Everyone here has given you great advice I will only add that not only will the pup require physical AND mental stimulation you will also need to be mentally on you toes to be creative when playing and puppy proofing your house. These dogs are smart and will test your mental limits too. I have come home many times scratched my head and wonder how did they do that? I should also note that I have to rotate my child saftey locks on all my cabinets about 4-6 months b/c mine "figure them out". 
But I wouldn't haven't it any other way.
Ditto, ditto, ditto to everyone's remarks.
Patience and constant suprivision are a must! Invest in some puppy prep materials.
If you can't watch the dog, even while you're in the shower, it needs to be contained in a safe-zone. We have a pet playpen 4X4 with a cage top where the dog's sleeping and eating areas are contained. The dog sleeps there when we're in bed and cannot destroy the house at night or while we're away. We also tacked some rabbit wire fencing around our existing rickety wooden fence to prevent escapes.
Other than that, be consistant with training and always give treats if you expect them to listen at all. Positive training works best. My girl flattens her ears and persists in her task if I try to herd her out of the way by force. But produce a treat and happy-happy yes ma'am! Can we do that again?
Knowing the possible problems with this breed helps you to train sooner so the dog doesn't develop those bad habits to begin with.
Last March I also decided to take the plunge and own my first Basenji. It had been decade since I owned any breed of dog and I hadn't even heard about Basenjis until I did my research and chose a dog that sounded compatible for me and my husband. My husband was not interested in any dogs so I had to really do my research. I almost got cold feet too when reading about the counter surfing and stubborn behavior. But after doing my homework like you are doing now, my husband and I agree that this is the best dog ever!
Hope all works out well for you, mine worked out better than I could have imagined!
I agree with what everyone said here, I would just want to add that you want to be prepared to supervise this dog at ALL TIMES. If I turn my back, even for a second, Tosca will often be getting into something she shouldn't. We've learned over the last two years what she will go for most (remotes, DVD's, and any kind of paper) so now those things are not w/in her reach and it is not so bad.
I would say the only other BIG stress is the factor of running away and eating things the dog shouldn't. Tosca will not just chew, but actually eat, pen caps, bottle caps, batteries, remote piece, medicine, etc. Not that mine has actually eaten these things, but would in a heartbeat given the chance. She did eat an entire child's sock once, but luckily threw it up before any real damage occured. The running away thing can be very difficult. Once your family has learned to adapt to it, it should not be hard, but it might not be easy to get a five year old to understand the need to make sure the dog is nowhere near the door when it opens. It is also very stressful when you have guests over or need to take the dog places. At least in my situation, they just don't understand that you cannot leave doors open, or let them close gradually on the way out, or your basenji will be GONE. I've had several times where we've had people stay over, and Tosca will be sleeping with me in the bedroom, and I wake up, let her out the door, and for whatever reason, someone will be going to their car or whatever, leave the door open, and out she goes. Not a pleasant way to wake up! I've learned from this now, and keep her on a leash or hold her when staying over somewhere/or when guests come over.
However, if you can get by the need to constantly supervise your dog, they really are wonderful dogs to have. From reading posts on here, it sounds like the dogs can be very different, but mine is the sweetest, most affectionate dog I've ever seen. She sleeps great, never has to be let out in the middle of the night, is crate trained (before we got her, thankfully), never needs to be bathed, and is wonderful with children. She is absolutely hilarious, and she makes my husband and I laugh all of the time. Like I said, if you can deal with the large amount of effort/supervision this dog needs, I think you'd be really happy with a basenji…good luck!
We no longer have Benji unfortunately but we have many items that bear his chew marks, we will never get rid of them as they remind us of him, and yes we are getting another Basenji, maybe in time even two
I agree with all things said. Basenjis can be destructive, but so can other breeds, they don't bark= does NOT equal silent or mute..They do steal, although they see it as borrowing. They will bring you many years of laughter and wonder. As a parent of two children, one 9 and one 4, I would not have gotten a dog if it is known to be aggressive. B's are not agressive, they do tell the kids when they have had enough though, and key, in my opinion, is to teach the kids to listen to those cues..any and all dogs can be aggressive if they are pushed..training is key..you come first, kids second and dog third…never let the dog, no matter what breed, think he is equal to you or the kids...
basenjiimomma, I do have to say, that children need to be taught to respect animals as well.
The dog should be allowed to sleep without kids jumping on them.
Kids should NOT be given free passes to do what they want with animals.
I have seen too many rescue dogs tossed outside the house, because the parents let the kids run riot.
Sharron, I absolutely agree with you on that. We have a strickt rule at our house, regarding all dogs, not just Otis..if they growl, try to get away or the like and if you(the child) do not pay attention to that, you are the one in trouble ( with me), not the dog. Paying respect to animlas is key. My mother-in-law has even accused me of loving my dogs more then my children because I believe in the mutual respect thing…GGGG. but that is an whole other story. but then again, she believes kicking a dog is showing it love....:mad:
I wonder if we lost the original poster with our enthusiasm.
Sorry, lets get back on track.
My Abby is semi destructive she does not detroy furniture but she will take on stuffed animals, remote controls, cell phones, pens, paper plate, pretty much anything paper and plastic bags from the grocery store. She also loves socks clean or dirty and she is very slick about getting them. The only other bad side to her is she is very grouchy when disturbed while sleeping although she is getting better as she gets older. I had my doubts when I first got her, I did a little homework but not a lot however I love her to death and would not trade her for the world. I am also getting involved with brat on wednesday we are picking up a puppy that we are adopting and we are planning on fostering many many more, because they all need homes.
i will agree about the destructive when frustrated comments. Yesterday i was upstairs doing some work on my computer - We had been for a 2 hour walk and from where i was working i could see Tilly lying sleeping downstairs (or so i thought) in a sunny spot on the couch - the patio doors were open and the rest of the dogs were lying outside sleeping in the sun. Next time i looked around Tilly was sitting on the top step looking at me through the baby gate (she isnt allowed in the rooms upstairs as she tries to kill the cats who live up there….)
Two seconds later i heard a ripping sound, and looked round to find her pulling bits out of the carpet on the top step. I roared at her and by the time i got there she had a decent sized hole made. And of course the carpet is only a few months old. I am positive that it was just an attention seeking move - usually if i am on the computer someone else is there to keep an eye on her, or she is put outside. I can leave any of the other dogs without any trouble - but not the Basenji. Pens or remote controls just get totalled. In fact going back to the nickname thread, she now has a new one - Tard. Used in conjunction with the first 3 letters of Basenji. And of course we wouldnt swap her for the world.
Hello! I wish to comment on my dog Pearl. She is Very quiet, hardly a sound. I try to encourage her to speak. She does a lot of nonverbal communication. About the child issue. Pearl came to us as a puppy. My kids (12 & 13 at the time) spent time with her, the neighbor kids played with her, and she loves kids. No problems socializing with young people. I guess the point is, your pup will love anyone who treats it well and cares for it. At 5 , I'm sure your child understands the importance of being gentle with dogs.
Pearl has done her fair share of chewing. Interesting what she likes. She will be 2 in October, and is better, but she has lots of bones!
I love Pearl, however, I am easy going, and enjoy taking her on walks, playing with her, and having her as a family member. Its up to you what you want from a dog. Pearl is pretty free, and thats what I like!
