I have had my rescue Woody for 3 weeks now, she was rescued from the meat markets in China. She has been abused, and the rescue organization that I got her from was able to rescue 11 dogs from there. My dog has a passport! LOL. I knew nothing about the breed. The first trait that became apparent is the stubborn one. If she doesnt want to do something she will freeze in place and not move, no matter what.
She is skittish, And these first three weeks have had their difficulties. I have been reading all I can about the breed and the Shiba Inu as that is her mix. She does bark, and she does growl.
Right now my main concern is to hopefully show her that she is in a safe place and loved. She is slowly coming out of her shell. For three weeks she stayed in the kitchen and would not go to other rooms in the house, so I put a crate in the kitchen and she goes in and out of it, it is her "safe place" The door of the crate stays open 24/7. Well today was a milestone, When I got home from work I had a moment of panic because she did not greet me and was not in her crate, as she has been for every day. She was in my bedroom sleeping on the dog bed I had placed in there in hopes that some day she will sleep in my room. Small step, but it filled me with joy.
Baby steps! At least she’s making progress! She is lucky to have you as her care taker,
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@Kembe Thank you. I have only been in this forum for a few hours. Very surprised by the negative comments I have received here. I will be leaving the forum. But wanted to thank you for your kind words.
FernRN1, I am sorry you are giving up on this forum. I haven't actually seen any negative comments, perhaps they were in private messages? Don't let whoever has given you a hard time cause you to leave. Internet forums can be harsh places, but it's usually just one or two members who for whatever reason don't make new people feel welcome.
@fernrn1 With any dog who has been abused it takes time to build trust. Even with some difficult basenjis it takes years and even then they only trust so much. It’s a long road but worth the journey. When you earn the trust of an untrusting dog, the accomplishment is higher.
Negative comments, why? I haven't seen any. But some people are just assholes, most of us aren't. Good for you for bringing in a rescue.
-Joanne
Dont leave....you will be loosing the best place for good info. The old adage about one rotten apple in a barrel does not apply. May i suggest you simply delete the person who has offended you.don't bother to read any messages from anyone who wishes to cause you concern. The problem with those folks is they think unkindly about themselves and some how being Unkind. Makes them feel superior to others. You will be needing advice from others with your new love for
our breed is different in so many ways. How rewarding to have found a bit of trust. There will be more milestones to be celebrated. Good luck.
oh -please dont leave.. I just got home and read your note and am looking forward to sharing with you .. I have had Kitchi for 4 months .. she is Basenji Cattle dog mix from Arkansas to minnesota. Really knew nothing about basenjis 4 months ago.Humane society called her Cattle dog mix .. within days I saw her Egyptian stance ..and began reading.
Must rush away now . many stories to tell .. let me say one .. I have learned rather than pull her when she is "stuck" /// I just 'reset' her physically ... pick her up a little (even just partially) and move her about one foot .. I say it "shifts her gears" .. it seems to work !
Hi Fern,
I concur with Joan, this forum is very valuable for a basenji owner. And, if you're put off by people's posts about Woody not being very "Basenji-looking" please remember that it really doesn't matter. What matters is that you have done a wonderful thing, rescued a dog in need. From what you wrote, Woody's behavior seems very basenji-ish, Shiba Inus are very similar and from a person I knew who had one, even MORE stubborn that basenjis.
We call the behavior you mentioned Jax's "gravity boots"--he just won't budge! I started doing a 1-2-3 count with him. I say "one" and wait about 6-10 seconds. Then I say "two" and wait about 6-10 seconds more. When I say "three" we go. Jax has learned that "three" is IT. If you do that consistently, Woody will probably remember it. I like it because it gives him time to sniff what he is interested in (a dog's main sense) and it gives me control as well. So it's a win-win situation.
I LOVED reading that Woody was on his dog bed!!! With the rescues I've had and know about, it takes about a month for them to understand that this is the new normal and relax.
So, final words--stay on the forum!! I rarely post but I read it weekly.
@fernrn1
I really hope you re-consider staying on this forum. Yes - there are some negative people - but few. You learn to recognize who they are and not bother reading their comments - consider the source.
I enjoy the forum and have gained valuable knowledge about basenjis and dogs in general. We have some experienced breeders who provide an abundance of information that’s validated by their years of experience. We also have great new Moderators on the site that keep the site on track- in fact one recently posted “if you don’t have something NICE to say - don’t post it”.
I enjoy seeing photos of basenjis and by the way - LOVED WOODY’s Passport!!! Hope you stay with the forum. We would love to have you and Woody!!!
Thank You all for the kind words. My dog does look more like the Shiba Inu, it is hard to tell in the pictures she does have the wrinkle in the forehead, and her face is slimmer than the shiba a little, I think due to the basenji. I have read a lot on both dogs and she has characteristics of both. I just figured since she looks more like the Shiba maybe I should go to a Shiba forum.
@sleacc yes "pulling" does not work at all!! I always give in to her, has never been a big enough thing to not to... and I hadn't read about how smart they are at getting what they want yet. I will try the 1, 2, 3 thing. She is a very fast learner and knows some words already.
@fernrn1
Fern - so happy to see that you’re still on the forum! The stubbornness is definitely a basenji characteristic. My B will also stop and not move - we’ll have a stand-off - people must see us and think I’m crazy. I’ve had to physically pick her up and move her a few feet to re-direct her. Smart is an understatement - it’s scary to see how smart they are.They have the attitude of “my way or no way and what’s in it for me.”
I look forward to seeing more photos of Woody and getting updates on her progress and antics! 
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