i'm adopting rawley/raleigh/rahli (which spelling should i go with? – seriously!) from a sweet woman tomorrow, and i am so excited! he is a 3.5 year old "special needs" dog, and hope to make him happy & live a fulfilled life!
he is supposedly a basenji/whippet mix. i see no whippet in him, but definitely basenji! i wish he was pure bred though. i'd like to know his family line, and know he's got good stock. but i guess that's out of my hands. does anyone else here think he may be mixed with something other than basenji?
anyway, i am a brand-new owner, haven't had a dog since i was 15, and would love some helpful hints on raising a special needs dog. his current owner says he is "reactive", and i'm hoping the environment i'm bringing him into will be good for him, and he will be receptive to it.
i've also posted a thread in the obedience/training section concerning C R A T I N G!, and would LOVE some feedback on it.
as for where he's coming from, here is the post i found him at.. please tell me what you think. what precautions i should have, what to prepare for, and how to make his life easier on himself & me.
"_I am looking for a new home for my basenji/whippet mix dog. He is 3.5 years old and needs to be the only dog in a calm home. He can not live with children. He loves to run and would be a great companion for someone who runs long distances. Or he would be a great companion for someone who is home a lot. He can be an either/or dog. He loves exercise but also just lays around when left at home.
He has a very misunderstood demeanor and is insecure around dogs outside of his home. He can be very skiddish around new people, but warms up with a little time. His name is Rawley and he is extremely smart. Love his chew toys and is housebroken.
At this time he lives with three other dogs and he gets along with them great.
However, when we leave the house it is a different story. Due to his reactive-ness with other dogs and people when he first meets them (outside of our house) I have done a dog socialization class with him (a reactive dog class)which was helpful. He has improved but he really needs to be the only dog or with just one other dog so that he does not react so much (he does not act up as much when I walk him alone or when he is the only dog). I have also talked at great lengths about my situation with my dog trainer and she recommends taking him out of his current situation (the increased stimulation of 3 other dogs) and try to re-home him. I do not have the time to work with him like he needs. He needs to be in a home with someone who can give him more attention than I am able at this time with three other dogs. He is really sweet and smart. My fiance originally rescued him from the OHS (oregon humane society) when he was 6 months old. We have exhausted our resources and at this time really do not want to take him back to the OHS. I think the loud environment there will just shake him up worse and he will not show well. I love this dog and want to find a good home for him. Since we are getting married we have four dogs total. Please do not fault me trying to find him a new home, it's easy to find one a new home as oppose to the other three. I know someone out there will love him as much as me and he will be calmer and happier. He is really a sweet dog_."
I don't see what his "special needs" are. Is he aggressive towards other dogs while on a leash? If that's the case, my dogs are special too. 
Seriously, my dogs are very anxious when one of their "pack" (us) leaves the house. They are also more aggressive when meeting others on the leash. Basenji's in general are more aloof with strangers than most dogs. Therefore, they have a tendancy to shy away when new people come near. I like the spelling Raleigh best. It sounds like he would probably benefit from being an only-dog. Lots of dogs enjoy the full-attention they receive and the fact that they don't have to compete with others is a plus too. However, for our family, having the companionship of another dog was more important. Anyways, good luck and keep us posted!!
i've got 3 cats as well.. i'm hoping there isnt a territorial issue between them, or any dominance issues. raleigh (my favorite spelling too!) seems really shy/timid, so i'm hoping he wont try to make my cats feel like they're being bullied.
Cats, huh? Hmmm… that could be a problem. Do you know if Raleigh is cat-savvy and if your cats are dog-savvy? Might want to check that out before you take him on.
hes never been around cats, but comes from a home with 3 loud/rambunctious dogs.. so im just assuming my 2 exxxxtra-mellow cats will be fine with him. ive introduced new animals into the home with them before, and they were fine, after getting to know them
raleigh is here & adapting WONDERFULLY! no problems yet! i am so happy, he is perfect!
Just remember that the first 2-4 weeks are usually a sort of "honeymoon" period when you bring an adult dog into a new home. They are often on their best behavior as the settle into their new home. Alot of people are then caught off gaurd when their "angel" starts to do all these naughty things as they start to feel comfortable enough to test boundaries.
I can vouch for that since my little ones horns did not appear right away but the best advise I can give you is start any and all training right away and give your B boundaries. It's hard since you want to give them love love and more love at first but I do believe tough love is important when establishing your relationship with your new B. Now I don't mean hitting or yelling but being firm and letting them know you are the alpha dog. Of course the "special needs" does make it a little more challenging and you might need that extra help from a trainer or behavior specialist. Now I'm not one of these owners from the forum that has experience training their B..my B completly walked over us the first month and we allowed it so now I think we have made things harder on us to get our family on the right track. So take it from me and do it on an everyday basis. Good luck with your new baby and welcome to this very helpful, interesting and fun forum.
Saying a dog has special needs is very broad. What are his reactions?? Give us some examples, please and thank you. Basenji's are notorious for figuring things out-he may be using what people think are special needs to get out of certain situations. Is he food aggressive? Is he a chewer? Is he nervous? Is he anxious? Or is he destructive? Let us know a little more. Thanks,
Arlene
I have two cats, last year I had two Basenjis, one Schnauzer, and four cats, all in the house. We put up baby gates, and the cats stayed upstairs, the dogs were only allowed downstairs. They have a healthy respect for the cats. In November/December, my Basenji- Girl died, and my youngest cat also passed. My daughter moved and took her cat. So, now we have one Basenji, one Schnauzer and two cats. We still have all the baby gates up and everything is fine. We rescued all of our Basenjis and they had their issues. If you have love and patience you will have a very loving companion in a Basenji. They can be skittisch, hard headed and at times difficult. But they are also smart, beautiful, loving and totally charming…
thank you everyone for the advice, it will definitely be taken.
nomrbddgs - i have no idea what his previous owner was talking about when she said he has "special needs", he is great! he's got a healthy, happy personality! i'd say so far his only "issue" is that he's afraid of the cats, but that's normal. he's slowly but surely getting used to them, as are they.
She didn't say what his special needs were?? That sounds kind of weird!
I am glad to hear Raleigh is settling in at his new home. My basenji is a mix too, supposedly with Whippet! I HAVE to get better pics to post of you can see her better. She does have LONG legs and a deep chest like a whippet. One thing's for sure, she definately has Basenji in her, no doubt!!
She didn't say what his special needs were?? That sounds kind of weird!
LOL!! He's a Basenji! His only special need must be that new owner understands his breed. 
I'm glad to hear Raleigh's transition is progressing. I would be scared moving into a stranger's home. :o After a week or two, the strangers disappear.
LOL!! He's a Basenji! His only special need must be that new owner understands his breed.
I'm glad to hear Raleigh's transition is progressing. I would be scared moving into a stranger's home. :o After a week or two, the strangers disappear.
I would think we as owners were special needs _HAHAHAHAAHA
I, too am glad Raleigh is progressing well. Good luck-and tell us how the honeymoon period progresses.
his "special needs" were that he was extremely hyper in the house with 3 dogs, and wouldnt walk on a leash well – because the last owner walked all 4 dogs at the same time! he just needed to get out of that crazy enviornment, i think.. and it's doing him very good. and yes, raleigh's got the deep chest & long legs like a whippet, and the slender snout. still a cutie pie, though.
I didn't know much about B's when I met Champ but to say that what characteristics B's share is "special needs" is plain idiotic. I consider it a blessing to have familiarized (and still learing) with this wonderful breed. It has made me realize that all dogs are not the same and it's important to learn as much about what makes them individuals as possible. I'm glad Raleigh found you and is now able to express himself freely without being labeled "special needs."
