Senjabi Basenjis

Home of the African Barkless Dogs

Neck:  Strong and of good length, without thickness, well-crested and slightly full at the base of the throat with a graceful curve accentuating the crest. It should be well-set into laid back shoulders so as to give the head a "lofty" carriage.

Forequarters:  The shoulders must be well laid back, muscular but not loaded. The points of the scapulae should be fairly close at the withers. The elbows should be firmly tucked in against the brisket. When viewed from in front the elbows should be in line with the ribs and the legs should continue in a straight line to the ground giving a narrow front. The forelegs should be straight with fine bone and very long forearms. Pasterns should be of good length, straight but flexible.

 

Body:  Balanced with short, level back. Ribs well-sprung, deep and oval. The loin short-coupled and the deep brisket running up into a definite waist.

Hindquarters:  Strong and muscular, with hocks well let down, turned neither in nor out, with long second thighs and moderately bent stifles.

Feet:  Small, narrow and compact, with deep pads, well-arched toes and short nails.

Tail:  The tail should be high set with the posterior curve of the buttock extending beyond the root of the tail giving a reachy appearance to the hindquarters. The tail curls tightly over the spine and lies closely to the thigh with a single or double curl.

Coat:  Short, sleek and close, very fine. Skin very pliant.

Colour:  Pure black and white; red and white; black and tan, and white with melon pips and tan markings on muzzle and cheeks; black, tan and white; brindle: red background with black stripes, the more clearly defined the stripes the better. The white should be on the feet, chest and tail tip. White legs, blaze and white collar optional.

Size and Weight:  Ideal heights: Dogs 43 cm (17 in) at shoulder; Bitches 40 cm (16 in); a few cm (an inch) either way should not penalize an otherwise well-balanced specimen. Ideal weights: Dogs 11 kg (24 lb); Bitches 9.5 kg (21 lb).

Faults:  Coarse, domed or peaked skull. Muzzle too long or too broad. Cheekiness. Mouth over-shot or under-shot. Round or light eyes. Ears too low-set or too large. Wide chest, barrel ribs, shelly brisket. Short in the leg, out at elbows, toeing in. Heavy bone, cow hocks, low-set or straight tail, thin flat open feet. Long or heavy coat. Creams, sables or any other colours than those defined in the colour paragraph above should be heavily penalised. Poor temperament.

Note:  Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

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