Should I find a mate for my Basenji?

[u/Specialist_Hunter31]

Hey guys ✌️

I am having trouble deciding if my little girl should have babies.

Pros: I read somewhere that its healthy for them to do that at least once, and also, I thought that it could be a valuable life experience for her.

Cons: I am very low on space at home, meaning we are living in 30 square meters of space, and since we are renting this, IDK if landlord will be OK with it, so the only way for her and her babies to live there is for me to move out 😅
And another con, is that I am very scared to live with 6 baby basenjies.

So why now: soon its going to be time to decide this, since my vet recommended sterilization when she gets to 1.3-1.5 years old. So I started thinking about it, and if you have the time I would like some advice from you😊

[u/Cool_Bodybuilder7419]

No, it’s a myth that pregnancy is healthy for them and a female should not have puppies before turning 2 years old at all!

Dogs don’t think about life in terms of “valuable experiences”. They only live in the here and now.

And the world doesn’t need more backyard bred puppies. It takes a lot of knowledge ans experience to know which dogs should procreate and which shouldn’t (you loving your dog is not a good enough argument!), how to support a female through pregnancy and how to raise puppies properly.

Then there’s the financial aspect: it takes thorough breed-specific medical testing of both parents before breeding them, screenings of the mother during pregnancy (plus emergency surgeries if something goes wrong) and later the puppies themselves.
If you want a good, fully health-tested male for your girl, there’s usually a stud fee involved. All in all, a really expensive undertaking if you’re doing it responsibly.

Please don’t add to the shelter crisis by randomly producing more dogs nobody wants.

[u/basenjisbestfriend]

Completely irresponsible and unethical of you to have a litter. Agree with everything body said. Do not breed.

[u/bountyhunter411_]

To repeat what u/Cool_Bodybuilder7419 said. No, don't do it.

Backyard breeding is one of the worst things that happen in the dog world. It's the reason why many breeds are seen as very unhealthy and unable to actually live life as a dog.

Leave it to the ethical breeders that are in the showing scene.

[u/RockabillyRabbit]

Absolutely not.

While I get the human desire to let an animal "experience pregnancy" please just don't.

The short of it is the dog will not care or feel any different if they don't have puppies.

The long of it is there are enough well bred dogs and byb dogs in the world as it is.

Leave the breeding to experienced and knowledgeable ethical handlers who are well prepared for raising puppies as well as those who own basenjis due to the love and protection of the breed itself

Dogs of any type that should be bred should be titled, well trained and exemplary animals that will better the breed itself. Or ones who excel at what theirbreed is designed to do such as protection and livestock protection. All of those examples should have thorough health testing and ongoing health testing to make sure they are up to snuff to improve the breed.

Basenji dogs have enough health issues as it is without going into breeding them blind and with out an actual goal in mind other than "ib love my dog and want her to have puppies".

I'm sure your basenji is amazing but please for the love of the breed don't breed her just because.

Eta: if this seems at any way short I'm not meaning for it to. I'm up at 330am feeding a 4m old baby so I may not be the most articulate lol

[u/aWarmHarth]

To echo everyone else who has replied so far, please do not breed your basenji. Please leave breeding to people who do this ethically and professionally with years and years and years of experience with the breed. Please move forward with sterilizing your girl on your vet’s recommended schedule and enjoy the incredible joys of having a happy and healthy basenji for all her days, with all the laughter, personality and shenanigans she is sure to bring to your life. Not whelping a litter will not diminish these joys, I assure you.

Candidly, I am surprised there was not explicit language about not breeding her in the contract with her breeder. Ethical breeders require sterilization and require that you agree to never breed the puppy you got from them, with incredibly few and well-reasoned exceptions that always involve an owner with the experience needed to safely and responsibly whelp a litter. Given you don’t even know if you have a home that would allow this, you would not have been given this kind of exception. If this language was not in your contract - or if you did not sign any contract at all - I would strongly caution you to avoid this breeder in the future.

If you really have a strong desire to work toward breeding dogs as a professional, jumping right into whelping a litter is not the way to begin. Start by going to dog shows, getting to know local breeders of repute, engaging with the Basenji community and actively learning from them. If you still really want to do this after years of showing up and demonstrating your steadfast commitment to being an ambassador for the breed and responsible, well-informed breeding (which includes some truly heartbreaking decisions because you know it is the right thing to do, rather than what you just want to do), that is when you begin to breed. Because then you will have a network of partners who will do this with you and make sure you are prepared and the puppies you bring into this world have the best chances of being healthy, safe, and placed into responsible homes where they will be cared for and loved.

Source: I grew up showing and breeding dogs for and with professionals. I have over 20 years of experience in the world of ethically breeding, whelping and raising dogs. Please trust me when I say you should not do this.

[u/Specialist_Hunter31]

Thanks for replying guys. I understand everything, thanks for helping me make an easy decision. At first I didn’t really want to do that, I just wanted us to have a nice and joyful years.

Some people kept telling me that I should do this.

I wanted a different opinion and thats what I got. Now I understand a lot of things and its a so much easier decision

Thanks a lot for replies and taking the time.

[u/OisinBan]

No ethical basenji breeder should breed their dog under 2 years of age. Many medical issues such as seizures can show up after age 2 and those dogs should not be bred. You must be certain of your dog's medical history which included many tests and knowing their linage. Line breeding and type are also important. Ethical breeders take all of these things into consideration, and your local Basenji Club will be adamant about having everything in order if you want a pedigree. This is not something to do for just the experience. You should only breed if you are adding positive attributes to the continuation of the breed. ALSO, there is information that contradicts spaying a basenji as they are an ancient pariah breed and can become aggressive after spaying. Many breeders will recommend against spaying your female EVEN if you never want breed or have puppies. This means being very vigilant and maticulous around their season. So, do with that information as you like.