No such thing as a Basenji

Off Topic

  • Over the years, we've had several breeds of dogs:
    Standard Schnauzer, Doberman, Great Dane, 2 Basenjis, and right now a Brussels Griffon. Hope to add another Basenji in the near future.


  • My list of other dogs I would have…no particular order:

    ridgeback, border terrier, german pinscher (red), harrier and whippet (fawn or blue)


  • I am amazed - I took that test, and learned Basenji is right there first on the list, and Shiba Inus, and Parson Russell Terriers, and Italian Greyhounds, and all these extremely high energy dogs. So the quiz thinks I made the right choice with my B's, even if my old body thinks they are killing me!


  • Well, when I was in my early teens, I loved bull terriers. But then I saw and read about basenjis… the rest is history.


  • Well Rotties and Chows of course, then I might venture into a Pharoah hound if basenjis suddenly didn't exist. I love Cavaliers, no so much their massive heart issues. I actually was on 2 breeder's lists for Tibetan Mastiffs, but the $3000 price tag is a bit daunting!


  • I could go for an Irish wolfhound but would need a bigger house so I'd settle for another Cavalier.

  • First Basenji's

    Wow, I love the range of answers!

    Buana, looking at your list, it is surprising you ended up with such a "little" dog! =)

    I am also super intrigued by the Azawakh, but I have never met one. Same with Saluki and Sloughi. Met a couple Pharaoh hounds before, and definitely find them to be graceful and captivating.

    I've never heard of some of these other European breeds. So interesting… I'm amused that the official Cirneco dell etna page (US) calls them "The primitive hunter / bed warmer" right on the front page.

    I have to admit that I am now quite turned off of Huskies because of my Shiba's shedding... the last thing I want is an even BIGGER dog with MORE double-coated fur that perpetually sheds! laugh Despite it all, lots of the Nordic breeds interest me. And we looked at a Lundehund before adopting Bowpi, but someone else gave him a loving home.


  • I wouldn't have a pharoah, they bark way too much. I do like the Cirneco though. The Hamiltonstovare is a VERY rare breed in America. A friend of mine has just developed the breed standard for them and made up a UKC Champion :)


  • @Benkura:

    I wouldn't have a pharoah, they bark way too much.

    +1 - OMG their barking would drive me crazy (not that the basenjis haven't done that)…I love seeing pharoahs at shows but am glad when I no longer have to listen to them. WOW


  • I'd go with the German Shorthaired Pointer…..may be in the future


  • Pardon me if i seem rude, but can someone explain the difference between the foxhounds and harriers to the Hamiltonstovare? (i actually had to google it)

    As for the breeds i would have, well i don't think you could get farther from a basenji! all are large, and some are quite furred. (i've previously owned many of these breeds or have worked with them and loved them all.) I do miss having a grooming dog occasionally. There just isn't anything to brush on a B!

    Alabai, Husky, Rottweiler, GSD (save for all the health issues!) ChowChow, Caucasian Ovcharka, Am. Staff., Schnauzer (any size), Gordon Setter, Miniature or Std. Poodle.

    the Alabai and Am.Staff being preferred


  • The foxhound is one of the first fox/scent hounds. It was derived by crossing the greyhound, fox terrier and bulldog in the 1500's. The Hamilton originates from Sweden and was created by crossing the English foxhound with native breeds. The harrier is similar to the foxhound but smaller, possibly crossed with the Basset hound.

    I prefer the Hamilton as it has a cleaner look.


  • Oh dear, didn't realize Pharoah hounds were barkers. What about the Ibitzen hounds?

    I had to look up Cirneco. I had seen them just didn't remember.

    I LOVE big dogs and coats, but I hate grooming. I may get a short haired (smooth coat) Chow next due to that issue.


  • Having been born into a doggy family, I'm interested in most breeds. I have been besotted with the Basenji since I was 4 years old and so couldn't imagine a life where there were none. I've also had many other breeds at various times but I think my next favourite is a Kangal Shepherd dog (Anatolian Karabash) which has a very similar temperament to a Basenji but without the dopamine!!.


  • i would love an akita, chow, or gsd if not for the hair. and i've never met a giant schnauzer in person, but i love the idea of them. i also like the looks of a thai ridgeback, but have never met one. and i love mastiffs, but i don't love drool. i also love those big-headed goofs (american pit bull terriers), but i don't want the risk of a homeowner's insurance increase. i bet i'll end up with a poorly-bred mixed one some day, though, as they are just sooooo ridiculously cute, i know i'll sucker myself into adopting one.

  • First Basenji's

    I've actually been thinking about adopting a shiba inu for a while now, so they are pretty high on the list.
    I love New Guinea Singing Dogs; they are how I first discovered basenjis.
    I'd also go with a Catahoula Leopard dog.

    tlish- It bothers me that APBT's get such a bad rep. Every one that I've ever met has been so sweet. A few weeks ago, we had one that was wandering around our neighborhood with no collar that had recently given birth to a litter of puppies, and she also had scars all over her body. She was so sweet; she walked right up to us, let my roommate put a leash on her, and jumped into the back seat of the car so that my roommate could take her to the vet.


  • SenjiShowgirl I see you like the Ovcharka there are some to die for in Mt. Big and lots of hair very nice looking. They kind of look like the long hair Akita to me.

    Rita Jean


  • I had to look up the Ovcharka and found myself on a dog fighting forum, it was like, the third result. :(
    Gorgeous dogs, but what heart breaking abuse, wow. I didn't know people actually still did that.

  • First Basenji's

    Mango, I don't know anything about the Ovcharka other than what I've seen from these sites:

    http://www.bradanderson.org/blog/
    http://2naughtyshibas.blogspot.com/

    Lots of amazing videos on both that, I think, give a good impression of what living with those big guardian dogs is really like.


  • Thanks, I'll have to check the vids out! They look like big fluffy bears, I don't know if I could handle the fur but it would certainly be an adventure for any owner, haha.
    I guess it's not shocking someone would think to use such a big strong dog for such a "sport" but of course that's hardly any indication of what having one as a companion would be like. Lots of the dogs known historically for dog fighting can make amazingly loyal pets. I had just never heard of Ovcharkas before and was surprised to see such… open discussion about dog fighting, I guess.

    But anyway. Thanks for the links! It's always interesting to learn about different breeds.

Suggested Topics

  • This is the kind of thing Ayo would do!!

    Off Topic
    4
    0 Votes
    4 Posts
    2k Views
    nobarkusN
    The dog said "Sorry, my bad!".
  • Would you marry your basenji?

    Off Topic
    11
    0 Votes
    11 Posts
    4k Views
    Shaye's MomS
    MacPack: Yes, I know bestiality isn't illegal here - how stupid, and they did mention that on the radio. Also, the whole gang probably would platonically marry Topper, he is such a dear. My Shaye would REALLY like to marry Topper.
  • Hyena or basenji?

    Off Topic
    3
    0 Votes
    3 Posts
    2k Views
    KipawaK
    What an interesting group of pictures. I don't get a good feeling when looking at these pictures - I get a feeling that the animals look as if they are being exploited. The dog at the bottom right does looks a little like a basenji or pharoah hound or a mix of the two.
  • So what did you do with your Basenji today?

    Off Topic
    14
    0 Votes
    14 Posts
    4k Views
    K
    Sure! I have only worked with UKC at this point, but there are others out there. http://www.ukcdogs.com/WebSite.nsf/WebPages/DogWeightPull The dogs are divided into classes by weight. Placements are given out in each class, although they really don't matter much. The weight classes are 15 lbs apart for smaller dogs and 20 lb increments for big dogs. For example, the Basenjis bascially fall into the 30 lb class. (anything from 16 to 30.9 lbs) There are two ways to calculate placements, and it is decided ahead of time by the clubs holding the event. Format A is by most weight pulled. Format B is by most weight pulled per pound of body weight. It is calculated as a percentage. Most clubs do format A one day and format B the next. Also each day there is an overall winner for both the most weight pulled and most weight pulled per pound for all classes combined. I have seen everything from an American Bulldog to an Italian Greyhound win the most weight pulled per pound. :) All titles in UKC are earned by each dog's individual pulls compared to their own body weight. So classes and placements really don't matter, except for fun. There are 3 types of carts/surfaces to pull with, and each has their own point scale. Snow pulls are the hardest, so it doesn't take as much weight pulled in those events to earn the same amount of points as say a pull with a rail system. Wheeled cart pulls are inbetween, and the rail carts are the easiest to pull. Therefore it takes more weight to earn points. For example, a qualifying score for the first title takes only 3 times the body weight on snow to earn. It takes 7x the weight if its a wheel cart, and then 10x the weight on a rail track. Then to earn championship points after your first title, you only need to pull 5x body weight on snow, but you must pull 10x weight for wheels and 20x weight on rails! The more you pull the more points you earn, up to a max of 20 pts per event. Some titles can be earned by pulling on any of the surfaces. Other titles are for showing off versatility and the dog must earn so many points in two or all 3 of the surfaces to get them. There are 6 titles total you can earn. IWPA is another organization just for pulling, and they accept all breeds. I have never pulled with them however because the closest pulls in my region are over 3 hours away, up North. We have enough to do with everything else in the dog world that I don't need to make those kind of drives for this. lol http://www.iwpa.net/ APA is another one I just found this winter doing some googling. They have some pulls very close to home this summer so I am looking forward to going. I don't think they're a very big or influential organization to bother pulling with, at least for Basenjis, but will be nice to check it out. http://www.weightpull.com/ I think these are all the ones that will accept all breeds. Both IWPA and APA I think give points based on class placements, so I know they have some different formats than UKC. The only thing you really need is a custom fitted harness. It's an investment of about $50 -100 depending on who you go with and what you make of it. There are 3 harness makers that I've either used or know others personally who have, and they all do nice work and come highly recommended. Missy Kehler - The Working Canine (she's in the middle of redoing her site) http://www.theworkingcanine.com/ Harnesses By Carol http://harnessesbycarol.com/ CD Pits http://www.itsmysite.com/cdpits/ Most of these sites also have links to training articles, so search thoroughly. :) Our club got to host the "national" snow pull this year for UKC, organized by UNWPA. Here's a link to my little Roxie placing 4th in her class of 8, beating out 4 other Basenjis. This was only two weeks after her very first pulls. (And yes, there's more than one of us crazy Basenji people out here!) And two of those placing Staffies flew out from CA for this! lol Our lovely frigid below freezing MI temps were so welcoming. :) And check out our little racing friend BJ, the IG! http://www.unitednationalweightpullassociation.com/2009%20shows/UNWPAsnowpull2009.htm
  • Putting Basenjis on the map!

    Off Topic
    5
    0 Votes
    5 Posts
    2k Views
    hdolbowH
    i added rocky & Mia:D
  • Basenji in a commercial

    Off Topic
    3
    0 Votes
    3 Posts
    2k Views
    QuercusQ
    There is a commonly used dog in TV and commercials that is either a Rat Terrier, or a corgi/terrier/basenji/chi mix….I have seen in on law and order, and some other more recent commercials...might be that one. Or it could be a real B...I haven't seen either of the ones mentioned.