Joy was rescued from a shelter just in time! She is so sweet and so cute. We think she is a basenji/boxer, based on her appearance and behavior.

Foster Update:  Joy is a sweet girl who deserves a good home! You can just tell she's been through a lot. She is a little shy at first but warms up quickly. She was tentative about the crate and the car at first, but may have never been in either one ever before. She seems a little anxious around other dogs, but calms down once she sees they mean her no harm. She is pretty quiet, and appears to be housetrained. She will cry to get out of her crate or go sit by the door when she needs to go out. She does have a high prey drive, so when she sees squirrels, etc. she gets very excited and wants to chase them.  Joy is not destructive and does not seem to be a chewer. I had her with me when running errands and she never got into anything in the car or chewed anything, she just waited patiently and quietly. For the most part she's a very quiet dog.  Joy is a sweetie and likes to get petted. She might give you a little kiss but she's not a big licker. She's also a really nice sized dog. It will take Joy a week or two to settle into a new home, but she will make a great pet.

According to www.dogbreedinfo.com, the first traces of a dog similar to the Basenji are found in Egyptian tombs and wall drawings of five thousand years ago. Also called the Congo Dog, it was brought to Europe in 1934. English breeders refined it and exported it all over the world. In Africa, it is used as a guide in the forests, to warn against the approach of dangerous animals, and as a very active pack-hunting dog of small game. The Basenji is alert, affectionate, demanding, energetic and curious. It loves to play and makes a good pet, as long as it is handled regularly from an early age. It is very intelligent, responds well to training with a strong desire to please. They can be reserved with strangers. The Basenji is somewhat aloof, but can also form strong bonds with people. It should not be trusted with non-canine pets. They are usually patient, but do best with older considerate children. The Basenji dislike wet weather. They like to chew, so giving them lots of toys of their own would be a good idea. The breed likes to climb and can easily get over chain wire fences. Basenji are very clever at getting their own way, they succeed less by obstinacy than by charm. It has the unique properties of not barking (it makes a low, liquid ululation instead) and of cleaning itself like a cat. It can be described as speedy, frisky, tireless at play and teasing the owner into play. Their strong desire to play can lead to behavior problems if left alone. Most Basenji problems usually involve a mismatch between owner and pet. The owners mistake the adjective "quiet' to mean inactive instead of noiseless; thus, they become harassed by an active, though relatively silent , dog. They have a life expectancy of 10-12 years.