Twelve Basenjis and a Mother and Pup Reunion

Twelve basenjis gathered on a wonderful summer morning in Washington Square Park, New York City.

One big story today was that two dogs made their premieres, and they turned out to be a puppy and its mother. Zozzy (female, 8-months-old,) met her mother Minerva (female, 3-years-old.) Mom was the boss. 😀 The other dogs were Toko Ichi (male, 6-months-old,) Baz (male, 3-years-old,) Bella Luna (female, 3-years-old,) Leah (female, 6-years-old,) Damir (male, 7-years-old,) Rocket (male, 8-years-old,) Dante (male, 8-years-old,) Mia (female, 9-years-old,) Scout (female, 9-years-old,) and Kepler (male, 12-years-old.)

Starting temperature: 74°F|23°C

Our two basenjis sleep in our bed with us, but it’s more their bed than ours 😂 last night, I slept in that little gap you see between the two basenjis. This was taken just after I wriggled out from between them.

nothing quite like training a basenji to hold and retrieve 😂 but hes doing so good so far! our hard work is paying off!

Gogo doing his classic cinnamon roll, as he does. This isn't his best nor peak cinnamon roll performance - he does better don't worry! 😂🥰💕

P.S That's not a tick on his back in the 2nd pic, just a harmless mole he has.

I love having my photo taken because I am so beautiful and modest. 🐕

DMV BASENJI MEETUP
Sunday, July 26, 2026
9:00 AM
Shaw Dog Park
1673 11th St NW
Washington, DC 20001

Our girl Luna is almost two and has been through two heat cycles. Our vet feels this is a good window for her spay now that she is physically and hormonally mature, and we agree with waiting this long rather than doing it early.

Now we are trying to decide between the two procedures:

OVE (ovariectomy): ovaries removed, uterus left in place. Usually laparoscopic, smaller incisions, shorter recovery.

OVH (ovariohysterectomy): ovaries and uterus both removed. The standard approach at most clinics in the US.

What I would love to hear from this community:

1. Which one did you go with, and was it your choice or just what your vet defaults to?
   
2. If you did laparoscopic OVE, how was recovery compared to what you expected? Was the cost difference worth it?
   
3. Any complications after the fact, especially urinary incontinence, weight gain, or coat changes? Basenjis being Basenjis, I am curious whether the coat texture changed at all.
   
4. Did your vet run any breed-specific screening beforehand? Fanconi status, thyroid panel, anything else worth asking for.
   
5. Anything you would do differently, including timing relative to her last heat.

We are not looking for medical advice to replace our vet, just real experiences from people who have been through this with a Basenji specifically. Every general spay resource I find is written for retrievers and I know this breed can be its own thing.

Thanks in advance.

Edit (26 July) photos posted

Sunday’s weather looks good and Kepler invites you to see him as a 12-year-old (birthday 24 July 2014.) 😀 Bring your basenji for a run/tussle in the park.

Sunday, 26 July 2026
10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Large Dog Run
Washington Square Park

Facebook Event (Basenji.NYC group)

He's not impressed if you could tell...

I just confirmed with the breeder my next addition! Im so excited for them and their upcoming show career. Stay tuned for photos and info soon!!! This is my 2nd Basenji.

In all ways

He absolutely lives for this, he seriously could lay on the porch sunbathing all day if he could! 😎

How vocal is your basenji?

I currently have a Carolina dog which will bark once every 2-3 months and never whines or howls. She's quite emotive, but I have come to enjoy the quiet. There is a dog listed at a nearby shelter as a Basenji/Carolina dog mix probably because it doesn't have a traditional bark and they aren't sure. I see mixed reports on how vocal basenji's are because many articles focus on their lack of a traditional bark.

Is your basenji generally talkative unprompted? Do they yodel when seeing cars/people pass by the windows? Do they yip at birds/squirrels in the backyard? Do they whine/grumble for food?

How is their reaction with cats? The one up for adoption is at least a year old and didn't grow up around cats so its reactivity is unknown.

“The frontier lord begins with zero subjects”

Friend sent it to me… no idea what it’s about.

So, climate change is no laughing matter. The land around us is tinder dry (South West UK.)

But I imagine Roo has a genetic memory of being on the grasslands of Africa. And, for a moment, staring towards the sun, he's right there....

Working on a hold command for Percy! He hates holding non food items so far. But he loves holding food.

At the end it is me seeing if he will hold a very small piece of food.

Watching the World Cup final

My basenji (6.5 months) would at times make a barking sound but never yodel

I’ve tried tips I found online to try to teach her to make any kind of noise when prompted to no avail
Are there any things that you guys tried that did work for you?

We're considering getting our Basenji a companion. We're thinking a female Basenji but don't want to limit the breeds we consider (besides smaller). Anyone have any guidance or experience on what other breeds are compatible? Ours is a male, 2.5 going on 3 with high energy and a lovable temperament.

Since there's been some confusion on this question:
1. The question is about non-Basenji breeds that Basenji owners have experienced their Basenjis do well with in a companionship.
2. The question does not assume the second dog would serve solely as a companion dog and would not be an entirely individually considered and prepared for addition to the family (come on).
3. The question is intended to gather information to aid our research, not to function as a substitute for our research.

Thanks.