Thank you all for your insight, this is all very interesting. He has traits of both. His coat is more Basenji in coloring and he doesnt have the splotches or spots that most of the Deckers have. His ears are quite large and he lays with his legs splayed behind him 99% of the time like a Decker but doesnt have an aggressive bone in his body. He loves our three small kids and our other dog, an older schnauzer/lab mix. He's not food aggressive with us or other dog. You can take treats and toys right out of his mouth. He does awesome in his crate at night. Once inside he doesnt make a sound and sleeps through the night. No trying to break out of it. He HATES getting a bath. My goodness, you would think I was trying to skin him alive the way he thrashed about, like a large fish being reeled in, trying to break the line. No wet dog smell, and I have seen his little tail curl up and to the side sometimes, although it usually just wags back and forth like crazy. I just got him neutered yesterday and invested a small fortune in chew toys, but when I get some money to spare I'll order a test and update you all. Thanks again.

Hello everyone. Last week we adopted what we were told was a Jack Russell mix from our local shelter. When we brought him home my daughter pointed out his wrinkled forehead and said she believed he was a Basenji. I knew nothing of Basenjis other than they are the 'barkless' dog, but after doing some research he seems to have many of the traits. He doesnt want to listen, doesnt like to be corrected and when runs a a leisurely pace, it looks like an elegant horse trot. He's fast as a bullet when he wants to be. He is super sweet too. He is just shy of a year and is 27 lbs which seems a bit on the high end of the weight spectrum for a Basenji. He makes the weirdest high pitched noises, but did let out a single high pitched, shrill bark once. He also is constantly stretching his hind legs, as shown in one of the pictures. He urinates like that, runs a few yards, then stands like that, runs some more, then stands like that again. I dont know if this is a breed trait or just a quirky habit all his own. Unfortunately, he doesnt have the curled tail. I googled docked tail Basenji and it came up with Decker Rat Terrier, although I couldnt find a picture of a DRT with a wrinkled forehead. I'm wondering if I have a Basenji with a natural bobtail, a DRT, or possibly a mix. What do you all think? Thanks!

Thanks everyone! He looks purebred to me but I'm certainly no expert. The tail was really throwing me off a bit. From all the reading I've been doing we're going to have a handful with this one but we're up for the challenge. When he's not racing around the yard at 100 mph or shredding everything he gets his mouth on, he turns into the biggest snuggle bug and we love him so much already. His adoption fee is definitely the best $20 we've ever spent!

Thank you. I apologize, I know standing in grass isnt the best way to assess leg length. These are the only two pictures I could get of him from the side. I'm trying to get him to stand still and he is not having it! Standing still for a tape measure is out of the question as well, lol. When standing completely erect, he is more square than these photos. I'll upload better ones if I can get them.

Thank you all for your insight, this is all very interesting. He has traits of both. His coat is more Basenji in coloring and he doesnt have the splotches or spots that most of the Deckers have. His ears are quite large and he lays with his legs splayed behind him 99% of the time like a Decker but doesnt have an aggressive bone in his body. He loves our three small kids and our other dog, an older schnauzer/lab mix. He's not food aggressive with us or other dog. You can take treats and toys right out of his mouth. He does awesome in his crate at night. Once inside he doesnt make a sound and sleeps through the night. No trying to break out of it. He HATES getting a bath. My goodness, you would think I was trying to skin him alive the way he thrashed about, like a large fish being reeled in, trying to break the line. No wet dog smell, and I have seen his little tail curl up and to the side sometimes, although it usually just wags back and forth like crazy. I just got him neutered yesterday and invested a small fortune in chew toys, but when I get some money to spare I'll order a test and update you all. Thanks again.

Thanks everyone! He looks purebred to me but I'm certainly no expert. The tail was really throwing me off a bit. From all the reading I've been doing we're going to have a handful with this one but we're up for the challenge. When he's not racing around the yard at 100 mph or shredding everything he gets his mouth on, he turns into the biggest snuggle bug and we love him so much already. His adoption fee is definitely the best $20 we've ever spent!

Also, any recommendations for DNA tests between Embark or Wisdom? I'm reading reviews and both brands seem to be either on or waaay off. Thanks.

Thank you. I apologize, I know standing in grass isnt the best way to assess leg length. These are the only two pictures I could get of him from the side. I'm trying to get him to stand still and he is not having it! Standing still for a tape measure is out of the question as well, lol. When standing completely erect, he is more square than these photos. I'll upload better ones if I can get them.

Hello everyone. Last week we adopted what we were told was a Jack Russell mix from our local shelter. When we brought him home my daughter pointed out his wrinkled forehead and said she believed he was a Basenji. I knew nothing of Basenjis other than they are the 'barkless' dog, but after doing some research he seems to have many of the traits. He doesnt want to listen, doesnt like to be corrected and when runs a a leisurely pace, it looks like an elegant horse trot. He's fast as a bullet when he wants to be. He is super sweet too. He is just shy of a year and is 27 lbs which seems a bit on the high end of the weight spectrum for a Basenji. He makes the weirdest high pitched noises, but did let out a single high pitched, shrill bark once. He also is constantly stretching his hind legs, as shown in one of the pictures. He urinates like that, runs a few yards, then stands like that, runs some more, then stands like that again. I dont know if this is a breed trait or just a quirky habit all his own. Unfortunately, he doesnt have the curled tail. I googled docked tail Basenji and it came up with Decker Rat Terrier, although I couldnt find a picture of a DRT with a wrinkled forehead. I'm wondering if I have a Basenji with a natural bobtail, a DRT, or possibly a mix. What do you all think? Thanks!