Basenji Talk

My first question is why are you bathing her every two weeks? Is she roling in manure or something else with a nasty stench? I have 4 basenjis in my house. Two that are going on 2 years old: One bitch was shown in early July… she was bathed that weekend. One bitch was shown back in March.... she was bathed in late March. The two 5 month old pups were bathed in mid-August for the first time. I don't have grass in my yard.. just pine trees and weeds and wood chips... which means they are in dirt all the time. I wipe them down with a hot wet towel when they come in... but that is it. I must preface this with the fact that I HATE DUST AND DIRT of any nature to touch me. If they were dusty, I would wipe them down. But bathing them every two weeks? HECK NO. That is why I have basenjis... I am not a groomer, and hate dealing with grooming... bathe for shows, and very little else. And my dogs are CLEAN to the touch.... Perhaps you should bathe them a bit less often and use a super good scrubber to scratch out the dead hair… that should be enough I'd think.... of course, I am coming from the point that I don't have dogs that get an undercoat... so perhaps it is quite different. Please don't take offense at what I suggest... I just can't imagine having to bathe a basenji that often.

@Rita: What about memory foam on one of those heated pads that should make the hips better all warm. Soft so don't hurt hips and heat make it nice kind a extra. Rita Jean the memory foam beds are pretty thick, i'm not sure the heat would go through from underneath. but they do make heated inserts for beds - that may work. and by all means, i'm sure your "pup" would enjoy it. some are like memory foam chips, i'm not sure how that would be. BUT if you want a nice thick foam bed (not memory foam) and your dog isn't distructive, you can go to the craft/fabric/upholstry store and buy some really thick foam. I've done this for an insert in a bed

@WilysMom: … as for Dallas, the bad dogwalker, he has lost most of his business, but unfortunately still has a few clients. i'm really surprised by this b/c they know the story and still choose to stay with him. we never sued b/c it would've just caused us more stress and we chose to really focus all of our energy on getting wily better. so.. it is what it is. and i've made sure to get pet insurance.... Glad Wily is doing fine! :D:):D:) As for dallas - does his dog walking business have a licensed? or is certified? or is listed in the Better Business Bureau? A suggestion would be to leave a feedback to those places so that other/future/potential folks looking for dog walkers are warned of this person. Just my $0.02. Keep posting more pics of Wily! Love pics!

So funny, Otis will do the same thing to my husband, and he hates it royally, so Otis will kiss him even more..

I think as long as it is a puppy and you make the "cave" a happy place to be, they will learn to go in and actually want to hang in there. Make it matter of fact, not optional.

Good job pulling him from a very bad place, and fostering him till he could find a better arrangement! Now, back to normal!

Great job Crystal and Cody:). Macpac says it all when it was stated "Kudos to you for teaching him to love and be happy. " We sometimes forget that the baby-step advances with an in home raised puppy (as difficult as that is at times) is really nothing compared to the difficulties and patience needed when an older dog, abused, neglected, or just plain unwanted/emotionally devoid Basenji is adopted in a home. Baby steps for others, can be a GIANT grand canyon type leap for a rescue/rehome and their family. Congratulations for jumping the Grand Canyon:D

@Vicki: Where in the rescue section? Sorry! I accidently posted in the For Sale/Wanted.

We alternate between 8-mile bike rides, 3-mile runs, or assorted runs, hikes, walks. Loki and Freya get rather restless if they don't get at least 3 miles in every day (they are only 2.5 years old and have lots of energy). Sometimes, if we go for a long hike where there is no water, I will even make them carry water bottles for everyone in saddlebags. That way, the bags get progressively lighter as we drink the water. If I didn't bring enough water, I will actually make them carry rocks. People get this funny look on their faces when you tell them that the dogs are carrying rocks… Since the bags are red, people tend to think that they are search and rescue dogs... They actually love carrying their saddlebags as it gives them a job and they "suffer" less from Basenji "ADD". :-) Loki & Freya's Mom

Freya will baroo and wag her tail like crazy whenever somebody she loves comes to our house. It can be one of us, or one of my friends that she associate with going for walks. Whenever the kids come home with one of their friends, the reaction is always: what the heck was that? We laugh and explain that she is just happy. Loki does not baroo, but he will sometimes bark/yelp when a stranger comes to the door. He will also cry/scream if he thinks that he is going to be left by himself. When they were in puppy school I had them in separate classes to minimize the mischief and one time I left him in the car during Freya's class. My godness! It was virtually impossible to get the other dogs (and humans) to concentrate on the lesson with Loki sounding like a human baby having its fingernails pulled out!!! :-) Loki & Freya's Mom

That's ok who wants life to be easy and nothing ever happening?????? Yes we now have three gates and tons more fun and laughing. Out ten year old shiba has even got up and is now playing more and running around like she is a pup she don't run as long but that is a good thing for us. The phones and cell phones we have to really really watch or they are gone. The tv remote was gone once but Jaycee got a treat for that beacuse my husband watch's to much tv anyway and this away it was a whole lot harded but we found it the next day. We have learned whats Jaycee's is Jaycee's whats ours is Jaycee's and anything else is Jaycee's. Rita Jean

Mowgli looks great, very pleased for you and looking foward to hearing all about him and Shango. Lets hope his sister finds a great home to.

:D:D:D Your description of Otis meeting the other Basenjis had me in stiches Basenjimomma:D

Hi there, Im from Australia too….you have such a beautiful puppy there how old is he now and what breeder did you get him from? my boy is 11 weeks and your right they grow so fast that they do look older than they are would love to see some more pics of him :)

yes, vets…go and see another one! I lost one dog because the vet took too long to find out that my previous dog had be poisonned by rat poison (an italian greyhound). vets do what they can of course but...some are definitely better than others, so...when in doubt, change!

@Rita: I have noticed when I get a text the phone makes a little like click sound. I only knew because I have been holding it ready to text when I got one maybe this what they hear. It really is funny I would love to see several Basenjis jumping up and down playing when on phone. Maybe you could record that and have poeple watch to see what is in store for them when they own a B. Rita Jean Well that was many years ago… and they have passed over the rainbow bridge now.... too bad that technology back then was not what it is now with all the easy of doing videos... and it was more the noise that they would make.. you would have thought someone was getting killed... OH WAIT... that was me "ready" to kill them...ggggg

Our mail man had Basenji as boy growing up. He never really say much drop mail but a short time after we got Jaycee he seen her at door. Jeff is his name knocked at door and ask if he could see her. That may have been best thing that ever happen. Jaycee waits on Jeff everday and always happy to see her. He told us here week or two ago he and his wife never had kids at least not yet he said he would claim Jaycee. Rita Jean

I won't be able to make the dinner (and most likely won't attend the National at all due to home issues). So take plenty of pics and regale us with all sorts of stories…and have fun! Oh, and please post results as they are available. More than likely if can make it at all, I'd arrive on Friday and fly out late Sunday. Liyah isn't entered in Sweeps, so I don't need to kill myself to get there on Thursday.

He certainly doesn't look underweight but I'm sure he shouldn't lose any more. What a handsome boy!