Cami's plan to stop my breastfeeding has not succeeded: once a day I nurse my puppies their nightsupper. I still love and take care of my puppies: I just don't understand mothers that abandon their children in their early development phase. This is the age when Finnish Kennelclub allows breeders to give out the puppies. All too early, if you ask my opinion! You can see my good influence from my puppies: they are all very self-confident, social and they are all very high quality of beaty and healthy. Ardebil is still the packleader, because he is the fastest and strongest; second in order is Abrash with the same qualities. Arabesk and Afshar would be perfect for agility games: they both are most agile. Abade is the most calm of the litter: he is always the first to fall into sleep.

When Cami brutally left me and my puppies on Thursday evening and left to Munich, we started to protest. We have nothing against of Mika's mum, (who took a day off from work to take care of us on Friday) but my puppies are quite demanding in this development phase. I helped Sirpa as much as I could on Friday, but for my relief of workload, on Saturday we got extra help from our friends from Estonia. Kerli has taken care of me since I was only 3 months old. She invented me my first nickname "Kikkura" by my curly tail. Kerli's mum Maire is a professional with animals and specially with dogs. So from Saturday I started to enjoy my weekend. On Sunday afternoon Cami came back with Mika, so I thought now the weekend is perfect. Unfortunately my family took our friends from "Farlanders" (Kerli's kennelname) away with a car fo the ferry almoust as soon as they arrived. Cami got some good advise from our visitors, which chainged her plans a bit.

Puppies have visited outside and got introduction to the element called snow. Cami made a track to the snow and tested, which one the puppies follows best: me Ciara or Cami. Cami won the game of following the leader, because she took advantage of puppies following familiar noices. I would say, she cheated, because basenjis seldom make any kind of noice, when they want their pack to follow them: basenjis hunt in a silence! Puppies started also training to be alone (first in pairs) in the transportbox with closed door for a few minutes.

Now it is time to stop breastfeeding: we made it gently by decreasing the milk delivery times every day in a week. I still play with my babies by wearing a jacket protecting my breasts. You should have seen Cami's expression - which was full of love and respect for me - when I brought toys one by one for my puppies from the toybox -> so that they would learn to play with the toys more than wrestling and arguing with eachothers. Yes, I still care my babies!

We were so proud, when visitors gave us lot of positive feedback on the weekend! We got visitors from children to senior citizen ( = excellent socializing training), but this time there were lot of basenji experience in the background of some visitors. When an experienced person gives high markings of temperament, beaty and quality of the litter, it is more valued than normal gratitude. Now the feeding is balanced with my milk and puppy food - thanks to the advise of my breeder Henriette from Liljeborgs; she has been very supportive from the beginning! Soon the roles will change: Cami has to take the main responsibility and I'll just supervise her. My mother instincs are still strong by protecting my puppies, even if the hormone level has got lower.A group photo session will be arranged, when the litter will turn 6 weeks.

My puppies still prefer my milk instead of puppy food and I have nothing against it. Cami tries to find out the right Gourmet-food to change this situation. Cami has also started the collar training as well as playing with special agility baby tunnel => my puppies did not like wearing collars, but they surely loved agility tunnel!

The age of the puppies is the best time for behavioral lessons and me to be a model dog for them. I think that the mother basenji is the only one who can gently (but firmly) guide the puppies through basic behavioral models and give them a feeling of safetyness. Without the feeling of safetyness and a strong parential model, the puppies may get poor self-confidence, which may cause behaviour problems when they get older. That is why I wonder why only 20% of Basenji breeders in Finland allow their basenji puppies to enjoy company of mothers after age of five week. Most breeders separate mothers and puppies at this age. Perhaps they have not thought basic needs of the mother and puppies?

Now my puppies have basenji typical expressions: curly tail and wrinkles in forehead. They develop more beatiful every day! New photo session will be arranged on weekend. My hostess has started their training: Cami whistles every time, when she brings food. So that the basenji puppy will learn, that whistle mean "Come here!". It is the most important command for a basenji when keeping it running free outside. Puppies has also started companionship training with other dogs - that mean with family members Nala and Simba. The older dogs keeps their distance to the puppy, but still they are curious to observe "the little moving thing" as they might think about a basenji puppy.

My puppies has started to play. Their teeth has also grown. Now they have started to show their differences of personality: Ardebil is a natural pack leader, Abade is most playful, Arabesk behaves nicest, Afshar is most peaceful and Abrash is most social. The puppies have started the toilet training (toilet paper covered corner in the puppy room) in a good way. They also started to taste some baby food, but only little, because they love my milk more. New basenji puppy photos in photo gallery

Ardebil and Abrash opened their eyes on Thursday and rest of the basenji puppies on Friday. A new photo session was arranged to celebrate the eye opening phase. Puppies are in the middle of strong development phase both in pigmentation and ears. Now they have their own impressions, like Afshar in the photo hereby. More puppy photos in photo gallery

The puppies have increased their size as double every week. Soon they will be bigger than I am, if they keep on growing so fast! Their eyes will open any day now - I guess on weekend it happens. There has been change of roles in the litter, when Ardebil has taken the leader position from Abrash. He is now the one, who tires to climb up to my hostes laps when she is checking the status of puppy box. Ardebil is now the strongest and fastest of the litter. New puppy photos will be captured as soon as puppies open their eyes!

On the weekend the puppies started to use their feets in order to move faster. Of course, their balance is instabile, but cause of their enthusiasm to move, Cami had to increase the size of the puppy box as double. Abrash (f) is at the moment the fastest in development and movement. Abrash does not only look like her Ruben-father, but she has as huge appetite (I don't like her sugging force, when breastfeeding them!) and react positively to human attention (already!). Ruben is exceptional social for people and dogs as a basenji

From my side these puppies are from runner family in the third generation. My father Manu was the fastest basenji male in Finland and my mother was one of the first basenjis in Sweden to gain inofficial (=basenjis are not allowed to compete official in Sweden) lure coursing championship. My puppies father Ruben is as fast as me in the track, but he is much stronger both mentally (winning desire) and physically (indomitable), when I'm more agile.

My hostess also noticed that some of the puppies has tricolor factor: you can notice it from the black color in the basenji puppy's tail. That black color will faint when the puppy mature, but it is useful information for breeders interested of certain basenji colors. Abade (m), Arabesk (f), Afshar (f) carries the tricolor gene - they also have inherited my beatiful color of coat. Later on Abrash (f) got the same tricolor marking on her tail.

Today it is exactly one week when I gave birth to my 2 sons and 3 daughters. My children has grown a double since then. They got their first manicure, because their nails has grown quite fast and that does not feel nice, when I'm nursing them.

Today the godparents (family Nissilä) came to announce and celebrate the naming of my puppies. The theme of Aittakankaan A-litter is persian quality rugs (called also oriental rugs). Therefore the first group photo of my 4 days old puppies was taken on a persian tribal rug (photo added later on in the Aittakankaan A-litter photo gallery) . The name giving for each puppy was based to the colors and look of it. Boys got masculine registernames and girls feminine registernames. Only one name was decided beforehand and that was Aittakankaan Abrash, which went to the girl who reminds most of his father Ruben ( by look and manners). The girl named Arabesk reminds most of me by look.

I'm proud to anounce that my babies are born: 2 boys and 3 girls - all the equal high quality. Esa Nissilä was the most experienced doctor: everything went smoothly just like in theory books (and even better!) THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR HELP ESA and I'm sorry to wake you up so early this morning (but the mother nature does not ask time, when puppy delivery is concidered). There will be puppy pic's soon in the Kennel pages and one can follow the live web-camera as well!

Today I decided to build a nest of my own for the puppies - even if Cami has prepared the official version. My nest was based on the furry rug which Mika bought specially for me. Cami started to suspect that I'm starting to labor a week too early and phoned to veterinary. Of course, she had the false alarm and both veterinary and our friend Esa had to calm my hostess down. Meanwhile my master Mika is enjoying scuba diving in Indian Ocean near by Maledives. The weather there is warm: over +30 Celsius.

There are only two weeks left for my puppies estimated birthday. My waistline has increased over 10 cm. My hostess refuses to put any pictures of my big belly to internet, because she dislikes photos of bregnant animals or people. The puppy room is prepared with web-camera, so that it will be easy to follow the development of my puppies. The web cam is now in testing phase until puppies born. My hostess don't want to show the birth of my puppies, because she dislikes showing blood. Cami is not sure if she will faint when I start giving birth. Luckily bitches from Liljeborgs basenjis have been supermums, so they have not needed any help of human's, when fertilization, giving birth or motherhood is considered.

Fortunately today is Simba's (the Corgi) 9th birthday, so we all (Simba, Nala and me) got B'day cake specially prepared to us. The specialists estimated that Simba will achieve maximum 6-8 years old - thanks to inborn heart hyperthyroidism - so every year from now on are very precious.

I started my second treatment to prevent my puppies to get any worms. There are no upper limit of worm medicine so my owner has decided to give double amount and as often as recommended, because this is the easiest way to protect my puppies.

 

My waistline has already increased with 5 cm, which indicates that I'm expecting a lot of basenji puppies. Even if the new regulations limit the new year's rocket performance time and I'm not afraid of banging noices, we will spend our new year eve in the country side for poor Nala's sake.

May the new year preserve all that you love,
may it bring all what you need and
take away what you carry as a burden.

Today is my and my sisters (Gloria, Mille, Alice) and brothers (Jambo, Seppe, Dollar) birthday. I have met Jambo, when I was 8 months old and Gloria, when I was 2,5-years old - both in a dog show in Norrköping (Sweden). I'll enjoy my B'Day cake with 4 wieners in the afternoon. We will visit our friends family Nissilä in Kirkkonummi: maybe this time I'll jodel 4 times, when I meet them, because number 4 is today popular

.

This year I have a special Christmas wish for Santa Claus: give me healthy and easy puppies on January! Help us to find loving homes with common sense, understanding the basenji temperament and activity needs. Give me chance to quide my kids the proper start of living: enough self-confidence and courage to meet every day challenges, initiative thinking to avoid problems and a lot of adaptability and sense of humor to meet the new owners odd manners.   

Sending lot of X-mas yodels to all my friends!

This was my lucky day, because after a months break I finally met my nine-year-old Munich Basenji friend Tsula (Jangua G'Tsula). We played together and with other dogs in our one hour walk in English Garden. The temperature was +10 C, even if it was cloudy and December! Tsula is now in better condition than I am, but I'll try to improve a bit. This time I was more eager to get some tidbids than normally. My developing puppies need a lot of food!

I have been about 3 weeks connected to the dog leash. Finally this afternoon I was let to run free in Ottobrunn nature park, after ensured that no male dogs around 1 km, because even if I'm not more interested of males, but they are still interested of me. Mika took some videos with his new HD camera and put the worst one (I hated to stand still on command and I show that clearly in the video shot) in the public YouTube with the name Ciara the Basenji. Only thing you can observe from the video was the fact that we had a lovely weather today.

Yesterday Cami took me to the veterinary in order to get the stample of echinococcus treatment in my animal passport, which is compulsory, when travelling to Finland. Same time I had clinical examination and the vet said that I already have some minor pregnancy symptoms. I have learned from Nala that you have to be acting as nice as possible in the veterinary in order to get out as soon as possible. You have to be out of your mind, if you love to visit doctors!

We are travelling together with Cami by train and ferry to Finland from 17th December, so that we are finally in Finland on 19th December. We are looking forward to the X-mas in Finland!

Yesterday I declared that now it would be suitable time for pairing: no doubt of that! So we reserved an appointment with Ruben for the weekend.  Ruben has already three litters in UK so he is experienced.

For me this will be my first (and Cami hopes that it will be also the last) litter, but it seems to be so, that my hostess is more nervous than I am. This morning she packed the luggage when she believed that it is already Friday  Fortunately my master has his legs on earth!

Cami did some calculations and noticed that the puppies can be delivered to their new homes just for Eastern holidays when they are 10 weeks old (if someone does not want to collect the puppy two weeks earlier). Then she has better time to educate the puppies ready by the clicking training method like Nala, as a puppy, was successful done by the breeder. My puppies (with Kennelname Aittakankaan) will born in the city of Espoo, which is situated about 15 km from Helsinki. Keep your fingers crossed that everything goes as planned!

Nobody has asked directly from me about MY puppy plans! I would like to have puppies with every handsome and virile male in town! Even today, when a daddy-candidate (= a Bernese Mountain Dog) came to offer his help of breeding puppies, Cami brutally alarmed him off. I tried to motivate the male by signaling, that the breeding will be more successful, if he would wait for a couple of days (and meanwhile I try to get rid of my hostess).

First of all, we disagree with Cami, that the daddy candidate have to be a Basenji like myself. If the temperament of a male would be so important to Cami as she claims, then she would choose another, more sympathetic, dog breed as a male candidate. When putting the breed as the first condition and their character as the second, she got under 10% of basenji males to choose from. All too few, if you ask from me.

Of course, we both would like to have very healthy male as a daddy for my puppies, otherwise the puppies won't live a happy life. But Cami has wrong way to check the health by checking the health test results and corresponded with the owners extensively. She knows that the most common basenji healthy problems are not shown in tests or the owner does not know like: allergy, hormonal problems, lack of infection immunity and accident vulnerability. My nose would tell that immediately!

Finally, we both have the same idea of the appearance: the male should remind of my dad  Manu: masculine with strong muscles. There are a lot of Rhodesian Ridgebacks with those appearance qualities, but again, we disagree of the first condition (a Basenji).

My folks has acted strange recently. They have checked my back part more than once a day. Even if I use to check other dogs geneticists quite often, it hasn't been so obvious. This morning they were very happy to notice that I'm in heat. Earlier years they haven't put so big interest to my seasons: only male dogs has been interested.

So Ruben: I'm looking forward to our wedding

Typical questions about me in Middle-Europe from straingers are: "What breed she is? Is she a puppy?". Reason for this is, that the basenji is not a common breed in Middle-Europe. There are a positive hidden meanings of the first question: I do not look like mixed breed dog and I look very feminine (no-one asks about he or him). The latter question is caused by my puppy look (shiny coat and sporty feminine body) and my puppy-like behaviour (still love to play and be joyful).

In Finland straingers do not ask any kind of questions. If they ask something in Finland, the native people think that the questioner is eather drunk or crazy. That is something we Finns are famous for and proud of  If you don't believe me, then try to say "Tervehdys!" ( = "Greetings!") to someone native and sober looking passer-by in Helsinki, then you realize, what you have been warned of.

After publishing my puppy plans in Finnish Basenji Club web-pages in Commited Breeders list of Expected puppies, the daily question from basenjists and friends all over the Europe has been: "Has Ciara's seasons begun, yet?" The answer is: "Not yet." Yes, I'm the black sheep of Liljeborgs family, because I have broken the tradition of October heat and December puppies. Previously I have had seasons as follows: 1. 1st of September 2006, 2. 25th October 2007 and 3. 1st November 2008. Ruben, you still have to wait for our marriage!

 

Mika is allergic for animal dust and though they wanted a dog in the family. My folks found a list of "Dog Breeds for Allergy Sufferers" from internet and there the Basenji breed. Basenji seemed to be the right choise thanks to its compact size (females 40 cm & 9 kg), easy-clean short coat and odorfree skin.

In Finland there have been no basenji puppies born in summer time since year 2002. Luckily a basenji litter was born on June 2003 in Sweden, so that's why Yulara Inula alias Nala was chosen and imported to our family. Nala had problems to stay alone at home, therefore it was time to find her company. Nala is a very typical stubborn and independent basenji, so this time my family tried to find an opposite character for her without bargaining from the utility qualities (obedience, speed and agility).

When my family found out that Nala's father will be used for the last time and to a female they had good experiences, by visiting the Lure Coursing competition in Sweden summer 2004 -> my mom Danita won the competition, then the decission was made before I was born! My family made a wish of my character that would be easier than Nala: willing to please and outgoing/social - just like my mum. The breeder chose me from the four sisters. That was the time (spring 2006) when me,  Liljeborg's Dan Galina Of Phoebus alias Ciara, moved into this family. I was much easier than expected: very patient, no destructions and respect of humans and older dogs (like Nala and Simba), but still playful and full of joy. 

There has been one problem with my non-typical basenji behaviour: I have been too dependent on my big-sister Nala. This autumn without Nala has been very important in my character development. I have learned to take responsibility and started act like a mature dog.

Even if basenji is considered a healthy dog breed, there are still some issues for the breeders to fight (unfortunately some has given up the fight already and trust only for "good luck"). Fortunately I have been very healthy with healthy veteran-old-parents. Still there is a risk when breeding that two carriers ( = no visible illness) of an genetic illness are put together, so that the puppy won't be totally healthy as an adult. Only way to minimize this risk is to know the health history of a pedigree as far as possible (minimum 5 generations!), avoid using dogs too young (minimum breeding older 4 years when most of the genetic sickness symptoms has occured!) and from breeding lines that are well enough known in Europe (the best information source is the families where the basenjis live, because they do not have advantage of hiding problems).

We sent some dog goodies as greetings from us with Mika to Nala in Finland, as he went there to spend a week quality time with her. Meanwhile Cami & I got some friends (family Nissilä, Kennel Aittakankaan) visiting from Finland. They brought me delicacy wieners specially chosen for me. I showed my best tricks: rolling, seeking hidden objects and apporting. And of course, I yodelled a lot! I highly respect Esa and try to please him as much as possible. When I got him smile, I know, that I have been successful.

My seasons has not started in time table (last week), but I don't care! I just love to attract male dogs attention and be allowed to run free until the one month quarantee time (seasons) begin. Some people (ie. those mentioned above) has planned my wedding with Ruben (Faraoland Xcuse Me Desmond), but we will see what happens, when the time is right.

Visiting the northern part of Italy showed that there are not many basenjis around. People thought that I am a mixed breed, but a very cute one. Italians like only small dogs, but the big ones are not allowed to visit in public places. Italian dogs are uneducated and therefore people are afraid of them. My good manners got a lot of positive attention from the locals.

I guess it was our last holiday this year, when I was allowed to run free (or naked, as my people call it), because my seasons should begin in a week. Eight of nine litters in Kennel Liljeborgs are born on December, so it runs in our family to begin the seasons on October.

Basenji and agility were the words when my hostess first time started to seek basenjis from internet. There are only two Finnish basenjists that are able and allowed to teach agility: my hostess Cami is the first one.

Therefore Cami has been asked to give agility training for Finnish basenjis every summer. This summer I was once allowed to participate to my hostess basenji agility training group. My hostess has got some leg injuries from agility training and competitions, therefore she takes nowadays this game only for fun. Even if I could be better in agility competitions than Nala, due to the reason that Cami has learned her lessions by making all the typical mistakes with Nala and avoided the same mistakes with me.

Nala and Simba have got their own agility obstacles, so they can train agility every weekend in summer cottage. I have to continue training in Oberammergau Dogsporthotel Wolf, which is situated 100 km south from us. There we visited last weekend - was it my 12th time - don't remember for sure.

After a month of separation from Nala, my folks finally has learned that I have a personality and thoughts of my own. What they did not understand, is that I never question my pack leader (just the opposite of Nala here). Nala gave me stupid orders and I always obeyed them, because I avoided hurting her mind.

I have only once fought with Nala. It happened two years ago, when me, Cami and our friends came from a long weekend dog shows from Estonia. Cami gave us (Simba, Nala and me - always that order) food and went out to keep company for our guests. Normally I would have let Nala to steal my food, but this time I was very hungry and tired. So we fought until Simba alarmed Cami to come between us. I'm physically stronger than Nala, so I won easily. Nala learned her lession: never steal food from me, when I say NO! Mentally Nala kept her pack leader position, because I respect older dogs and people.

Now when I can decide by myself, I have acted trustful with all perspectives: obeyed my folks orders or whishes and intellectually solved every day life challenges. I have to solve my own way situations with misbehaving dogs and people. Nala never give those chance to get close, but I think, they should first be saluted nicely and when that does not help, then give them signal to "beat it" for dogs and escape from misbehaving people.

If you ask, which one is more obedient: Ciara or Nala, you will get two totally different answers - depending on whom you ask. Mika thinks Nala is more obedient and Cami thinks that I am. There is only one solution for that question: take part into obedience test in Finland next summer! 

If you ask, which one is more intelligent, the answer is clear: Nala, of course! There are not many basenjis that understands Finnish, Estonian, Swedish, German, English and Doggish (dog language) like Nala does

The Oktoberfest starts tomorrow here in Munich. Cami registered me to Oktoberfest track racing competition for sighthounds: I would have the first basenji in Germany to have an official result of track race! I'm the only basenji living in Germany that has a sighthound running licence. The other aim was, that in trainings I have always run under 43 seconds (once automaticly measured 42,44 s), which is better than the 10 years old record 43,00 seconds of basenjis in 480 meters. In Germany basenjis are allowed to run 480 meters in the competitions, but not in Finland anymore. For our disapointment there were not enough dogs registered to the competition, therefore the race was cancelled. No Oktoberfest for me this year!

My Munich Basenjifriend Tsula (Jangua G'Tsula) has trained me for the race by meeting at least once a week in English Garden in order to run together. Boy it is fun to hunt horses, even if it causes huge heartbeats for our owners, if we get too close. Horses get always a good distace from us thanks to our owners prevention. Tsula is much more courageous hunter than me. He also protects me from too wild behaving male dogs. Yeah, you can say that I already smell attracktive, because my seasons will start soon!

Have you ever made a google search of yourself?  My hostess did it yesterday and noticed that she has to update my information for many sites, like in the Basenji Pedigree Database (GB) and Doogle Info (FIN). Nala has moore Google picks than I have, because she is my older (half-)sister.

On 17th August we said goodbye to Nala, who had no intention to come with us, and then we took the ferry to Germany. Back home in Munich I got the opportunity to meet all the friendly dogs running free in the parks. First days it felt odd that I did not have to share anything (with Nala), but got all by myself.

Next week I got the opportunity to take part into track training in Mammendorf. There I played with lovely whippets. The bunny we left back Olympiapark on spring waited for me now on August! I had some fun hunting the bunny.

In the beginning of September we made a journey to Luxembourg dog show. The judge was very nice to me, but did not like my country of origin. He checked from the program, which country I was registered, and then put all the Finnish registered basenjis (four of us) to the last positions. The judge was a Belgian, so he chose the Belgian basenjis, which looked like workers: long fur, irregular forms, curvy back and short legs. My hostess liked a lot to meet an older basenji visitor, which was born in Finland and has been living in Luxembourg over 10 years. She thought that if I only will some day become so intelligent and dignified like the Basenji Rairai.

Last weekend we made a journey to Czech Republic, where track racing were held in Mlada Boleslav. We got the information that the previously my run and win disturbed basenji was not coming and I got the company of my boyfriend Ruben, so there should be the certain win to Finland this time, because we are the fastest. Unfortunately I was wrong, because now there were a sister and a brother who both were very aggressive and they first attacked me, then Ruben (red jacket in the photo) and our friend Fable. They won the first and third prize, because fighting and disturbing in the middle of the run is allowed in Czech Republic. This defenetely was the last visit in that country dog happenings, because we are not interested in dog fights! In civilized countries aggressive dogs are disqualified from the competition.