Here are some answers to questions posed in relation to the approved Procedures for Submitting Native Stock.


Why are we voting on the dogs in Groups?


     In 2007 the BCOA approached the AKC regarding opening of the stud book.  In response, the AKC referred the BCOA to the Guidelines of Opening or Closing the AKC Stud Book from the AKC Online Policy Manual.  These guidelines gave BCOA members the decision to open the stud book only with no input into actual dogs accepted; that decision would be left solely to the BCOA Board to make, similar to the 1990 imports.  The final petition submitted by the BCOA was a compromise in order to give more input to the membership, while still satisfying AKC's requirements. 
     All dogs will have to pass a rigorous application and evaluation process prior to being presented to the membership for voting.   Once presented, membership will vote on dogs grouped by area of import; the premise being dogs from similar areas will also be similar in look and genes.


Why is there a fee for submitting an application?

      To help defray the costs of the program.  Some expenses that are expected are printing fees to publish the applications and pictures of the submitted dogs, ballot and postage fees. 


Why is the health testing requirements so minimal for application acceptance?


     At this time there are only 2 DNA based tests for Basenjis; HA and Fanconi.  Other known diseases which can affect the Basenji breed, such as PRA, Hip Dysplasia, and Autoimmune Thyroiditis have unknown modes of inheritance; in some cases the age of onset of said diseases are variable making test results only a snapshot of dog health status at a specific time which is not indicative of future status.  Though it is highly recommended that more health testing be done, it was decided to only require the two DNA based tests.


I don't like the process, can it be revised?


     The petition to open the stud book was unanimously approved by the AKC on August 18, 2008 pursuant  to the process established by the BCOA Native Stock Committee. Reproduced from August 2008 Minutes of the AKC Board of Directors:
     " Basenji Stud Book – Request to Open
     
"The Board reviewed a request from the Basenji Club of America (BCOA) to open the stud book for Basenjis. Following a motion by Ms. Scully, seconded by Dr. Davies, it was VOTED (unanimously) to open the AKC stud book for Basenjis, from January 1, 2009 through December 31, 2013, for dogs meeting the following requirements and going through the following process....[ Ed: quoted material from our process documents follows ]... "
     (This information can also be found on the AKC website.)
     So while there may be some updating of certain dates based on the time which was required for approval by AKC, the steps for acceptance can not be revised at this time.


Why do they have to be a year old?


     In order to allow the dog to reach reasonable maturity so the membership can see if  the dog has in fact matured as expected.  This age also allows time for the owners to get the necessary health tests done and receive results.


Who do I contact if I have questions about the process that aren't answered in this FAQ?


     While every committee member should be able to answer your questions, the following members are better prepared to reply in a timely fashion:
          Lisa Voss (lisa@voss-serenka.com)
          Linda Siekert (sinbaje@comcast.net)
     Please title your query "Native Stock Question"


Why can't video clips be used to evaluate the dogs?


     The AKC approved the BCOA's petition pursuant to the BCOA following certain proposed criteria; this criteria requires three personal evaluations along with three views of the dog in 5 X 7 or 8 X 10 color photos. Certain physical and temperamental traits can not be fully appreciated through a camera lens which makes video a poor substitute to hands on, personal exposure.  There is no mandate that any dog must be personally evaluated at a show or any like venue. If you feel your dog would do better in its home environment, feel free to make arrangements with your evaluators to meet with you at home,  at your own expense.

Who can submit an application? 

     Importer or owner of said dog can submit an application for consideration.


Who decides if a dog will be submitted for registration?


     As stated in the Procedures For Submitting Native Stock, Step 8 those applicants who grade Fair or higher will be submitted to the BCOA Board for a final individual evaluation using submitted photographs and evaluator comments.  Each Board approved applicant will then be grouped by area of import and presented to the membership for vote. 


If an import has had a litter, why must photos of all the living offspring and the mate be included with the application?


     The purpose of opening the stud book is to include breeding stock that will not only breed true to type but will contribute positive traits to the breed.  If the applicant has already produced get prior to the application, then pictures of the offspring and both parents allow for evaluation of what traits the import has passed on.

Are photographs of all offspring required ?

      Yes, photographs of all offspring are required but puppy photos, 6 weeks or older, are acceptable if no current photos are available.

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This page prepared 20 August 2008 and updated 23 December 2010