Before you meet my current tribe, I would like to tell you about my first Basenji.  This childhood experience was the foundation of my love affair with "The Basenji."
 
 

It was either 1956 or 1957 in Ohio,  and my father came home with an adorable 6 week old red and white Basenji puppy girl as a gift from a friend.  My Father was very proud of this gift,  as this breed was still very rare at this time in the United States.

We had no knowledge about this breed, and there wasn't any reference materials like today to tell us about their temperament, needs, or habits.  The only thing we did know, was that she would not bark.  We thought  she was the cutest puppy we had ever seen. 

We decided to name her "Sinji".
We found out the hard way what it was like to own a Basenji.  We spoiled her rotten and showered her with constant attention and love. 

Lessons in Basenji 101
 Sinji loved to run away.  If we where not careful to close the door quickly, she would be out and on the run. 

 Sinji would chase down anything that moved in her visual sight.  She chased squirrels, dogs, kids running or playing, or someone riding by on their bike.  She would catch it and sink her teeth into it.  Sinji quickly became the terror of the neighborhood.  If she got out, everyone went in their homes quickly.  The word was "Sinji's out ..... get inside"!

We learned that Basenji's don't back down.  They would rather die than back down from any confrontation, and it was to the death!  So to speak! 

 Once, when my father was disciplining me for some infraction of the family rules, Sinji took offense and came to my aid by attaching herself to my fathers' hand.  When she clenched on to something, she could hold on to it with a death grip.  My Father had to kick her to break her hold!

Sinji would sneak under the table to beg from us kids.  My father was determined to stop this behavior.   This fight went on daily, for years with no winners. (Maybe Sinji!)

Sinji Saved My Life
 I was either 9 or 10, and was coming home from school one day, I noticed as I walked closer to  our house, that the German Shepherd next door was outside of his fence.   He was a trained guard dog (the extra large kind), and trained to attack.   Because he was a trained attack dog, he was under a Court Order to stay fenced, except when he was on duty in the local store at night. 

But, there he was blocking my way home.  I was trapped between my driveway and the yard with nowhere to go.   I remember the fear of that moment just like it was yesterday.  With teeth barred and snarling,  he was going to lunge for me.  The next thing I know, Sinji broke through the screen on the front door.  She ran so fast all I could see was a blur, and I don't even remember her feet touching the ground.  She ran underneath him, came up and grabbed his throat.  The more he struggled the more she ripped into his throat.  He died very quickly. 

Sinji the Loving Pet
The other side of Sinji was her love and gentleness that melted your heart.  We had to baby-sit for a very special little boy with Downs Syndrome.  His name was David, and Sinji adored him and it didn't matter how ruff David would pet her or play with her she was as gentle and loving with him as a mother. 

She knew when anyone in the family was sick, and would lie next to us until the fever or illness left,  quietly resting her head against our side.

Sinji decided early on that of the whole household of 7 of us, she had chosen me to be her owner (or, in basenji terms to own me).  She was the family dog yet she thought she was only mine.

Sinji lived her entire life on the edge and she remained  a wild thing from the beginning to the end.    She died at the age of 10 while trying to give birth to a litter of puppies that were too large for her to bear.  Unfortunately, on one of her escapes while she was in season, she met up with a Collie.  In conjunction with her age and the size of the puppies it was simply too much for her.

Sinji taught me volumes of what it is to own a Basenji and it was a Crash Course! 
I learned very quickly  that "you don't own them",  "they own you".  It is a very special joy to become a Basenji's Human, they don't give their love and trust to just anyone.