Help! Is my boy a Basenji?

[Quercus]

ummm…is he standing in water in that first pic? If so, NOT a basenji. Just kidding! The subsequent pics of him look more Basenji-like than the first one. He may have some Basenji in him, most likely you will never know But regardless, he is super cute!

[YodelDogs]

Short legs are a dominant trait so at least one of his parents had to have had them. Based on how heavy-boned the legs are, the body shape, and the coat texture, I would say one of his parents was possibly a Cardigan Welsh Corgi. The ears are too small and erect for a Cardigan and they also tend to carry their tails down. Corgis are herding dogs, by the way. I see no Dachshund or Border Collie in this dog. Could one parent be a Basenji? Maybe, maybe not. Both Cardigans and Basenjis come in black/tan but both have white "irish" markings. The lack of white markings on this dog throws me off a bit. If there is Basenji in this dog I don't think it was a purebred one. Either that or the possible Cardigan parent was a mix.

[Quercus]

He could also be a rat-terrier/jrt mix. That could account for all of the traits, short legs, basenji-look, etc.

[Kirsten]

@Quercus:

He could also be a rat-terrier/jrt mix. That could account for all of the traits, short legs, basenji-look, etc.

Yes, google "Decker Rat Terriers." They look very basenji-like, but are a bit shorter and heavier.

It's possible there's some basenji in your boy, but no way to tell for certain. He's a cutie!

[tlish]

no idea… but just wanted to say he's cute!

[Patty]

He could possibly have Basenji in him but i would say unlikely as the other mixes would cover what I can see in the pictures. However welcome to the forum - he's a lovely boy whatever.

[sinbaje]

Google 'lancashire heeler' and I think you might find your dog. :O)

[Marie Heidebrecht]

For what it's worth, if you don't mind spending a bit of money, you could have one of the mixed breed DNA tests done. I had my old shepherd mix tested and the results, although not without a bit of a surprise, all made sense. One of my vets and one of our clients also tested their dogs with similar results. The company we used is here: http://www.dnamydog.com/ They do include basenji in their breed list.
I know there are skeptics out there (I was one until I got Sassy's result), but it's a simple cheek swab and $60 and I don't regret doing it. I only wish that the test had been around when my (presumed to be) basenji X border collie mix was still alive!

[YodelDogs]

@sinbaje:

Google 'lancashire heeler' and I think you might find your dog. :O)

It certainly resembles one but those are extremely rare.

From the AKC website:
"The Lancashire Heeler is a rare breed, numbering only around 5,000 worldwide."

@Kirsten:

Yes, google "Decker Rat Terriers." They look very basenji-like, but are a bit shorter and heavier.

Deckers do not have thick, stumpy legs and a low-slung body like this dog has. There is a short-legged, long-bodied version of Rat Terriers called Teddy Roosevelt Terrier. I could see one of those as a parent of this dog.

*Disclaimer: This message was written B.C. (Before Coffee) and the author cannot be responsible for lack of clarity caused by cobwebs being interwoven through brain cells.

[Quercus]

@YodelDogs:

It certainly resembles one but those are extremely rare.

From the AKC website:
"The Lancashire Heeler is a rare breed, numbering only around 5,000 worldwide."

Deckers do not have thick, stumpy legs and a low-slung body like this dog has. There is a short-legged, long-bodied version of Rat Terriers called Teddy Roosevelt Terrier. I could see one of those as a parent of this dog.

*Disclaimer: This message was written B.C. (Before Coffee) and the author cannot be responsible for lack of clarity caused by cobwebs being interwoven through brain cells.

I was envisioning some sort of terrier mix, that at some point involved a short legged JRT

[Shaye's Mom]

His coloring is a lot like a tri basenji, but whatever he is, he is a really nice looking dog. I have a mix also, mostly basenji in her traits, but lots of extra skin around her neck, much thicker than a true basenji weighing 33 lbs. If her legs were shorter I'd definitely say corgi - yours probably has corgi in him.