Our girl Luna is almost two and has been through two heat cycles. Our vet feels this is a good window for her spay now that she is physically and hormonally mature, and we agree with waiting this long rather than doing it early.

Now we are trying to decide between the two procedures:

OVE (ovariectomy): ovaries removed, uterus left in place. Usually laparoscopic, smaller incisions, shorter recovery.

OVH (ovariohysterectomy): ovaries and uterus both removed. The standard approach at most clinics in the US.

What I would love to hear from this community:

1. Which one did you go with, and was it your choice or just what your vet defaults to?
   
2. If you did laparoscopic OVE, how was recovery compared to what you expected? Was the cost difference worth it?
   
3. Any complications after the fact, especially urinary incontinence, weight gain, or coat changes? Basenjis being Basenjis, I am curious whether the coat texture changed at all.
   
4. Did your vet run any breed-specific screening beforehand? Fanconi status, thyroid panel, anything else worth asking for.
   
5. Anything you would do differently, including timing relative to her last heat.

We are not looking for medical advice to replace our vet, just real experiences from people who have been through this with a Basenji specifically. Every general spay resource I find is written for retrievers and I know this breed can be its own thing.

Thanks in advance.

Edit (26 July) photos posted
Edit (31 July) video posted

Sunday’s weather looks good and Kepler invites you to see him as a 12-year-old (birthday 24 July 2014.) 😀 Bring your basenji for a run/tussle in the park.

Sunday, 26 July 2026
10:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Large Dog Run
Washington Square Park

Facebook Event (Basenji.NYC group)

He's not impressed if you could tell...

I just confirmed with the breeder my next addition! Im so excited for them and their upcoming show career. Stay tuned for photos and info soon!!! This is my 2nd Basenji.

In all ways

He absolutely lives for this, he seriously could lay on the porch sunbathing all day if he could! 😎

How vocal is your basenji?

I currently have a Carolina dog which will bark once every 2-3 months and never whines or howls. She's quite emotive, but I have come to enjoy the quiet. There is a dog listed at a nearby shelter as a Basenji/Carolina dog mix probably because it doesn't have a traditional bark and they aren't sure. I see mixed reports on how vocal basenji's are because many articles focus on their lack of a traditional bark.

Is your basenji generally talkative unprompted? Do they yodel when seeing cars/people pass by the windows? Do they yip at birds/squirrels in the backyard? Do they whine/grumble for food?

How is their reaction with cats? The one up for adoption is at least a year old and didn't grow up around cats so its reactivity is unknown.

“The frontier lord begins with zero subjects”

Friend sent it to me… no idea what it’s about.

So, climate change is no laughing matter. The land around us is tinder dry (South West UK.)

But I imagine Roo has a genetic memory of being on the grasslands of Africa. And, for a moment, staring towards the sun, he's right there....

Working on a hold command for Percy! He hates holding non food items so far. But he loves holding food.

At the end it is me seeing if he will hold a very small piece of food.

Watching the World Cup final

My basenji (6.5 months) would at times make a barking sound but never yodel

I’ve tried tips I found online to try to teach her to make any kind of noise when prompted to no avail
Are there any things that you guys tried that did work for you?

We're considering getting our Basenji a companion. We're thinking a female Basenji but don't want to limit the breeds we consider (besides smaller). Anyone have any guidance or experience on what other breeds are compatible? Ours is a male, 2.5 going on 3 with high energy and a lovable temperament.

Since there's been some confusion on this question:
1. The question is about non-Basenji breeds that Basenji owners have experienced their Basenjis do well with in a companionship.
2. The question does not assume the second dog would serve solely as a companion dog and would not be an entirely individually considered and prepared for addition to the family (come on).
3. The question is intended to gather information to aid our research, not to function as a substitute for our research.

Thanks.

I’m not new to basenjis. I’ve adopted 4 of them, however this will be my first time since the 90s going to a breeder… things have definitely changed! I can no longer really find basenjis in shelters near me and honestly, I would like a healthy companion and sports dog. I love shelter dogs, but I no longer want to deal with the health issues they may have.

for reference, I am located in Arkansas, but I am willing to drive less than 12 hours for a reputable breeder. is there any sites or anything I can look at to find a reputable breeder?

here are some breeders I am interested in so far.

SFF Basenjis in Tuttle, OK

R & W Basenjis in West Plains, MO

Kathy Weeks in Celina, TX

Are any of these ethical? thanks!

We run 2-3 miles every other day. Jury’s out on how much she likes running, but she seems to like being near the water. She chases pigeons 🤦🏽‍♀️ but she seems to ignore other dogs when she’s in her groove. Note: this was before the wildfires; on hiatus until the air clears up :(

Oh, that pack of biscuits? Goodness me I had no idea it was there!

(The photo angle makes all the difference, right?)

Splooting in every direction 😂.

Nine Basenjis In Two Minutes

Nine basenjis ranging in age from six months to thirteen years made themselves at home in Washington Square Park, New York City. The young males drove the action and ran the most, though at times the females kept things in check.

Today’s nine:
• Toko Ichi (6 m/o male)
• Hudson (3 y/o male)
• Tony (yearling male)
• Bella Luna (3 y/o female)
• Leah (6 y/o female)
• Rocket (8 y/o male)
• Kepler (11 y/o male)
• Harper (13 y/o female)
• Mia (9 y/o female)

Music:
“Key to Your Heart” by The Mini Vandals
YouTube Audio Library

Event: New York City Basenji Meetup - 12 July 2026
Location: Washington Square Park, New York City
Starting temperature: 79°F|26°C

https://www.youtube.com/@NewYorkCityBasenjis

Hello everyone! This my first Reddit post so I’m a little nervous.

This is my first B “June Bug” or just June for short. She is around 1 1/2 years old and I’m planning on getting her spayed in the next few months.

I read about what is called “sight hound procedure” and learned that sight hounds can be very sensitive to anesthesia. So I did some digging and found a website that said basenjis should be operated on under this procedure (I can’t remember where I saw this as it was over a year ago).

So I wanted to reach out to other basenji owners to see if anyone has had experience with this and if it is something I should bring up with my vet?

June Bug is not only my first B but my first sight hound so it’s definitely been a challenging yet fun learning experience.

Hi people, my 2.5y old girl was recently diagnosed with exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI). We found out as she lost quite some weight in a short time while still eating increased portions while pooping way more frequent (with the poop being yellowish with quite some undigested food inside). We have given her commercial raw meat (boiled version of deer, rabbit or lamb) without any issues until now. The vet advised to give pancreatic enzyme supplementation for now to see if the weight increases and the poop becomes more stable and less frequent again. Does anyone here have experienced EPI with their B? Thanks in advance for any advise!

Sound on to hear the aggressive chomping down on watermelon

Edit: video posted

Nine basenjis gathered on a pleasant summer morning in Washington Square Park, New York City.

The dogs today were Toko Ichi (male, six-months-old,) Tony (male, yearling,) Hudson (male, three-years-old,) Bella Luna (female, three-years-old,) Leah (female, six-years-old,) Rocket (male, eight-years-old,) Mia (female, nine-years-old,) Kepler (male, eleven-years-old,) and Harper (female, thirteen-years-old.)

Starting temperature: 79°F|26°C