mr jones

10 things about mr jones:

 

1. he is now the oldest of our dogs while he was the baby for so long. he is the 5th of the 5 basenjis we've lived with since the early 1990's, my breed of choice. [altho I love them all]

basenjis are wild dogs, an ancient breed. the dogs with the curly tails pictured on the walls of the pharaohs are basenjis.

 

2. jordan, our grandson, was raised with jones. jordan had black and blue marks on the backs of his legs for a long time because jones nipped him. jones thought jordan was another puppy.

leon and I had some marks too, jones bites. we don't push him too hard to do things he hates.

[our vet tech found that out, too]

we make allowances.

 

3. like typical basenjis, jones is very intelligent [contrary to the rating in coren's the Intelligence of Dogs which really rates trainability not problem-solving].

he is also very very independent.

he learned to dance for his treats by watching his sister quiz when he was a puppy. he only had to watch two nights, and voila.

[basenjis have been known to gang up on another dog during a race, so that one of them could win. they have also been known to cut across the oval track to get there first. same with the weaving poles; why bother weaving when a direct run gets you there faster. our nikki could get into any cupboard in the house and walked the deck railing when she wanted out of the little deck compound she and her sister sarah had. gasp]

 

4. jones doesn't care what we may want. he only cares about what jones wants.

if he's cold he'll snuggle [he sleeps on us or chai if he's cold; I think he prefers chai.]

if he's hungry he'll dance.

he can get very friendly if he wants something.

humans are here to serve him.

 

5. if I was to yell at jones he would sit and stare at me like one would at a tantruming child.

with disgust.

 

6. mr jones is deaf now, so he doesn't have to listen, which is fine with him.

 

7. jones is a breath smeller, like our tri basenji m'vua was. he especially likes to breath-smell new people which they often find un-nerving.

I tell visitors to sit quietly while he climbs up and sniffs.

 

8. jones steals sitting places. he steals chai's and he steals mine. he likes pre-warmed seating.

 

9. jones LOVES food. all of his teeth had to be pulled because he has CUPS, but he still gets the food down.

 

10. we love this dog. he is still independent and doesn't bother with cliques formed by the others.

I like the silence of basenjis, they don't bark or worry, they just are, on their own terms.

 

 

**Basenji

 

The Basenji is thought to be one of the oldest domesticated dogs. His reputation as a non-barking dog may be because early people preferred a quiet dog as a hunting companion. Basenjis do bark, but usually only once, and then they are silent.

 

Both dingoes and Basenji lack a distinctive odor and are prone to howls, yodels, and other vocalizations over the characteristic bark of modern dog breeds.

 

Another interesting aspect of this breed is that it may be only partially domesticated. The Basenji’s metabolism is unlike that of any other domesticated dog, and females only cycle once a year, compared to twice a year for other domesticated dogs.

 

The Basenji was used by African tribes to flush game into nets, carry goods, and warn of approaching danger. The American Kennel Club recognized the breed in 1943, and to this day the Basenji remains a rare breed in the U.S.

 

**they are definitely NOT the dog for most people.

they are wild things.

 

www.afrikenji.com/history.html

Done