I was looking at the pictures of the rescue dog Miles and just love how big and square his head is. I think males look really good like that.
I was wondering if this is considered a breed standard or is it considered off standard?
or is all to the judge of the day to decide?
Miles is a faboulous dog either way and think realy he looks great!
they were very lucky to get a dog thats great looking and has such a great personality.
He does have a nice head. The day he was freed from the pound(thanks BDawg:D) my wife decided to try and stack him(show pose) and he seemed to had done it before. We think he may have been shown at one time in his life.
I agree, he's is just too good looking a dog. His previous owner is a real POS too to let a fine animal like that suffer. At least it has a happy ending.
I would love to have a dog as cool as Miles. Our next dog, I would love to get a rescue.
I agree, he's is just too good looking a dog. His previous owner is a real POS too to let a fine animal like that suffer. At least it has a happy ending.
I would love to have a dog as cool as Miles. Our next dog, I would love to get a rescue.
We don't know much about his past other than he was running the streets when they found him and looked like he had been for quite some time.
He was very smart IMO and someone had certainly worked with him before.
Seeing him end up with such a great situation is one of the more rewarding things I've ever been lucky enough to have been a part of.:)
Miles is a FANTASTIC dog! 
How cool to see a thread about him posted by someone other than his biggest fan- me!
I always thought Lexi was the most beautiful Basenji. And she is, in her own way. But I can't help but think that Miles is the most handsome Basenji- he just looks right. Lexi has a much smaller head and smaller body and her proportions are differently scaled. Miles is a handsome little devil, he is! He was definitely someone's pet- he knew too much when we got him… Ex: When the pound brought him out, Gail and I had treats for him. I asked him to sit down... and he did. Then I held out my hand and asked him to shake and he did. Things like that. He was pretty much already house broken so we can figure he was an inside dog when he had a home. He also SPRUNG into the bed trying to get under the covers when it was bedtime. He was definitely loved by someone at some point. And BasenjiBoy (and wife) DID stack him and he seemed to know what he was doing and didn't fight to move. He is very laid back like that. I did have another weird experience-- I had flipped the TV to some dog show and Miles was curled up with me on the couch. The minute the dogs came out and the crowd went wild, he perked up and looked at the screen like he knew that noise... very similar to if you say "kitties!" to Lexi... It was the strangest thing.
But yes... we are extremely lucky to have found such a wonderful addition. I had his collar waiting for him for a month. My husband thought I was nuts- who buys a collar (coordinating collar to be exact) for a dog they don't even have?? hahahah...
I always thought he looked showey too…
So it's a consensus… Miles IS a handsome devil!! 
mwhahahahahahah!
He looks like the dogs from a particular kennel in that area. Was he every checked for a microchip?
He did not have a microchip nor was he tattooed. Nearly every day we still wonder how someone could let such a great guy get away…
Was it an elderly couple who let him escape out the door and who aren't savvy enough to use the internet? Surely it wasn't that he wasn't loved... But I don't understand how with all today's technology, if you wanted to find him, you didn't.... His mugshot was on the first page of Petfinder for pete's sake! Maybe he was picked up several times and ended up being a zillion miles from 'home'... He had been on the run for a while- he was in pretty bad shape. But he was well loved for at least part of his life- he is pretty trained, and obviously came from a reputable breeder (no dewies)... I just can't understand. I ask him all the time if he misses his other home... I think the person who really loved him was male. When we first brought him home all he cared about was my hubby. He'd totally follow him around and just gaze at him, ready to do his bidding. He only wanted to snuggle with hubby, etc. I was like, "WHAT?! You DO realize that I saved you with MY money and that Daddy had to be convinced to let ME do so... right?? You didn't even come from Joint Checking!!" And the first night when he and Lexi got into a fight that drew blood, I thought OMG, what have I done? But hubby had done a 180-- he was like, no, he's a good dog and he'll work out, etc. -A far cry from the "I don't want another dog at all, I'm only doing this for you" he was saying just the day before (which was crap bc I knew he would love another dog).
Anyways, what kennel is up there? I wish we knew something about his former life… Let's take guesses at what transpired...
Your right, a great dog like Miles is prabably a run away or escaped on vacation or something. No one in there right mind would just abandon such a great dog, obviously well bred & trained.
I saw a show on animal planet rescue stories where a lady found a stray dog, felt in her heart, it was someones dog and spent two years contacting vets, breeders ect in there area, then in the state. It took two years and was about to give up, when someone she called- the person overheard someone else talking about their sister's missing dog that sounded just like her dog. It turned to be the dog's owner after 2 years!
The person who lost the dog said it ran away, could not find it, then they moved.
And then the question becomes… Do you feel obligated to give 'your' dog back to the previous owner after that long... IMO, Milesy's MINE!!! MWHAHAHAHHA
Here is my opinion of a great bitch head….. correct sized ears that are "hooded", however they could be a tad higher set of the head... and she could use a little side wrinkle
and here is a male head, note again the ears are hooded… I think more then size we are loosing the "hooded" ears that the standard calls for....
None of my Bs have had the "hooded" ears. Of course–Max was pet quality, and I'm not sure what Tyler and Zoey are. But I really love the standing up straight ears.
Here's what the AKC has to say:
Head
The head is proudly carried. Eyes–Dark hazel to dark brown, almond shaped, obliquely set and farseeing. Rims dark. Ears--Small, erect and slightly hooded, of fine texture and set well forward on top of head. The skull is flat, well chiseled and of medium width, tapering toward the eyes. The foreface tapers from eye to muzzle with a perceptible stop. Muzzle shorter than skull, neither coarse nor snipy, but with rounded cushions. Wrinkles appear upon the forehead when ears are erect, and are fine and profuse. Side wrinkles are desirable, but should never be exaggerated into dewlap. Wrinkles are most noticeable in puppies, and because of lack of shadowing, less noticeable in blacks, tricolors and brindles. Nose--Black greatly desired. Teeth--Evenly aligned with a scissors bite.
I forgot to mention–yes--I agree--that Miles is a handsome devil. And I loved following the story of Miles and BDawg and BasenjiBoy. It just warms my heart to hear stories like this that have such happy endings. Oh--and that Lexi is a little beauty, too. Such lucky dogs.
Here is my opinion of a great bitch head….. correct sized ears that are "hooded", however they could be a tad higher set of the head... and she could use a little side wrinkle
Very pretty head…particularly the shape of the eye, and the size and set of the ears
BDawg-they would have to pry that dog from your dying hands 
I know you would never give up Miles …and I don't blame you one bit :eek:
This is a pic of my Baron's head. (Sorry its so small but enlarging it made it blurry.) This boy oozes masculinity. He possesses many of the traits that are becoming hard to find such as hooded ears, cushions, side wrinkle, perceptible stop, and muzzle shorter than skull. The nice wrinkle and pleasant expression adds to his appeal. Yep, I love this boy's head.
His ears are relaxed in this pic but it shows his wrinkle and sidewrinkle better than the above pic.
Wow that is a great looking male!
He looks totally different than Miles
I never realized how varied Basenji's can be till I came here. At dog shows most look the same, sometimes you will find one that is a true vintage looking basenji- smaller ears, lots of wrinkles & tougher looking over all.
But I love them all
I have Baron's brother Nicky, their niece Rally, and her daughters Rio and Sophie. Around here I see lots of variation in the heads in the show ring. I think when it comes to heads there is a lot of different interpretations of just what the standard means.
