The Basenji with 9 lives (well nearly)
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I would like to share a story about our past basenji Benji.
It involves 240 volts and i would like to say don't worry the story ends ok.
A few years ago we were having the house rewired, the electrician had been doing some work up in the attic rooms and had left some live cables in a crawl space. We were all down stairs relaxing and all of a sudden we heard a terrible noise and realised it was Benji. It is a noise i cant describe and never want to hear again as long as i live.
We ran out into the hall so scared as to what we might see. Benji was running up and down and was torn between biteing us and wanting comfort.
At this point we had no idea what had happened and so comforted him the best we could.
Howard my husband went upstairs to investigate and found a wet wire which he also got a shock off, he asaid it hurt and Benji had had this through his mouth. We checked him over thoroughly and he had no burns at all, just needed lots of tlc. We were obviously very carefull about not letting him go up again unsupervised, he did try to chew it again a few days later whilst we were there so hadn't learned his lesson.Benji survived to the ripe old age of 14 1/2 -
You wouldn't believe what they get up to. My husband wants me to point out that there was a plastic conection block on the end of the wire, it hadn't just been left bare.
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They seem to love electrical cables! We came home one day from work, turned on the lights and … nothing. The fuse had gone, or so we thought. We tried everything we knew to do with the fuse box etc. Eventually we had to call a sparky. He came round and tripped the fuses again for us. Everything was OK and off he went. I then went to switch on a standard lamp and the whole lot went again. I ran down the drive trying to stop the sparky from leaving. On further investigation it turned out that the Bs had chewed their way threw the lamp cable! :eek:
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I have a train set that I set up at Christmas around the tree. Not thinking the first year I had my dogs, the loved to watch it go round and round. We only ran it while we were home. One day I was in the kitchen and I heard a yelp. Cody had stepped on the electrified track. He was ok, but he never learned NOT to step on the track. Of course Aurora thought the train should run all time. We came home from work one day and they had turned the train on and cranked the speed up as high as it could go. I guess they enjoyed it until the train de-railed around the corner. Then they were done. I now set up a barrier around the train and the tree so they can't get to it. :) It does save a lot of lights and ornements this way.
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Wow…glad Benji was ok.
I have cord chewers as well...so far as I can determine the culprits in my house are Brando (4yo.) and now Aaliyah (6mo.). I just lost my 2nd power adapter to my MacBook ($100 a pop for replacement) to basenji teeth. :(:mad: I had been using Vicks Vapo Rub on the cords. I've now decided to put an xpen around the desk in an effort to limit their access to the cords. Should look pretty funny to actually sit and work in the pen. :D Hey, whatever works. :rolleyes:
I've seen both Brando & Aaliyah under the desk. Ruby I've seen with the spoils in the middle of the living room, but at this point I can't finger her for the actual crime.
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I have a train set that I set up at Christmas around the tree. Not thinking the first year I had my dogs, the loved to watch it go round and round. We only ran it while we were home. One day I was in the kitchen and I heard a yelp. Cody had stepped on the electrified track. He was ok, but he never learned NOT to step on the track. Of course Aurora thought the train should run all time. We came home from work one day and they had turned the train on and cranked the speed up as high as it could go. I guess they enjoyed it until the train de-railed around the corner. Then they were done. I now set up a barrier around the train and the tree so they can't get to it. :) It does save a lot of lights and ornements this way.
I love that they actually turned the train on! Smart kids…who doesn't love playing with electric trains! :D:D:D
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Kananga has only chewed through a couple wires, but it was a speaker wire and an optical cable. Both were not connected to anything that was turned on. He has yet to chew through any power cables. He has enough to tempt him but he has always left those alone. I guess I'm lucky. :)
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GenjMar i love the story of the Basenjis switching the Train set on, i can just imagine it, lol.
Renaultf1 you wiil probably get some peace sitting in a pen, lol.
Glad everyones Dogs have been ok.
I have another story about Benji. I decided i would try a Yoga session up in the very same attic room where he bit the cable. Benji wanted to come with me and do Yoga, lol.
I let him into the room which has a velux window with a settee underneath. Yes i know a recipe for disaster but i trusted him. The window was open and as i moved across the room to switch on the DVD he jumped onto the settee. It crossed my mind but i thought NO he wont go out of the window, when i turned around he had of course gone out of the window and up onto the roof. As i peered out in horror he was just disapearing over the apex. Howard my husband arrived home at this point and not noticing Benji on the roof came upstairs. Fortunately because Benji hadn't seen him all day, he was quite happy to come when called for once. -
When i think back, he was such hard work and we loved every minute of it, well almost ;)
People think we are mad to want another, they just don't understand. I have read somewhere on a website that if a Basenji is the right Dog for you , you will never be happy without one. I dont know who said it but how true. -
What great stories! Gossy tries to chew on the cord from the vacuum cleaner if I don't chase her with it and once tried to chew on the cord from the paper shredder when I unplugged it from the shredder. That one got her attention as it was still plugged into the wall outlet (she hasn't touched it since).
I can't imagine Gossy turning on a train set and not chomping on the train :D -
At least she seems to have learned, lets hope she generalises it to other cables. Somehow i dont think so:)
Benji used to love being blown with the hair dryer on hot. When i had the hoover out he used to get under my feet, i think because of the noise he assumed it would provide the same enjoyment as the hairdryer. I put the nozzle on him, not realising the suction was so strong. He wasn't amused and went into attack mode :) -
At least she seems to have learned, lets hope she generalises it to other cables. Somehow i dont think so:)
Benji used to love being blown with the hair dryer on hot. When i had the hoover out he used to get under my feet, i think because of the noise he assumed it would provide the same enjoyment as the hairdryer. I put the nozzle on him, not realising the suction was so strong. He wasn't amused and went into attack mode :)Our Benji LOVES the dyson. We have to take the nozzle over him every time we use it otherwise he goes in a huff! :)
