"T" Is for Transport

Being a "basenji dad", I have come to believe, is a bit like being the parent of a gifted and talented child. You know other parents love their little ones no more nor less than you do your own, but sometimes it's hard for them to relate to life on a daily life in your household. "It's just a dog, after all," many will say.

It's easy to feel isolated in your basenji parenthood, and BRAT has been a wonderful resource during my year and a half in the land of the curly tailed wonders. Support has come from as far away as Vermont, Florida and Texas. It has been a great community, but I've only been around other basenjis and their owners for just a few minutes at a time. I feel that BRAT has given so much to me, and I have really wanted to do more to give back.
So when an opportunity to be part of the "Basenji Underground Railroad" (BUR) to be a part of the transport chain of a basenji girl from Las Vegas to Seattle, I leaped to the chance to join in. On a scale of difficulty, my first foster was a 9.5 on a 1-10 scale, and I would say my adopted basenji ranks around 4.5.

So I was prepared for anything when I agreed to transport Gracie, the 13-year-old puppy mill rescue, but I was pleased to read from her profile that she was a real sweetheart. Nothing prepared me for just how sweet and easy she was when Jerry, the South Bay volunteer met me at the Walgreens parking lot around the corner from my house. (We agreed that meeting my girl would not be good for either of them.) She was immediately friendly, and after a bit of sniffing around the car immediately settled into the front seat.
Although there was a good profile about her on the BRAT website, I knew it was impossible to know exactly what she would be like and how she would react to me. I was pleased that she was so immediately trusting and calm.

When we stopped a couple of times for tolls or as I maneuvered the S-curve on the East Bay Bridge, she would stir a bit, only to lean in to my leg, sometimes letting out a relaxed sigh. She seemed to behave as if we were old friends. In less than two hours we were already at the Sacramento dog park where I scheduled to turn her over to Jan, the volunteer scheduled to take her for the next leg of the trip to Chico before her new forever family arrived from Seattle.
By that evening, there was this photo of Gracie with her new basenji brother, Tyco, who had a similarly difficult start in life. I was thrilled to hear that they fell in love upon first sight. I love the way Gracie is looking heavenward, as if to thank her lucky stars.

Since fostering is not an immediately viable option for me because of my basenji girl's protectiveness, I hope I have the chance to do another transport soon. It was a great way to meet other basenjis and other basenji owners. I felt I got much more out of it than my small contribution of getting Gracie on her way to a new home.

A Tale (Tail?) of Two Basenjis

When asked what a basenji is like, there are some common characteristics that are relatively easy use in an explanation. BUT as most basenji owners know, like snowflakes, no two basenjis are really alike. My two fur-kids provide me endless entertainment because they are so different. My red boy Kirby has been with me since he was 5 months old and he is now 4 ½ . My tri-girl Saana has been with me only a little over a year and she is 6 years old. I thought I knew everything there was about what basenjis were “like” since I had spent so much time with Kirby. But Saana gave me a little perspective. She is a rescue, and I have very little information about her life before coming to me via BRAT. So I figured I’d share my top 10 ‘Tale of the Tape’:

1. Kirby loves mommy best – Saana loves daddy best.

2. Kirby hates (hates, hates, hates) water – Saana jumps in the neighborhood pond after ducks without a moment hesitation.

3. Kirby is a meat and cheese kinda guy – Saana prefers to eat a salad with lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, green/red peppers, broccoli, olives, and croutons (with lite ranch dressing is her favorite!) A girl must watch her figure.

4. Kirby loves children of all ages – Saana thinks pre-teen boys all need a good snark (or a snap if they come close enough!).

5. Kirby enjoys going to agility class – Saana cannot figure out why in the world any dog would want to jump over something that you could just walk around.

6. Kirby wants to snuggle in your lap and lay all over you for hours – Saana prefers to be near you, but never on you at all.

7. Kirby has a tight curly tail and sharp pointy ears that never relax – Saana has a loose fluffy curled tail and ears that go back any time you show her attention.

8. Kirby will ‘give you his belly’ to rub even if he met you 3 minutes ago (attention hound!) – Saana will not roll on her back willingly for anyone (no touching the belly!)

9. Kirby loves to play with his stuffed animals and wouldn’t dream of destroying them – Saana, well, if it’s stuffed, it must be defuzzed, desqueaked, and any arms and legs must be removed IMMEDIATELY!

10. Kirby absolutely adores his sister Saana – Saana thinks Kirby is much better behaved now that she has had a year to train him how to behave around a lady.

So next time someone asks what basenjis are “like,” good luck answering that question!

Happy to be Basenji Parents

One of the many joys of basenji parenthood is the greeting we receive when we come home. When Eric comes home, there are mad dashes around the house and ecstatic greetings at the door. Daddy’s Home! Yippee!! Ivan and Dasa leap in the air and cavort happily around Eric, a greeting enthusiastic enough for an appearance by a favorite movie star or visiting royalty who just happen to be in the neighborhood and decide to stop by.

Among his many talents is Ivan’s ability to tell time. On evenings when I work until eight, Ivan starts pestering Eric precisely at the hour, as if demanding him to make me appear. He knows what our cars sound like, and starts racing circles through the house when he hears me coming down the street. It’s a wonderful feeling to be so heralded when I come home in the evening.

The munchkins get along very well. However, they have the usual sibling rivalry, each trying to get sit closer to Mom or Dad, staking their claim. If Dasa claims a prime spot by one of the parents, Ivan grumps, irritated that she took his spot, because every ideal spot next to Mom or Dad should be his, ready when he wants it. He huffs indignantly and turns his head, making the traitorous parent wait for his affections, even if he only holds out a minute or two.

Dasa was afraid of Eric when we adopted her several years ago. Now, she has Eric wrapped around one dainty white paw, and she has become very adept at getting her favorite spot on his lap. Dasa talks to Eric in her funny little voice that sounds as though she’s a baby seal, and delicately puts one petite paw on his knee when he returns her greeting. She has gone from perching stiffly near us to melting contentedly into a doggy noodle draped across a lap. Ivan is determined that Eric should snuggle him, and gets somewhat disgruntled when his sister slips onto Eric’s lap, claiming her share of his daddy’s attention.

Dasa is not as prone to dramatics or pouting. If Ivan gets Dasa’s chosen spot, she whirls about on the floor, bouncing into a play bow, inviting him to join her. It took Ivan a while, but he eventually learned that when he jumped eagerly off the couch, ready to play, Dasa leaped into his spot and settled in with a satisfied expression. Life with the munchkins is so much fun.