I have read in several 'standards' for Basenjis (or articles, I can't remember) that said, and I quote:
"A clear way to tell if a Basenji feels something is a threat or prey is when it circles around the object/person/animal. Usually this happens with animals in packs, but Basenjis do not have to be in a pack to circle around their prey. When they are circling, usually they are determining how to kill the threat or prey, and they will also do this to humans with whom they are unfamiliar."
Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basenji (among others)
I can't wait to see Tucker circling on of my friends. If they ask what he's doing, I'll simply tell them, "Oh nothing, he's just trying to figure out how to kill you…"
Those of you following this thread, I have another question, since it involved biting... Every morning, after our walk, I put Tuck outside and give him a Kong to occupy him while I leave. I prepare the kong with a load of "Stuff'n" (squeeze cheese whizz liver paste orpeanut butter flavored stuff) that I freeze overnight to keep him occupied for a little bit longer. Now I KNOW that he knows I'm the boss, but sometimes, when I toss the kong and miss his crate, I'll go to get it again and he's protecting it, as in, he acts like he'll bite me if I try to take it away (trust me, I know the signs when it comes to getting bitten myself!) for repositioning. (I feel that I need to explain this silly portion...if I leave the kong on the deck, he'll eventually roll it off the edge and then I have to pull a Jeff Corwin in the massive bushes below to get it back!) This happened just this morning and it only happens every so often, like maybe once a month. Because it's so infrequent, it always shocks me and my instant result is fear, simply stated, of getting bitten. So I have to step back and call him to me, pet him a bit, and then reach for the kong. I've read and seen vids that this means he DOESN'T acknowledge me as the 'pack leader'. I should be able to take it away from him at any time. Is this correct? Am I suffering from an illusion that I am the 'pack leader' when I really am not? It's this way with most everything he steals. I simply call him off, then pick it up. I never try to just take it away as a 'pack leader' should be able to. But he ALWAYS backs off when I verbally tell him to, dropping whatever it is, even if it's yummy people food.
I assume that I am 'managing' the situation correctly, but if I believe everthing I read and see, I'm still NOT the 'pack leader'. Is this the case? If so, should I work with him more on this, randomly taking those types of things away? When it comes to socks, thongs, tissue and toys, the 'take away' isn't a problem (I can just take it from him). Food and a tasty kong is another story.