Are you ready for a Basenji???

Basenjis are a very unique sighthound originating from Africa, who were bred to hunt small game.  This gives them quirky characteristics that are natural to the breed. Have you done your research and are you really sure you want a basenji? Does a basenji fit your lifestyle?? These are important questions to ask yourself to make sure this is the right breed for you!!

• Basenjis do not bark but they are not SILENT. Basenjis yodel/baroo when they are happy and can scream like little children when they are upset. Some basenjis don't make much noise at all and others love to serenade the song of their people when you make eye contact with them.  

• Basenjis do NOT have good recall and are not good off leash because they were bred to hunt small game and love to chase things that move. Basenjis get hit by cars quite often and have had a few of my owners succumb to this deadly fate. My first basenji escaped the backyard and was hit by a car. He survived with severe nerve damage and eventually chewed his leg off because he couldn't feel his leg anymore and that's just how crazy basenjis are. Being diligent about this means being careful about the front door and having secure gates/yards/containment areas. Leash walking is fine if you live in apartments, but I have even dropped a leash and had to chase my damn dog down the street when I lived in an APT. Accidents do happen all the time, but you have to be prepared and aware in this breed about this. Even the best basenji holds a risk of bolting out your front door!!

• Basenjis are NOT hypo allergenic. Basenjis do shed. Just like the noises they make this can vary by individual and some hardly EVER shed, only shed once a year and some of them shed a lot more than others. Once they get spayed/neutered this can also change their shedding habits. It is important to spend lots of time around basenjis prior to getting one if you are worried about allergies, and if you have really severe allergies, just remember it's a lot harder to get away from them when you are living with them too.

• Basenji puppies can be really difficult puppies and adults.  Basenjis generally have a mind of their own, and are motivated by what THEY are motivated by. If you allow your puppy to walk all over you THEY will and you could potentially have bad behavior problems when they are older adults. Early training, boundaries and rules are very important to ensuring your basenji puppy turns into a good citizen!! I do raise my puppies using puppy culture, so they do start off with a good developmental program, however, once they leave my house its up to you to continue that training and good habits. Basenjis tend to act like teenagers until they are about 2 or 3 and then can really settle down. Even some boys have a hard time with potty training up to a year old because sometime their brains and their bodies just aren't fully communicating  yet.  When it comes to basenji bad behavior it's way easier to prevent those behaviors from starting than it is to correct them. 

• Basenjis are creatures of habits and sometimes when they have changes to their schedules/lifestyles they can act out and exhibit bad behavior. Sometimes if you are just patient and let them settle into a new routine/schedule they will stop, but also realize that it is important to give them routine/schedules to follow too. 

• Some basenjis do better with another canine companion, but I highly recommend waiting at least a year between any new dog especially with puppies to get past a lot of the puppy hardships before dealing with another one, because having 2 puppies at the same time can also cause behavior problems.

• Crate training is very important with basenjis. Because basenjis are such difficult dogs, flight risks and they CAN be destructive, it is so important to be able to safely contain them when you need too. Raising them with puppy culture and just from experience I know how important it is for basenjis to be crate trained, so I try very hard to make sure my puppies are crate trained, but the new owners have to continue the training especially during the first year to solidify those habits. When they first leave my house they are being pulled away from everything they have known into a completely new environment with new people, so reiterating this training is very important. 

• Basenji's are more prone to nipping strangers even the friendly ones. My girls skittles is very friendly most of the time, but she also loves to jump up and nip peoples arms on the fence line. My previous basenjis have also bitten the mail man. Though some are very friendly it is also written in the standard that they can be aloof with strangers. Even friendly ones can have meltdowns with strangers or act differently if their owner isn't around.  They are a primitive breed and can act feral. 

• Myself (and other breeders) also have adults available on occasion, whether they were returned from an owner or a failed show prospect, if you aren't ready for a puppy but still have a lot of interest in the breed despite it's challenges considering an older puppy or adult is another option to dip your toes into the breed. 

Now that I have said all these horrible this about this breed I love so much, I truly would not be breeding if it weren't for how amazing the dogs that are in my breeding program are. This breed is so horrific and amazing all at the same time, all of their bad habits are worth it to me. They can be very hard to describe without being around them, understanding them and even living with them but they are the best damn little terror dogs in the world and I hope if you get a basenji you understand the history and truly enjoy their unique characteristics. They are not your average dog breed and they definitely do not behave like labs.