So I was skeptical, but my boyfriend finally convinced me to get a basenji when we moved into an apartment together in February this year. I was afraid after reading stories of destruction, but gave it a try.
Well needless to say, I have fallen in love. If I didn't have a basenji curled up under the blankets & very UNCOMORTABLY FOR ME nestled between my legs at night, I don't think I could sleep.
Our basenji, Booger, seems not to fit the typical mold. He loves destroying things, but has quickly learned the difference between what he's allowed to destroy (paper towels and newspaper) and what he's not (dresser corners, expensive shoes grr). We have always let him sleep in the bed with us, and he doesn't get out of bed until we do. We crate trained him for the first 8 months, but now we put a baby gate up and leave him in the master bedroom when we're not home. When he was in his crate, he would shred his bedding, now that we leave him in a large room, he doesn't touch anything. He just sleeps all day. He still makes mischief, but it seems to be far less than other owners describe of their bs. He is actually the perfect dog.
The breeder called last week and says she has a pregnant bitch. As soon as my boyfriend got off the phone with her, we instantly starting scheming to fit another b in our life. My question is this: I know every dog has its own personality; should we be worried that a new puppy will bring out the bad in our current perfect dog? Or will the new puppy pick up on Booger's personality & habits & be similar to him behavior wise? Is it us that produced such a great dog, or did we get lucky and happen upon the perfect dog? We're unsure about the whole nature vs. nurture thing. Booger is our first Basenji, and we really want another one, but we don't know what to expect. Booger will be a one year old male when we get the new puppy, which we think would be best if it is a girl. Any advice?
-Carrie, writing under Andrew's username.
I don't have a lot of experience as I only have two Basenjis and they are my firsts, however, our Jazzy was 2 when we added Keoki and there have been no "adverse effects" on Jazz.
She's always been very mellow, not destructive, etc. and that has not changed, despite the fact that Keoki regularly rips up socks, gloves, papers, boxes, blankets, towels…..the list goes on!
She has not picked up anything from him, and he has certainly not let her mellow personality slow him down at all.
So do be prepared to have your next B be not quite as easy-going as Booger. She may very well be, but you just can't know until she moves in!
Well I just found a few "2 Bs are better than 1" threads & I'm pretty much decided. Now my biggest problem is a name…. We thought up the name Booger before we even went to see any puppies & we both agreed it is the greatest name EVER. Every single person we meet LOVES our unique, beautiful dog, and every single one of them just LOVES his hysterical name once they hear it. What on earth can we possibly follow it up with?
You could call them Booger and Snot
You could call them Booger and Snot
hahahahaha–that really made my day.
I am one of those who truly believe that basenjis are happier with others--either constant family interaction or another B. But you do need to be prepared for them to rough house at times and of course at least one basenji 500 a day....
The breeder called last week and says she has a pregnant bitch. As soon as my boyfriend got off the phone with her, we instantly starting scheming to fit another b in our life. My question is this: I know every dog has its own personality; should we be worried that a new puppy will bring out the bad in our current perfect dog? Or will the new puppy pick up on Booger's personality & habits & be similar to him behavior wise? Is it us that produced such a great dog, or did we get lucky and happen upon the perfect dog? We're unsure about the whole nature vs. nurture thing. Booger is our first Basenji, and we really want another one, but we don't know what to expect. Booger will be a one year old male when we get the new puppy, which we think would be best if it is a girl. Any advice?
-Carrie, writing under Andrew's username.
First off, not to sound like a broken record but, make sure that you know the DNA marker test results for the parents of the litter and that at least one of them has tested Probably Clear. The results are posted on the OFA website but there is about a 3 to 4 week lag in the results being posted after the owner recieves and email of their dog's test results.
As for life with multiple basenjis, each dog has its own unique personality but there are definately ways to stack the deck in favor of having a dog that is the perfect fit for your household. On the Nature side of the equation, make sure that you have visited with the breeder and discussed the traits that are important to them and what they are hoping for in the litter. You should have met their dogs and seen what type of temperament that they have. On Nuture side, so much is done before the puppy ever comes home. Again, you really need to talk with the breeder about what they do in the way of early socialization. How often are the puppies handled? What enrichment of their environment do the puppies get? How are they socialized around people of different ages, sizes, and ethnicities? Does the breeder use the Rule of Sevens? Another big part is being honest with the breeder about what you want in a dog so they can help you pick the puppy that will fit best in your household. Once the puppy comes home there is lots you can do, like puppy kindergarten and consistent rules.
It is important though to realize that since every dog is an individual things that may have worked great for Booger may not go as smoothly for the new pup. I have two basenjis who are a bit on the serious side and rarely need much more than a verbal "no" or "leave it" to stop bothering the cat or pulling mail off the table. I have two basenjis who are class clowns and they need redirection to something they consider "more fun" to leave the exciting games of shred the junk mail or lick the cat belly.
The Rule of Sevens
By 7 weeks old puppies should have
Met at least 7 people
Eaten out of at least 7 dishes
Walked on at least 7 surfaces
Been to at least 7 new environments, rooms, backyard, etc.
Played with at least 7 toys
Heard at least 7 different loud noises
Well I just found a few "2 Bs are better than 1" threads & I'm pretty much decided. Now my biggest problem is a name…. We thought up the name Booger before we even went to see any puppies & we both agreed it is the greatest name EVER. Every single person we meet LOVES our unique, beautiful dog, and every single one of them just LOVES his hysterical name once they hear it. What on earth can we possibly follow it up with?
My cat is named Booger. It's a great name for any pet.
We also have a second cat named Monkey (long tail, chirps like a monkey, climbs eerything).
Our Basenji is called She-Ra (after the Princess of Power from the 80's cartoon). Don't know why, it just fits.
What is the theory behind the Rule of Seven? Lots of exposure and experience gives them a better temperment?
Our puppy isn't even born yet, and I'm already thinking of names, looking at the girly dog stuff, etc. I'm so excited! I really wasn't much of a dog person before, and now I'm worse than a dog person… I'm a basenji person!
Good early socialization helps dogs to feel that different things being in their environment are normal. By exposing puppies to different, sights, sounds, and people they learn that differences are normal. Puppies that are not well socialized can be less confident in new situations and some become unaccepting of new things. There are people on this list who have dogs they feel are "racist" because the dogs were never socialized as puppies around people of different ethnicities so they don't know that is okay. Some dogs don't know how to react to children because they don't know they are small humans. Many dogs do not know what to think of people with handicaps because they may move differently or have something like a cane or walker which is not what the dog has been socialized to think of as "normal".
Good early socialization helps dogs to feel that different things being in their environment are normal. By exposing puppies to different, sights, sounds, and people they learn that differences are normal. Puppies that are not well socialized can be less confident in new situations and some become unaccepting of new things. There are people on this list who have dogs they feel are "racist" because the dogs were never socialized as puppies around people of different ethnicities so they don't know that is okay. Some dogs don't know how to react to children because they don't know they are small humans. Many dogs do not know what to think of people with handicaps because they may move differently or have something like a cane or walker which is not what the dog has been socialized to think of as "normal".
Tayda was/is very mellow and non destructive and adding Lenny did not change that. About once/day they do the B500 around the house, but other than that, they have very distinct personalities. I do think that Lenny picked up on the potty training faster than he would had he been an only dog though…
Sooooooooo,,,,,,,,,have you made a decision yet about getting B #2????? Have you thought about BRAT???? We did a few months ago and got our first BRAT dog for our lonely boy Dane (our first b) then we REALLY got crazy and just added a third. It gets a little crazy sometimes but they really do entertain each other.
Sooooooooo,,,,,,,,,have you made a decision yet about getting B #2????? Have you thought about BRAT???? We did a few months ago and got our first BRAT dog for our lonely boy Dane (our first b) then we REALLY got crazy and just added a third. It gets a little crazy sometimes but they really do entertain each other.
We are definately gonna get another one. We just have to wait for it to be born! We've thought about BRAT, and I've researched it a little, but I'm not sure that's the right avenue for us right now. I would LOVE to adopt a BRAT dog, but we've only been basenji lovers for a little under a year now. I'd like a bit more experience with a couple of different basenjis before we try to adopt one that has been previously neglected and/or abused.
We are definately gonna get another one. We just have to wait for it to be born! We've thought about BRAT, and I've researched it a little, but I'm not sure that's the right avenue for us right now. I would LOVE to adopt a BRAT dog, but we've only been basenji lovers for a little under a year now. I'd like a bit more experience with a couple of different basenjis before we try to adopt one that has been previously neglected and/or abused.
Who is your breeder? And hopefully as Lisa stated that they have had DNA tests done for Fanconi before the breeding happened. Also, hopefully the boy you have is neutered, and the girl will be spayed? Typically your breeder will "pick" the pup that best suits your situation, not the other way around. Breeders know the pups, have watch them grow, know the temperament of each of them to best place them in that perfect forever home.
Great – Im always happy when someone decides they need a new furbaby! About the BRAT dogs. My husband and I have only had our first b since the summer (he was our "baby" since our real baby is a senior in high school and doesnt really need us for anything now other than to be a human ATM) Anyway, I dont want to seem pushy but just FYI we got our first BRAT dog from a pretty good home -- the humans loved her but one of their other dogs didnt-- so she really doesnt have to many issues. Our newest BRAT dog does have some anxiety and trust issues but he is the sweetest thing and has really fit into our family well. My point is that there are dogs that dont have major issues in the BRAT organization. Also, they do a WONDERFUL job of only placing dogs in families that fit their situation. It might be worth your while to talk to a BRAT representative.
What is the theory behind the Rule of Seven? Lots of exposure and experience gives them a better temperment?
Our puppy isn't even born yet, and I'm already thinking of names, looking at the girly dog stuff, etc. I'm so excited! I really wasn't much of a dog person before, and now I'm worse than a dog person… I'm a basenji person!
As Lisa said, the Rule of Seven is all about exposure to new things. It is a great goal for breeders, and puppy buyers…but it isn't a magic bullet. As in...'okay checked everything off the list, dog should be perfect.' Nope. You have to keep working on it, exposing them again and again, and having the right attitude while you do it.
For instance, if you take your puppy for a walk, and a large dog walks towards you, if you are fearful, and pull your puppy away....or sometimes, even if you just feel nervous, you haven't helped that puppy by exposing it to another dog. You may have just made the puppy more fearful.
It is a great outline though, of things that puppies should be exposed to.
When the wife started to get our dogs involved with conformation showing I'll admit, I wasn't really keen on it. She started to take them to the shows at a very early age and to be honest I didn't really like it. All I could imagine was that those pups would rather be back in their yard as opposed to being at a show. I knew there was lot's of crate time, expens…....ect. Just didn't sound like fun for the dogs to me. All I kept hearing was they have to get used to all of this and it's in the long run really good for them.
well:)
I've since learned that she is right. Taking them to the shows is some crate time and expen time, but that sure comes in handy to have a dog that will go in a crate willingly and not fuss when you need it to. They're exposed to so many people and of course, lot's of other dogs. When they are at shows, people stop to see them and look, we encourage them to touch the dogs and on occasion have let people walk them around. The result of all of that is the two she takes to shows, I feel confident we could take anywhere! We took them with us to visit Nala(forum member) and they where perfect little boys. I can honestly say, our others I would not even attempt that type of adventure with. Jasper is "finished" and we still take him along when we show Willy.;)
Start them early and keep them used to going out and about.:)
