My kids' breeder has done it both ways - named the pup and given the new owners the theme and let them come up with a name including the theme word.
When I got my pup Aaliyah she was from the "One" litter. Her registered name came from the moment she was born - The Chosen One - because she was her dam's favourite/"chosen one". She still has that "chosen one" air about her :rolleyes: - so remember with basenjis, they many times live up to the name you give them.
Thanks so much for the information. Perhaps when I go to choose my puppy I can let the breeder know what call name I want and she can call my dog by that so he is already used to it at the 10 week mark.
I usually don't know which puppy is going to which home until they are about 8 weeks old. It takes me that long to get to know them so I know what sort of home they will fit into. Once I know who is going where, I am happy to start calling them by their new names. I do give all my pups baby names so when I am talking about them they are easier to talk about.
Thanks so much for the information. Perhaps when I go to choose my puppy I can let the breeder know what call name I want and she can call my dog by that so he is already used to it at the 10 week mark.
You can change the call name of a dog pretty easily, so even if you have to wait till 10 weeks to call the pup by your name, it shouldn't be a problem. Zoni's baby name was Fleur right up until I got her and she was responding to her new name very quickly after I got her.
Oh, and I forgot. Congrats on the prefix. Sounds very basenji appropriate. 
Thanks guys, Im still buzzing :).
In Australia registering our pups name is quite different. We must have them registered by a certain time, and I think its at about the 6 month mark. All our registered dogs MUST have the kennel prefix at the beginning of the dogs name, then the rest of the name, totalling 31 letters and spaces, max. We cannot put into the registered name anyone elses prefix whether its registered from here in Australia, or from overseas. If you import a dog, it is allowed to keep its registered name, though. We arent allowed to co-breed a litter at all. All we can do is lease a bitch, have the litter and then register the pups in the prefix of the person who leased the bitch. So for me its been interesting to see the different combinations of registered names from your American system.
Personally I have always picked the registered names of my pups, then allow the new owners to name their pup the call name they want. Im so anal about the names, if I wish I could give them their call names as well 
Call names the owners pick, but as Lisa pointed out, very rarely before 8wks do I know what puppy will go to what home.
My kennel name is used at the beginning of the name or if co-breeding as I have done with lvoss we use both kennel names, example being Sophie is Kinetic-Tanza Soul Music. Most breeders either use a litter theme (I have not) but with my two new pups, Wanda did use a theme based on the fact that her and the sire owner had to have an "emergency" meet up for an additional breeding… Thus the names of the pups - AB Tanza Life In The Fast Lane, AB Day Trip To Tanza-Jamaa, AB Service While You Wait..... My other girl, no theme, I picked the name but still has both Kennel names, the breeders and mine. Klassic Tanza Color Me Tri
Note also that many times if a breeder buys a puppy from another breeder, both breeders kennel names will be incorporated into the puppy's name. So for my pups usually I give the new owners suggestions, but for the most part they can pick the name as long as I agree.... I refuse to have names like Poor Dumb Clyde (and yes that is a registered name of a Basenji)
Saba - Interesting the number of letters allowed in Australia, in the UK we are only allowed 24 (that includes the affix). Tanza - do you have a maximum allowed by the US Kennel Clubs?
In the US it is 30 on the registation form, however recently changed is that if you "pay" extra you can have one up to (I think) 36 letters/spaces.
Patty, I do have to confess to making a widdle bit of a fib :o… Its actually 30and I dont think I said, it also includes our prefix, AND the spaces as well. So its not actually the letters coming to a total of 30, but letters and spaces as well... Not sure if I have written that very well, so I hope you understand what Ive written :o...
Tanza, thats interesting about being able to 'pay' for extra letters… Would see hell freeze over before that happens down under :D... Took us years and years of hard work and slog to only just recently be allowd the 30... A further increase in the number will never happen in my lifetime, quite possibly not in my kids lifetime either :p...
