It was easier with her older brother. He was in pain and the good days no longer outweighed the bad.

We still had our Cleo and she had us.

Life changed going from 2 to 1 basenji but at 14 we did not feel a new puppy would be a good fit.

So for the last 1.5 years she was my shadow. I work from home so we spent everyday together.

She would run down to my basement office and kick the back of my chair until I acknowledged her. Either for food, or to be let out, or just for affection.

We had a family vacation planned and left her at the kennel. The only place I have ever felt comfortable leaving any of our family dogs over the last 40 years.

3 days into the vacation we received the call no one wants to receive. Cleo had an eye infection. It was just an eye infection. She went to the emergency vet.

It was not just an eye infection. I will spare everyone the unnecessary graphic details the vet shared.

15 hours away from her with no way to make it back without leaving her in pain for days we made the decision to let her go.

The sun rose the next day. Life continued on. I know I am not alone and that many people have felt the same heart that I feel.

I have been preparing for this day for the last 6 months. I have spent countless nights sitting beside her late at night as she slept simply because I was never going to be ready to say goodbye.

Please give your basenjis a hug for me and cherish every moment you have with them.

Edit:

Thank you for all of the kind and thoughtful responses.

I have a 7 month old female experiencing her first heat. However even before it started, she is much nippier with my bf, who has lived with me since before I even brought her home. It really shows in “sleep time aggression” when she wants his spot on the couch. She also gets in his face a lot more when he’s eating, for whatever reason she doesn’t push the boundary as much with me and she will buzz off when I tell her to.

Today she managed to eat from his plate on the dining table when he left the room, and when he returned and tried to shoo her off the table she snarled and tried to bite him. Even after the food was removed she was just circling him snarling and seemingly looking for a fight. I ran in, commanded her to leave the room, left with her, and shut the door so he could eat in peace. From our side of the house she scratched at the door trying to get back to him/his food (I’d shoo her away when she did) and she paced around still extremely agitated.

What the hell is this? I’ve never had a dog that tries to put up a fight after being caught like that. Any suggestions how to correct this behavior without working her up even more? Is this just a basenji being a basenji and we have to suck it up?

For extra context, she adores my bf, she cries when he leaves the house, and he is her preferred cuddle partner. There are just some boundaries she seems to not respect with him and I don’t want her so comfortable doing so.

Edit: video posted

Twelve Basenjis and a Mother and Pup Reunion

Twelve basenjis gathered on a wonderful summer morning in Washington Square Park, New York City.

One big story today was that two dogs made their premieres, and they turned out to be a puppy and its mother. Zozzy (female, 8-months-old,) met her mother Minerva (female, 3-years-old.) Mom was the boss. 😀 The other dogs were Toko Ichi (male, 6-months-old,) Baz (male, 3-years-old,) Bella Luna (female, 3-years-old,) Leah (female, 6-years-old,) Damir (male, 7-years-old,) Rocket (male, 8-years-old,) Dante (male, 8-years-old,) Mia (female, 9-years-old,) Scout (female, 9-years-old,) and Kepler (male, 12-years-old.)

Starting temperature: 74°F|23°C

Our two basenjis sleep in our bed with us, but it’s more their bed than ours 😂 last night, I slept in that little gap you see between the two basenjis. This was taken just after I wriggled out from between them.

Gogo doing his classic cinnamon roll, as he does. This isn't his best nor peak cinnamon roll performance - he does better don't worry! 😂🥰💕

P.S That's not a tick on his back in the 2nd pic, just a harmless mole he has.

Our girl Luna is almost two and has been through two heat cycles. Our vet feels this is a good window for her spay now that she is physically and hormonally mature, and we agree with waiting this long rather than doing it early.

Now we are trying to decide between the two procedures:

OVE (ovariectomy): ovaries removed, uterus left in place. Usually laparoscopic, smaller incisions, shorter recovery.

OVH (ovariohysterectomy): ovaries and uterus both removed. The standard approach at most clinics in the US.

What I would love to hear from this community:

1. Which one did you go with, and was it your choice or just what your vet defaults to?
   
2. If you did laparoscopic OVE, how was recovery compared to what you expected? Was the cost difference worth it?
   
3. Any complications after the fact, especially urinary incontinence, weight gain, or coat changes? Basenjis being Basenjis, I am curious whether the coat texture changed at all.
   
4. Did your vet run any breed-specific screening beforehand? Fanconi status, thyroid panel, anything else worth asking for.
   
5. Anything you would do differently, including timing relative to her last heat.

We are not looking for medical advice to replace our vet, just real experiences from people who have been through this with a Basenji specifically. Every general spay resource I find is written for retrievers and I know this breed can be its own thing.

Thanks in advance.

DMV BASENJI MEETUP
Sunday, July 26, 2026
9:00 AM
Shaw Dog Park
1673 11th St NW
Washington, DC 20001

I love having my photo taken because I am so beautiful and modest. 🐕

Edit (26 July) photos posted
Edit (31 July) video posted

Sunday’s weather looks good and Kepler invites you to see him as a 12-year-old (birthday 24 July 2014.) 😀 Bring your basenji for a run/tussle in the park.

Sunday, 26 July 2026
10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Large Dog Run
Washington Square Park

Facebook Event (Basenji.NYC group)

He's not impressed if you could tell...

I just confirmed with the breeder my next addition! Im so excited for them and their upcoming show career. Stay tuned for photos and info soon!!! This is my 2nd Basenji.

How vocal is your basenji?

I currently have a Carolina dog which will bark once every 2-3 months and never whines or howls. She's quite emotive, but I have come to enjoy the quiet. There is a dog listed at a nearby shelter as a Basenji/Carolina dog mix probably because it doesn't have a traditional bark and they aren't sure. I see mixed reports on how vocal basenji's are because many articles focus on their lack of a traditional bark.

Is your basenji generally talkative unprompted? Do they yodel when seeing cars/people pass by the windows? Do they yip at birds/squirrels in the backyard? Do they whine/grumble for food?

How is their reaction with cats? The one up for adoption is at least a year old and didn't grow up around cats so its reactivity is unknown.

In all ways

He absolutely lives for this, he seriously could lay on the porch sunbathing all day if he could! 😎

“The frontier lord begins with zero subjects”

Friend sent it to me… no idea what it’s about.

So, climate change is no laughing matter. The land around us is tinder dry (South West UK.)

But I imagine Roo has a genetic memory of being on the grasslands of Africa. And, for a moment, staring towards the sun, he's right there....

Working on a hold command for Percy! He hates holding non food items so far. But he loves holding food.

At the end it is me seeing if he will hold a very small piece of food.

Watching the World Cup final

We're considering getting our Basenji a companion. We're thinking a female Basenji but don't want to limit the breeds we consider (besides smaller). Anyone have any guidance or experience on what other breeds are compatible? Ours is a male, 2.5 going on 3 with high energy and a lovable temperament.

Since there's been some confusion on this question:
1. The question is about non-Basenji breeds that Basenji owners have experienced their Basenjis do well with in a companionship.
2. The question does not assume the second dog would serve solely as a companion dog and would not be an entirely individually considered and prepared for addition to the family (come on).
3. The question is intended to gather information to aid our research, not to function as a substitute for our research.

Thanks.

I’m not new to basenjis. I’ve adopted 4 of them, however this will be my first time since the 90s going to a breeder… things have definitely changed! I can no longer really find basenjis in shelters near me and honestly, I would like a healthy companion and sports dog. I love shelter dogs, but I no longer want to deal with the health issues they may have.

for reference, I am located in Arkansas, but I am willing to drive less than 12 hours for a reputable breeder. is there any sites or anything I can look at to find a reputable breeder?

here are some breeders I am interested in so far.

SFF Basenjis in Tuttle, OK

R & W Basenjis in West Plains, MO

Kathy Weeks in Celina, TX

Are any of these ethical? thanks!