I live in Utah with my husband and we are looking to get a basenji. As far as I can tell, there aren't any Basenji Breeders in Utah, so I have been researching neighboring states. Because of the distance, I can't go visit all the breeders to determine how reputable they are. I was hoping y'all could give me some guidance. A lot of websites are out of date or seem sub par, but I know the quality of a website, while it can help give an idea, can also be misleading.
Basically I am looking for current breeder recommendations in the Western United States and any tips or advice on going about buying a Basenji out of state.
Thanks!
If Washington is not too far my breeder Rita Webb is there. She was referred to me from the basenji club of Canada. I have been thrilled with her. We are quite good friends after 8 years and 4 basenjis. I love her dogs. They have been mostly healthy, we took in an adult dog of hers that someone had given back and he had issues. My other three are wonderful and make me happy every day. She just had 2 litters this year so I am not sure when she is breeding next but she sometimes has some older pups or adult dogs that she may be looking for forever homes. I can send you her contact info, just let me know.
While it isn't a guarantee, going by breeders in the Basenji Club of America is a good start. The page says you can also contact the Breeder Liason: Bridenbasenjis@gmail.com
Another option is to contact breeders to see if they have young adults needing homes.
https://www.basenji.org/about-basenjis/breeder-directory
@debradownsouth yeah, we have been looking at that website, but many of the breeders seem to have been inactive for several years, so I don’t know when it was last updated.
Thanks for the email tip.
Reposting here from a different heading:
As noted by Debra, go to www.basenji.org and search for breeders. Most of the reputable breeders are listed here, but not all. Go to https://basenji.org/index.php/about-basenjis/is-a-basenji-right-for-me, there is a link about screening breeders. These are questions you should ask potential breeders. They should provide you with links the the OFA testing base. DNA testing for Fanconi and PRA are public knowledge. Here is an example of one of my listings on the OFA database.https://www.ofa.org/advanced-search?f=sr&appnum=1415062. For sure Fanconi DNA and PRA DNA must be done, but most responsible breeders also test for hips, thyroid, eyes... however, those results are not always posted a public. But if done, the breeder would have certificates of the testing. Breeders typically show their Basenjis... some do performance events. This activity shows not only the correct conformation (showing) but that and/or performance shows temperament. If you have other questions, please contact me. You can find my email on my website link noted below. And I will comment as Debra said.. many breeder webs are not kept up to date, sad but true...I have always pushed that breeders keep their sites up to date as all "puppy back yard breeders do because people search the internet, but most you can find also on FB.
@aspenjane11 - By the way, the breeding listing at www.basenji.org is updated yearly when members renew their membership in the Basenji Club of America. Breeders choose if they want to be listed or not
