(reprinted from the February 2008 Wrinkler)

I can’t believe it, but it has been a little more than a year since we adopted Nora. It has been a long journey, but ultimately the ending has been happy.

We’ve had several retired racing greyhounds over the past fifteen years. When our last little girl left us, my heart just needed a change. I had always wanted a Basenji, I like the breed’s intelligence and looks, and the dog would fit in with my Aussies activity-wise. I contacted BRAT, who I must say is the most organized rescue group I have ever encountered. The website is wonderful and I fell in love with Nora’s beautiful face. Many phone calls and emails ensued. BRAT sent me her profile and told me about the behavior issues she had. I had the opportunity to correspond with her foster Dad, who confirmed her issues, but said overall she was a good girl; it would just take some time for her to settle down.  I have trained and shown dogs in most of the performance venues for 25+ years.  Plus we had adopted many other rescue dogs over the years, all of whom had problems and settled down after a period of some training and a regular schedule and lots of exercise. I was SURE Nora would fit in quickly.

OMG, was I WRONG!!!!  In retrospect, I think Nora was angry about being rehomed again (she had been in several homes, not to mention a stint in the dog pound), and in her mind, it was all MY fault.  She was just purely awful. There was not a thing the she got to that she did not destroy.  She ripped to shreds any pillow she could get to, and then started on the comforters and blankets. She knocked the garbage can over fifty times a day. She chewed the other dog’s collars off their necks.  Tissues, toilet paper, knick-knacks, throw rugs, small objects of all kinds were stolen or destroyed.   Putting stuff up high did not help; she climbed all over the tables and counters. She literally could not be left alone for a second. And the worst thing was if you tried to catch her to confine her, she bit!  Strangers sent her into a frenzy of snarling and puffed up hair. She hated being crated, although I had to in order to keep her safe when we could not watch her. She was dreadfully fearful of new places. The icing on the cake was that she had the worst case of separation anxiety I had ever seen. She did not interact with us…she did not make eye contact or respond to her name and she hated being petted.  The minute she was alone, though, she pitched a holy fit, screaming and urinating in her crate, then destroying her bedding.

This went on for many, many weeks. I was coming to the end of my rope and was thinking about sending her back; I was making no progress whatsoever.

I had my Aussie girl entered at Somerset Hills Kennel Club dog show for a Rally test.  I was sitting in my chair when I spotted a woman with a whole bunch of WELL BEHAVED Basenjis and knew I found the person who could help me unlock the secrets of the Basenji mind. Susan talked to me for quite a while and I emailed her a lot after that.  Her wonderful newsletter is a godsend.  I had also contacted BRAT’s rescue coordinator Chey Miller, and she also was on my weekly email list!! They sent me much information and they both helped me understand that Basenji’s are a little different from other dogs. And well, BAD is kind of normal for B’s!

So, as much as could be done in the interest of safety and the well being of my house contents, I tried ignoring Nora’s bad behavior. On the VERY RARE occasion she was being good, even if it was just being still for a moment, I praised her lavishly and gave her cookies. She was a little taken aback that I was not reacting to her bad deeds….it really seemed to perplex her.  After a few weeks, I noticed she was making eye contact and begging for her treats, so I started teaching her some basic commands. Soon she started imitating the Aussies when I schooled them in agility a few times a week, so she learned how to negotiate all the equipment. She learned a few tricks.  Slowly, slowly, she started coming for pets and sat in our laps. We sort of solved the crating/ separation anxiety issue by having two crates for her. Her nighttime crate is very spacious and is full of soft warm bedding. She now hangs out there whenever she is tired. She also has her stash of stolen items in the back of the crate!!! Her daytime crate is in a sunny area and is full of delicious chewies she is only allowed to have when we go out. It is a situation she can live with.

Our relationship really started to turn around one day this spring.  All the dogs had a nasty intestinal bug and Nora was the last to get it. One night she whined in her crate to go out and when I brought her back inside she was shivering, so I put her in bed with me.  She lay on my chest just staring at me and after a long while she put her paw on my face.  After that we actually started to build a relationship…she about cared what I thought-more or less! - And her behavior really started to improve.  After a while it struck me that sometimes a few hours would go by without me yelling at her!!

I can now sort of trust her about the house, not to destroy stuff, but she does have her bad days. Will she ever be truly trustworthy? No. But we have reached a level of behavior we can tolerate. She also still does not react well to going new places, so I doubt she will ever compete like my other dogs do.  She is much better with strangers, although there are some people she does not like: they must remind her of someone. She immensely enjoys riding in the car, so she goes everywhere with us. Nora’s favorite places to sit are on the arm of the sofa looking out the window, or perched on the A-Frame where she can keep a good eye on the deer and the squirrels!  She now flings herself into our laps whenever we sit down, and contentedly falls asleep. She and my young Aussie, Gunner, are inseparable friends and are truly “the Odd Couple”!  Now, when she steals things, she pauses in front of you for a moment with her prize and gives you a chance to bargain a tasty treat for it. Very clever!

Although the experience is not one I would like to repeat anytime soon, it proves that you can turn a difficult dog around if you are able and willing to put in the time and effort. I am confident now that as the years go by, she will continue to improve and her personality will bloom even more. She is still a work in progress, but…… Nora is home.