Is my rescue mix part Basenji?

[Luckydog]

Hello, I have a 6-month-old rescue named Lucky and I was looking up why he doesn't shed and I came across this breed. The rescue place did not know what he is but he seems to look an awful lot like a Basenji. But his weight is 30 lbs, too heavy for a Basenji, but I thought if he was mixed then that may make sense. Also his front toes are not fused and he is able to bark. None the less I would love to know what you all think. Do you think he is part Basenji? Thanks for any feed back:)

[tanza]

@Luckydog Cute, could be a mix, however, note that Basenji DO Shed.... so that is not a real characteristic of the breed. Nor is when they say they are hypo-allergic, again NOT true. Basenjis have dander and do shed.

[giza1]

He is handsome, and he certainly could have some Basenji in him. 30 pounds is big for a Basenji, but not unheard of. How about water, does he like the water? Most Basenjis really don't like the wet.
-Joanne

[eeeefarm]

I'd like to see a side view of him standing. Basenjis are characteristically "square" and give the impression of being long in the leg. At 6 months he will still be growing. How tall is he now?

[tanza]

@giza1 - Not totally true for all Basenjis... Yes, some don't like the water, but not all... my C-Me took her first swim at 5 months chasing ducks... had no issue swimming. My Franie love the hose and chasing the stream of water getting soaked...

[giza1]

Oh I know, it's certainly not a trait that could be used to determine purebreded-ness, but most Basenjis don't like the water. Mine don't like to walk on the grass if the dew is too heavy!

[Luckydog]

Thanks for all the info. He is 12'' tall and he is not a fan of water. Baths have been a struggle and even though he is smart, getting him to come when I call consistently is too:) Also he was born with that short tail.

[giza1]

Oh he's not that tall. Did they tell you he was born with that tail? It kind of looks docked to me. And just because he doesn't come when you call has nothing to do with how smart he is, trainability and intelligence are NOT the same thing, in fact they're almost opposite. Because your dog does not come when you call him, DO NOT call him unless you can MAKE him come (ie: on a leash). Otherwise, you're just teaching him to ignore you.
-Joanne

[Luckydog]

Ha! That is great advice, thanks:)

[eeeefarm]

I'm not sure what I think. His height is less than I expected from his weight, and he certainly doesn't look fat. Not coming when called is something that many owners would say is a Basenji trait!

[DebraDownSouth]

Okay he's cute, I certainly wouldn't be surprised if a mix... but without a DNA test, no way to really tell.

Barking... well basenjis bark, but for most it is a single Boof.. pause... booof. Not the bow wow wow rhythm of other dogs.

Oh shedding... they shed but nothing like my other breeds. We get a shed out in early summer. Otherwise, unless sick, not much shedding.

I have only had 3 basenjis... they all hated water, one so much that getting her to potty if the ground is we is a serious issue.