Help Needed: Basenji on Craigslist - OR

[LizNewton]

Someone of the list asked for this information regarding biting.
Classifications of Bites
Well-known veterinarian, dog trainer, and behaviorist Ian Dunbar has developed a six-level system of classifying bites, in order to make discussions of biting behavior more consistent and understandable. Those levels are:

Level 1 Bite - Harassment but no skin contact. This is the
so-called snap. Don?t kid yourself. A snap is an intended
air bite from a dog who did not intend to connect. He
didn't just miss. It is a lovely warning signal, telling us that
we need to identify his stressors and either desensitize
him or manage his behavior to avoid exposing him to the
things that cause him undue stress.

Level 2 Bite - Tooth contact on skin but no puncture. Again,
this is a bite from a dog who didn?t intend to break skin,
and a warning that this dog is serious. It?s a very good idea
to remove the dog's stressors at this point, before he graduates
to the next level.

Level 3 Bite - Skin punctures, one to four holes from a
single bite (all punctures shallower than the length of the
canine tooth).

Level 4 Bite - One to four holes, deep black bruising with
punctures deeper than the length of the canine (which means
the dog bit and clamped down) or slashes in both directions
from the puncture (the dog bit and shook his head).

Level 5 Bite - Multiple-bite attack with deep punctures,
or multiple attack incident.

Level 6 Bite - Killed victim and/or consumed flesh.

[sharronhurlbut]

I am going to say something here that will not be very popular.
Not all dogs are good pets.
Some dogs, because of trama or breeding should not be placed or rehomed.
We have a lot of great dogs in this country who are waiting to become great pets in homes for most familes.
We also have some damaged dogs who should not be moved on.
Its not easy but no one wants a pet they are afraid of, or one who will hurt them.
Sadly, this is the reality.

[Alex]

On another note regarding this type of rescue fundraisers we would like to inform everyone that in order to facilitate any future rescue fundraiser activity on Basenji Forums, Sharron Hurlbut has a dedicated fundraiser paypal account for Basenji Forums.

Unfortunately she was not available in the last week due to computer trouble and was not able to approve and lead this particular fundraiser on our forum. But all future rescue fundraisers ideas will need to be emailed to rescue@basenjiforums.com first and Sharron will be reviewing and leading them.

Having a trusted experienced third party and official fundraiser account instead of a personal account of one of the members (not that we don't trust our own users) will make everyone feel more comfortable donating their money and will ensure that the money is going to the right cause, accounted for and managed properly.

This paypal account is not limited to BRAT and it will be used for all types of rescue fundraisers initiated by Basenji Forums members. But it will be at the discretion of Basenji Forums Staff whether to allow these fundraisers or not.

Fundraising introduces unnecessary complexity and liability for Basenji Forums Staff, so we will be very strict and sensitive about this subject going forward. Too many people get scammed into donating for various non existing causes and money gets stolen on the internet all the time. Luckily our forum community has been very careful thus far.

Please email any future rescue fundraiser proposals to rescue@basenjiforums.com before posting them publicly on the forum.

[tanza]

@sharronhurlbut:

I am going to say something here that will not be very popular.
Not all dogs are good pets.
Some dogs, because of trama or breeding should not be placed or rehomed.
We have a lot of great dogs in this country who are waiting to become great pets in homes for most familes.
We also have some damaged dogs who should not be moved on.
Its not easy but no one wants a pet they are afraid of, or one who will hurt them.
Sadly, this is the reality.

Sharron,
I totally agree with you…. There are some dogs that most kindest act is to help them over the brigde. You are right, not popular, but true. It is a very, very hard decision and not one to be taken lightly, those that have made that decision in the past understand what both Sharron and I are saying.

[sharronhurlbut]

Yes, Pat, now I will worry about Vicki and her dogs until we hear something.
I so hope they are all ok.
Sigh

[nobarkus]

@sharronhurlbut:

Yes, Pat, now I will worry about Vicki and her dogs until we hear something.
I so hope they are all ok.
Sigh

You have not heard from her yet? I hope she didn't get blown off forum.

[sharronhurlbut]

Nope, no word from her or Kathy.
I hope we hear something soon.

[Tayda_Lenny]

I suspect Vicki is gone for good. Notice she deleted all of her posts on this thread, or changed them to "Not relevant". Many of her posts in other threads have been changed to "not relevant" also. I have sent her messages as well and they all seem to be deleted.

I know people posting here care about the dogs and the owners, but we should all be careful about the tone of the responses. This is not the first time a forum member felt chased away or offended. If we push people away, no one, and no dog, benefits. Of course no one is trying to push anyone away on purpose, but that seems to be what is happening.

It's too bad.

[Alex]

We will update this thread, once we hear back from Vicki. Thank you everyone who donated funds to help rescue this dog. Please email admin@basenjiforums.com if you have any questions or concerns.

As I mentioned in my previous post, fundraising introduces unnecessary complexity and liability for Basenji Forums Staff, so we will be very strict and sensitive about this subject going forward.

[Alex]

Dear Basenji Forums Community,

I am sure many of you have been wondering what was the outcome of this rescue effort. Well, let us tell you it was unexpected. A rescue mission that was supposed to unite our community to help save a dog turned into a complete opposite and brought us apart.

I would like to thank everyone who stepped in to help and put their time and money to attempt to save this dog and offer him a life without neglect.

Members who volunteered themselves for this mission had many years of experience with the breed, with both ill-tempered rescues, and those that have been fabulous. They had enough experience to make a determination whether to attempt this or not. While this dog had issues it is imperative to keep in mind he was a just a puppy, and someone was willing to give him a chance.

Others may have disagreed on the reasoning for attempting this, but at no time they were given the right to derail this mission and use this forum to publicly attack and discredit members whose only intentions were to help save this dog.

As a result of the actions of certain members our whole community suffered:

• The dog was not saved
• Forum rules about code of conduct were broken
• Existing members were publicly offended and discredited
• New members were exposed to public arguments
• Our community lost potential member referrals
• Members had to be suspended from the forum

It is really too bad and sad, because we built this community to bring together basenji owners, breeders, and exhibitors throughout the world. To be hopeful that they could help one another and dogs in need.

Thank you again for trying to help. All donation have been refunded and no more assistance will be attempted. Which, of course, is unfortunate for the basenji in need.

As a last note please remember to review our forums code of conduct and forum rules and to treat others with utmost respect. Like the Basenjis, each of us is unique with our unique character, but our admiration and respect for this breed have brought us together and make us a community. Disregard for our forum community rules will not be tollerated on this forum.

Please contact Basenji Forums staff directly at admin@basenjiforums.com if you have any questions or concerns.

This thread is closed for public discussion.