• All my Bs (3) have had the cloven paws. Max was from a different line than Tyler and Zoey. Tyler and Zoey are father/daughter. My german shepherd mix did not have this cloven paw. When I had to have Max put to sleep last year, I had a stepping stone made with the imprint of his paw in it–and you can clearly see it was cloven. I was so happy I had that done--it is a wonderful keepsake. I also have his ashes in a beautiful wood box (urn) that has two photos of him laser engraved on it. It turned out just beautifully.


  • @Barklessdog:

    I have read about some dog parks were basenji's and other trouble breeds are not allowed.

    Not to doubt you, but I have never heard this or heard of the basenji being a "trouble breed" like chows, pits, or agressive dogs (I like both chows and pits:) nothing against them) I have never heard them lumped into the same category. Although I heard that years and years ago that some lines were tempermental.
    In fact, most people dont even know what a basenji is, or only think the dog looks familiar and then say "oh yeah" when you say it is a B.

    However, Bs are trouble in their own way:p


  • Yes it is strange. Although it might be true in your area, its to bad 😞
    I have met about 10 different Basenji's at the dog parks around here and only one out of ten would nip at the other dogs. (My boyfriend goes more often and has met 19 B's!) His name was mongo "from the congo" but now that he's been neutured he;s really good and had calmed down at the dog park.


  • @Corinna:

    They're indeed connected, Jill. I wonder if the paws' look depends on what bloodlines they come from?

    Probably. Daisy is a mix, 50% B and best guess 50% beagle. 😃 But it's a "cloven paw". Never thought to look until it was brought to mind here.

    @ChristyRutherford:

    but I have never heard this or heard of the basenji being a "trouble breed" like chows, pits, or agressive dogs

    I had a chow mix and had trouble finding a groomer for him. I had to convince them his mix was very docile, which he was. His fur was like the chow's and he desparately needed maintenance. :eek: We drove miles to the same groomer for years.


  • After going off topic many times (it should be owners are like their dogs!)

    In the beginning of the thread several people stated their other breed dogs had the same paws, could you post pictures of them?

    I'm going to stick to my paw theory till some one shows me another breed with the same paws. Looking at the other basenji pictures only re-enforces what I had been told or read.

    Show me I'm wrong that basenji paws are unique. Show me those paws that are the same as a basenji's.

    Also do all dogs paws smell like Frito's, like the basenji's? (oops going off topic again!)


  • One of my good friends has a Thia Ridgeback and he has the "cloven" paw. I can try and get a pic of it for you. I wonder if it is more common in the newer "domesticated" breed. As the Thai Ridgebacks are newer breed to people outside Thailand. And like the Basenji are still today can be found as a sense a wild dog in the country.


  • @WBL:

    As the Thai Ridgebacks are newer breed to people outside Thailand. And like the Basenji are still today can be found as a sense a wild dog in the country.

    I didnt know there was a "Thai" dog. Cool, I just looked them up on the internet.
    I went to thailand last year and was amazed at the dogs that roamed there. They all had a basenji quality. I think it was the ears and the mouth. I didnt take many pictures of them because the ones I saw were very thin and "wild" some of them were hurt and none of them could be pet. It was very sad. They were more like squirrels there, not a pet. (not all of them, but the street dogs were).
    It made me very sad and I had to do alot of mental blocking when I would see them, they all looked like a close relative of my Squiggy.
    I read about them before I went and the guides warned us, but it was still shocking to see a dog not as someones pet.
    Sorry off track, Squiggys back feet paws are joined but not the front (but I will double check)


  • From what little I know about Thai dogs (all dogs there as a whole) is they are kinda owned, meaning a lot do have family, but they more sustain themselves by hunting thier own food and are not fed by "thier" humans. They pretty much come and go as they please, wander home at night, etc


  • @WBL:

    From what little I know about Thai dogs (all dogs there as a whole) is they are kinda owned, meaning a lot do have family, but they more sustain themselves by hunting thier own food and are not fed by "thier" humans. They pretty much come and go as they please, wander home at night, etc

    Most of the ones I saw couldnt have been. They were very thin, wild acting, and many were very wounded, some with very bad open infections, most with mange, there are a few that stick out in my mind, but I wont go into detail. I still get sick at thinking about some of them.

    The temple dogs were better, the monks somewhat took care of them. and a few of the guest houses we stayed at the families had pets and they were like they are here. Some of the market homes had pets and they were taken care of.
    But to see the wild ones was just sad.

    But it was very horrible conditions.


  • **Here is Jacks Front Paw

    And back Paw

    Im not so sure that he has "cloven" paws…maybe he is just weird...lol**


  • Sandies pads are normal… i had read a article about the pads being that of a jackle quite some time ago... now i see not even all basenji's have this unique pad...
    Had to comment on the feet smelling like frito's.. this i had to laugh about, since i complain about sandies feet stinking like that also... i wash them and in no time the smell is back...
    also i was wondering i notice most "B's" toenails are white... sandies is both white and black, but since shes a mix i figure its because of that...
    sorry gettin off subject of pads...
    Is funny how sandie looks like a B.. acts like a B.. makes the noises of B's
    stinky feet evidently like b's... Basenji must have been the domainate breed in her situation...too bad she didnt retain the small statue of the basenji... i guess she got the size from her dad... grrrrrrrr... If only i knew what he was


  • Hmmmm, Jazz and Keoki's feet don't stink…and certainly don't smell like Fritos. LOL . . . they just smell like the dirt and dust in the yard.

    Why WOULD they stink?

    Neither of my dogs have any peculiar smell about them, except when Keoki gets his veggies, LOL.


  • My dogs all have connected pads, and all smell like Fritos!


  • My boy has cloven pads too, always thought it was weird, interesting to see it might be a B thing. His feet never smell bad just "earthy" and yes sometimes like Fritos. I always say he smells like corn and Fritos main ingredient is corn!


  • I would guess it is either a more "primitive" thing, or else a "closely related genetic thing" (domestic stock basenjis are all down from less than 14 original dogs)….It would be interesting to know if Basenjis imported from Africa have the connected toe pad thing.


  • I have English Toy Spaniels. I’m not sure if what you are referring to as cloven/joined pads are the same as what we refer to as fused toes in our breed. It is not considered a fault or a deformity, but a trait of our breed. I’ve also been curious if there are other breeds with this trait.

    Of the 4 English Toy Spaniesl I’ve had, 2 have had fused toes. They are not always on all feet. The dog in this photo has fused toes on 3 of his 4 feet - but not all toes are fused, and those that are fused are not fused in the same way.
    0_1531453709254_06463787-EEFE-4477-A181-59310DFDB394.jpeg


  • We have this discussion every few years. Some have the connected toe pads, some don't.

    As for international one... you'd need to touch bases with the people involved in bringing them and maybe Dr. Jo.

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