Basenji puppies

What to expect at eight weeks

At eight weeks a Basenji puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A small breed puppy at eight weeks is light enough to carry everywhere, which is exactly how you get it socialised before the vaccination course finishes. It will still need four meals a day. This is a high energy breed. At eight weeks that shows up as intensity rather than stamina, and it will need a job to do long before it needs long walks. Grooming is straightforward, but start handling the coat, feet and ears in week one anyway so it is never a fight later. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything it meets calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of its life.

Health worth knowing about

Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.

• Fanconi syndrome, a kidney tubule disorder that leaks glucose and protein into the urine, detectable by DNA test
• Progressive retinal atrophy, detectable by DNA test and monitored by an ophthalmologist evaluation
• Hip dysplasia, screened by hip evaluation of breeding stock
• Hypothyroidism, screened by a thyroid evaluation
• Immunoproliferative small intestinal disease, a form of inflammatory bowel disease, confirmed by intestinal biopsy

From Basenji breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/basenji/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

Your Basenji puppy's first six months

• Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
• Worming and parasite schedule.
• Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Small for a Basenji.
• Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 10 to 10.9 kg adult range.
• Puppy names and the first week checklist.

Other small breeds

Previous: Australian Terrier · Next: Basset Hound