QUESTIONS FOR THE OLDER BASENJI

These question may be given by telephone.

How Long have they had the Basenji?

Basenjis which have been establish in a home for 4 months or better have had an opportunity to have adapted to that home before being placed. It will be easier to evaluate a Basenji which has had a stable home.. An older Basenji adapts to new a home slower than a puppy. It is not unusual for an older Basenji to have had several homes after its initial placement. Too often the new owner does not take the time and effort to properly allow the Basenji to adjust to the new routine and they will, most likely, not be able to fully convey the nature of the dog.

Why are they selling the Basenji?

There many acceptable reasons to sell an older Basenji. The three most common are:

• Moving, unable to take the Basenji with. This is a very poor excuse if it because the new landlord does not allow dogs, A dedicated dog owner will always find housing which permit dogs.

• Too many dogs. Very common with breeders and dog fanciers, especially if they are in violation with local laws on number of dogs permitted.

• Is not the type of dog I expected. Quite common, Basenji puppies are very cute. There are many people which buy a Basenji on impulse with no regards to the nature of the breed.

  Is the Basenji good with children?

  Very important that an older Basenji by socialized with children if be brought into a home were children are common. It is important that a Basenji be socialized with all types and manors of people. See section on Socialization in the Basenji Owners Manual

  Is the Basenji Housebroken?, Does the Basenji give any signal when it need to go out?

  If yes, are there occasionally accidents? How often?

  It is not impossible to house-train an older Basenji. Most of the time, the owner failed in maintaining a routine and consistency in their attempt to house-train. If the training involved striking the Basenji, there may be unintentional behavior problems. The house-training problem can also be due to a medical problem, such as an persistent urinary track infection which has gone untreated. House-training an adult Basenji will most likely take longer than a puppy but the training method is the same, maintaining a routine and consistency.

  Is the Basenji trained to wait when the door is opened?, sit when told?, walk on a leash without pulling?, not to jump on people?, to get off of furniture when told?

  If the Basenji as been trained to some degree it reflect a responsible owner. For Basenjis which have had no training, a lack of socialization may also be involved.

  Basenjis are known for testing the limits of required behavior. It is not unusual for a Basenji to fail to respond to a command given by someone else other than his original trainer. When purchasing a older Basenji, request a list of all commands which the Basenji has been taught, and the method which the Basenji has been trained. Continue to use these commands and enforce them as per previous training. It is possible that the previous training is not appropriate for a Basenji or any dog for that matter. Consult with a reputable canine trainer for guidance on this matter. Avoid trainers which have no experience with Basenjis or a poor opinion of training a Basenji.

  Has the Basenji ever nipped or bitten anyone?

  If yes, when and under what circumstances?

  See section on Temperment

  A responsible owner will answer this question truthfully. Although undesirable, the knowledge that the Basenji has nipped or bitten someone can be justified under extreme situations.

  Should you purchase a Basenji which has bitten or nipped someone, understand if the Basenji repeats the behavior and if is not under extreme conditions, you may be subject to legal action. Purchasing a Basenji which has bitten or nip someone is a very serious commitment. Unless you have experience in dog training and knowledge of dog behavior, it is not recommended to purchase the Basenji.

  Do not purchase a Basenji which has already exhibited a pattern of biting or nipping, unless you are familiar with your state and local laws regrading owning a potentially dangerous dog and the requirements. Use your best judgement in determining if a pattern exist.

  Does the Basenji get along with other dogs?

  If, no, ask for details of the behavior.

  It is quite common for male Basenji not to get along with other male, if the Basenji is dominant and is approached by another dominant dog, the same applies with females. This is most likely to occur when approached by another Basenji. Basenjis have a strong inherited social hierarchy, referred to as a pack, and leadership, is often fought for. It is important that a Basenji be well socialize with other canines to learn proper canine body language. If the Basenji has been well socialize with other canines, fights are generally displays of social ladder climbing, scraping as most breeder refer to it, usually resulting in a lot of noise and very little actual biting. It is important that the owner control this scraping, asserting leadership. If the Basenji lacks canine social skills, fights are usual very serious. The Basenji may not know how to respond to another dogs aggressive displays, and may react as if threaten with life or death situation.

  If the Basenji does not get along with other dogs, it does not necessary mean that the dog is aggressive. There are Basenji that are wonderful family pets, which react as if threaten with life or death situation when approached by another dog, and the Basenji by nature, will respond with a offense. These Basenjis make good pets for people which expect that the Basenji will have little contact with other dogs.

  Is the Basenji crate trained?

  All Basenjis should be crate trained. It is necessary for safety while traveling, and for controlling undesirable behavior such as destroying the furniture while you are away. As a Basenji gets older and is more adjusted to its owners routines, crating may be optional. Such older Basenjis still should not have the run of the entire house, and be limited to area which the Basenji respects.

  If the Basenji is not crate trained, Plan to crate train the Basenji, see the Basenji Owners Manual.

  Crating a Basenji should never be used as punishment or a place of convenience because the owner does not have the time to spend with the dog. A crate should be establish as a canine den for the Basenji which the Basenji regards as its personal place of security, this is a natural behavior of all canine which is nurtured by proper crate training.

  Is the Basenji destructive?, Does the Basenji chew on inappropriate Items?

  These behavior patterns in a older Basenji can be controlled by supervision and crating. Such behavior problems over time may be corrected with proper training. It is possible, that chewing on plastic items, or other item such as shoes maybe set patterns which may never be fully controlled without supervision.

Northwest Basenji Connection