Getting a Puppy from HiCotn

My Basenjis have been absolute joy. However, the Basenji is not for everyone. In fact, it's for very few. You would need to visit a breeder in your area [or me...I don't work outside the home...I always love having people come over to meet the breed...it helps to keep my dogs socialized...and I enjoy others enjoying my dogs!] to get the true meaning of how different this breed is. There are many idiosyncrasies about the breed that are just too hard to identify and seeing is believing. Yes, they are wonderful for people with allergies who have great patience!

I plan breedings in the fall [which is the time of year for most Basenji litters]. Basenjis usually come into season only once a year. All my puppies are bred with the same health, temperament and conformation and they also all cost the same price. I make no distinction between a show puppy and a pet puppy, selling each puppy for the same price. One reason is that conformation isn't the only measure of quality. There's health and temperament to consider. So my carefully planned breeding program produces litters of overall quality--to me, each puppy is of equal value, whether or not they are show prospects. I know it is usually for my benefit that a pup be shown to its championship...not the pet home I place it in. Litter prices are nearly constant because of demand. There is a much greater demand for pets than show dogs, and in a free-market economy, the most sought-after products are not discounted. I do not have bargain puppies. I prefer to find homes where my puppies will be kept as companions even though they may not finish their championship. Some breeders claim to know which puppy will turn out to be the show winner, but I've seen just too many pet homes have the pick of the litter because the breeder didn't know what they were looking at when the pups were so young. Bites change, puppies don't make size or the most gorgeous puppy had a tad lighter eyes than a judge would like and the breeder sold it as a pet - only to realize that everything else was so nice, the judges would have overlooked the light eyes as a minor flaw. I've been told that some breeders sell bitches for more than the males, which is also odd to me. I don't do dogs for money. Some people blow lots of money on golf; I blow lots of money on my dogs. It's a hobby. After you pay for the training lessons, seminars, vet bills, entry fees (approximately $30 per dog per show), motel bills or camping fees, blood tests and tests and certifications for eyes, hips, heart and others, stud fees and then all the vet bills for the sonogram and trips before and after puppies...oh, not to forget about the dew claw removal---responsible breeders never make money selling puppies. If they do, they're not doing all that responsible breeders should do to raise a litter of puppies or they're raising too many puppies and can't possibly socialize them properly. Besides that, I'm breeding so I can have a companion puppy and a hopeful little one for the show ring. I guess people who just go out and get a male and female from the pet store and start breeding and selling the puppies for the same price as responsible breeders...now they might make money. And the puppy millers who just crate a bitch and breed the heck out of her, then sell the puppies through the pet shops. Pet shops don't seem to care what the puppies have to live through to get to the pet shop. Anyway, my bitches would only be bred twice...maybe three times in their life. Responsible breeders just wouldn't be pumping puppies out constantly. Prior to breeding, a responsible breeder has the expense of showing her breeding stock and earning championships. Add to that the cost of pre-breeding testing on the dam and sire, stud fees, veterinary fees, the care and feeding of the puppies, inoculations, and more, and it's obvious that this is not a profit-oriented endeavor. It is not a business or a livelihood. It's a hobby--one that's dedicated to improving and protecting the breed, and nothing else.

Sorry, sometimes I get on my soapbox about all of that. The thing I don't like is for people to get on their high horse and act like their show dog is better than a pet dog. That's absolutely ridiculous! I have had dogs in my house that didn't turn out [oversized, neck was 1/2 inch too short to arch properly] and some people kept making comments that I should get rid of the dead weight in my household. The only dead weight I would like to rid myself of is stupid people making stupid comments about my very wonderful pets. All of my dogs are pets first and foremost. If they end up in the show ring, all the better. But I don't get rid of them if they don't measure up to AKC standards for the breed. We make a turn and start doing obedience, agility, therapy work, etc. I had an old boy Charlie who woke every morning gazing up at me asking, "What do you want me to do, mom?" Now how in the world could I get rid of him?! He was actually better than any of my "show" dogs [however, I have to add here, I love all of them immensely]. I had him longer, he minded better and I guess maybe if you had them longer, you loved them stronger.

But then you also run into people who make comments about how much money you must make breeding dogs! Boy, are they misinformed!

My contract states that you can have all your money back in the first month...just bring me my puppy back. For life, I will always take the puppy back…I don't ask reasons or questions. If someone is in any type of situation and my puppy needs to be re-homed, I'd like to be the one to re-home it. I'd never like for my puppy to end up at a shelter or at Aunt Susie's who never wanted a dog anyway and has it tied up to a tree in the backyard.

Another topic I find puppy people asking is how they can pick the best puppy. I encourage everyone to come over to meet the litter of puppies. When I breed my litters, I expect to keep some of the puppies. I ask that you keep an open mind to which puppy might be right for you. I try to avoid anyone "picking" a puppy. If there are puppies available, I do watch and try to determine what works well within a family. I ask that you try not to fall in love with the biggest and boldest puppy. Many a dog owner has "let the puppy pick them" only to discover they have adopted a dominant handful. If you think about it, he was acting dominant even then, but his behavior was interpreted in a human way instead of a canine way. Shy puppies also need special circumstances not to become fear biters. Basenji puppies should be friendly. They'll probably crawl all over your feet, tug at your shoelaces, and generally be cute as buttons. I spend a good portion of my time standing and observing the litter...watching how they interact with each other. Is one extra submissive? Is one bossy? Who is the most daring? The best single piece of advice is to find a breeder you feel you can trust. For most people and families, the best dog for them is neither the most dominant nor the most submissive. Middle of the pack is most likely to become the dog of your dreams. Trust your breeder, describe what you're looking for/can tolerate and trust that they can help pick out the best available pup of the litter for you.

If you would be interested in showing, I'd be more than happy to work with you along those lines too. I also offer to show my puppies with no handling fees. If you bring the puppy to the show site or to my house, I'd love to handle one of my own breedings. It's a great way for the puppy to be socialized and learn some unique skills...and to boot you get lots of pretty ribbons to hang around its photo. It's fun to sit and watch your puppy in the ring too!

I don't go by numbers on a list and I don't guarantee anyone a puppy. After visiting with the puppies, and me we can work together to find the right puppy for you. If it's not one of mine, that's fine. I can help by referring you to other breeders who might have puppies. I don't just love my breeding; I love the breed. I match my puppies with the families. I guess that means I'm really not "fair" to the families [hence the reasoning behind me not asking for a deposit], but I am fair to my puppies. It just wouldn't be right if I placed a laid back quiet puppy with a houseful of teenagers! And the next 4 families on the list may have 4 teenage sons. However, that would be the perfect pup for the retiring schoolteacher that just called and has had Basenjis in the past and knows how much hard work it is to raise a unique little being.

There are quite a few responsible breeders in your area. Let me know what city you're in and we can look up more breeders. You need to find a breeder you can talk to easily. There will be questions and comments you'd like to exchange with them later. You will need to check out a breeder as much as they are checking you out.

Finding a breeder who has the time to help you is most important.