My name is Rae, I live with my longtime boyfriend and our two senior rescue cats, and we are planning on getting a Basenji puppy this winter/spring (I know puppies only come around once a year, we decided to not get one this past spring so that we had adequate time to do research and interview breeders and all that. There is no way we are rushing this, or impulse buying one at a pet store)
Thank you so much for all of the amazing info on this forum, and of course all the links to other invaluable sites!! Truly, I have never encountered a group so devoted to their particular dog's breed, you guys should be proud to be as loyal as your pets! I'm also delighted with the HONESTY. You guys are totally upfront, no BS, about the fact that these dogs aren't for everyone and take a lot of work.
So… after doing tons of research, and reading the books, and trying to get ahold of the few Alberta breeders I've found (there seems to be one in Lethbridge, and another in Innisfail, does anyone know of any others or know these two at all?), reading and trying to absorb all the horror stories and all the good ones too, the next step seems to be to meet and hang out with some basenjis.
There is only so much you can learn by reading and watching videos... and I was wondering if anyone close to the city (we're willing to drive) would be willing to let us meet with them in a dog park, or similar, to just watch and hang out with your dog/s.
I'm really sold on the idea of a b, but it seems foolish to commit without SEEING one in the flesh first.
The breeders I've called/e-mailed haven't gotten back to me (2+ weeks), so visiting their dogs seems like not a very viable option ATM, and I am SO excited!
We're attending some dog shows next month and also the Alberta Kennel Clubs Summer Classic (I think that's what it's called...) to get a good look at some Bs too. 
Anyway, regardless, thanks again for the great info, videos and pictures... I never tire of looking at pictures of your puppies rompin' around. I'll be around the forum lurking for the rest of the year, and then hopefully I'll start adding my own horror stories and pics. :eek:
Welcome at the forum!
I think it's great how you think about getting a Basenji!
If you like them so much as you do after seeing some pics, you will be very happy to see them in "real life"
I would invite you to visit us but that would be a bit far away haha
Have fun in the Basenji world, you'll enjoy it!
Welcome to the forum Rae, you are very wise doing the research first. I hope you manage to actualy meet some Basenjis soon.
This is a busy time of year with puppies going to their new homes. It can be easy to lose an email in your inbox. Or sometimes the emails just don't get there. I have that problem sometimes, I have an account that seems to just plain eat emails from some addresses and I never see them, not in my spam folder, not anywhere. So if it has been awhile email again and then if necessary, call.
Welcome to the forum Rea!
Welcome to the forums. Hope you find some good people to talk to at the Summer Classic.
Thank you for doing all the right things when looking into buying a Basenji:)
Dawn
hi Rae. I'm Fran from the Vancouver area. Welcome to the best forum on the internet. Like you, I'm doing all of the research BEFORE getting my first basenji. And you hit the nail on the head - this group is a wealth of information, along with being some great people to just chat with.
I'm faced with extremely limited breeders in my area, so last weekend I drove down to the Seattle Kennel Club show to meet Sharron Hurlbut, who is on this forum, and who works with Basenji and purebred dog rescue. Sharron introduced me to a few breeders, and it was great to talk to them, and of course see their dogs. Oh was that ever a joy! There is nothing as great as seeing a bunch of basenjis together. I even stuck my nose into one, breathed in deep, and came up with only a clean smell - really delightful (oh boy, now everyone on here will know I am nuts). I was able to exchange phone numbers, etc., give the breeders an idea of my timeline, and spend a little time with their dogs.
There is an outdoor show on August 6 and 7 that I am going to that is in Auburn, Washington (near Seattle). It's put on by the Evergreen Basenji Club, so there will be lots of basenjis there - so more time to meet breeders and their dogs. It should be a fun time. Maybe you could make it there?
Importing a dog from the U.S. is thankfully not that complicated if they are under 3 months without any documentation. Of course, you would probably have a signed contract from the breeder that you bought your dog from. Here is the link with the info http://cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/pub/bsf5114-eng.pdf
Again, welcome, and feel free to post even though you don't have a basenji. Everyone on here is very helpful, and they don't mind questions and comments from us 'rookies'.
Thanks everyone for the warm welcome.
Ivoss, thank you for the reality check, I was starting to get a little frustrated, but of course, it's a busy time of year… I'll wait a while longer and will call.
Thanks for the info, Fran! Unfortunately Seattle is about a 15 hour drive from here, so I don't know if we'll be able to make it, but I'll see what I can do. Thanks also for the info about bringing a dog from the US, I did think it would be more complicated! Maybe I'll start looking at some closer American breeders as well.
Anyway, thanks again, everyone!
You aren't too far from Drumheller!
One of my girly dogs lives here…
she actually had pups this year, too bad you couldn't have visited their home. They kept two pups and have two adults [one bred by me].
Who is the breeder you have found in AB
The BCOC has members throughout Ontario and in Quebec, but no one in AB.
Read here, learn about the breed, and best of luck to you!
Send me your email addy through here and I can hook you up with Bob so you can go visit his crew of 4 in Drumheller!
Welcome, make sure the breeder you decide on does the testing for health that will give you a long lived companion.
There is a lot of info on this site re good breeders and health testing.
We are all glad to help you. Of course, there are also rescue dogs who need homes.
Khanis, the breeders I've come across in Alberta are Shamaron Basenjis (http://www.shamaronbasenjis.com) and just a brief mention of one in Lethbridge (http://www.yellowpages.ca/bus/Alberta/Lethbridge/LA-Dogs/3901660.html?what=Pet+Grooming-Clipping+%26+Washing&where=Lethbridge+AB&le=e43b56c4f6)
Sorry for the heinous link, they don't have a website, which is enough to sketch me out a bit, but I'm keeping an open mind at this point.
Sharron, thanks for the advice, we're definitely going to be asking lots of questions about their health testing, especially after reading stories of people on here who bought their puppies and found out that their parents hadn't been Fanconi tested/etc. I am so relieved I found this forum BEFORE I started looking at breeders, for the same reason.
The more home work you do before you get your new companion, the better for all.
We are sure here to help you with any questions you have.
Bs are very special dogs. It is really good you are doing research as basenjis are often gotten by people who think they will be as trainable as a german shepherd or take abuse from little kids like a golden retriever or can get by with a little ten minute walk a day– not!
I've had basenjis for 39 years, and breeders are not all the same. Search out breeders who are known for the reliable temperment of their dogs.
Older cats? A puppy is going to want to play with, jump on and mouth the kitties. The cats are going to need places where they can get away and look down on the little beastie.
I brought home a new puppy in 1998 when my Aby cats were 3 & 4 and ended up putting a cat tree in every room that did not already have a high piece of furniture as Belle "just wanted to play." They had grown up with another basenji, Binta, who was about 8 when they came to live with us and she never chased them and basically ignored them. So to all the sudden have a puppy after them constantly was a real stressor and one cat, Zaki started overgrooming and licked his stomach raw. We always crated Belle at night so the cats could feel safe sleeping with us, yet Belle could be in the same room with us. Worked well for 11 years.
Basenjis are really magical beings... can't imagine having another kind of dog.
Ethically, I can't say too much about the breeders, other than make SURE you meet all the dogs for the temperment (parents as well) and make SURE all health testing has been done.
Thanks for the kind welcomes, especially the tips about the cats!
Plato and Jersey (our kitties) are both pretty active and healthy for their ages, and they pretty much have run of the house ATM, so I'm not sure how they're gonna adjust to a puppy. They have a cat tree, but getting one for each room sounds like a great idea!
Poor kitties aren't gonna know what hit 'em. 
That is why I am waiting to get my first basenji, and doing all my research now. Two of my senior cats have shown that they don't mind dogs (one flirts with dogs), but the third has a distaste for them. They are wonderful family pets and so I am honouring them (the one in particular) by waiting to get my basenji.
Fran, if all new owners were like you, I wouldn't have a THING to do in rescue.
welcome, Yo live close to me.
Stay away from the breeder near Innisfail she is a byb. bad stuff.
I've known the breeder in question for over twenty years. Since I've known the breeder in question for over twenty years, we've shown together in the basenji ring many times over the years, and I have both bred to her dogs, and acquired two of them, I would have to say that the breeder you speak of, near Innisfail, is definitely NOT a backyard breeder. She is a long time reputable breeder who knows the basenji breed inside and out. Her dogs are beautiful, healthy, and of excellent temperament. What are, I wonder, the motives, behind such a blatant attack?
I did not attack anyone. I just reiterated what A breeder had told me and asked for advice. I didn't mention her name or the name of the kennel until someone had already.
Please do not accuse me of attacking anyone - I have never met the breeder in question, but yeah, I was pretty horrified by the fact that she doesn't bother to test her dogs.
