Taylor
is The Girl Dog. Basenji through and through,
she's earned a variety of nicknames like Demon
Dog, Beast and Destructo. These were, however,
her early days. Though she still has a tendency
to destroy when motivated - seeking attention,
angered, wanting revenge - she is typically
a love , earning names like pup-a-lup, sweetie
and baby-girl-head.
I
adopted Taylor through the Dallas/Fort
Worth Basenji Rescue Club, an organization
devoted to locating and re-homing Texas Basenjis
that are found in shelters, abandoned, mistreated,
or lost. She's been my running mate since
the day she joined me. Now at 12 years of
age, the girl can kick my buns on a 5-miler
any time. She was there for me when I broke
my neck - of course, neither of us was able
to run - but she was ready to go again right
away after four months on our butts.
This
right here is Mr. Jax. He's the boy basenji
(boysenji for short) that we adopted from
a couple out in Denver, Colorado. While in
Denver, Jaxers had some troubling times and
due to an expanding family, this little feller
needed a new home. JJ (his former daddy) truly
loved him, but as he and his mate began to
adopt kids, Jax just couldn't fit in. That's
where we came in!
Just
recently, the poor kid was diagnosed with
low normal thyroid - hypothyroidism - which
accelerates his anger management issues, plus
it gives him a little heft, a poor coat and
makes him overly-tired. (Wait... could I be
hypothyroid?) But now he's on the appropriate
meds, he's met with a animal behaviorst, AND,
he's under a new training program that's teaching
him who's boss and why he needs not to growl.
Soon, to top it off, he'll start clicker training.
What a stud!
Jax
is just crazy about wet towels. Jump out of
the shower, and there he is waiting for his
treat. He's like a junkie waiting for a fix.
His most decadent desire tho is freshly washed
hair. Hit the couch with a wet head and he'll
climb above to slather himself all over you.
It's weird, but it cracks me up.
Jax
is crazy.
What
is a basenji? In a nutshell, basenjis are
African native hunting dogs that do not bark,
have no typical doggy odor, and are classified
as both sight and scent hounds. These dogs
are not mute (believe me), and rather than
bark, they produce a unique "yodeling"
sound and are quite capable of whining, crying
and growling. Taylor is not unknown for doing
the latter, and as of recent she's taken to
upping her roo vocab. In fact, get her excited,
and she won't shut up.
Jax,
on the other hand, will sing on command. Well,
not so much on command, but if we "yodel,"
he'll do it too. The basenji is an ancient breed,
and it's often thought that to be the one appearing
in Egyptian engravings that date as far back as
3600 B.C. In their native habitat, they still
serve as hunters for their pack.
It
was not until the 1940s that the basenji arrived
in England. This regal dog has not been altered
in any way - all that you see on the basenji is
completely natural, including the alert ears and
twisted tail. The tail is tightly curled with
a white tip, resembling a cinnamon bun, the ears
are always up and erect (naturally, no clipping
thank you), and the paw pads are connected differently
than other breeds. When you've got a basenji on
your hands, you know. (Note! I just recently
learned that basenjis actually evolved from Jackals!
Amazing! Do you see my use of the exclamation
point? This is very intriguing to me and something
that I am studying as of May, 2003. If you know
of anything regarding this subject, do share!)
Back
to the breed: They are too smart for their own
good, and revel in teaching us that every day.
Taylor is a bit more manipulative - she'll seek
revenge if we don't resond to her in time; Jax
is more practical and has used his brains to learn
such things as opening the fridge.
Once
you're into the basenji breed, you're pretty much
hooked for life. It's almost like a cult. Go far
enough and soon, you'll start fostering little
b-kids who need new homes. I have done it myself,
and I encourage any basenji lovers to do it too.
It is terribly rewarding, and if you've got the
space, you can give one of our love bugs a new
lease on life. To speak from experience, I fostered
a few while in Dallas, Whiley was my first - a
tri-colored boy from the west side of Dallas.
He was beautiful. A boy basenji named Hunter -
a red and white - was also extremely special to
me. He went to Austin. He was also gorgeous and
loving but needed much more attention than this
single, FT girl could give. I hope that his new
home is heaven to him. He deserves it. I know
he was (is) an angel.
This
below is Whiley, a tricolor boy I fostered while
living in Dallas, Texas). My first foster, he
and Taylor took only a short time to become fast
friends. This boy was simply adorable - both physically
and temperament-wise. It didn't take him long
to get snatched up by a gal out in Connecticut.
He now happily resides with a red/white girl named
Nala. P.S. That's Nala in the center pic with
Whiley (you thought it was Taylor, didn't ya!?).
Enough
with the stories of the breed and the kideetos,
check a few picks of the two in my brood right
now. Taylor's photos come first - she is my heart
and soul. Jax is next, but in our hearts, he's
second to none! (Right now I've just got photos
in tables for you to enjoy. Soon, I'll add commentary!)
Meet
"The Tayl"
Mr.
King Jax. He grows even more gorgeous every day.
Taylor
is The Girl Dog. Basenji through and through,
she's earned a variety of nicknames like Demon
Dog, Beast and Destructo. These were, however,
her early days. Though she still has a tendency
to destroy when motivated - seeking attention,
angered, wanting revenge - she is typically
a love , earning names like pup-a-lup, sweetie
and baby-girl-head. 
This
right here is Mr. Jax. He's the boy basenji
(boysenji for short) that we adopted from
a couple out in Denver, Colorado. While in
Denver, Jaxers had some troubling times and
due to an expanding family, this little feller
needed a new home. JJ (his former daddy) truly
loved him, but as he and his mate began to
adopt kids, Jax just couldn't fit in. That's
where we came in!
Jax
is just crazy about wet towels. Jump out of
the shower, and there he is waiting for his
treat. He's like a junkie waiting for a fix.
His most decadent desire tho is freshly washed
hair. Hit the couch with a wet head and he'll
climb above to slather himself all over you.
It's weird, but it cracks me up.
Jax,
on the other hand, will sing on command. Well,
not so much on command, but if we "yodel,"
he'll do it too. The basenji is an ancient breed,
and it's often thought that to be the one appearing
in Egyptian engravings that date as far back as
3600 B.C. In their native habitat, they still
serve as hunters for their pack.
