Hi Pat,
I understand about having many Bitches together at the same time. They 'Synchronize'. Mares do this as do all females, but Mares are much bigger than a Basenji. One must tread lightly when the Mares are in Season as they get nasty; even the sweetest of them will throw a kick or try to bite.
My dog was born on December 23,1998. Her birth was in line with everything I have read about these dogs; the literature states that the breed usually has litters of 5 puppies which are always born in December. I also know why people 'Line Breed', they want to either improve the breed by breeding out negatives such as Fanconi which is a good thing, but more often they want to develop their Line that is slightly different from other Breeders dogs. How often do you add a new bloodline to your breeding program?
Anecdotal evidence has proven that Line Breeding has a negative impact on the animals, be it dogs, cats, or horses. Horses are the best example of Line Breeding resulting in disaster. There are only Two bloodlines available to breed the American Thoroughbred, and these horses are not better in any other Country. They are frail and they break down in Training, snap bones during races and it is horrible. I rescue off track Horses that have a chance of recovery through proper rehabilitation and management practices.
I understand what you are saying, I am merely reporting what I have read about the breed. I miss my 'Wild Thing' every day and I will get another if not this year, then next. I generally rescue animals; horses, dogs, cats and sometimes neutered male Omega Wolves that were dumped in the dog pound. My Basenji was the first and only animal I have ever paid for.
My little dog adored the Wolves and she imprinted on the first one and since then, she decided that Canines were inferior and she mimicked the Wolf's behavior. They engaged in Mutual grooming. Tiggy would wash the Wolf's face and ears. Then he stood up and returned the favor. The Wolves were 'Omegas' which means they were afraid of everything. They were incredibly gentle so I never had a problem with them.
I have also heard that some Amish are breeding Basenjis and that is a concern as they do not consider animals sentient beings, rather they are to be used to make money. Every Monday in New Holland, PA, the livestock auction has old Mules and Horses brought by the Amish simply because they want to get every last cent out of the animal. Horse slaughter is actually illegal by virtue of the Humane Slaughter Act of 1958. The USDA fails to enforce the statute. It is brutal as the horses and their cousins regain consciousness 30 seconds after being struck by the Captive Bolt or a .22 Caliber Rifle. There was some fool in Iowa that wanted to open DOG SLAUGHTERHOUSES to deal with the over population of dogs in the US. That clearly did not happen but one has to be aware of the World as a whole and how animals are treated in other Countries. I am worried about what is happening in the Congo, that area of the World is so unstable that the dog owners may be attacked and the dogs killed.
I do a lot of research and if you find what I say boring, it is tiresome to me! I have been fighting to make the Laws stronger to treat all animals better. Puppy Mills are a scourge that were created by the USDA during the Dustbowl. Those people have been breeding those dogs since the 1940's and there are 3 USDA Inspectors that have the task of inspecting all the dogs in the Mills. Those Mills should be shut down by USDA forever but when you see how crazy that Agency is, it will never happen. I have a Veterinarian on the Board of Directors of my Rescue; he is a former USDA Chief Inspector and he was a Whistleblower because the animals were not being treated humanely.
It all ties in and we love the animals and want to be sure that the best survive so there is no chance of losing a species. There are hundreds of species that are Endangered but the Endangered Species List is managed by the Fish and Wildlife Service which has been proven to be the most corrupt agency of them all.
Thanks for the information, and your dogs are gorgeous!
Antigone