New canine addition for the holiday

[Xplantdad]

Here's our new addition...see the Pavillions post for the full scoop of how we got her

Her name is Bella

[njsteve]

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Hey Steve congratulations on new addition. We had a Basenji dog which died about 4-5 years ago. Have not met many people who knew what a Basenji was. Our dog was brown and white, no black. Do you get odd responses when you tell people you have a bark-less dog?

Have a great holiday.

Todd

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The Basenjis are a bizarre breed. They still exist in their native form in the Congo region of Africa. They may be "barkless" but certainly not mute. They can make the cutest yodeling sounds and then emit the most blood curdling banshee screams you ever heard.

I got hooked on them from an experience as a little kid. The summer camp I was at in CT had one. That dog was named "Barkus". I was amazed at its athletic agility: he was able to avoid the attempts of 250+ bratty kids trying to grab him on a daily basis. It was an amazing athletic fete to observe - like watching a running back sprint from the opposite endzone, weaving through the opposition, for 99 yards and scoring a touchdown. No one ever got a finger on him.

We had a male Basenji for 9 years. He died of a brain tumor back in 2001. We then got a pure-bred, brindle Basenji puppy who was 2/3 new African gene pool (a group of Basenji fanatics actually went back to Africa in the 1980s and brought back some Basenjis to add more diversity to the gene pool.) Unfortunately, he lost the genetic lottery and came down with a new version of Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) that hadn't existed before. PRA is one of the genetic eye diseases they were trying to weed out with the new dog breeding stock. The old form of PRA would strike in middle age. This new version hit him when he was less than 1 year old. Of course, the well renowned breeder offered to take him back but we knew that would have meant he would have been euthanized immediately. We couldn't allow that to happen, so we kept him. He's adapted remarkably well. He's amazing to watch as he runs the back yard, he can sense where things are from memory...and really long whiskers.

The tri-colored female, we got as a rescue from the Basenji Rescue and Transport (BRAT) http://www.basenjirescue.org/ . Her elderly owner had died and the relatives didn't want to be bothered with the dog.

Here's the three, pre-Widget.

[TDW]

Steve...That's great you have rescued another one. My wife and I, both being retired now, have volunteered at one of the rescue shelters for dogs. We walk them around a 10 acre field, spend some time with them , feed them treats and just generally play. I sure would like to see all of them adopted by families like yours.

[x Baldwin Motion]

We rescued one several years back and managed to adopt a buddy last Christmas, sadly from a woman who was too sick to care for her. They enjoy playing ball on the "trampoline" off season. Greatest additional to the family since kids.

[MrsBillyBobcat]

Steve,

Congrats on your new puppy Widget! He is very cute and that is a very cute name!

Also, that's a great group shot of your other 3!


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One of the other "deal-breaker" questions was "Who is your Vet?"



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That is how I got my "Camy". She was too small to be adopted the day I was at the adoption event, but when they found out "who" my Vet was (a cat specialist), they said I could take her home.

Here she is "working" Bill. You can see how small she was compared to his hand. We were actually there for her sister, but she was so dang cute, we adopted her too!

[RamAirDave]

I grew up with shelter-mutts (affectionate term absolutely) and dachshunds.

I love the weiner-dogs to death, but they're hell on (short) wheels. I can't even imagine mixed with a JR.

Cute pup, good luck

[Ngtflyr]

Thought all you animal lovers would enjoy this

For Your Home Alone Dog!!

[budnate]

now that is pretty slick,

[ QUOTE ]
Thought all you animal lovers would enjoy this

For Your Home Alone Dog!!

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[njsteve]

First snow for the pup. He can't quite figure out the stuff.




He seems to like the taste, though:




He eventually got the hang of running around in/on the stuff.
He's got the acceleration thing down.
The stopping thing is a whole other matter.

Here's his version of WHEN GOOD PETS GO BAD: WHEN PUPS ATTACK!

This was half-a-second before he sailed right off the porch and into the snow...

[Norm reynolds]

I have a Sheltie and a rescue black lab the lab I have had fro three years now and every time it rains he get really upset have been working on that and I am NOT giving up on him then I have my baby the sheltie
Shelties are very smart When I first t got her she would not come to me then I had my accident at work which Now I am on disability and now she will not leave my side and late at night some time I am in a lot of pain she some how knows I can be in bed and in pain when she will give me a little kiss as to say she is here for me I have had other dogs in my life but shelties are special and very lovable dogs and this dog has melted my heart
The only problem with shelties is they are barkers and loud I all most lost her this past March she got some kind of infection and needed surgery when they opened her up a girl for the hospitable called me and said she was not going to make it
I have to tell you that felt like having your heart pull out of you she loved me so much and has all ways been here for me a 1/2 hour later the surgeon called me and told me what happen and that she was NOW in recovery and gave her 85 % chance to make it though the night when I asked him what the girl told me he said that He has a habit to pushing the envelop and he was 98% sure he got all the poison out of her system
well that was nine months ago and she is doing great she is here with me as I am typing this and she still worries like I said she is always by my side no matter what room I am in She did cost me a lot of money but I love her to much not to try to save her funny thing is when I was young I was not in to dogs but this little sheltie melted my heart [image][/image]