Page 271 - Showsight February 2013

Judging the BasenJi
By Marianne Klinkowski
Judges Education Coordinator, Basenji Club of America The Basenji is one of
only a few breeds on
earth in which healthy
populations of indig-
enous native stock can
be accessed and bred
into AKC domestic populations. The
American Kennel Club has allowed us
to re-open our stud book on a temporary
basis and incorporate carefully selected
and rigorously evaluated native African
Basenjis into our breeding programs.
Several expeditions composed of intrepid
Basenji fanciers have already made the
long trek to central Africa to bring back
native Basenjis and more deep-jungle
safaris are currently planned. This is an
exciting time for Basenji enthusiasts and
judges alike who are intrigued by these
enchanting African imps.
This is an ancient breed, long prized
as silent hunters by tribesmen in remote
areas of central Africa. The hunting dogs
lived in the villages with the families,
played with the children and slept in the
huts at night. Living in isolation, the dogs
would be protective of the villagers and
naturally aloof with strangers.
A typical hunt takes place in the dense
jungle where long nets are stretched out
by experienced hunters who wait with
sharpened spears for approaching game
flushed by the pursuing dogs. Basenjis do
not hunt in organized packs but are more
like independent contractors who move
at breakneck speed through virtually
impenetrable brush, wearing hand- fash-
ioned hunting bells around their necks
so the hunters can track the individual
dogs at all times. Their working gait is a
series of lightning fast leaps and bounds
through tangled undergrowth and the
dogs must be small and agile enough to
traverse the jungle yet strong enough to
push through nearly impassable thickets
when necessary, while not getting hung
up in the dense cover.
When you judge the Basenji, you will
be looking for a dog which is not only
capable of performing his ancestral duties
but of surviving the experience as well.
The Basenji standard was well-written to
describe such a dog, a natural hunter.
When a class enters your ring, your
first impression should be that of square,
fine-boned, leggy dogs with the grace
of gazelles. The clumsy, cloddy Basenji
should not make it past your first cut.
Toplines should be level, necks should be
well-arched, curly tails should be high-set,
angulation should be moderate and bal-
anced and front fill is a necessity.
Movement is light and effortless and
should put you in mind of a highly-bred
Thoroughbred horse joyfully skimming
the earth while out for an afternoon jaunt.
“When you judge the Basenji,
you will be looking for a dog
which is not only capaBle of
performing his ancestral duties
But of surviving the
experience as well.”
ShowSight Magazine, February 2013 • 267