Photos at 9 Weeks Old.
I start evaluating the pups as soon as they are up on their feet and walking and though I can usually tell as early as 5 weeks, I make my final evaluations around 7-8 weeks. These photos are at 9 weeks but I thought I would post my evaluations for them now.
The primary guideline is the AKC Breed Standard. The Breed Standard is a written description of what a perfect specimen of that breed should look like. Of course, the perfect animal does not exist, so as a breeder it is my goal to try to get as close to it as possible. Many breeders make the mistake of "fault judging". You cannot just look at faults. You have to look at the entire puppy to determine where it's strengths and weaknesses are. The breed standard is not the only part of my evaluations though. I want each generation to move me forward in my breeding program.
1.) Is the puppy an improvement over it's parent/parents in the area that I was trying to improve?
2.) Will the puppy be a benefit to my breeding program?
3.) How does the puppy compare to other Basenjis presently being shown?
4.) What are the primary conformational problems seen in the breed, and how does the puppy compare to them?
5.) Will the puppy's personality fit into my household?
Now on to the evalulations. Bear in mind that photos do not always reflect exactly what is seen in person. You have to get your hands on the puppy and observe them running around. Here they are.
In the order of their birth:
Puppy 1 - red female "Stripe"
Stripe is a nicely balanced puppy with lovely angulation both front and rear. She is squarely built with a nice firm topline (weak toplines are a problem in the breed right now) with a good tail set. She has a nice length of neck with a smooth transition from neck to shoulders. She has lovely shoulder layback. Her elbows are beautifully set under her withers. (A major problem in the breed presently are front assemblies placed too far forward.) She has good feet. Her weaknesses are primarily in her head. Although her muzzle is correctly shorter than her skull, she is lacking in a definable stop. Her eyes are too round (a huge problem in the breed presently), and the pigment around her eyes is a wee bit light. The ears could be set higher and she could use more wrinkles. She is a very petite girl. I prefer more substance. Despite her flaws, this puppy could probably finish her AKC championship. Would she benefit my breeding program? Maybe. She could be placed as a pet unless someone really wants to show her.
Puppy 2, red male "Lefty"
Lefty has a nice headpiece though I would prefer slightly more stop. He has lovely wrinkle, side wrinkle, good earset, and nice eye rim pigment. I love his dark, luminous eyes. They are not as round as they look in this photo. His neck has a smooth transition to shoulders but it needs more length. The topline is good. His tailset is ok and he has good feet. I like his rear assembly. Lefty's primary weakness is his front assembly. I don't like anything about it. This puppy should not be used for breeding and will be placed as a pet.
Puppy 3 - red male "Righty"
Righty is clearly the best puppy in the litter. He has a lovely headpiece with great wrinkle and cushions. His eyes are wonderfully dark (and not round like you see in this photo), but his eye rim pigment could be slightly darker. I love his topline and his tailset is good. What I like best about this puppy is that he has lovely front angulation and shoulder layback. He is beautifully balanced front and rear. Squarely built and high on leg, just what you want. This puppy's main weakness is his lack of neck. I would like to see a slightly shorter muzzle and more fill between the front legs. Righty should have no problem finishing his AKC championship. Would he benefit my breeding program? Yes. I would love to place this puppy within a few hours drive of Atlanta. He could be someone's pet but I would like to retain breeding rights on him.
Puppy 4 - red female "Blaze"
Blaze has the annoying habit of crouching down when I stack her, and this really throws off her appearance. Blaze has nice wrinkle and side wrinkle, but she could use slightly more stop. Her eye pigment is much darker in person than it shows in these photos; Egyptian kohl I call it. She has a nice length of neck with a smooth transition into shoulders. Her topline is level, but she slouches when I stack her. It looks better when she is just standing around. She is balanced front and rear with good angulation. She is slightly rectangular rather than square. Blaze could potentially earn her AKC championship. Could she benefit my breeding program? Maybe. This puppy can be placed as a pet or show prospect.
Puppy 5 - red male "Patch"
Patch reminds me so much of his dad. His head is the spitting image so of course I am partial to him. He has a stunning headpiece with lovely wrinkle, side wrinkle, and cushions. His muzzle is correctly shorter than his skull with a definable stop. His ears are set well and his eyes are luminous and dark. (They are not round. He was surprised by the sounds my photographer was making.) This puppy has a nice length of neck with a smooth transition into his shoulders. He is square and short-backed. This puppy's weaknesses are a slight rise over the loin, "teapot" tail, and he could use a little bit more front angulation. Depending on how he matures, he could possibly finish his AKC championship. Would he benefit my breeding program? Undecided. He can be placed as a pet or could be shown if desired.
This litter is located near Atlanta, Georgia. I prefer that puppies be picked up at my home. The puppies will be $800. Pet puppies will have AKC limited registration and spay/neuter is required. Show puppies will be co-owned by myself.
If you are interested in a puppy from this litter, please contact Robyn at yodeldogs@aol.com and tell me a little about your family.
I also co-bred a litter with Arlene Bacon of Dogo Habari Basenjis and Deb Voss of Enchanted Basenjis. This litter was born in Ontario, Canada on Nov 30, 2010. For more information about this litter, go here.
Also, please check out our Available page to see what is currently available.
Photos of the the puppies at 10 weeks of age