The
'Adding a Rugosa Basenji Puppy to Your Family'
Process
1. First you must determine if the basenji is the right breed for you. Read my Basenji Information site carefully, and feel free to ask any questions that you may have. RugosaB@aol.com
2. Then visit some basenjis if you have never met one. You are welcome to come here to meet mine. I have 12, ranging in ages from 1 yr to 8 years, so you will get the full 'basenji experience.'
If I am too far for you to visit, let me know, and I'll see if I can find some closer to you.
3. You've made it to step 3, so you have decided this is the breed for you. But do you want one of MY basenjis? Read the other pages on this site. Learn about my dogs, my family, how we all live together in a semi - controlled chaos, and the steps I take to insure my puppies have the best chance at a long healthy life. Read my Pet Contract to see what I require of my puppy owners and what they can expect from me. The Pet Contract is on a private page, so just email me, and I will give you the url. As always, feel free to ask any questions. RugosaB@aol.com
You can also call me, 419-836-9833. If you call and I'm not home, and you are a toll call, please keep trying until you catch me home. Local calls, I'll return as soon as I can.
If you would like a basenji to show in the conformation ring, email me for a copy of my show contract.
Note: there are many very nice basenjis in rescue who could use a loving home. Please consider welcoming one into your family. Basenji Rescue
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If you are at step four you have:
a. decided you would be a good family for a basenji
b. visited some basenjis and feel you can deal with their unique personalities
c. have read all the other pages on my site, and would like one of my Rugosa basenjis
d. have written me and asked for the page with my Pet Contract, and feel comfortable with everything in it.
e. have really considered a rescue, but determined you'd rather not add one to your family
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4. This is
really my step. I need to decide if I will have a puppy that would be
perfect for your family situation. To do this, I need some information:
I'd like you to
tell me about yourself, your home life, and what the life of your
basenji will be like.
Please include
your name, occupation, family members ages, other pets, type of fencing
or your plans
for containment, your address , phone number, veterinarian’s name,
address and
phone number.
Include what
type of puppy you want, i.e., sex, color, and if you are willing to accept
other choices
if what you really want is not available. (this is very important)
Are planning on
showing this puppy? Or will it be spayed/neutered?
Where will your
basenji sleep? Where will it stay when you are not home? How long
will it
be alone(what
are your work hours)?
If you don't
have children, are you planning to? Or do small children visit your home
often?
Do you have
prior basenji experience? Why did you choose a basenji as the breed
that is
right for you?
Please
understand, I am not just being nosy. I ask all these questions
because in each litter,
there are many
different personalities, and it is very important to match the right basenji
personality
with the right family. I use these answers to find 'trouble spots' we
may have to
discuss.
If you'd like, just copy and paste the above questions into an email, answer them, and send to me. RugosaB@aol.com
If you prefer to call me, that's fine too. If I'm not home, and you are a toll call, please keep trying until you catch me home. 419-836-9833. Local calls I'll return as soon as I can.
6. Getting to this step means you really want a Rugosa basenji, and I think I might have something that would be a perfect fit with your family. When I am planning a litter, I start a 'list' of folks who want one of my available babies. I require $100 to hold a place on this list. This is not a guarantee for a puppy, just a guarantee for a place on the list. (It is impossible to know how many puppies will be born) That $100 will be applied to the purchase price of a puppy, or will be immediately returned if mother nature did not bless us with enough puppies. When I receive the $100 holding fee, I will send a receipt, which will include your criteria: sex/color/if you only want a pup from a particular mother.
The selection of a breed, and then a breeder, should never be rushed. You may have to wait a while for a puppy from the breeder you choose. Since basenji bitches normally come into heat only once a year, in the fall, there is often a long wait. Please be patient.
7. If you are on my list, I will notify you when the girls are bred. I will be able to give you an approximate birthdate/going home date if the breedings take.
8. I will notify you when I know the girls are pregnant. This is usually day 28 or so, confirmed with ultrasounds.
9. I will notify you when pups are born. This still does not guarantee I have a puppy for you. If the litters are small, and you were near the bottom of the list, it may mean I will refund your $100, or let you decide if you want to wait to see how they all do. Unfortunately, puppies are sometimes 'lost' after birth. I like to tell folks, you really aren't guaranteed a pup until the day you take it home. There are very few absolutes in breeding and raising puppies, and awful things do happen. They have not happened to me yet, but I am realistic that my luck could change with any breeding. This is especially important to keep in mind if you have kids. Please, if you are involving them in the process, be sure they understand this.
Remember, your $100 guaranteed you a place on the list, not a puppy. Gosh I wish I could guarantee a pup, but when dealing with Mother Nature, she sets the rules. I have not had to refund anyone's $100 yet, because I normally keep my list short. I'd rather have puppies left over, than very disappointed families.
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10. Check my website for photo updates. Do not get attached to a particular puppy. The breeders involved in each breeding get first pick from the litters. When I choose the puppy that I think is the best match for you, I must look at their individual personalities. I will honor your criteria (which is why it is very important when you send your $100 holding fee, that you tell me the sex/color you want) but I make the decision which puppy is yours.
11. I let you know when your puppy is ready to go. It will never be before they are 9 weeks old, and could be bit later to allow the breeders involved a chance to come and make their picks. Plan to spend at least an hour. I'll have you sign the contract, and spend a lot of time going over things to help you adjust to your new family member.
12. Always remember to contact me for the slightest problem. But remember,I also like to hear from you on the good days LOL!!!!
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I do want to mention that I do sometimes have an adult to place. It may be a rescue, or a youngster that did not turn out to be the 'show' dog I had hoped for. If you'd like to add an adult to your family,visit the Available Basenjis page. All of my dogs are 'house dogs,' I do not have kennels, so they are house trained and used to living with their people. [ How the Rugosa Basenjis Live ]
And remember, there are great basenjis waiting for homes in the rescue programs. Basenji Rescue
A few things you need to know:
I will not ship a puppy cargo. You must come to my home to pick it up. (I am in Ohio, but 15 minutes from the Michigan/Ohio border)
I will train it to ride in a Sherpa bag, so it can ride in the cabin of the plane under your seat if you wish. You must send me the Sherpa bag when the puppy is 6 weeks old. I am 45 minutes from the Toledo, Ohio airport, and 1 hour from Detroit Metro. I have been told, though have not checked myself, that many flights leaving Toledo are planes that do not have enough room under the seat for the Sherpa and puppy. It will be your responsibility to get the puppy to your house, so please check well in advance to see what airport you need to use. In my opinion, Detroit is the better choice, as it is easier to get to from my house, and has plenty of flights that would work.
Parry Tallmadge (Jaadii's dad) and I have become co-breeders, which means sometimes Rugosa puppies will be available in California also. Contact me, RugosaB@aol.com for information.
Sometimes a particular breeding will result in a puppy going home with another breeder, and that puppy may be available in another state. Feel free to ask!
All my pet puppies are sold on a spay/neuter contract. The AKC registration papers are not given until proof of the spay/neuter is provided. You will be given a bill of sale and a signed contract at the time the puppy is picked up. I can send a copy of my contract if you'd like to see it.
If you would like a puppy to show in the conformation ring, we can discuss the details privately.
I do not let the puppies leave here until they are at least 9 weeks old. It may be longer depending on the individual puppy and home, and what agreements were made between the breeders involved.
My puppies leave here up to date on their vaccines, parasite-free, and microchipped. House training and crate training starts early, but must be continued in their new home.
But most importantly they leave here with their new family knowing I will love that pup for the rest of its life, and I will be here for them should any problem arise.
If you feel any of these things are not something you want to live with, I'd be happy to help you find another breeder. Many breeders do ship their puppies successfully and let them leave at 8 weeks. However, be very leery of any breeder that will let them go before 8 weeks.
Vickie Perrine
419-836-9833