i just want someone i can come home to and have them be exicted to see me! and play with them and then just hill out and cuddle (which is probably my favorite thing to do. =])
the puppy stage scares me beyond anything. and maybe thats because my last dog died then. but i dont know if i can handle a puppy of any breed.
maybe i shouldnt get a dog at all. it might not be the right time, and i dont want to let any dog down because i couldnt handle him or her.
As many people have pointed out, making a commitment to a dog is a big step, no matter what age you are. It is something everyone on the family needs to agree on because it is a commitment for the life of the dog and things happen, it may be your dog at the start but maybe when you go to school stays home the first year and is more your parents' dog.
My recommendation when people come to me about getting a puppy and want to know what comes next after they have decided that a basenji is right for them, is to think about what their dog's schedule is going to be and how they are going to fit in things like puppy kindergarten, daily walks, feedings, etc. How is the puppy going to fit into your household and routine?
When it comes to age, yes there are things to consider but being young does not make you a bad fit for a dog, provided you can provide for that dog and are commited to making some sacrifices to own a dog. I got my first basenji at 22, I was in graduate school and I know many people who would not have considered placing a dog with someone that young. Nicky, turned 10 this past December and I am so glad I have him, and all the doors he has opened for me.
When I had my first litter 3 years ago, I was contacted by a college student interested in getting a basenji. He came to meet me at a lure trial where my girl climbed to the top of his head and then screamed in his ear because she wanted the "NOW!!!" He then asked to come see them at my house and bring his roommates. He visited 4 times to meet the requirement that all his roommates meet me and my dogs and were okay with adding a basenji. Ramses has turned 3 this year and his owner is graduating from college. Ramses is well loved and goes with his owner to his parents' house on breaks and loves the attention when they are "at school" from all the roommates and girlfriends.
So my point, there are many things to consider when you add a dog, no matter what your age. Do your homework about those things, find a puppy kindergarten and get their schedule, write a routine for your puppy, think about what happens when you go to college, and make sure that everyone in the household is committed to being the support net for this dog. If you do these things, I am convinced that you will know when the right time to add a dog is.
One thing you might consider too (if you have the time for puppy/dog training then you'll have time for this) is to volunteer at a local shelter. You'll get to see lots of breeds and personalities. You'll see dogs that were mistreated and you'll see dogs that were well-treated but the owners didn't have time. You'll fall in love with so many and some will enjoy your company as well. But you also won't have the commitment issue as you would if you brought one home. It might also show your mom that you're serious about taking care of an animal.
Also did I remember correctly that you said in an earlier message that you already have another dog? Who takes care of that one?
We had our first two basenjis 18 years before they died, 18 glorious years with our two friends that allowed us to love and care for them. Are you ready to commit to the next 18 years with your loving basenji when your adult life hasnt even started yet? my advice to you is to wait until you are settled into an adult independent life style before you commit to the love of a basenji. 
I LIKE TURTLES!
(Only those who have seen that silly little kid on the news will get that…)
I'm a little late coming back to this thread, but I wouldn't have a dog under 2 either. But, like it has been said here, I was a special need case and found a way to have a B and get some of the things I didn't have time for resolved before even getting Tucker. He WAS housetrained, but, as stated by others here, the new living situation made me believe he wasn't housetrained at all. He peed everywhere! However, this hurdle was able to be leaped in time, but it did take time. However, Tucker's behavior was not based on him forgetting how to 'take it outside', rather, he just needed to adjust. There really wasn't any training involved. He peed because he was pissed, no pun intended. It was ALL spiteful peeing. He did it because he was left alone, he did it because he was locked in the kitchen, he did it because he's a dog who thinks he's going to be abandoned YET AGAIN. But once he realized he wasn't, we came to terms.
The biting thing is still an issue, though, but at least I knew about that one.
I am impressed you are doing this much research. When I first moved out of my parents house I got a dog. Life happened and I was forced to move back. I was not allowed to bring the dog. Luckily, I found a good home for him but it sucked. Anyway, I think it would be worth it to keep looking. Just don't feel you have to make any decision one way or another. Good luck.
Also did I remember correctly that you said in an earlier message that you already have another dog? Who takes care of that one?
my family has 2 other dogs, a lab, named buddy, which my dad takes care of, but i play with him when i come home from school. and we also have a dachshund, snickerz, who my dad also takes care of with the help of my brother.
snickerz doesnt really like me because my dachshund, dopey jo, died a couple summers ago while my family was on vacation, and when we came back into town and my mom found out, she imediately went out and bought another dahshund(snickerz). it felt like a replacement and i had no time to really be upset about dopey jo dying because there was another dachshund in his place.
so i am trying to warm up to snickerz, but its kind of hard.
i got dopey jo when i was in the sixth grade, and i took care of him with my dads help. i fed dopey jo and i took him out to go, and we did an obiedience course at PetSmart. but my dad helped me if i was off at dance late or something like that. but dopey jo was mine.
so i think now that i am older i can handle another dog again, but theres still alot of questions i do need to figure out before. and im gonna take my time and make sure i am ready.
I'm a fully grown adult and even I frequently need help taking care of Senji. Basenjis definitely take up a LOT of time. My parents take care of him when I'm at work. I don't know what I'd do if they weren't there. Probably have to hire a dog walker. He wouldn't do well with doggy day care. I can leave him alone for 4-6 hours if I have to, and he's not destructive. On my days off, he thinks I'm at his beck and call and wants walked every 2-3 hours. I refer to Senji as my "personal trainer." LOL!
college has also been a concern for my family. but my dad has told me that we will cross that bridge when we get there, and if i need to get an apartment while im in college, i can be prepared.
This should be one of your main concerns. I have always wanted a basenji, and I would have gotten one if my parents would have let me. But they wanted me to wait and get one when I was settled somewhat. When I graduated HS, I could not have predicted the future, and in college I still couldnt predict the next semester let alone the next weekend. What I'm trying to say is that I am glad i waited. I would not have been able to take him to school, I got my own apartment and I still would not have been able to honestly give him the attention he deserves.
I graduated college, bought my home and set up a visit with a BRAT coordinator before I even had my house remodle finished. I moved in and Squiggy came the 2nd day I was in my home.
I also made sure before I adopted him that I had a job close enough that I could come home for luch and play with him and let him out, and that I am able to be home right after work.
To be honest, it is much harder than I imagined. I know that if I want to go out to dinner or work out after work, I have to go home to let him out and then I feel guilty if I stay out too late. I cant leave for the weekend unless I have somone watch him, or the less obvious of I cant crash anywhere if I stay out too late on the weekend.
He came 2 years ago and I love him to death, I am so glad I aited and thought about, but it is still so much more responsibility than I imagined.
If you want a B to be "your dog" wait, it will be worth it.
Wow, you are really researching this well. You will make a great B mom someday.
I would and did enjoy my school days. It is one of the only times in life where you are old enough to pretty much do what you want with out having "grown up" responsibilities…aaaah the good ol' days. Enjoy it.
Make up with Snickerz and bond with her/him. If he is having a hard time warming up to you make something you two do "special", either a special time for a walk or a special treat. You two will bond after awhile.
or, do what you feel is right for you...at least you are doing your homework well
Let me tell you about my first dog - I won't presume to tell you what is right for you, but you need to consider the whole story that will play out in the next 14 - 18 years.
I was 14 and I saw the movie "Goodbye my lady" on TV. I was intrigued with basenjis and did a lot of reading on the breed. I'm not a big fan of slobbery dogs, or dogs with thicker mangy fur, or dogs that smell like dogs, etc. I loved the fact that the basenji has some ancient history. I finally found a breeder that had a dog (I was late for the B breeding season), a 6 month old female a couple of hours away. I had my own money from my paper route and so we took a trip down to the breeder in central Virginia. They lived in a (double wide?) trailer, and what impressed my parents is that there were 3 B's living there at the time, and the house didn't smell like dogs! My parents consented, I wrote out the check for $300, and I had myself my first Basenji - Sundance Liberty Bell (born in 1976, the bicentennial) - "Bell" for short. I don't remember too many house training issues, but Bell did tear down my mom's curtains once because she was in the house too long one day when we were away. We discovered that she could climb chain link fences easily, so we couldn't just leave her in the backyard alone. We settled into life with her, and all grew to love her very much. When I was 16 we moved to Utah (my dad retired and both of my parents were from Utah). My dad found an elderly widow that had a lot of property and offered to take care of her orchard, and farm a couple of acres that she had and could no longer take care of. Bell loved spending the day working the ground with my dad and running around the orchard during the day. She even did well in the snow (we had also had snow in Virginia, so it wasn't anything new, just more of it!). We had a backyard with a 6' wooden fence, so she could spend more time in the backyard. Though we did discover that putting a wood pile next to the fence was a bad idea. Bell climbed the wood pile and jumped over the fence - she was a bit sore for a few days after the landing though! She would escape out the front door anytime that she could, but we found that lighting a firecracker would bring her back better than anything! We lived on a somewhat busy street, so we always tried to get her back as soon as we could!
Then I graduated from High School and went off to college. Of course I couldn't take Bell with me, so she stayed with my parents. Fortunately, they both enjoyed her company and loved her as much as I did. I spent a couple of years in Germany on a mission for my church, then returned and again was in college. It wasn't too long that I was married, and we lived in apartments where we couldn't have a dog, so at this point Bell was pretty much my parents dog. Bell lived a long (15 years I think) and happy life, but most of it with my parents.
So, the moral of the story, is that your parents need to know that they might be the ones taking care of your B at some point in the future. After college you might be able to take her back, but in the mean time, they (or someone else of your choosing) might be the ones taking care of your B. I'm now on my third Basenji. I think the biggest mistake that I made with my first two was that I didn't get them out on enough walks. Samantha, my current B, has been a total sweetheart! We got her a year and a half ago, she was a 4-1/2 year old female in a family that had just had a baby and she was not getting along with the baby. Again, I can't say this enough - Basenjis need exercise! They are sooo much better behaved when they get enough, and especially my second one didn't get enough!
I love Basenjis - I don't think that there is another breed that I would have. Just remember that this is a very long term commitment, and everyone needs to be on board for it.
I think all we can do is express how things have been for us and let you make your own educated decision. Everyone has presented very legitimate points here. I think the biggest one is- what comes after high school? There are so many unknowns…
I got my first B (oooh, I love saying that! My "first" one!) my junior year of college. I had an older boyfriend and his parents actually gave him the money for us to pick out a dog for his birthday. We had done the breed search on Yahoo that matches your lifestyle and dog trait desires with the breed that most closely matches those. I think a B also won the Eukanuba dog show that year which enticed us even more- anyways, after visiting many breeders in a tremendous number of states, we found our little Lexi.
My dog history: I had grown up with a family mutt- a shepherd/chow mix but she was not really my responsibility. She was big and stinky and could usually be found lying in the window barking at neighborhood dogs. I loved her but I knew I wanted a clean dog who was a manageable size. I volunteered at the Humane Society during high school. My mom let me foster dogs for a week at a time in between adoption days. I loved it even though they pooped EVERYWHERE! On other family notes: My older sister had gotten a dog with her boyfriend when in college and after they broke up, she dated another guy - who did not get along with the dog. That dog ended up with my parents because she ended up marrying the guy. My little sister worked at a vet during high school and she ended up rescuing a dachshund- when she went to college, the dog stayed with my parents. My parents loved the dogs but still felt like they got dumped with pets. You should consider whether you would ever leave your dog behind with your family for any reason- and talk to them about the different possibilities.
Back to the college story...
I was never really a party girl in college so I didn't mind staying home when my friends went out. The puppy stayed at my bfriend of the time's place since the apt I lived in did not allow dogs. We got her in June and I had a light course load that summer. I took her to the dog park for 4 hours almost every day and looked after her almost exclusively. My bfriend paid for all the vet bills- I was just a poor student living on student loans. I would not have survived her expenses alone. Something to consider.
I ended up breaking up with my bfriend after a couple of years- Lexi hated him anyways. Dogs are smarter than we are, remember that. 
They are a good judge of character.
On a note (not so funny then, but I laugh at it now)-- we'll call the ex "T" ... T had just taken Lexi out to go to the bathroom one night. He came back in and brought a load of hot laundry up to the bedroom to fold and put away. He dumped the laundry basket on the bed and turned to put the basket on the floor when Lexi jumped up on the bed, climbed onto the pile of laundry, looked T straight in the eyes and pee'd on the clothes! "This is what I think of you!" was written all over her face. T was furious! He could see the intelligent sneer in her eye and he lunged towards her, grabbing her by the neck. OMG, I thought! He's gonna kill her! (not really, but boy, was he mad!) It all happened so fast... So he grabs her and she takes a CHUNK out of his arm. And I'm talking a chunk- not a scratch, not just a bite, he had a chunk of skin missing from his arm. You would never have thought this precious little puppy could have done so much damage- and so quickly...That's the only time Lexi has ever bitten anyone. She immediately ran over and stood behind me. This was one of the vivid moments of truth in our relationship... when your dog says, hey, mom... this guy's not worth a piss!
And then came the fight over the dog. Tears and tears I cried as he would not let me see her. This was his way of getting back at me for dumping him. Finally he did one night. I sobbed on the stairs, begging him to let me keep her. She came and sat in my lap and started licking the tears off my face. I think it's then he realized how bonded we were. In this sense, I'm glad I had Lexi as a puppy. We have an incredible bond- a bond that is very deep-- especially in that she trusts me with her safety. (this is hard to explain, but I don't feel like I have that bond with Miles (yet), our adult rescue of 1 year) I of course ended up with Lexi in the end. And she's been with me for 7 years. But there are all sorts of things you won't expect to happen-- break ups, the "what next?'s" ... I ended up moving in with a girl to an apt complex. After I "won" Lexi in the breakup, I had her at my new apt and got a nice note on my door from the management... The $500 in pet fees were due immediately since they had noticed my cute little addition. I was also now responsible for all her vet bills and other costs. With this, I'm saying you should be able to handle unexpected situations and have an idea about whether you'd be able to sustain your relationship with your dog if something crazy comes up.
Looking back...
I lived on campus my first semester of college- and if you have the chance, I recommend it. I don't think it would have been as much fun if I had a dog then. It commits you to the dog and you can't have the true "freshman" experience without the opportunity costs. I definitely think it's better to wait, especially if you're uncertain-- do the independent things you want to do in life first. Then get "tied" down with a dog. Once you do it, you can't (shouldn't) go back. (I think of it like having kids. It's a done deal.)
You know, I asked my mother in law the other day why she didn't adopt a basenji-- she LOVES my dogs and always watches them when we travel. She calls them her grandbabies. She said, "They're too dependent. I enjoy being able to come and go and not worry about how long I've been away from the house." And it was a very good point she made.
I love my "kids" to death. And I take them as many places with me as I can. But they DO limit what you can do- in certain circumstances. You ALWAYS have to consider them- in every respect. We have moved away from my family now... so if we want to visit them, it's either a 14 hour car ride or an expensive plane ticket. And my kids are too big for planes so it's an expensive boarding if my mother in law can't watch them. Limitations to consider...
Let's be honest: They are expensive. Any dog is expensive. But you will want to pamper your B. Believe me!! And Basenji's are physically and mentally demanding- they like attention and exercise. (dogs are in general, but especially B's) Are you ready to make and keep your commitment to them? Think of it as a marriage–
I, (name), take you, (Basenji), to be my pooch, my constant friend, my faithful partner and my love from this day forward. In the presence of God, our family and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad regardless of the obstacles we may face together, and in joy as well as in sorrow. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you till death do us part.
OMG, I'm totally married to my dogs.
I'll stop rambling now...
Let's be honest: They are expensive. Any dog is expensive. But you will want to pamper your B.
tell me about it.. i haven't even gotten the puppy yet and i spent $100 on toys for her and rocky today at petsmart. 
she had to have everything and of course, rocky had to have one in a different color.. hahahaha
Yup – there's just something about those wrinkly little faces that make us want to spoil them.
I, (name), take you, (Basenji), to be my pooch, my constant friend, my faithful partner and my love from this day forward. In the presence of God, our family and friends, I offer you my solemn vow to be your faithful partner in sickness and in health, in good times and in bad regardless of the obstacles we may face together, and in joy as well as in sorrow. I promise to love you unconditionally, to support you in your goals, to honor and respect you, to laugh with you and cry with you, and to cherish you till death do us part.
BDawg-you said it better then I ever could it is a true marriage in every way, shape, & form. There isn't ANYTHING I wouldn't do or sacrifice for my two pooches. I told my DH that I would sooner give him up then my dogs I'd never leave my dogs no matter what. He told me we'd have a bitter battle over the…lol
BTW-I know EXACTLY what you mean by that "bond" they trust you to protect them & take care of them & love them.
