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What reactions do you get?

Basenji Talk
  • @lvoss:

    People can't help but unwind the tails. I unwind tail starting as pups because I know people will do it and I tell all my puppy buyers to do it so they get used to being touched that way. Nicky's reaction is the best though. When some unwinds his tail he just drops it like he is saying, "Oh look, your toy broke. Now you can leave me alone."

    Such good advice. I remember you writing this a while ago (before I had Liyah), and since I brought Liyah home as a baby I've been unrolling her tail. Both Ruby and Brando turn around and look right at you if you as much as touch their tails…they let you unroll them, but they look at you as if to say, "really, must you?" :D

  • Cody doesn't mind people uncurling his tail, mostly because he just likes to be petted by people he knows, but after a few minutes he gets grumbly.

    He was so cute yesterday, though. I took him for a walk to the river, and there was a man with two kids there. The little boy had to be about 2 years old and the girl was about 6, and since I've had Cody, he hasn't been around kids, so I wasn't sure how he'd react to them, and I was a little worried. After his initial sniff, he let the little boy pet him, hug him, and play with his tail, and he did the same with the little girl. He didn't even grmuble once. They were very gentle with him though. When it was time for them to leave, he wanted to follow the little girl into their car, lol.

  • Mine have some permanent kinks in them but people don't try to force those they just unwind the majority of the curl.

    What is really funny is what people will believe if you can tell it with a straight face about why their tails are curly. My husband convinced one lady that Nicky was a genetically engineered dog with a pig gene inserted to curl his tail. Usually he just tells people we have to use curlers every morning to make sure they stay curly all day.

  • i hate it when people try to uncurl the tail!! and my basenjis dont like it either, I always have to watch out when strangers touch my basenjis and ask them stricktly not to touch the tail!

    about the african stories: we had this refugee camp here in our village and there were some refugees from africa, I only had my oldest basenji and my oldest ibizan at that time, and these africans recognized my basenji!! and they were so exited about it!
    that was something different then the people here thinking it is a boerenfox ( by now you know what that is hahahaha ), but actually when I think about it the basenji IS the boerenfox from africa…..

  • I've noticed a lot of people uncurl Maya's tail as well.. to be honest, its never bothered me as Maya doesnt mind in the slightest, i never even thought about it being an issue. I LOVE curly tails, and just like i do with my pugs, if we're on the sofa watching a movie in the evening with Maya on my lap i do tend to sit there uncurling her tail, i must be weird… I find it very relaxing lol!!

  • We like to "play" with Otis' tail as well, it just strikes me as weird when strangers go up and uncurl it before they even accknowledged Otis with a pat..I too, find uncurling the tail or scratching him above the tail very relaxing..

  • @Basenjimamma:

    We like to "play" with Otis' tail as well, it just strikes me as weird when strangers go up and uncurl it before they even accknowledged Otis with a pat..I too, find uncurling the tail or scratching him above the tail very relaxing..

    Oh, yeah, i wouldnt like someone just coming up and doing that, would probably scare Maya :D But most people in the course of making a fuss of her do uncurl the tail, usually if they're stroking her back or something and i dont mind that :)

    Glad im not the only weird tail uncurler :o :p

  • Usually people ask me "What kind of dog is that?" but more often people think that they are sibs :), it is really funny when I go for a walk with Geasy and Masai (Geasy over 8yrs and Masai 8mon) and someone stay and ask me "Are they brothers?". They didnt mind that every one of dogs were differently old and large :D But this folks are nonspecialist and I comprehend them :).

    PS: At this situation you can see how good Geasy looks at his age :D

  • I have to admit, the tail curl is one of the very many things I love about basenjis…it is so cool.

  • Buana is a Jack Hussel (that's how we Dutch people call a non-pure bred Jack Russel)
    Even a mix Jack Russel x Shar pei, is asked a lot..

    Chafuko, is a pitbull mix… or a (american or English) Stafford puppy
    We hear that way too often.. It's because of his colour (many staffs are Brindle) with the combination of his mascular cheek..

    Look for yourselfe: We set them up for a photo shoot :D


    Woof!


    Is this really happening?!?! I'm not a Jack Hussel!!!!


    Staff puppy?


    You're crazy… really...


    Sigh:(

  • Once the window cleaner told me that they thought i had a fox in the house when they saw Benji.
    I have to confess that i like to stick my finger through the middle of their curled tails, but only once we're friends, lol.

  • Shelley,
    Tell me you don't mean the window cleaner????

    Alan

  • I don't get a lot of people thinking they know what breed Tosca is, but if people do attempt a guess it's usually some kind of terrier. They are definitely conversation starters, however, I've been asked about her many times! It's funny, though, cause even though she is 4 yrs old, everyone think she is a puppy, and don't believe it when I tell them otherwise. They are like, "Are you sure she is full grown?" I've had her for over two years, I think I am pretty certain :P
    I live in a small town of only about 4000 people, though, so I am impressed that two people have actually stopped me and known she was a basenji. That was funny, too, cause they didn't even really stop me…they kinda ran out of their houses freaking out asking "IS THAT A BASENJI!!?!?" They were so excited to see one :P One person had one whe he was younger, the other one had a late sister/friend/someone (I forgot) that used to breed them around here years ago. Either way, it's fun to watch people's reactions!

  • Well Alan, we do have very friendly window cleaners around here :D

  • The only time Shaye's tail is uncurled is when she's asleep and when she's scared. I don't play with it, and don't encourage others to do it - I know they won't "break" it, but I just feel like it shouldn't be messed with. No reason, just a feeling.

  • Like anything if your dog is not used to having their tail uncurled then they will think it is something "odd" when it is done. If the first time it is done by a stranger and the dog overreacts it can end up being a bad situation. I don't encourage people to do it but people seem compelled to do it. I don't mean just people we meet on the street, I mean vets, vet techs, and even AKC judges have all uncurled my dogs tails. So I uncurl tails as part of their socialization so when it happens they think "whatever, people are weird." So it is no big deal.

  • My bs tail will go straight when she runs the faster she goes the straighter her tail is. it funny to watch.:)

  • I work at a dog bakery so I am surrounded by "dog people" as customers and very rarely will any of them know that Shango is a basenji.

    I've heard every guess in the book. The other day a man even tried to convince me that Shango was a Fox Terrier by comparing him to a dog one of his friend's had! I told him to hang out with Shango and then hang out with that Fox Terrier and he'd certainly know the difference!

  • It always takes me at least 3 times as long to do anything when I'm out with the pack! People on the street just have to stop, talk and ask questions. Most people haven't got a clue what they are. The most frequently asked question (apart from 'What is it??') from the people who have a little knowledge of them is if it's true that they don't bark. I tell them that they make up for it in other ways!
    I sometimes find people as a child have had an aunt or neighbour etc with one.

    Sometimes I laugh and tell people that they are Jack Russell's with novelty tails. :D
    And if I'm in a hurry, I DON'T take the dogs!

  • People around here have a lot of hunting dogs (labs, retrievers, spaniels, etc.) so generally I get the "what kind of dog is that" question rather than guesses. Occasionally I'll come across someone who knows; not too often though.

Suggested Topics

  • Getting a new dog

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    Her face looks Basenji, maybe not the muzzle however. Are they destructive? Can be, don't have to be. I don't like to crate and I never have, beyond the initial puppy stage or with a rescue until I can get a handle on what to expect. I do restrict access to areas of the house that might be vulnerable until I am sure of the dog. Not all can be trusted to have free rein. Be consistent in what you expect or will tolerate, and be very watchful until you understand what behaviour is "normal" for your new dog. Are they really that active? I would say no. She is likely excited to be in a new place and curious about everything. She should settle down. Of course, with a rescue there may well be reasons someone gave up on her, and it's not always immediately apparent if a dog has problems. Hopefully she will fit in well with your family. Invisible fence......likely not a good choice for a Basenji, particularly if there are coyotes in your area. You need to protect her. Coyotes will go after a small dog, and sometimes even a not so small one. I know someone who lost a Jack Russell when he was lured by coyotes and then attacked once he was beyond his master's protection.....and Jack Russells are tough little dogs! However, invisible fence can be useful to back up a physical fence if your dog turns out to be an escape artist. Regarding landscaping.....there are some deer fences that blend well and become almost invisible. Perhaps combined with invisible fence that might be a good option. Otherwise, walks or biking your dog should help, and definitely challenge her mentally. Basenjis are clever and I believe they enjoy learning. I taught my boy to retrieve objects by name.....it was fun for both of us. Good luck with her.
  • When to get another Basenji

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    ?
    Wow! Somehow, I never got emails letting me know I had responses to this thread and just assumed there weren't any. But now that I'm back in the loop, I did want to thank everyone for their feedback and provide some thoughts of my own. That makes me laugh about the rescue person who wouldn't let young families or lawyers adopt her dogs. :-D I can understand her rationale from both perspectives. It's a compelling argument on her part about lawyers, but not all lawyers are the same, of course. I know a lot of extremely busy lawyers in large firms who struggle to hit their billable hour requirement each month. They're machines instead of people, and I wouldn't even let them dogsit my babies for fear of neglect. That's not my situation, fortunately. The young family part will be, but I've been thinking really carefully on how I'll balance this when the time comes. My dogs are my first children, and I would hire as many trainers as needed and try as many alternatives as I could before I would give them up. Unfortunately, I don't think a lot of people have that mindset about their dogs. :( I would absolutely be open to the idea of having the breeder choose a puppy for us based on their experience and prediction as to personality. All basenjis are gorgeous to me, and as long as the markings aren't completely off-base and I can get a tightly-curled tail (I've seen that the Avongaras can be lacking in this area, and I need a cinnamon bun in my life), personality is the most important thing. I wouldn't nitpick it to death. I'll have to decide on a breeder at some point, and I'd love one who's relatively local so I could visit. The man I got Penny from had great pet Basenjis that he bred… I'd like to go with a more reputable breeder this time around. At the very least, he tested for Fanconi. I can be grateful for that, as all is well so far and I more than likely dodged a bullet when I ended up with such a fantastic dog. My plan would be to decide and get on a waiting list far enough in advance that if there were a couple litters that just didn't produce what my family and I were looking for, we wouldn't be waiting forever. In short, what I'm banking on is that the right pup with the right personality will fit in pretty flawlessly. I know what sets my basenji off in other dogs, and I'm hopeful that I could find one that would suit her and suit our home. Daisy certainly worked out well for her, and I'd love to have that same success again. I've done three puppies in my lifetime, and all of them have grown up to be well-adjusted adults. I know what it takes, and I know it's hard work. I would never go the route of having an infant and a puppy at the same time (isn't THAT actually the definition of insanity?? ;) ), but I am still trying to shoot somewhere in the next 3-4 year range so my two aren't past ten and too old to handle a puppy.
  • Thinking of getting a Basenji

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    I have a general question. Does anybody elses Basenji not like to be picked up. Ours sometimes loves it, and sometimes not. Also sometimes she runs up to dogs as quiet as can be and plays, and than other times she makes a squeeling noise, and people are afraid she is picking a fight with their dog. But I think shes just talking. She squeels at our new Whippet puppy, and loves to play with her and is as gentle as can be, considering the Whippet puppy is really rough on my poor Basenji baby girl. does anyone know what the squeeling means. The baroo I get she does that all the time. The squeeling is confusing.
  • Getting off the leash

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    I know what you mean Patty; but I always made sure to do this and it didn't make any difference. It's not every dog I've had that could do this; most can't but once they figure it out the first time they always seem to do it again.
  • Getting depressed

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    There could be a thread on the things we do to registered names– Sol's is 'Solid Gold' but I call him 'Solomon' because he's a deep thinker, or 'Solace' because he is a solace to me-- I like the 'Ruby' adaptation! Kris
  • We get our puppy tonight

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    MantisM
    how exciting….basenji puppy behavior is so funny when they are so little....they look like little pot bellied pigs with the swollen tummys and their scrappy doo charisma....