Yes… the Basenji is a fabulous little creature.
Little dander, no barking, regal in looks and smart to boot.
WAIT!
There must be a down side you say?
Of course... as with everything in life!!
Now....
where do you go to find a good breeder?
The parent club has tons of information for you... including a directory!
Go to http://www.basenji.org/PUBLIC/BreederDirectory.htm.
How do you find a good breeder??
http://www.khanisbasenjis.com/HowToRecognizeAnEthicalBreeder.pdf
Now…. if you find a basenji elsewhere....
how do you know if the puppy's parents are health tested?
Easy one!
Go to the OFA website... put in the sire/dam name and it will show you ALL health testing the dog has had done.
If the results are not in the database... they haven't been done [it is updated every couple of weeks].
Go to http://www.offa.org/.
Here is an example of a well-tested basenji:
http://www.offa.org/display.html?appnum=1321238#animal
Okay…
the person you are talking to about a puppy... is a BREEDER.
If they have puppies... they are a BREEDER.
Some will say they aren't breeders, they just have family dogs.
If they bred a litter, whether it be on purpose or on accident, they are BREEDERS.
Are they reputable? Ask here... you will get an answer from a number of folks that have had basenjis for eons... or even 15-20 years.
There are even folks that have gone down the wrong path the first time, and have learned from their mistakes and are willing to give you some great advice on adding a basenji to your household.
Now... what if they tell you that their dogs don't have Fanconi?
or that they have had the same dogs for 5-10-15-20 years and never had it?
Today, there is a Fanconi Linkage Test available....
IF YOU DON'T TEST, YOU DON'T KNOW.
Period.
There is NO excuse for NOT testing.
Is Fanconi THAT big of a deal?
HECK YEAH!
How about reading some firsthand accounts... just to satisfy your curiousity.
http://www.khanisbasenjis.com/LifewithaFanconiDog.pdf
http://www.khanisbasenjis.com/WhenFanconiSyndromeHitsHome.pdf
http://www.khanisbasenjis.com/BreedingAroundFanconiSyndrome.pdf
This information is not just to try and scare someone from purchasing a basenji puppy. Basenjis are wonderful pets. While I have had a few other breeds here and there…. Basenjis will always be a part of my life.
My Mom had basenjis since the 1960s....
we experienced Fanconi in the early 80s.
And again over the past 10 years.
Fanconi is NOT for the faint of heart.
Fanconi is a dreadful disease.
Sure, some dogs MAY do okay on the protocol.
But, more dogs don't do that great.
It is a horrible way to watch your beloved family member succomb to his death. Been There. Done That.
My children have experienced it in their short lives...
something they should NOT have had to see firsthand.
Yes, I have BTDT.
Now, I have a house full of p. Fanconi Clears.
We will continue to incorporate quality dogs that are p. Fanconi Carriers and p. Fanconi Indeterminate as well.
BUT, we will NEVER have another Fanconi Affected in my lifetime.
DON'T BUY A BASENJI THAT DOES NOT HAVE FANCONI TESTED PARENTS.
At least ONE parent MUST be a p. Fanconi Clear.
This is the best assurance you can get to NOT come home with a Fanconi Affected Basenji.
If you are looking for more information about Fanconi and why I am so adamant about health-testing, feel free to visit my website and email me off of the boards.
Best of luck to you in your search for a Basenji to become your new family member!
"Yes, I have BTDT."
???
Been there done that…Kathys post is right on. Kathy, can I share this?
Well put Kathy… I would also add the BCOA site for screening breeders at http://www.basenji.org/learn/ScreeningBreeders.htm
It would actually be great if this could be made a sticky to stay at the top of the section… then all interested parties could read it before they kept going looking for a pup!
Feel free to share Sharron.
This would make a good sticky.
I would also add, Fanconi is only one problem that is easy for buyers to screen for but it is not the only problem with purchasing a puppy from these online sites. My vet asked me last year, how hard is it to find a responsible basenji breeder? I told her the information Kathy posted, adding that the Basenji Club of Northern California also has a breeder directory. She said that is what she thought but wanted to ask since a client had come in with the scrawniest, least thriving basenji puppy she had ever seen a few weeks before. The client had told her that there were absolutely NO breeders ANYWHERE nearby. The vet new that was obviously false since I have been taking my dogs to that vet office for 7 years. The puppy had been bought from one of these sites. It had slipping patellas and by the time it was 4 months old had to muzzled when examined because it bit and not just at the vet, the owner was looking for a behavior consult because the puppy was aggressively biting her also.
Finding a good breeder requires work. It takes time and energy to screen breeders and you will probably get several, "no puppies at this time", "all our puppies are spoken for" and you will definately get "please tell us more about yourself".
The one thing I would add:
The first litmus test to ask any breeder: "Will you take this dog back at any time in its life if for any reason I cannot keep it" If the answer to this is no, or for that matter, anything other than an immediate yes, move on, no other questions need be asked.
Once you get a yes to this question, then move on to health testing, references, intentions with this breeding, etc.
I know you mention it in one line in the pdf, but I think it is important to stress that responsible breeders make sure their dogs are not the ones filling up shelters and rescues. The reason I am so passionate when I hear that someone is buying from an irresponsible breeder is that they are the ones whose dogs end up in shelters, and their new puppies take homes that could have gone to those shelter dogs.
-Nicole
Very good information. I wish I hdd these all in my head when I looked into basenjis..I have learned, meanwhile I will live…
Of course while it makes a great sticky… people still have to take the time to read it....
Of course while it makes a great sticky… people still have to take the time to read it....
Yep! and sometimes that is the biggest hurdle. It isn't like this information isn't out there but it requires taking the time to look at it instead of just saying, "Ooooh, cute puppy!"
Yes, Nicole that would be good info to add….
but that is going too far at this point.
Like Pat said... people have to want to read it.
This was just meant to be something that people can START with...
Those are basic pages that if someone was looking for a basenji, the would be able to see that the BYB or PM they are considering does NOT fit into .... hence... not the best place to go.
Throwing too much info at a person so quickly will be more than enough to make them turn and head for the hills...
or buy the first puppy they see... then come looking for help with all it's problems later.
BABY STEPS.
