I have found that there are several basenji body types that are common…
short and stocky, long and lanky, and the slender sleek basenjis with the almost greyhound look about them with gigantic ears. I am sure they are all variations within the breed standard, maybe some have more african blood than others.
Beta, my girl was alwasy 19lbs from 1-1/2 years through adulthood. She was a small basenji compared to the other girls she played with.
I believe boys should not weigh more than 25lbs for the breed standard. Caesar is 24lbs. and has been that weight all of his adult life.
If I remember correctly, after they are 7months or fixed they tend to look like string beans for a while or gangly teenagers. Then they start filling in or building muscle.
Cairo weighed 15.9lbs at his neuter date (almost 6months). He is still smaller than Caesar but proportioned like a mini b. All of his teeth are finally in. I have noticed that his head has gotten larger, but his chest is still small. I have also noticed that now he will eat more food than before so I expect another growth spurt is coming.
The basenji standard describes the ideal basenji, it does not have maximums or minimums in it. The general rule of thumb with height is +/- an inch. So girls should be between 15-17 inches and boys between 16-18 inches.
I dont know the actual breed data, thanks for adding it:)
and here is what I pulled off of the AKC.org page about the basenji….
Basenji Breed Standard
Hound GroupGeneral Appearance
The Basenji is a small, short haired hunting dog from Africa. It is short backed and lightly built, appearing high on the leg compared to its length. The wrinkled head is proudly carried on a well arched neck and the tail is set high and curled. Elegant and graceful, the whole demeanor is one of poise and inquiring alertness. The balanced structure and the smooth musculature enables it to move with ease and agility. The Basenji hunts by both sight and scent. Characteristics–The Basenji should not bark but is not mute. The wrinkled forehead, tightly curled tail and swift, effortless gait (resembling a racehorse trotting full out) are typical of the breed. Faults--Any departure from the following points must be considered a fault, and the seriousness with which the fault is regarded is to be in exact proportion to its degree.Size, Proportion, Substance
Ideal height for dogs is 17 inches and bitches 16 inches. Dogs 17 inches and bitches 16 inches from front of chest to point of buttocks. Approximate weight for dogs, 24 pounds and bitches, 22 pounds. Lightly built within this height to weight ratio.
The show dogs or lure coursing basenjis I have seen are extremely muscular and have been exercised to perfection….super beautiful....
My girl was light and small but very robust in her chest and rear. She was a puppymill dog and appeared to not develop properly like a normal puppy. She appeared to have been in a cage too small to stand up in.
But, she was a constant 19lbs without any chub. I always tried to keep both inbetween 20-25lbs and considered anywhere in there healthy. I like to see a narrower area behind the ribcage in the back section and keep them exercized enough to see some muscle in their back legs. That was my way of keeping them at the right weight. I never free feed my basenjis and they always eat all of their food.
Beta never had the potential to chub up but caesar could easily be a fatty if free fed, even with exercise.
I feed Cairo seperately so I can give him more food if he will eat it since he is growing.
Please keep us posted on your puppy's weights and ages so we can see what the real norm is out there....
We have Juma who is a 5 month old riot out here in Seattle.:)
The show dogs or lure coursing basenjis I have seen are extremely muscular and have been exercised to perfection….super beautiful....
Please keep us posted on your puppy's weights and ages so we can see what the real norm is out there....
I had to grin at that. Jazzy won her championship, but it sure wasn't thanks to being exercised to perfection. Slept her way there, maybe. LOL And we've always struggled to keep her weight at 21 lbs. She chubs up so easily.
But of course, she IS super beautiful. 
Keoki is 5 mos today, and weighed in at 17 lbs. He is almost as tall as Jazzy now, and pretty lean. He's at that "all leg" point in his development.
wow really? Cairo is 6month and around 16lbs and a lot smaller than Caesar…he hasnt hit that long lanky stage yet...
anyone else around 6months and have that string bean look?
Kobey was 5 months on May 31st…. weight was 18lbs... and yes he is a little porkey... time to start to slim him to show weight.... but I would rather have a little "fat" on puppies in case they get sick... Been there, done that.....
He also had his first puppy match last Saturday and did really well, he was best opposite to best of breed....
Congrats to Kobey!
wow, that is great!
