Originally Posted by Rose_P

I couldn't pick among the various dogs we've had, each one someone else's reject, but the one with whom I will always have the closest bond is our little basenji, Rascal, who is now 15 years old. He was about 6-7 months old when we got him, and he had been mistreated by someone. He was terrified of everything, and it took months of coaxing and coddling to bring him around. He became my "baby" and the most endearing little dog you could ever want to know. At 15, he's lost his hearing almost completely, and doesn't see too well, but he still has a lot of zest for living and loves his walks. Because of him we adopted a couple of other second-hand basenjis, who lived to 14 and 17.

I would not recommend basenjis to anyone who doesn't have a lot of time and patience. They're not high strung, but they're very active, and they need to find good ways to spend that energy or they will find bad ways. They are pack animals in a way that no other dogs I have known have been. One alone seems very unhappy and will tend to be troublesome. They evolved in Africa among people who have always kept them outdoors where they could hang together, and they are bred to flush small, quick game. Many of them will never lose the desire to catch anything that will run, and they are extremely speedy. They have terrorized neighbors's cats who came into our yard (exactly once each!). Our three once caught a squirrel. Of course that happened when the DH was out of town and I was left to deal with body parts. They've been harmless to our own cats, but the cats tend to avoid them on principle.

Here's a recent picture of Rascal. He usually has his tail in a tight curl, but sometimes it unfurls when he's very relaxed or asleep. Rascal's current dog pal is Gracie, our sweet little cock-a-poo, and she deserves a lot of mention, too, but I'll save that for another time.

Originally Posted by RugosaB

That is soooo true (I raised/bred/showed before my accident) and when I was placing pups. I first told families the bad things about them. If the people still wanted one, they had potential.
Not dogs for dumb people, the way to live with a basenji, is to sometimes outsmart them!
Great post!

Originally Posted by blondeslave

Basset hounds. Endlessly entertaining and very socia,l loving dogs. They do shed with the change of seasons and although very intelligent can be very stubborn. Huggie Bear is very ornery and when frustrated will grab a decoration from behind the couch and throw it into the foyer.

Originally Posted by Barbshobbies

Boston Terrier. Good points, not too small, so kids wouldn`t step on him, short hair, never saw any on cloths or any thing. Smart, clean, trained easy. good with people, protective of family. Not so good points, we don`t have any dog now, Boston terriers are sooo expensive, they don`t live as long as most dogs because of siegures . They are called "a gentlelman`s dog", because they are neat & clean.

Originally Posted by rushdoggie

Papillons.

I have had many dogs, and I enjoy active playful dogs. I have and love Border Collies too, but Papillons are my number one favorite breed. They are smart, playful, loving and very human oriented. They adjust their lifestyle to yours, relaxing when you relax, but ready to go when you are. Mine hike, swim, play frisbee, then cuddle on the couch the whole next day. Very few congenital health problems in the breed, and they are long lived.

Who can resist the bright little faces?

Originally Posted by carolynjo

My favorite dog ever was a Wheaten Terrier. I loved that dog like a kid. He was so laid back and smart! He knew what I was thinking before I thought of it. He was a hunter and a tracker but a real pussycat. If I could afford one again and if I weren't so old, I'd have another.