@basenjicurious
It’s great that you’re doing your homework on the basenji. I think the reason you read all these “horror stories” is because they are not your typical dog. They are a beautiful and highly intelligent breed with a very strong prey drive. My Kembe is my first basenji but I was familiar with the breed because my brothers were basenji owners. I got her when she was 1years old - she was returned to the breeder by the previous owners. Kembe has never been destructive, she has free reign of our house, and I can leave her at home alone. It’s extremely important to exercise them regularly - especially exercise and stimulate their minds, and establish a routine (I can set my watch to my dog). They are definitely trainable - it scares me to see how smart she is and also well behaved. Basenjis are extremely lovable and hilariously funny. If I have a treat that my dog especially likes - she will do her whole “repertoire of tricks” without me even asking her. She dances to let me know it’s time to eat and will sit right next to me and hit me with her paw when she wants to go for her walk.
I think our basenji chose us - when we went to the breeders home to look at her - She jumped up next to my husband on the couch and curled up! I was sold on her! I really hope you find a basenji that right for you!
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Co-worker Meets A Basenji
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My co-worker (a Corgi owner but still a nice person) told me that she met a brindle Basenji (and told him about BRAT). She said she had heard some horror stories (I sent her the link to BRAT's Good/Bad/Ugly) and wondered if all B's were like that.
Apparently the man with the tiger Basenji said that the stories were true. Seems he had a friend dogsitting. She went to the post office with the B and left the B in the running car.
When she came back in under two minutes, the B had locked himself in the car and was systematically destroying the car seats. All the dog sitter could do was watch while she waited for the locksmith.
I laughed.
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Oh, my I can imagine the damage.
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hihi, I can imagine it too.
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Sadly, that is too funny.
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I would never trust my B in the car by himself…..
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Mine are usually good for just a few minutes. But I intentionally leave trash in a pocket for them to destroy while I'm gone. They know where the trash is, so they go straight for it. When I come back, I make a big deal out of how naughty they've been & how trashed my car is & how they are just terrible little mischevious dogs. Its all just paper trash (napkins, etc) that they can shred without me worrying about them swallowing something harmful, and it takes less than a minute to scoop it all up into a ball. It has worked like a charm for 2 years now (knock on wood, of course).
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I have heard of those destructive b's before :);)…Otis was a dream come to find out..but yes, that is sadly funny to read about.
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Carrie, I keep junk mail in the car for Abbey. She's the best little junk mail shredder ever. She thinks it's her job!
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I am lucky, my dogs seem to feel the car is a second home. They are happy there for quite a while, if we are traveling we leave the car and AC on while we go to eat (car locked of course) and just check on them often. They are quite content in their car!
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My female B LOVES to chew up seatbelts!!!!
It's been a while but I still have to make sure I take my male along too, to keep her occupied, if it's going to be more than 2 seconds!!!
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I would be terrified to leave my two in the car and get out of it for any reason, and certainly not leaving the car running - knowing them, they'd hit the shift and take off on their own while tearing the seats to pieces until they ran into something, which would probably just make them more destructive. Wonder if they could break windows? They have a definite rule - you're in, we're in. You're out, we're out!!! It's their "or else" that has me nervous. Otherwise, they seem to have passed the destructive thing in the house…...........maybe.
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I've left Jake in the car unattended ever since I got him. So far he hasn't done any damage. He usually just curls up on my seat and falls asleep. Before reading this thread I never even considered that he might chew on the seats, etc. lol
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mine are good when the car is moving, the second i stop they think they are getting out and try to bumrush me in the front, other than that if i can get out of the car, they actually behave while im in the gas station. but it def took a while before i trusted the pup in the car by himself, hes 3 now.
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I guess I'm lucky that whatever Kismet's mixed with makes her an angel in the car She normally will lay down in the backseat while driving unless she wants to stick her head out the window for a bit. And whenever I run to the store upon my return she's sitting or laying down with no wear or tear I've come across so far. Now if only I could come back to my room in the same shape…
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Amazing how quickly & destructive dogs can be(not just basenjis).
There was a huge groundhog that was alive & stuck between our & our neighbors fence, our red girl literally started biting hunks of the fence off as if it were styrofoam. She would have been through in minutes if we did not intervene. When she was a puppy she ripped through our wall to wall carped down to the wood within a minute or so unattended.
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OMG on the biting hunks of fence. When Nayru gets focused, I would not care to bet on what would be destroyed. She WILL get to what it is she wants.
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I've never left Paco in the car for more than two minutes while I ran in to grab something quick or pay for gas. Usually I can see him from where I am, and he just paces nervously and watches where I went. I'm sure if I left him for longer he would start destroying…
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I can't leave Nayru and Batman in the car alone. They are both bolters. I'd never be able to negotiate a safe return to the car!
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It's amazing how they can completely destroy something in seconds!! Its like a school of hungry piranha!! Not so funny, when its your new iPad…,, that's story is hilarious though .. I can picture their faces and the paws locking the car!!!
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Simon could eat a sofa if I left him for 10 minutes. He's a worrier. He copes with worrying by eating whatever is nearby (like a lot of humans!)
So, I'd never leave him in the car unattended! We'd come back to carnage (and a terrified boy).
Edit to clarify: he doesn't eat nearby humans, haha.