I felt bad for him. I wish I could let him off his leash so he could chase after them, although then it would take me forever to get him back inside. It was rather entertaining to watch him hunt this squirrel down. His tail was wagging and he was fully concentrated on the location of the critter. I'd love to let him loose in the wild and see what he could catch. You can just tell these guys are meant to survive on their own. 
I used to take my previous 2 Basenjis in the 90s to this huge field that was 3 miles in diameter that was full of jack rabbits. One day they nabbed up to 5 in 1 hour. They couldn't catch them in a straight out run but if the rabbit stayed frozen hoping the dog wouldn't smell them and the dog got really close that was it. They would run crisscross over the whole field for an hour.
My first Basenji used to get huge rats and even a Pheasant. There would be these Pheasants in a field and you couldn't even see them because of the tail grass and she run out there full speed and they would start to take off and the Basenji would jump up in mid air and head butt the bird and it would lose flight, drop down and the Basenji would grab it right then. They don't play around when they're loose on the hunt. You have to be careful doing that and what kind of wild life there is.
So much fun..you should see Otis after a chicken, so far he has not caught one but it is getting close. The chickens have their own run, but don't think for a minute they stay there..no the grass is greener on the other side..so they fly into the backyard and the chase is on..
My Maggii hunted squirrels in the back yard… she would lay under the Apple Tree and watch and wait as they ran up and down the tree teasing her... then when they became a bit too bold... she would run up the tree, drag them down by the tail.. and well you know...they never knew what "hit" them....
My mentor and Maggii's breeder used to tell me I should put on the side on my RV little squirrel pictures with a circle and line through them each time she got one...gggg
My mentor and Maggii's breeder used to tell me I should put on the side on my RV little squirrel pictures with a circle and line through them each time she got one…gggg
LOL. I love that idea. So far Tilly has only managed to catch some mice, a rabbit the dobes brought back for her, and a long-dead deer leg. But she is a trier!
Mine caught a squirrel last year, I suspect that they worked as a pack when it came into the garden but I didn't actually see what happened, for which I am very grateful, more recently Rufus caught a pheasant, again in the garden, he had it by hits back and wouldn't let go, I had to hang him over the gate a shake him to get him to release it, it flew off for a short distance but died shortly afterwards. Our fox family had an easy meal that night.
I have no doubts that our B's could look after themselves in the wild if they had to!
Fiji's favourite past time in the winter is hunting mice in the house! When it is very cold in the winter they move in (under the floor generally), this involves pulling up the carpets, the least little noise and she is racing around like a mad thing, she has never caught one yet.
