The Basenji University

303 The Basenji Trot

Kinte Cloth

  The Profile of the Trotting Basenji


The Basenji Standard states:

     Swift, tireless trot. Stride is long, smooth, effortless and the topline remains level...

     The videos and animations below demonstrate the trot of a variety of basenjis. The dogs in the videos are not presented as exemplifying perfect movement; however the video shows much more than still photographs can.

     Because there are so many things to consider when evaluating movement, these videos of real basenji may get you started.  Each one demonstrates good and not so good features.

     The first three videos have comments and points to notice superimposed on the video.  This is a chance to directly compare the important points of movement with a dog moving.

The first video is of a young dog.

The second video is of a veteran female.

The third video is of a veteran dog.

    Eight additional dogs are featured below with animations, stills as well as slow and regular motion video of each.  Some of them move better than others so this is an opportunity to evaluate as well as a chance to see how dogs of different builds might move.  The step-by-step stills show the actual positions the dog takes in the trot.

    The animation of each dog is followed by a short video in slow and regular motion so that it can be watched as many times as desired without going through the animations.

The Basenji Trot 4 is of a young male:

This is the video of The Basenji Trot 4 in slow and regular motion video so that it can be watched as many times as desired without going through the animations.

The Basenji Trot 5 is an older female.

This is the video of The Basenji Trot 5 in slow and regular motion video so that it can be watched as many times as desired without going through the animations.

The Basenji Trot 6 is an adult female.

This is the video of The Basenji Trot 6 in slow and regular motion video so that it can be watched as many times as desired without going through the animations.

The Basenji Trot 7 is an adult female.

This is the video of The Basenji Trot 7 in slow and regular motion video so that it can be watched as many times as desired without going through the animations.

The Basenji Trot 8 is an adult male.

This is the video of The Basenji Trot 8 in slow and regular motion video so that it can be watched as many times as desired without going through the animations.

The Basenji Trot 9 is an adult male.

This is the video of The Basenji Trot 9 in slow and regular motion video so that it can be watched as many times as desired without going through the animations.

The Basenji Trot 10 is an adult female.

This is the video of The Basenji Trot 10 in slow and regular motion video so that it can be watched as many times as desired without going through the animations.

The Basenji Trot 11 is a mature male.

This is the video of The Basenji Trot 11 in slow and regular motion video so that it can be watched as many times as desired without going through the animations.

Notes quoted from the Basenji Dissected on Gait:

     A dog at a trot is continuously moving with the legs on opposite sides working in unison. Ideally the front and the lateral rear leg hit the ground at the same time or the back leg hits the ground shortly after the diagonal front leg leaves the ground to allow a short suspension.

     Basenji movement should look very easy and effortless. This type of movement requires coordination and balance between all the parts of the dog.  Much of what makes a dog able to produce a proper trot is actually described in other parts of the standard — Forequarters, Hindquarters, Neck–Topline–Body.  The force generated by the rear action is transfered along the spine propelling the dog over the forequarters to move it forward. A well constructed dog should be able to move tirelessly, smoothly with a level topline at a swift but not excessive speed.  The dog's long stride will allow it to travel long distances with fewer steps.

     The trotting speed best for the majority of multi-purpose Basenjis is the collected trot not the as-fast-as-we-can-go trotting speed. Remember that a Basenji is a square dog that must also gallop. Its hindquarters are almost always more powerful than the forequarters to make a square dog that is also strong at a gallop. When dog and handler become excited in the show ring and move very fast, it is not unusual for the dog's hindquarter power to overcome the forequarters causing many movement faults. You might see a dog, viewed from front or rear that is side-winding caused by the rear leg reaching under the body so far that it interferes with the front leg forcing the dog to move at an angle to the line of travel.   A very frequent result of lack of balance is the dog, viewed from the side, moving with the hindquarters higher than the forequarters. The better made and balanced a dog is the better the topline is on the move. This is why the standard specifically points out "the topline remains level."  However, occasionally one sees a dog with a topline that remains level but makes up for its imbalance by a more lifting action in the forequarters than is desirable.  Sometimes you see all these faults combined.  The reason they are undesirable is that each of them increases stresses the dog is under and the work that it must do to trot.  Words like "tireless..."smooth, effortless" in the Standard are trying to convey the image of a dog that can go long distances at the trot without wearing out.  This ideal Basenji would still be ready for the final burst of speed at the gallop to finish the work of the hunt.

     These words: "The wrinkled head is proudly carried on a well arched neck" are given in the "General Appearance" section of the Standard but should also be applied here in "Gait." 

     One hears the term "the dog is sound" or "...unsound" as the case may be.  Often the term is particularly applied to movement as viewed in coming and going.  Soundness in a dog on the move must be considered both coming and going and from the side view.

     In the General Appearance section of the Standard there is this small bit on movement “…swift, effortless gait (resembling a racehorse trotting full out)”. The straightforward natural trot, as compared to trained variations on the trot, is the gait that horses use to travel long distances. Walking is too slow and galloping too energy consuming. This natural trot requires a long, smooth, easy stride to be efficient. Another factor that makes the horse’s trot easy is the time of suspension where all four feet are off the ground so the horse is gliding forward. The time of suspension allows the back foot to slide under the front foot to extend the length of the stride. We can also look for that in Basenjis as part of the ease of their effortless, horse-like full out trot as shown in the photo below.

   

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