Registration papers should be proof, but without DNA confirmation one can never be positive. I know a breeder (in another breed) who was getting old and a bit confused and I am sure some of her pups' parents were not accurately attributed, but the pups were purebred, just possibly from different sire. Coat colour can vary tremendously and it's more likely when it isn't a disqualification in the breed. If you are buying a dog described as purebred then there should be registration papers given to you. A DNA test should tell you whether the dog is Basenji or mixed with something else, if you really want to know.
Crating Question
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Way too much crate time if the pup is crated at night also. Mine gets the bed, and I can't say I or my partner can complain. She is a excellent foot warmer
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I agree, if you have to crate during the day, then the pup needs to be loose at night or it becomes way to much crate time
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I agree with the others who have posted - if crated that long during the day, your pup should be pretty much free for the rest of the time. You want him to really be able to bond with you. If you are concerned about the rest of your place at night (a roaming puppy can get into trouble!) then close your bedroom door once the two of you hit the sack. This has worked well for us.
Kipawa is not crated often, but even with that, we are a true pack at night. Kipawa has slept with us since day one. He sleeps both on top of or under the covers. He manages to cram me into very little space on the bed, but it is a small price to pay for a warm basenji.
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I would also add that sleeping in the bed is a privilege. This should hopefully not be an issue for a puppy, but if a dog behaves inappropriately (e.g. growling at humans in the bed or other dogs) that privilege can be taken away. I have one dog that has lost bed privileges recently because she behaves inappropriately towards my other dog during the night. For the meantime, she now sleeps in a crate beside the bed the majority of the night. Besides that, you still want the crate to be a comfortable place that they can sleep anytime if needed.
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Very cool
I'm looking forward to my Basenji foot warmer 
Thanks for the advice, all!
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Eh, one more question/consideration as I read more and more… should I be 100% sure the pup is housebroken before welcoming him into my bed, or will he better help me to learn his potty dance if he's in bed with me?
Hmm...
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You'll be waiting a while for the pup to be 100% housebroken. I've found that it is easier to have them in the bed at night during housebreaking. They tend to sleep through the night and don't need to go out as much as when they are sleeping in a crate. That's just my personal experience but I think some others here had noticed that as well.
Edit: and yes it is easier to tell when they need to go out if they are in the bed, particularly if you are a heavy sleeper like I am.
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suki slept with me from the first day, and woke me up when she needed to go out - she whined; i woke up. it didn't take but a week or so before she was sleeping through the whole night. now i have to drag her out of bed in the morning to go out before i go to work.
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now i have to drag her out of bed in the morning to go out before i go to work.
That is very typical of every single Basenji I have owned. They like to sleep in!
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it's such a blessing on the weekends!
