BULLDOBAS HISTORY
I was raised around the Finnish Hunting Dogs that my gradpa used for hunting the rabbits. I still remember the pups that my favourite girl Mira got - 9! It was like a miracle for a little kid like me! My parents did not allow the dogs at home though but one day, when I was around 5, I found a stray kitten sitting outside the house - she did not move for days (maybe because I took some milk & food for her behind my mom's back :-)) so finally mom said OK - you take her inside. I took her in my bed and after two nights I could not breath anymore. My mom had to call an ambulance to take me to the hospital and the nightmare started - I was diagnosed with astma :-( NO dogs in the house, never.
When I was a bit more than 10, I started to 'talk my mom over' again. I was desparate to get an own dog as we had moved to another village and I was not able to see even my grandparent's dogs anymore very often. My astma was 'gone' I swore and it had been good for some time soooooooo.... Finally, I got a tricolour Rough Collie bitch - Memmu - when I was 12. I loved her so much! She was a very good example of a puppy that had not had enough human contacts - she was so shy she was even difficult to keep :-( When she moved in, it took several days from her to let anyone touch her or to have a little adventure around the flat. When older, she used to hide under the kitchen table every time we got visitors, growling, barking & shaking. Poor Memmu! She loved and trusted only us, her own family. I swore that If I'd ever have the puppies they'd get all the attention possible so at least I would have done my best before they'll move out! One day my mom said (tears in her eyes) that my
younger brother has been diagnosed with severe allergies (he was bad I know........) and we have to let Memmu go for a new loving home. It broke my heart and was too difficult to swollow.
When I was 16 (yeah, sweet 16 :-)) I moved away from home and once again started to dream of an own dog. How ever, the time was hectic as I was studying and working at the same time and had absolutely no time (nor money) for a puppy. It took three-four more years when I was finally able to get a new baby. I was very active in sports at the time, plus still studied and was working so I could not even think of a breed that would need tons of excersise.........So, a smooth Chihuahua-male Lipton (Harlekino Nero) arrived into my household. He was such a character :-), a true Macho Man! Unfortunately, no matter how gorgeous and BIS-winning parents he had, he never got his premolars 'up' and was useless at the shows. I wanted him to have company how ever, and asked his breeder if she'd sell me another puppy. She did not have puppies at the moment but she ended up to sell me a cutest possible little bitch Narriman that I had admired and wanted to buy for some time. She was the sweetest little girl on the earth but never went to the shows either as I was not sill hooked with the shows anyway. Later on we found out that my sunshine-girl had epilepsy so she was really just an adored pet for me and the best buddy for Lipton.
Few years later I found my husband-to-be and moved away from the town. NOW it was time for my long admired breed - BASENJI! I still had Lipton & Narriman of course and it was late February 1991 when little Pimpu arrived in Muurame. I must tell you that if Heikki was not so strick as he always is, she would have ended up to be a monster! She was such an energic little puppy and she knew exactly how long I had waited for her :-). There were NO empty days or even hours since she came and I can still laugh for all the funny things she did...(though, Heikki is not always laughing - MEN!).
When Pimpu had her first litter I imported a Peruvian Hairless bitch from the USA, darling Inka. I was fascinated with this another old, primitive and healthy breed as well and thought she'd not hurt my allergies either. Little Inka arrived and Heikki was furious - I had forgotten to tell him that we are getting a new puppy in the house...Sigh. MEN! Who should tell them anyway? This is MY house as well!
Being a dogmaniac that I am, I have also co-owned a Bullterrier with my parents and a Dogo Argentino with my brother-in-law. Poor Tilli (Bullterrier) died some years back for poisoning but Iitu (Dogo) is still fine at 11+ except a Cushing Disease that she was found out in summer 2003.
Time passed too quick and when I was myself pregnant with Isa in 1993, to my horror we lost Narriman day before my own 'due-time'. Needless to say, I ended up to have a C-section a week later....Narriman's hearth had not taken it anymore - she had had a very bad spring with her epilepsy :-( Poor Lipton missed Narriman so much that he could not get over it. He was crying, week after week, and looked miserable - so we gave him to my parents 'just for few weeks' to be somewhere where his girlfriend had not lived. To make a long story short, my father did not give him back anymore as Lipton was the best buddy with their lovely Rottweiler-boy Enko and always made my dad laugh with his tricks so he stayed there until his death due liver-failure.
LIVING AT BULLDOBAS
Bulldobas-Basenjis are free spirits. My basenjis are not good in kennels and I would not even think having them in kennelfacilities. They all sleep in our kitchen - next to the fireplace - and even our puppies are moved from their puppypen into the kitchen immediately when their momma accepts it (between the wks 3-4). I think it's essential for basenjipuppies to get used to normal living with all the noises, different people pampering them as well as living in the pack of adults.
Even though I enter to the shows and LureCoursing-events, that is only a very little part of living at Bulldobas. We love the nature propably as much as our basenjis do, so they always get their share of the fun.
We have two boats, the smaller one and the big one - on two different lakes. [ PHOTOS ]
We use the small one when we go to our favourite island for a day; that is a paradise for all of us! The basenjis are actually so excited when they know where we are going that
they start howling immediately when the car turns to a certain direction
from our road! When nearer to the island, they jump out of the boat before
the island and swim there, competing who's going to be the first one landed! :-)
We also visit my parents every now and then with the pack. As they live in the middle of the woods and very far away from the roads, we have used to keep our basenjis free there, giving them a possibility to chase each others and have fun. [ PHOTOS ]
And you have to remember that basenji is NOT a breed you should keep free in any places where they can escape from so keep that in mind to save yourself from a sad loss :-) of your beloved friend!
My husband loves fishing so when the sun starts warming up in late February/March, he normally takes the bunch of basenjis with him to the lake with him. The basenjis may run the whole day with him, having a nap on the island,
curled next to the fireplace or a rock, having a snack and running again. They surely enjoy themselves and always look forward following Heikki when they realize where he is leaving to!
BUYING A BULLDOBAS-PUPPY
We do not breed much. Every born litter is born because we wanted something from it for our own breeding-programme. The litters are results of years' planning, digging up the information, going through the pedigrees and all the pros and cons of the planned breeding. I have never counted the time or money that I've spent (and surely I do not wish my husband would never count that anyway!) on my beloved basenjis or the matings done. It costs what it costs and I strongly feel that the only way to do it right is to do it like your heart tells you to do, not like your wallet wants or tells you to do it.
If you wish to get a Bulldobas-puppy in the future, you have to understand that I am very careful to place our puppies in their new homes. Early bird will find the worm like they say - If wishing for a pick of the litter be prepared to contact me in advance, be ready to answer for a good amount of questions and keep in mind that if you get your puppy from us, I insist you to stay in contact. Also, like stated before, we do want to keep something for the future from each litter so think in advance if you could say YES for the co-ownership.
We'll provide you all the healthinformation that is available for us of the family of your puppy, but also advice you to make 'your share' and continue the healthtesting with your own basenji later on.
You'll find some important information from these sites and by following the
links provided - Go on and see if this is the right breed for you. Feel free
to contact me at taaviti@netti.fi to find out more of the breed known as
Nature's Masterpiece.
