Finding Herself

By Linda Grupp Boutin

The first thing Star did when Gary and I returned without Kindu was to examine closely why her brother wasn't with us. A thorough sniffing told her that all we brought in with us was his collar, but no basenji boy. Impossible for me to explain to her, she had been well aware of his illness and that he wasn't doing well. She had taken to cleaning him like he was one of her puppies. At first he objected, but her persistence wore him down and he allowed her to lick his face and keep him clean. 

Star has always been one of our most fastidious basenjis, washing her face after every meal, keeping the floors clean with her own unique style of "vacuuming," trying to wash every bit of the coconut oil lotion off my hands as I let her get away with; the smell is just a bit too much like food as far as she is concerned. She is getting accustomed to being the only dog of the house. She no longer bolts down her food the second it hits the floor. She lingers over breakfast, sometimes not finishing her kibble until it's almost dinnertime.

Star looking backwards trying to convince me to pet her!

She approaches life in her own unique way, quietly, sometimes silently sitting beside me. Then turning those baby brown eyes backwards, reminding me that her ears, tummy, back, paws, face all need good and proper petting. I often wonder how in the world she can turn her neck this way without harming herself in the process. But she manages it on a daily basis. 

She enjoys moving from Gary to me, back to Gary then back to me. She relishes not fighting for the prime position next to our leg on the love seat. But she no longer enjoys long sunbaths on the patio with her best bud, Kindu. She prefers to stay in the house all day long with us, never concerning herself about the comings and goings on Flora Lane. At times Star seems to be completely bewildered having lost her compass in the form of her basenji brother.

We all are learning to live without Kindu, the life of the party. His example about how to enjoy each and every day, rejoice over the falling leaves and the singing birds, and greet every visitor with a loud BAROO. Star's calmness is unnerving  after 7 years with our boisterous boy leading the parade.

So now Gary and my conversations have turned to the subject of adding a 4th member to our pack. Basenji babies are only available in February, so stay tuned. Maybe not in 2016, but certainly by 2017 an addition to the pack is coming. After all, we need Star to train the new puppy about how to behave. Just like Kindu did for her.

Kindu on his puppy leash the first day home, ready to explore the neighborhood.

Putting Your Life in Good Order

Star at 5 weeks old

By Linda Grupp Boutin 

   Star is lying beside me tonight. Methodically she lifts her left paw (yes, she’s a leftie), licks it, wipes it across her face, licks her paw, wipes it across her face, over and over. As she prepares to bed down for the night, she likes to wash her face. You might say that’s what cats do, but I am here to tell you that’s what basenjis do too. The breed is quite fastidious about their personal hygiene.

     In Star’s case, she also uses this method to draw your attention to the fact that she “needs” petting. She always wants more petting, Gary calls her “needy.” And she is. She loves food and is willing to taste just about anything; however she is passionate about tactile comfort including just touching you while she sleeps. Being brushed is a special kind of pleasure that she is just discovering. While Kindu fights the brush trying to bite it, Star shivers in delight as the many teeth of the brush send comforting scratches in unison all over her back. She stands still, waiting in anticipation for the next pass of this magical tool. At 7 years old she’s found a new pleasure in life.

     She has other unusual approaches to life. All of my basenjis have always ruffled up a pillow by scratching it into submission. More than one of my pillowcases died a slow death from the dog’s toenails. Star though finds stomping works more to her taste. She steps around in circles, just like every other basenji, but instead of circling and scratching, she turns around and around stomping the pillow to death. Many mornings when I get up, I give her bed pillow a good fluff just to try and give it some body again. If I didn’t occasionally fluff it, she would stomp it as flat as a pancake.

     There are always times when life leaves you feeling as flat as Star’s pillow. Pain has been knocking me down lately leaving me feeling paper thin at times. Star and Kindu join me on the bed in the afternoon while I lie down begging the pain to stop. Absently I run my fingers through their fur comforting both them and me. The mere act of petting an animal releases stress-relieving chemicals for both the person and the pet.

     Star has really great instincts too. It makes good sense to wash your face and make sure all is in good order before you go to sleep at night. When you take the time for this it makes waking up the next morning just that much better. I always feel that way about putting my kitchen to bed for the night so I get up to a clean room the next morning. So what about you, can you use Star’s example to put some needed order into your life? My challenge to myself is to make sure my world is in the best order possible before I close my eyes at night.

Graduation Night

by Linda Grupp Boutin

     Star experienced a special joy in the last week. Gary purchased her a new bed, just her size. We lined it with a towel and our little basenji girl got to sleep in the bedroom with the rest of us. Up until this time, Star had been sleeping in the dog crate, but she has made such progress in the last month or so she got to graduate to her own bed. And last night at bedtime after going for a quick walk with Gary, she literally dragged him back to the bedroom--past the dreaded crate and straight for her bed. She catches on really quickly when she wants to...
     She's been receiving quite a few new privileges lately and it's been paying off for all concerned. Housebreaking complete, nipping curtailed, starting to perform tricks for treats have led to a new level of trust for Star. She and Kindu tolerate each other, although with no signs of affection yet. He sleeps in his bed on my side of the bed, she sleeps in her bed on the opposite side.
     Curly Girl, as she is sometimes called, has learned how to dominate the force of Kindu's personality. With only an occasional growl, she has declared her beds to be her "safe" places. So when the basenji boy is chasing her around and she's had enough, she jumps into her nearest bed and stands her ground. If he pursues her further, she growls very quietly and he tends to back off.
     These may sound like miniscule steps to you, but for a 7-year-old "outside only" dog they mean a lot. She still has moments when she dashes around the house confused about why she isn't being chased outdoors, expecting to be banned from the house. It's at those times, that my heart breaks a bit for the years she spent contributing to the basenji breed. When I saw her beautiful litter of pups, 4 girls and 2 boys, 3 tri-colors and 3 red and white babies, I realized her work was complete. Now she is retired, ready and willing to stretch out on the couch beside us, encouraging us to pet her continually by craning her neck backwards to make us feel guilty with those dark brown eyes if we dare stop.
     Yep, the girl has found her home and she is enjoying every minute of it. She loves the food, works hard to pick up any stray crumb on the floor, sharing daily walks with Kindu, and loving her new life: a lady of leisure who has graduated to her own bed.