I have loved the look of basenjis for many years, more than I care to admit! Thanks very much to my grade 4 teacher who turned me on to the book, Good-Bye, My Lady. My grandfather was a hunter who always kept a black and tan coonhound and a Brittany spaniel so my teacher thought I would enjoy Good-Bye, My Lady. How right she was!
I've been a Doberman owner since 1981. Have owned many over the years (just 3 currently), shown them, finished champions, trained them, finished several obedience and rally titles, bred several litters and produced dogs titled in conformation, obedience, rally, nosework, agility, barn hunt and lure coursing. I've been the secretary of my local all-breed club for many years.
With all of this dog experience and knowing the right places to look for puppies (national breed club breeder referral, for eg), I'm still finding it difficult to find a basenji breeder! I've been finding that links to websites are dead, websites are horribly out of date (no litters planned for 2012, for eg), etc. I wasn't expecting it to be hard to find a breeder! That said, I see that there is a basenji specialty in my area in a few months so hopefully I can talk to some breeders there. I'm in Ontario, Canada fwiw.
In the meanwhile, I joined this forum and am doing some reading up on the breed to augment things I've learned about them over the years. Am also trying to look at various websites and study the standard. I see the win pictures but am not seeing yet what makes a basenji great like I can do with a Doberman. I can see in an instant whether a Doberman is a good one or not, but not there yet with a basenji.
Thanks for having a basenji forum. I've learned a lot on the various Doberman forums over the years.
Hello my fellow Canadian. I’m in Calgary and I currrently have 3 basenjis. I have seen basenjis for sale in Ottawa and Montreal over the years, mostly on Kijiji which leads me to believe they are mostly backyard breeders, but I did find a reputable breeder near Montreal a few years ago on the basenji club of Canada website. My breeder has puppies now but she is in Seattle. I flew there last year and flew home with my young pup. She is a nice lady, and she does all the necessary testing and she shows her dogs with very good results. If you are willing to fly to get one she. Would be a great option. She currently only has red and whites. Her name is Rita Webb and she is on Facebook. You could check her out and see pictures of the puppies. I know last year she sold lots of her puppies to Canadians. I can even send you her number if you are interested.
I have purchased long distance in the past, but that was when I was well established in Dobermans and knew who's who at the zoo. I'd rather not purchase long distance for my first basenji purchase. That said, I'm not stuck on having to buy right in Ontario. I've been looking at Michigan / NY / Ohio / Pennsylvania / Kentucky, etc. I'm not in a hurry. I'm going to take the time to try to get to know who's who in this breed so I can make an informed purchase. But thanks for your response!
Welcome to the forum. 
Most basenjis go into heat only once a year (early fall to mid winter) and most have already had their litters and pups have homes. But it won't hurt to contact the breed clubs nearest to you and contact breeders to get on their waiting lists for next year. If you aren't wanting to show, there's always a possibility of puppies that don't work out for showing or other reasons, so you can let the breeders know if you're interested in being on a list for older pups.
I have seen a lot of web pages without updates in other breeds also. A few breeders told me that they even took down their internet pages because of harassment by animal rights people. Many have moved their activity to facebook, so you might look for them there. Also, local clubs often keep their lists more updated. And, breeders here also may know which breeders are nearer to you.
As for long distance, find a mentor in the breed that you trust to help guide you. If a perfect pup came up, your excellent dog history will help, but your chances are going to be higher if you've made personal contacts.
I came from Rottweilers, btw. Not knowing the breeders, but the welcoming and genuine support from the Basenji breeders was a wonderful change. You may have breeders who are iffy about placing with Dobermans, lol. Soon you'll be able to tell them it's your poor Dobermans that need protection. My first 2 used my male Rottie as their personal chew toy. We actually locked them inside so he could play in peace.
@basenji4me Sounds like you are doing all the right things, don’t rush and you will find good breeders. I have always liked dobermans but once you have a Basenji it’s hard to get away from them lol. You will find breeders on here and people will direct you to other groups no doubt. Fanconi, hips, eyes and thyroid are the main health concerns although there are others.
Good breeders also breed for temperament, pups can be anywhere from mild and easy going to somewhat feral lol. A well bred basenji is well worth waiting for.
The best thing you can do is to hook up with a breeder, go to shows, let them mentor you... Where are you located? You can send me an email (addy is on my website, link below). I may be able to point you to a good breeder.
Hi. Fellow Ontario basenji owner here. Once you get to know basenji's and all their quirks you won't look at other dogs the same way. You are smart to go to some shows to meet with breeders and learn more about the breed. That way you can also find a breeder you're comfortable with. If you have questions you can always reach out to me. Depending where you are we might be able to meet up. Robin
I am from Ontario as well. Bouncing between Burlington and Waterdown. There is a fabulous breeder in Petawawa that will have a litter in late 2019. I have a 6 year old from her now and she is hands down the best basenji ever!! (OK...I am somewhat biased...and I haven't met any other basenji's). The breeders name is Sanda Allen and her company is Africanadian Basenji's. You can find her on Facebook for sure. She did have a website but I don't think it's been updated in years.
Try www.basenji.org for basenji info and try https://www.basenji.org/index.php/about-basenjis/breeder-directory
for Basenji Club of America Breeders.
Consider a rescue? https://www.basenjirescue.org/
Or maybe BCOC at http://www.basenjiclubofcanada.com/
Hello!
I am in Ontario too. I have tried to find a puppy last year in the same time and ended with an import. But this costs more than buy local.
I would ask https://www.facebook.com/africanadianbasenjis/ for future fall/winter litter..
With Basenji, the initial cost price is not that bad. When you consider that most of the time they are low maintenance, but still need to be seen by a vet occasionally for vaccinations, and a good vet, or insistence by me, they will check the pup/adult thoroughly. I have a 12yo, and she developed diabetes, but now she takes the injection of insulin twice a day, without snarling and snapping. I admit, she was definitely overweight, but now she has trimmed down she has responded to her diet and medications, very well.
As to a breeder near Columbus OH, that would be CarolAnn Worsham, I am not sure of her breeding program, or whether pups would be available, but ask. She would be a great mentor as well. She breeds Africans, with gentle natures, and a quirkiness that an African Basenji seems to ingrain into their personality.
Keep smiling, and ask questions as much as you like - you will always get someone to respond. You will learn so much.
Welcome to the forum.
Sorry you're having difficulty finding a pup. There is an imbalance between people looking for a Basenji puppy and available puppies. Basenjis don't have large litters, there aren't a ton of breeders, and there is only one heat a year. As a consequence the supply is somewhat limited. Plus, as I'm sure you're aware, breeding takes a lot of time, effort, and money. It's a labor of love more than anything.
That said, I'd be quite confident that you'll be able to find a puppy. As I'm sure you know from experience, most conscientious breeders care where their pups land. In your case that's a good thing because there is a chance you'll have your dog compete, which most would find desirable.
As for not being sure what a win looks like, judging is subjective. A loser on day one can win breed and class on day two. (Not only with dogs. I was reading today about how SnapChat has "pretty filters" that always turn eyes blue). It's easier of where the competition is performance based.
