Im just wondering what others do to prepare their Basenji for the show ring. Other than trimming the tail up what else do you do?
Do you put any chalk on the legs to whiten them?
Do you trim the ear hairs?
Any tips would be great.
It's kind of a touchy subject with some people as they feel that Bs should be left as natural as possible but.. this is what I do.
-Bath with White on White (chris christensen) and Plush Puppy - Natural All-Purpose Shampoo with Henna. I bathe him a few days before.
-Dremel nails
-Trim tail, ears and any little fly away hairs. I use tiny clippers because I'm clumsy with scissors. Some people use thinning shears or curved scissors.
-I trim whiskers.. not everyone does
-I chalk him a little bit but not all the time. He's pretty white and doesn't really need it and I hate doing it. I watched the breeder do it a few times and now do it on my own. It's important not to overdo it. You don't want the judge (or yourself!) covered in chalk.
-Spray with Plush Puppy's finishing spray
I've seen some exhibitors do more than that.
I would contact your breeder to see how they like their dogs done and see what products work for their dogs. With my first dog I just bathed, trimmed tail/whiskers and dremeled his nails and we did just fine!
Im just wondering what others do to prepare their Basenji for the show ring. Other than trimming the tail up what else do you do?
Do you put any chalk on the legs to whiten them?
Do you trim the ear hairs?Any tips would be great.
No ear trims… tail if really bushy... yes.... just a bath, trim the nails and off you go....
I do NOT trim whiskers... never.... and agree, contact your pups breeder for pointers... Who is your pups breeder?
Thank you. My breeder just trims the tails up and any flyaway hairs. I was just looking to see what others do as well. I used to show standard schnauzers and everyone had a different way of doing things with that breed as well.
It's all preference. Your breeder may prefer that you don't do whiskers and don't chalk so I'd ask to be sure. 
It depends on the dog, I never chaulk, for Tempests show this weekend she will get a bath with bright white shampoo Thurs and a dremel, that is it for her, when Gambit showed I trimmed the tail a bit with curved shears as she has a bushy tail. We will be coursing each day after the show, if she has to go back for group I will wipe her down with a wet cloth to get the field dust off her.
I trim tails, whiskers. I do chalk then finish with a shine spray or wipe.
