Skip to content

Heavy basenji!

Basenji Talk
  • From the pictures she looks like she has some weight to lose. You should be able to see a waist in the overhead shot. She also doesn't have a visible tuck up and I would guess her ribs are not easily palpable.

  • She does look fairly heavy, I would also trim her down. I don't see a tuckup, or a waist. Sorry! Maybe if you take a look at some of the other pics on here and compare, you should see a difference.

  • I'd agree - she does seem a little chunky past the ribcage. How much does she get fed?

  • Miles is built the same way– Looks like maybe losing a few pounds would be good. Especially since she's so young. Is she active? Do you take her jogging or anything?

  • I would say she has a few lbs to lose…

  • She looks more muscular to me, pretty powerful shoulders/upper leg area…muscle does weigh more than fat. Hard to tell without actually feeling the dog. Go for a lot of walks/hiking on steep/varied ground etc could cause that.

    But hey, what do I know. =)

  • Her tail is just like my Zak's. :) Zak was kind of a big boy too at one time weighing as much as 31 pounds. He has been 26 for years now but still looks a little big - but then it could be all his fatty lumps! :D

  • I can certainly feel ribs if I rub her firmly along her ribcage, but she doesn't get that much exercise. I had this wonderful vision of taking my dog for lots of walks by myself and with the kids before we got Jessie. But she's turned out to be a real headstrong dog to take walking (just like her dad!). Most of the time she's either pulling ahead or I'm pulling her to keep going. I'm sure she is utterly contemptuous of my walking skills, I just don't get it right! I've tried various methods, none of which have worked, but that's beside the point. I was pretty patchy for a while, but I've reestablished regular walks and I'll just have to put up with her. She does love to chase (along the fence) the motorbikes and dogs that pass by so she runs very fast to do that, but I suspect the weight probably isn't all muscle. I'll probably aim for 28 pounds,and then see how she looks as I go. Any extra weight can't be good for her joints.
    Thanks for your comments!

  • SNA - my female looks about the same. She was found wandering the streets, starving, and her fur was almost gone from sores on her body. Cami hasn't stopped eating since she came here to live. She can't jump up on the bed and expects me to pick her up, and put her in bed…all the while she is grumbling at me. Cami is now eating away from the others, but isn't happy about it. She weighs 35#. The other Basenji is just the opposite - too skinny and could care less if she eats or not.

  • Yes, the extra weight is not good for her joints-or her feet. I find B's have delicate feet as they are meant for running and any extra weight is not good for them, tends to flatten them out as well. If you have to press firmly to feel her ribs she's heavy IMO. You should be able to just run your hand down her side to feel her ribs.

  • You should be able to feel ribs easily without having to press too firmly to find them.

    If she has difficulty maintaining correct weight, you may want to test her thyroid.

  • She is still a beautiful dog, but I really don't know much about the weight thing. I just wanted to tell you she is great and I think I would love to hug her! Sorry, just love dogs!

Suggested Topics

  • Basenji for me or not ?

    Moved Basenji Talk
    7
    0 Votes
    7 Posts
    1k Views
    ZandeZ
    @planetsaver said in Basenji for me or not ?: Will be a problem to leave him alone, let's say 10 days / month an average of 9 hours a day. Also I do not want to have to much trouble with the neighbours, but I understand he can make some noise sometimes, maybe he can be trained to stay alone and not to bark that much. Why would you even think about training a hunting hound to stay home alone ? I would never let my Basenjis alone for more than 4 hours, and even that is very rare. 3 hours is absolute maximum. Like @tanza, I have sold puppies into apartment environments as long as all other boxes ticked positive. Someone there all the time, proper attention to training, not just leaving the dog alone, especially not as a puppy. btw, he won't bark at all. As you would know if you had really researched the breed. He will cry and scream but not bark ! No. At least you are asking questions but I really think you should find another breed.
  • A basenji

    Basenji Talk
    19
    0 Votes
    19 Posts
    10k Views
    Chealsie508C
    There's nothing like a basenji in the works, from the way they instinctively lay with their had on the bum looking the other way ( I've never met a B that doesn't) to the way you KNOW they all rub on wet towels or play bow…it's all very endearing and in this breed you often identify traits that they all have, an insight into their genetics and their behaviors. I've never enjoyed a breed so much.
  • Basenji Song-Moon Over Basenji

    Basenji Talk
    7
    0 Votes
    7 Posts
    3k Views
    DebraDownSouthD
    Oh Barklessdog, you are a brave person. I must now stand with you in insane-solidarity and admit I bought it too. It is awful but when you get the line "we couldn't say goodbye so we took him home" part, you know you got to help support the woman. lol
  • Is this a Basenji??

    Basenji Talk
    20
    0 Votes
    20 Posts
    7k Views
    G
    My Basenji Billy is quite undershot; he's a purebred, his bottom jaw just didn't stop growing when it was supposed to. That's okay, I'm a bit of a sucker for a dog with an underbite anyway.:) He was my first rescue Basenji.
  • Basenjis are -

    Basenji Talk
    3
    0 Votes
    3 Posts
    2k Views
    QuercusQ
    ooohhh…so true!!! Good observation!
  • Basenji Traits Your Basenji Doesn't Have…

    Basenji Talk
    32
    0 Votes
    32 Posts
    17k Views
    M
    My Rue is pretty perfect. She is mixed with something (I don't know what) so she doesn't look like a real B… and she isn't interested in anything in our house (chewing wise), doesn't bolt out the door, and licks like CRAZY! She also doesn't really like to play with other dogs at the dog park, she just smells them, occasionally chases them, then comes back and lays down by me (EXERCISE DANG IT!). The only normal B behaviors that I see in her are the little noises that she makes (she makes a lot of them for different reasons) and her BAROOOOOOO (which is fitting because we named her Rue before we even knew she was a Basenji) and it seems like she is stubborn about sitting. It's like she is saying, "yeah I know you want me to sit, but first I'm gonna spin around in a circle. Then maybe I'll sit if I feel like it." Haha! She is a character!