Our fingers are crossed. We hope we don't see too much change. At present we consider ourselves lucky that the dog who has the chance to meet 20 dogs on the street each day enjoys those meetings.
DebraDownSouth
We also enjoy watching her meet and play with a wide variety of dogs at the run. We have seen our job as supporting that behavior; it's clear that we could not have created her eagerness to meet other dogs and success in interacting with them. At the same time, because she encounters so many on her walks, we think it's important that we help her feel comfortable with as much variety as we can deliver.
Thanks both Woofless and Curlytails for your responses. Amazing variety of circumstances for these dogs.
Fuji's a lucky girl. Her dog encounters are split about 50:50 between on the street and at the dog run. Our dog run is probably 1/2 acre at best, so the numbers there are smaller than your 23 acre expanse. Fuji will usually greet every dog at the gate, so her yield is quite high.
As we consider adoption, we realize that our circumstances make us great for the well socialized dogs, and probably equally bad for those that need a wide berth. Thanks again for your experience.
Fuji, our 18-month-old Basenji, is a very social dog. She loves to meet dogs on the street and to run with them at the dog run. As first time dog owners, my wife and I have been paying attention to the Basenji adoption sources on the web to see what dogs might be available as a companion to Fuji. From the listings, and from conversations with other adoptive owners, we have learned that there is often a preference for owners with locations that are best described as suburban or rural, with a "back yard, etc." Living in Manhattan, without a back yard, we feel we could offer the well-socialized dog a very good life. And seeing how few dogs and people we have encountered when we visited suburbia, we decided to take a census to measure how much interaction Fuji has in a week.
During the first week of July 2013, Fuji met 283 dogs and 297 people on the streets and parks of Manhattan. In this count we included only dogs that Fuji met with a mutual sniff. We did not include those passed by across the sidewalk or street. This time period was marked by occasional rain, very hot and humid weather, and the holiday desertion New York City sees on the Independence Day holiday weekend. The numbers are the result of five daily walks, including an hour-long visit to the dog run at Washington Square Park. We also made a Saturday morning visit to the Union Square Greenmarket.
We do not have comparable numbers for suburban or rural dogs, but would be surprised to learn that they have more canine and human opportunities each week. We understand that if your dog does not welcome the company of others that this census is proof of the problem with city living. For our dog, this place is the best. She is eager to visit dogs on the street, and is active at the dog run, welcoming each new arrival and playing with regulars and visitors.
Does your dog have the chance to see 40 other dogs and more humans each day? We'd love to know what your pup's weekly census looks like.
Last month our 9-month-old female had one on her lower lip. The vet squeezed it, telling us that more might return but that the immune system would be stimulated to fight them. So far, the squeezed one turned bright red and now has faded and shrunk.