My boy Sunny would howl on cue. We had a little "howling song" that we would sing, and that set him off. Also, the phrase "you're only a dog and that's all you'll ever be" would result in instant howling! And once started, he would continue. I have a video where I picked him up and held him upside down, and he continued to howl!
Weird Quirks our B's Have…
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Becca also does the 'flea bite' thing. Though she only does it with a few things. She does it right before bed on my hubby's arms. Apparently this hurts? She also does it when fighting with Tucker. She will do it to the side of his face and his ears. He hates this also. Becca also has to clean her face…..every morning when we get out of bed she will walk down the hallway and clean the sleep out of her eyes. Then when she is finished her kibbles she will run her face along the carpet, both sides, to make sure that she gets the crummies off of her. Yeah who knew kibble was so messy?
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Our B., Mojo does alot of the same stuff!!! He also like to chew his tennis balls while he is upsidedown, and nap on his back with all four legs stetched straight up in the air. We also think he has "crazy person radar". We have a few neighbors who are a bit on the eccentric side, and everytime they pop in, Mojo growls at them and runs away. So, if someone comes over and he growls and runs, we know they must be "crazy"!
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Lola has a sixth sense when it comes to dirty Q-tips. The garbage can in the bathroom can have shampoo bottles, soap boxes and toilet paper rolls in it and she won't bother it. Once a Q-tip is thrown away, she considers it her mission in life to rescue it from the landfill! Within minutes of throwing away a Q-tip, you'll hear her trot out of the bathroom with the Q-tip sticking out of her mouth (like a cigarette).
It becomes a game of "Hey! What do you have? Drop it!" as she scurries as fast as she can underneath the bed!
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A lot of these are sounding familiar. I love it.
Bowpi is a super cuddler, which isn't so unusual. But lately, she has taken to positioning herself in the strangest, most uncomfortable places (for us humans!). Like if I'm lying on my side in bed, trying to sleep, she'll jump up and join me – not by squeezing in next to my side, oh no, but by depositing herself directly on my bony shoulder or bony knees. I can't see how that's comfortable for HER, let alone me! Once, she decided to sit down right on my neck. Didn't work out so well. Luckily, she's very easy to move.
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My first girl, bless her, dug holes in the sofa to hide her treasures. She also "pretended" to bury biscuits: she'd carry them to a spot on the broadloom near the baseboard, would dig a "hole", drop her biscuit in, then obsessively push imaginary dirt over it & delicately tamp it down with her nose until she was happy it was well hidden. Then she'd grab the biscuit and eat it.
She only buried a bone in the garden once, spent about 30 minutes at the task and restored the site so painstakingly that it was impossible to tell where she'd disturbed the dirt. It was eerie.
Does anyone have a B that runs & hides in the basement when you BBQ or grill lamb??? I've had two females now who seem afraid of the odour of cooking lamb…maybe they think there's a grass fire on the plains and they're next???
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OMG, Nicky used to do that 'cover with imaginary dirt' on the sofa all the time, then seem amazed when one of the boys found her treasure! thanks for a funny memory! Nicky is still with us but has stopped hiding things on top of the sofa!
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A lot of these are sounding familiar. I love it.
Bowpi is a super cuddler, which isn't so unusual. But lately, she has taken to positioning herself in the strangest, most uncomfortable places (for us humans!). Like if I'm lying on my side in bed, trying to sleep, she'll jump up and join me – not by squeezing in next to my side, oh no, but by depositing herself directly on my bony shoulder or bony knees. I can't see how that's comfortable for HER, let alone me! Once, she decided to sit down right on my neck. Didn't work out so well. Luckily, she's very easy to move.
Ayo loves to lie down on uncomfortable things like. He will lie over the round plastic base of the fan. Or against the leg of a chair with his head squished and twisted against it. he will also lie on a chair and let his head hang over the edge !.
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We had a dog many years ago who did the imaginary covering of things if you gave him food he didn't like. Sometimes though if it was particularly unwanted, he'd walk around til he found a rug or clothing and actually go carry it into the kitchen and cover the bowl. (not a basenji)
LOL on the Qtips. We have to put in the kitchen trash because Arwen is the same– she can seem to sense it from 3 rooms over if you put on in the bathroom can.
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Oh Q-tips I think are Basenji's gift from the B-god. Tucker is the same way…..he will find the q'tips and then de-fuzz them and all you see is a little white ball of cottton and a stick laying somewhere. Becca loves to lay on the heat registers......and she doesn't lay down all nice either, she thumps herself on top of it. i can't imagine whacking my elbow on a metal register as I am trying to lay down! ouch
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I realized this morning that the morning basenji ritual may not apply to most dogs: both Lola and Becca wake up slowly. First, there are the casual yawns, that evolve into the "dramatic" yawns where they verbalize… "I'm getting up now". Then there's the stretching of the back, like cats do~ a high arch! And finally, there's the long stretch where it looks like they are bowing down- butt up, head down.
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Nicky's strangest quirk involves eating. Sometimes she will approach her bowl cautiously as if there might be a monster in it, or she will be eating and suddenly back away from it, 2 or 3 rapid steps backward, and I will have to call her and coax her to finish. She may do this several times one day, then not do it again for awhile. We think in her former life there may have been food issues that are residual, because no one here has ever argued with her over food.
QUOTE]This was interesting to read. Has she always done this or just recently? How old is she? I think I remember you saying she is the senior? anyway, could there be any reflections from somewhere that end up at her bowl? do you think is could be 'floaters' in her eyesight? Some strange noises behind the wall near her bowl?? Very curious indeed. who knows what they see or hear with those ears
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Is this unique to basenjis?
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Gambit waits till I'm ready to leave the tub then jumps in to chase the whirlpools down the drain.
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Is this unique to basenjis?
I haven't seen that with mine yet! (although he has most of the unusual sleeping positions nailed.)
I was thinking about some behaviours that seem common to Basenjis…...and cats, for that matter.......and one that has recurred with all of mine is in regard to visitors. Even the dogs I have had that are relatively "shy" will quickly decide that sitting at the visitor's side is "the place to be." When we have someone over for the evening, my dogs have often ignored us and lavished attention on the new arrival. This apparent instant acceptance can change dramatically if the person attempts to take any liberties.......all of a sudden the dog is shy of them again.........but like a curious cat, they seem to want to spend time close to the new arrival, perhaps to assess whether there is anything to be gained from this person. And just like cats, they do seem to gravitate towards the person who is uncomfortable with a leaning Basenji, or the person who is wearing clothes that tend to collect dog hair!
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Is this unique to basenjis?
I've seen a lot of cats sleep like that but never seen my dogs do that, mine like to have their legs straight out in front of them with them crossed, they both lay like that quite a bit. Oh and B's are famous for curling up and sticking their cold little nose underneath their hind leg. God forbid they have a cold nose!
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Gambit waits till I'm ready to leave the tub then jumps in to chase the whirlpools down the drain.
I love it! How many Basenjis will willingly get their feet wet?
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Oh, I was just reminded of this one this morning. The hair dryer! Whenever I blow-dry my hair, Becca runs into the bathroom to make sure that she gets her fair share of the warmth of the blow-drier. I'll dry my hair then put it on her for a bit and this cycles until I am done…..then she runs back to bed.
