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A
Review of the BASENJI STANDARD |
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prepared by the Basenji Club of America, Inc., 1991 |
(The official AKC standard given in italics)
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GENERAL APPEARANCE:
The Basenji is a small,
short haired hunting dog from Africa. It is short backed and lightly
built, appearing high on the leg compared to its length. It’s wrinkled
head is proudly carried on a well arched neck and the tail is set high and
curled. It is an elegant and graceful animal with a demeanor of poise and
inquiring alertness. A balanced structure and smooth musculature allows it
to move with ease and agility. |
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COMMENTS: The Basenji
combines strength and elegance with graceful lines and aristocratic
bearing. Gazelle-like grace is the hallmark of the Basenji. The dog is
lightly built, but not weedy. The deep brisket carries back to a definite
waist. Coarseness of body and heavy bone is to be avoided, as is excessive
size. The impression of a dog high on the leg compared to its length
cannot be over-emphasized. A dog with ample length of upper arm can have a
good depth of brisket and still appear high on the leg. The brisket should
come to the elbow and the upper arm should be about the same length as the
shoulder blade.
Basenjis are considered
sighthounds and several have won "Best in Field" in open competition with
all sighthound breeds. Basenjis are also scenthounds, and several have
earned tracking degrees and shown considerable aptitude in gundog field
trials. They are an ancient all-purpose breed and earned their dinner any
way they could. |
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CHARACTERISTICS: It is
barkless, but not mute. The wrinkled forehead, tightly curled tail, and a
swift, effortless gait are typical of the breed.
COMMENTS:
The wrinkled head and tightly curled tail set the Basenji breed apart. The
prick ears contribute to the alert appearance. The statement
referring to a gait "…resembling a racehorse trotting full out…" raised a
lively discussion for years. In good Basenji gait, the stride should
be long, reaching, |
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and
ground covering. It appears effortless and can be maintained for
great distances. Effortless grace is a better indication of good
movement than high speed in the trotting basenji. |
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SIZE, PROPORTION, SUBSTANCE: Bitches are 16 inches and dogs
17 inches from the ground to the top of the shoulder. Also, dogs should be
17 inches and bitches 16 inches from the front of the chest to the point
of the buttocks, making them a square dog. Bitches should weigh 22 pounds
and male 24 pounds approximately. They should be lightly built within this
height and weight ratio. |
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COMMENTS: The Basenji’s
proportions should be truly square with the height from the top of the
shoulders to the ground being equal to the distance from the front of the
chest to the end of the hindquarters. Long-bodied or short-legged dogs are
not desirable, nor are dogs that appear high behind. |
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When the first Basenjis were
brought from Africa, their offspring, benefiting from better diet and
care, grew larger than their parents. The height requirement in the
original English standard was then raised by one inch, the same height now
given in the American standard.
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Over the years there has been a tendency for Basenjis to become even
larger. Today, dogs two inches over the standard are frequently seen in
the ring. Correct-sized dogs and bitches are even passed over as being too
small. The standard has no disqualifications for size, but the optimum
heights are those stated. |
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HEAD:
Proudly carried. Eyes are dark hazel to dark brown, almond shaped,
obliquely set and farseeing. Rims are dark. Ears are small, erect, and
slightly hooded, fine textured and set well forward on the top of the
head. The skull is well chiseled and flat, of medium width and tapers
toward the eyes. The foreface tapers from eye to muzzle with a perceptible
stop. The skull is longer than the muzzle, with the muzzle being neither
snippy or coarse, but with rounded cushions. With ears erect, wrinkles
appear on the forehead and are fine and profuse. Side wrinkles are
desirable, but not exaggerated into dewlap. In tri-colors, blacks, and
brindles, the wrinkles appear less pronounced because of lack of
shadowing. A black nose is greatly desired. Teeth are evenly aligned with
a scissors bite. |
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COMMENTS:
The small, forward inclined prick ears, the fine, profuse wrinkles, and
the obliquely set eyes with the correct head shape combine to create an
attractive and distinctive head. Wrinkles appear when the ears are erect
and pricked forward. A female should look feminine and a male should
look masculine. Functionally, the structure is the same for both. The
smooth transition of the skull into the muzzle can be best illustrated
from above. |
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The head is seen as all one piece – the sides of the skull narrowing
slightly toward the eyes, the foreface tapering toward the shorter muzzle,
the muzzle neither coarse nor snipy. The well developed arch over the eye,
the brow, gives character to head by influencing width and placement of
the eye, and the shape of the muscles that attach to the jaw. Facial
contours are subtle but discernible. In profile, the muzzle continues in a
line parallel to that of the flat skull. |
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A domed or peaked skull or
muzzle are undesirable. Length relationship of muzzle to skull is
critical. The distance from the back of the head to the stop is greater
than that from the slight stop to the tip of the nose.
The far-seeing
expression of the eye is dependent on position, shape and angle. The color
of the iris is dark and the eyes should be small without being piercing or
button-like. Light eyes or round eyes are undesirable. |
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The tip of the ear should be
nearer the center of the skull than the outside base. In addition, the
ears are slightly hooded in that the tips are directed more forward than
the base. The orifice is to the front, cupped rather than opened flat. It
is the high set of the ears and the pricking forward when alerted that
produced the fine wrinkle and quizzical
expression so typical of the Basenji. Large and/or low set ears are not
desirable. |
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NECK, TOPLINE, BODY: Neck well
crested, of good length, and slightly full at the base of the throat. It
is well set into the shoulders. Topline - back level.
Body - balanced with a short back, short coupled and
ending in a definite waist. Ribs moderately sprung, deep to the elbows and
oval in shape. Slight forechest in front of the point of the shoulder.
Chest of medium width. Tail is set high on topline, bends
acutely forward and lies well curled to either side. |
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COMMENTS: The neck of good length provides
length to the muscle that extends from the head to the upper arm. It also
ensures maximum range of shoulder blade action, and promotes free forward
movement of the forelimbs.
The length of neck is increased by a blending
into laid back shoulders. A good length of neck, well-crested, allows the
dog more mobility and balance as well as enhancing the aristocratic
appearance. The throat is clean without loose skin and the base of the
neck is slightly full where it blends into the body. Note that a full
white collar can give the impression of a longer neck. Ewe necks and necks
that meet the withers abruptly without a smooth transition are
undesirable. |
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Proper chest development contributes to proper
movement. The dog on the left is too wide, the dog in the middle is too
narrow and the dog on the right is correct.
We emphasize that the Basenji should measure
square. Dogs with long backs or long bodies or short legs, all of which
create a long rectangular proportion, are not typical of the breed. |
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The Basenji should have a level back. Dogs that are naturally high in the
rear are often made to appear to have level toplines by stacking the hind
legs far out behind or very wide. Toplines should not roach or dip. The
specimen in this photo has forequarters set too far forward with a short,
vertical upper arm. It also lacks depth of brisket and is too long in
loin. |
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In the minds of some people, the most important aspect of the tail is that
it curl tightly, preferably twice. The curl itself is a superficial
virtue, with a double curl being the improvement over the original African
imports. |
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More
important than the degree of curl is the position where the root joins the
body. The tail should sit high in its relationship to the structure of the
croup, and then as a separate feature, the tail should curl tightly to one
side of the rump or the other. |
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FOREQUARTERS: The shoulder
blades and upper arms are approximately equal length. Shoulders are
moderately laid back. Elbows tuck firmly against the brisket. Legs are
straight with clean, fine bone, long forearm, and well-defined sinews.
Pasterns of good length, strong, flexible. Feet: Small, oval, and
compact with thick pads and well arched toes. Splayed or flat feet should
be heavily penalized. Dewclaws, while optional, are usually removed. |
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COMMENTS: A shoulder angle of about 30 degrees from the vertical
can be considered moderately laid back. The upper arm should be long, and
about the same length as the shoulder blade, and the elbow should be set
approximately under the tip of the shoulder blade as shown here.
Pasterns should not be weak
and sloping, nor rigidly upright nor knuckled over. In this photo of good
feet also note how thick the pads are. An oval, rather than a cat foot, is
required. Flat or splayed feet should be heavily penalized. The Basenji is
a hound and thin, open feet are subject to recurrent lameness. |
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HINDQUARTERS: Medium width, strong,
and muscular. Hocks are well let down and turned neither in nor out, with
the long second thighs and moderately bent stifles. Feet: Same as in "Forequarters."
COMMENTS:
The
key to the appreciation of correct Basenji hindquarters is the requirement
for moderate angulation. Over-angulated hindquarters overpower the front,
resulting in crabbing, pounding or other examples of movement imbalance.
Maximum propulsion without increasing angulation is achieved by ensuring
that the rear portion of the pelvis is long to provide ample attachment
for muscles that extend downward and draw the hind leg rearward. This
length creates the appearance of a shelf behind the highset tail. |
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The hocks
should be well let down for endurance. Beware of long hocks and short
second thighs. |
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Viewed from behind, the
column of bones from hip to pad should be straight. The hocks should
neither turn out nor in. Moving, the hind legs track directly behind those
of the front, converging toward the center of gravity as speed increases.
Single tracking is not uncommon at high speed. |
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COAT AND COLOR:
Coat is short and fine, and skin is very pliant. Colors are chestnut red;
pure black, tricolor (pure black and chestnut red); brindle (black stripes
on chestnut red); all white feet, chest, and tail tip. White legs, blaze,
and collars are optional. Amount of white should never dominate the base
coat color. Colors should be well-defined, rich, and clear, having a
distinct separation between the black and red of tri-colored and stripes
of brindles.
COMMENTS: The
skin texture is very important. It should be thin and elastic, yet strong.
Coarse skin cannot produce the fine profuse wrinkles characteristic of the
breed, while skin lacking in strength tears easily while the dog is
working in heavy cover. The texture of the skin should be tested gently by
simple stroking. The hair itself is silky but often somewhat stiff. This
hard surface collects little dirt.
The wording of the standard indicates that a
greater proportion of white than color is undesirable. Entirely white feet
are desirable. Areas of clear white are preferred. However, pigmented
spots of skin may be seen when a dog has a very thin coat.
The red color should be bright and rich,
sometimes with an orange cast, sometimes ranging more toward chestnut.
Areas of clear white or clear color are greatly desired. The standard does
not call for ticking or mixing of coat colors or sables. However, a few
black hairs on the back side of the ears or the inside of the curl of the
tail indicates the dog probably carriers the genetic factor to produce
tri-color offspring and much markings should not be penalized. Black hair
developing a mask on the faces of the reds or tries are not typical of the
breed.
On the blacks the color is a pure, glossy, jet
black with distinct demarcation between black and white. White or red
hairs interspersed with the black creating a grizzled effect is not
pleasing. The judge must look more closely to evaluate forehead wrinkle on
the black and white, tri-colored or brindle Basenjis.
The coat of the tri-color is as glossy and dark
as the black and white, with the addition of tan. From the standpoint of
most breeders, tan markings are desired above the eyes (pips), on the
muzzle, cheeks, inside the ears, legs, back of thighs, breeching, vent,
underside of the tail, and the lower outside portion of the legs between
the white and black.
The brindle should have a good rich chestnut base
color with strong black stripes over it. The colors should remain fairly
distinct to avoid a muddy, grizzled or sable effect. Such effects are
incorrect on any of the allowed colors. |
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GAIT: Swift,
tireless trot that is long, smooth, and effortless. The topline remains
level. Coming and going, the straight column of bones from shoulder joint
to foot and from hip joint to pad remains unbroken, converging toward the
centerline under the body. The faster the trot, the greater the
convergence.
COMMENTS : There
should be no bounce to the shoulders, and the topline should remain level.
Dogs should not appear to trot downhill. In the Basenji, the reach should
be efficient with good shoulder rotation and elbow extension. Excessive
action, or high or hackney action is inefficient and fatiguing. The rear
leg should reach well under the body while the follow through of the
driving leg should extend about twice this distance behind. Exaggerated
kick, which offers no additional propulsion, is only cosmetic and should
be avoided. In Basenji gait, overall balance and timing are of primary
importance. |
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TEMPERAMENT: Intelligent,
independent, but affectionate and alert breed. May be aloof with
strangers.
COMMENTS:
For
uncounted thousands of years the Basenji survived as a hunting dog. Great
importance must have been given to intelligence and adaptability for the
dog often worked out of sight of the hunters. At times the Basenji can
still be quite independent and aloof. It is alert and careful with
strangers, open and calm with friends, loving and solicitous with
children. When meeting
strangers, Basenjis prefer to make the first overtures and should not be
approached from behind. Although not high strung, the Basenji is an
alert, active, curious dog. Judges should not expect it to stand
motionless for long periods of time. |
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SUMMATION: The Basenji is a multi-purpose
dog which has survived thousands of years of intense natural selection
because of its intelligence and adaptability. It is balanced and light
footed, yet strong and enduring. It is elegant yet substantial. Ever proud
and alert, it is a dog that can look its master in the eye, a dog that can
bring pride to breeder, owner and judge alike. Older than a museum relic,
the Basenji is the personification of natural beauty. |
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