BRAT Blog Polls: A Year in Review

As you may have noticed, every month we have a new poll in the right-side column of the BRAT blog. These are just fun little questions about life with basenjis, that we like to have everyone join in on because we all share a collectively unique experience with these quirky little dogs. And if you're one of our readers who has never owned a basenji before but you're exploring the breed, these questions may help to give you some insight into what life with basenjis is REALLY like :)

Every month I change the poll question, and record the results from the month before. I do, however, keep a running list of poll results, which are fun to look back on from time to time. So, here it is -- 2010's basenji polls in review!

January 2010: Does your "Barkless" dog make noise? (select as many as apply)

• 47 (17%) - Yodels (real dogs don’t bark, they YODEL!)
• 76 (28%) - Baroos (and a “ROOOO ROOOO to you, too!)
• 32 (12%) - Barks (my “barkless dog” doesn’t work correctly)
• 62 (23%) - Odd Noises (sometimes I wonder if I own a dog or a guinea pig!)
• 45 (16%) - Screams (can anyone say, fire siren?)
• 11 (4%) - No Noises (except for crying)

February 2010: Does your basenji lick wet things? (select one)

• 59 (74%) - Yes - I love getting "bathed" after I've just actually bathed
• 4 (5%) - Sometimes - mostly only smelly wet things
• 2 (3%) - No - His/Her Royal Highness would never stoop to such things!

March 2010: Which event would your basenji win in the "Basenji Sleeping Olympics?" (select as many as apply)

• 8 (8%) - "Paws Over Face"
• 5 (5%) - "Sleeping Against Object"
• 6 (6%) - "Sleeping While Sitting Up"
• 0 (0%) - "Showing Teeth"
• 21 (21%) - "The Donut" (aka "Curling")
• 18 (18%) - "Pre-Sleep Nesting"
• 15 (15%) - "Snoring"
• 5 (5%) - "The Chin Drape"
• 5 (5%) - "The Snark Cross"
• 12 (12%) - "The Stretch"
• 7 (7%) - "The Fake Sleeper"

April 2010: Have you ever owned one of those "mythical basenjis?" You know, the ones that are obedient, non-destructive, and the rest of us aren't sure if they really exist? (select one)

• 37 (52%) - Yes - Shhh! They do exist!
• 33 (47%) - No, but I want one! And a pet Unicorn, too.

May 2010: What's your basenji's favorite household "snack"? (select one)

• 3 (7%) - Socks
• 14 (34%) - Underwear (Alas!)
• 1 (2%) - Pillows (Fluff fight!)
• 2 (4%) - The couch
• 5 (12%) - My other basenji
• 6 (14%) - Dog Toys / Rawhides
• 0 (0%) - Kid Toys
• 10 (24%) - Dog Treats only (see last month's "mythical basenji" poll)

June 2010: Has your basenji ever actually caught a wild animal? (select one)

• 10 (13%) - No, but my dog can very successfully catch tissues and treats!
• 13 (17%) - Yes, if bugs count as "wild"
• 52 (69%) - Yes! My little hunter can catch anything that moves

July 2010: Does your basenji climb fences/gates? (select one)

• 10 (18%) - Yes! (Cue song: "Spider-dog, spider-dog. Does whatever a spider-dog does")
• 5 (9%) - Gates only. It's like trying to contain a determined two-year-old child
• 40 (72%) - No. (Thankfully!)

August 2010: Does your basenji play nicely at the dog park? (select one)

• 19 (34%) - Yes! My basenji is a social butterfly
• 13 (23%) - No. My basenji likes to do his "Cujo" impression at the dog park
• 23 (41%) - It depends.

September 2010: Does your basenji wake badly? (select one)

• 16 (22%) - Yes - I'm not sure if I own a basenji or a pitbull!
• 31 (43%) - No - My dog is as gentle as a lamb
• 24 (33%) - Depends on his/her mood (just like a person!)

October 2010: Does your basenji greet other dogs well on-leash? (select one)

• 11 (19%) - Yes! My basenji has many pals around the neighborhood
• 28 (49%) - No; my basenji turns into Cujo on-leash
• 18 (31%) - Sometimes; it depends on the other dog

November 2010: Did you dress your basenji up for Halloween? (select one)

• 5 (11%) - Yes, and it was adorable
• 4 (9%) - Yes, but the costume didn't stay on long
• 18 (41%) - No, my basenji would sooner eat the costume
• 16 (37%) - No, I wouldn't do that to my dog

December 2010: What gifts will basenji-Santa bring this year? (select as many as apply)

• 21 (55%) - Treats, oh yummy treats!
• 3 (7%) - A new fluffy dog bed
• 15 (39%) - TOYS!! (Which will promptly be de-stuffed and de-squeaked)
• 4 (10%) - A very special doggie dinner
• 6 (15%) - A new coat/sweater
• 1 (2%) - Walking gear (leashes, harnesses, WalkyDog, etc)
• 5 (13%) - Tissue paper (a basenji's REAL favorite gift!)
• 13 (34%) - A donation to help other dogs in need
• 5 (13%) - Other cool stuff

2011 Upcoming -- Any ideas??? Feel free to contribute in the comments below!