True denies that the Egyptian dog in this drawing (made about 3000 years ago on a fragment of stone) is the same kind of dog he is. What do you think? Is he right? You can download the drawing by clicking on the blue link and then using your browser's "save."
True is a Basenji, one of the "barkless dogs of Africa."
That does not mean, however, that basenjis are mute. Far from it -- basenjis produce all manner of chortles, yodels, squeeks, and even an occasional "bark." I have one of True's howls in my computer as a .wav file (88Kb) that I use as my Windows "exit" sound. Click below to hear it, and feel free to grab it for your own use.
True was born, one of a litter of six, on Dec. 30, 1994. He's a red/white, unaltered male, and his littermates were three other r/w's and two tri's. True's full name is APU Open Road Troubadour, and his breeder is Susan Marsicano. True is owned by, or rather he owns, Jim Cummins and Karen Sahulka, of Woodstock NY, and their son James.
We'll let True take over this page from here on.
True:: Take a look at my pictures! Here I am looking dignified at eight months of age. I sure have them fooled!
In the second photo here, I heard a bug and turned around between the time the button was pushed and the shutter snapped. Quick, huh?
True:: Here's a photo of me with my human littermate, James, who is twelve now, which I figure to be about "one" in dog-years, so we are about even. James and I are in a constant battle to see who will be gamma-dog in our home pack. I am winning.
The second photo here is the way I looked at eight months. They tell me I will outgrow this phase, but I rather like being an inscrutable little pig-eyed evil devil <just kidding>.
Here's is a shot of me and Karen <I call her Mom> when I was nearing five months. Mom is wonderful!
This next is me when I was almost five months, wondering what the camera was. It's sorta scary, but I am brave enough to handle it!
True:: Here are some more photos; some from an old roll of film last year, and some new.
The first one is when I was just a puppy and happened to meet a white dragon. You can see that I quickly got the upper hand, but I was sure glad for a rest after the battle. Do you think the dragon's hide would make a good rug for my crate? Ooops! Wait a minute, he's not dead, just resting.
The next is of me with James, one of my humans. I am just beginning his lap training here.
Progress, as shown in this one taken some months later. You can see how well I have trained James to sleep on command. Now what am I going to do with all my legs?
True:: We all live in Ulster County, New York, at the foot of the Catskills. If you walk to the top, there are some nice views. The first photo is looking south from the top, near the firetower, and shows the Ashokan Reservoir.
The second photo is from a little ways around the slope, so I can show you where we live. See that little green blot right in the middle of the scene? That's the rec field across from my house. We live just to the right side of the blot.
I was still just a puppy when Mom, James & I walked to the top. I marked trees along the trail all the way up until I ran dry, then I kept marking anyway, and if nothing came out, I just squeeked. If squeeking counts, I guess I own the whole mountain now.
True:: At my birthday party last year I got to meet to meet my "real" mother <I call her Dogmom; I love her but she growls at me>. The first photo shows the whole bunch of us at the party, or most of us anyway. That's Dogmom on the left, then my brother Trill, with Aunt Gem, a Black & White, mostly hidden behind him, and my awful-mean brother Stuart closest to the camera, and my winsome sister Hip-Hop on the far right. I am the one up on the table.
The next photo shows a closeup of my sister Hip-Hop. Isn't Hip-Hop beautiful?
In the next photo, Trill plays chaperone while I say hello to my sister. I think I am in love with Hip-Hop. I don't get a chance to meet that many girls, but I think I am behaving with exceptional couth here.
True:: What a wonderful surprise it was when two new friends dropped in, via basenji-L, from Australia to visit me! Meet Len and Peter Reddie, brothers who hail from opposite coasts (north & south) of the Southern Continent. We were able to get two photos -- one of Len with Peter, Jim (Dad), and me, and the other with Len and Mom. Len is a basenji breeder who tells wonderful stories.
I'll be working on this homepage and trying to persuade my human pack members to take some better photos to go up here.
True:: I guess I'll finish up with this shot of me and Mom stepping out down by the garage (Mom has to run to keep up with me). I was just four months old, and Mom had been taking me to some handling classes. I thought the whole thing was a waste of time because I've been handling these humans perfectly well since the day I got here.
Jim Cummins, copyright © 1996
