Is my dog a Basenji mix?


  • hello, i have a beautiful Jack Russell Terrier mix and we have been led to believe she could possibly be mixed with the wonderful basenji breed. (she was adopted to us at 11 weeks old as a Jack russell Terrier/Chihuahua mix)

    I was just wondering if you other basenji owners would have a look and maybe help me figure out if its a possiblilty.

    I will post several photos.

    She has a bit of wrinkly face though hard to see in photos and a curled over tail

    She is 2 years old and 19lbs



  • A few more photos coming up


  • So what do you think?


  • Not sure, she could have some Basenji in her. Either way she's beautiful, the pics are lovely, she looks like she's having fun running with your Poodle.
    How does she behave, what are her traits, that might help people form an opinion.

  • Houston

    She is very cute, that is for sure. I am not sure about her mix but she might have some B in her..with those wrinkles and the tail curl, however there are several breeds with those traits. Hopefully a more inclined person will get on here and help..


  • @thunderbird8588:

    Not sure, she could have some Basenji in her. Either way she's beautiful, the pics are lovely, she looks like she's having fun running with your Poodle.
    How does she behave, what are her traits, that might help people form an opinion.

    How does she behave and her traits and personality

    Okay well again she is 2 years old. She is a very lazy dog inside. She loves just watching tv.

    She is rather submissive, yet out of the two dogs she is the more dominant. She is shy at first around strangers (especially men but that could have something to do with her past before we got her) but once she gets to know you she is your friend for life. To be honest she has never met a dog or person she didn't like. She does have a bit of food aggression we are working on at the moment and she eats very quickly like she is afraid if she doesn't someone is going to take it. (Again maybe from the foster situation) She is sweet as can be and very very smart. She graduated top of her obedience class and by graduation night of beginner obedience she was already working on stuff from intermediate and advanced class. She is quiet and a bit shy. She is also very protective of her home and her family. She has come to mine and my husbands defense twice now. But I won't go into that.

    Outside she is very active very athletic and she can run like no other dog i have ever known. She has the strength of a larger dog. She can't jump, she is a terrible jumper and she just doesn't even try. She loves to dig though. But only in the sandbox. She is very obedient and has a really good recall (especially for being part Jack Russell Terrier).

    She is great with kids and loves them so much and she is great with most other dogs, though she has some issues with my grandparents female bichon mix.

    Anyways if there is anything else you would like to know just ask

    Here are a few more photos:

    In these two she is munching on the snow

    Here she is with her poodle brother

    Vet mentioned that she might have Basenji in her due to her size and build but said he is no expert on breed mixes, just animal health. So I thought I'd come on here and see what other owners might think


  • To me she looks like a Jack Russell + Labrador Retriever. I honestly can't see any Basenji there.

    Very cute that's for sure!


  • She sounds a bit too well trained to have any Basenji in her, although of course she has some Jack russell there. Basenjis are quite a challenge to train and are eager to please, BUT only themselves :D
    They will only do something if there is something in it for them.
    Does she bark?


  • @NerdyDogOwner:

    To me she looks like a Jack Russell + Labrador Retriever. I honestly can't see any Basenji there.

    Very cute that's for sure!

    You see I doubt there would be anything that large in her ( and most labs I know are like 65lbs or more) because she isn't much bigger than a JRT (supposedly they are between 14 and 18lbs atleast according to dogbreedinfo.com) and she is 19lbs.

    And I feel if she was just a JRT/Chihuahua mix that she would be much smaller than she is but even the vet agrees she is most likely a small dog mix


  • @thunderbird8588:

    She sounds a bit too well trained to have any Basenji in her, although of course she has some Jack russell there. Basenjis are quite a challenge to train and are eager to please, BUT only themselves :D
    They will only do something if there is something in it for them.
    Does she bark?

    Does she bark or does she know how to bark?

    She does know how to bark, but she never does. The only times I have ever heard her bark was when there was danger. Most of the time she just whines. Her bark is kind of pathetic really well most of the time, but a few times she has let out a good one.

    She was very very difficult to potty train by the way (she was a submissive pee-er) But she hasnt had an accident since like 11 months of age. And its been hard breaking her from treats with training, she is extremely food motivated.

    I just really don't know what she is other than JRT, so I figured I'd start investigating (chances are I will never know and that is okay too)


  • What type of coat do basenjis have and how much do they shed?

    Because my girl has a double coat and she sheds awful figured that might give some indication as well


  • Basenjis have a very short coat and don't shed a lot.
    Basenjis pads are different from other dogs in that the middle two are sort of joined at the bottom like a wolfs.
    It's hard to know with mixes because she will have traits and features of the other breed as well.


  • @thunderbird8588:

    Basenjis have a very short coat and don't shed a lot.
    Basenjis pads are different from other dogs in that the middle two are sort of joined at the bottom like a wolfs.
    It's hard to know with mixes because she will have traits and features of the other breed as well.

    Dog you have a photo of what the paw pad looks like?

    (It may just have been wishful thinking because I like Basenjis….I have only known one though and it was many many many years ago and i not remember her as accurately as I think)


  • @Dogsrawesome:

    You see I doubt there would be anything that large in her ( and most labs I know are like 65lbs or more) because she isn't much bigger than a JRT (supposedly they are between 14 and 18lbs atleast according to dogbreedinfo.com) and she is 19lbs.

    And I feel if she was just a JRT/Chihuahua mix that she would be much smaller than she is but even the vet agrees she is most likely a small dog mix

    Size doesn't mean anything, just that the JRT is the most dominant gene. Hell, I have seen many large dogs mixed with small in the dogpark, yet they all grow to be small.


  • Here is a pic of a normal dog paw and a Basenjis, even if your girl doesn't have pads like a Basenji it doesn't mean she hasn't got some Basenji in her.
    When we had a Basenji i noticed Benjis pads were joined but at the time thought all dogs were like this. It was only later that i found out only Basenjis, possibly Huskies and wolves have these pads
    attachment_p_99461_0_pfoten_goldsch_bas.jpg


  • Aj's front paws aren't joined like that. Only his rears. There was a discussion on the Forums somewhere about DNA testing for breed…I'll try to track it down.

    Couldn't find the thread, but here is a link to a facility that does this:

    http://www.canineheritage.com/

  • First Basenji's

    Our Sakari was a JRT / Basenji mix. Had mostly Basenji characteristics to her but did bark like the JRT as well.
    attachment_p_99484_0_sakari-taken-january-2007-save-this-one-cropped.jpg

  • First Basenji's

    You might be able to view this photo a little better - I enlarged it. This is Sakari … part Basenji / part JRT. She was a rescue dog we found through petfinder.com
    attachment_p_99485_0_sakari-taken-january-2007-save-2010-enlarged-photo.jpg

  • First Basenji's

    Figured out if you click on the photo image, it will enlarge into a different screen. Hope this info helps.

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