Recommend joining one of the local basenji clubs/groups for meetups and play dates. What part of California are you from, lots of CA members on the forums and Facebook.
Most people incorrectly use the terms dominant and dominance with regard to dogs. Here is a good blog post by Dr. Sophia Yin on the topic.
http://drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/dominance_in_dogs_is_not_a_personality_trait
