Kenset Basenjis

"HOW TO BREED FOR THE COLORS ACCEPTED BY THE BASENJI STANDARD and not get the unwanted alternate colors."

by  Mary Lou Kenworthy

  

In order to breed Basenjis of the correct colors only according to the standard, the following combinations may safely be bred together.

Red (pure for red) to:Red (pure for red)

Red (tri-factored)

Tri

Black

Brindle

Red (tri-factored) to:Red (pure for red)

     Red (tri-factored)

     Tri

     Black

     Brindle (carrying both genes for red)

Tri color to:Red (pure for red)

Red (tri-factored)

Tri

Black

Brindle (carrying both genes for red)

Black to:  Red (pure for red)

Red (tri-factored)

Tri

Black

Brindle to:       Red (pure for red)

Red (tri-factored if brindle is pure for red)

Tri (if brindle doesn’t carry tri and is pure for red)

Brindle (unless both carry tri)

NOTE:

Black to Brindle is never a good idea because you loose track of what colors are carried but not expressed.  A basenji of this genetic combination may be limited in the colors he can produce.  Any dog that gets both a black and a brindle gene can only produce offspring that will be either black and/or have stripes.

When ‘Black’ is referred to above, that is the true dominant black with only combinations of red and tri carried at the “A” locus.  If other colors (or patterns) are carried extra precautions should be taken.

Colors and markings other than those called for by the standard should NOT be encouraged in breeding.  Examples are:  creams (dilute reds) - blues ( dilute tris) - sables (large amounts of black in the red coat) - masked (black on muzzle & face) basenjis of any color - tris that have black and tan hairs intermingled – saddles - predominantly white - capped faces (widow’s peak) - spectacled faces –black, brindle & white ( also called brindle pointed tris and/or trindles) or anything that is a departure from the accepted colors and markings.