Hi everyone! My beloved Min Pin "Joey" passed away earlier this year and while its taken me a while to heal Ive finally gotten to the point where Im ready to look for another dog. Ive been drawn to 2 breeds - The Shiba Inu, and the Basenji. I absolutely love both and honestly cant decide which I want. Both breeds seem perfect for me. I have to say though that Im leaning towards the Basenji but they are a bit more difficult to find, especially in Utah. Its not the same with Shibas. Ive found a fabulous breeder only 30 min from my place and she has a puppy ready to go. But I really want a basenji to work out for me. Ive read and studied a ton but I cant find any actual Basenjis anywhere so its really hard for me to feel confident that I would know what Im getting into. And if I do choose a puppy I will most likely never get to meet him/her before I go to pick it up. Do you guys have any advice for me on how to work with a breeder to choose the right one? I really don't want a puppy that isn't affectionate or one that is too dominant. And although Im sure I would love it, I dont want to just go with a Shiba because its more convenient. I have wanted a basenji for years. they are my first choice.
Any sage advice would be awesome! I would love to find a puppy sooner then later as right now I have a really great window of time where my schedule is free enough to spend a lot of time working with a puppy.
Thanks!
Lindsay
Hi, I would say don't rush it, waiting for the right Breeder and puppy would be the most important part. Having a healthy puppy and a responsible Breeder to help would make life learning to live with a Basenji so much easier and enjoyable. Hopefully you will get some help from the Breeders on here who know of other Breeders who would be close to you. Good luck with your search.
Jolanda and Kaiser
have you thought about a rescue basenji? Puppies are demanding and with an adult dog, you generally know what you've got. And you needed an excuse for a road trip, right? Colorado is lovely right now, and most of us aren't flooded.
Where in UT are you?
There are a few Basenji Rescue And Transport (BRAT) members there, maybe one is close enough to have you meet their Basenji(s).
-Joanne
I have had the pleasure of owning both breeds. There is another forum member here who also has a basenji and a Shiba. Lol, they are both very stubborn breeds. Depending on what you want they are very different though. Shibas need a lot of care for grooming, they blow a lot of coat and can get matted fur, on the other hand they make a very good watch dog. Basenjis don't bark but make a multitude of other noises. Their coat is nice and short for less grooming, though they too blow coat, just not as bad as a Shiba. They both maintain puppy characteristics their whole lives and live long lives. I think our Shiba was 16 when we lost her. Both need a lot of socialization, with both people and dogs. This is a must. Good luck with whatever breed you choose. Look at parents for temperament and do your reading on health problems and make sure you adopt from a reputable breeder.
