Showsight October 2020

SUSAN KAMEN MARSICANO, APU BASENJIS

I also have a large separate studio building that I designed. We submitted my architectural drawings for the building permit. The dogs’ fenced-in area is large enough to run agility, includes a dogwalk and a seesaw, and lets the dogs freely move from the house to the studio. Castleloft, as it is called, is a mixture of paint- ing easels and weave poles and Rally signs. Each dog always wants their turn alone with me training in Castleloft. Alternately, they bathe in the Blue Stove beach, becoming willing models for my artwork. Sleeping dogs make great models. Who were/are some of your most significant Basenjis, both in the whelping box and in the show ring? I have often not bred a bitch more than once, and almost always not before they are approaching their fourth birthday. It makes me cringe to hear talk of the “breeding season,” as people approach every autumn as the time to find their next Best in Show prospect. If confronted, I hear, “Well, so many people want puppies.” I am an AKC Silver Breeder of Merit. I have only shown my dogs from the Bred-by-Exhibitor class. I founded the BCOA’s Performance Stud Dog and Brood Bitch Honor Rolls. My dogs are ALL BCOA Versatile Basenjis. Two are Versatile Basenjis Elite. I was most proud to have three of my Basenjis running in Masters Agility at the same trials. I guess, recently, I ammost known for my sweetheart Fern, who is a MACH Basenji, and a Bred-By champion. I think there are now four MACH Basenjis in the world (Master Agility Cham- pion). She has been invited to the AKC Agility Invitational every year since 2012. She is a Therapy Dog, an Oval and Straight rac- ing champion, a lure coursing champion, and she has Rally titles, etc. Fern took time off to have one litter of three. Two of them are Bred-By champions. Her son, DC Liner, has lovely pups out there that have been doing well, owner-handled, and three are major pointed. They are waiting to, perhaps, resume their show careers. They have been wonderful, friendly, typical, performing Basenjis. Here is a list of the dogs currently sharing my life: • Fiddle–Ch. Apu Sweet Baby James RN CA AX AXJ TKP RS-N JS-N GS-N MXF ORC FCh GRC MVB. • Fern–Ch. MACH Apu Painted Sand RA MXG2 MJC MXF T2B2 THD TKP CL3 RS-N JS-O GV-N SC FCh SGRC ORC SOR CGC TDIA VBE. • Liner–DC Apu i Liner SC RN CAA TKP FCh SGRC3 SORC JOR VB • Gilda–FC Apu Painter Song RN CA TKP GRC ORC VBS2. • Scarlet–FC Apu PiNache RN OA OAJ OF TKA RS-N SC THD FCh SGRC2 SORC JOR CGC TDIA VBE. Youngsters: • Leaf–Apu Painted Cat Burglar RN TKP • Goldie–Apu La Donna e Mobile RN TKP Before them, recently gone: • Sandy–FC Apu Sand Thru the Hourglass RA MC THD GRC ORC JOR CGC TDIA VBX • M–Ch. Apu Little Red Lentil RE AX MXJ NF OAP NJP OFP THD GRC CGC TDIA MVB • Amelia–FC Apu Afternoon of a Fawn RA TKN NAJ OJP NFP JV-N THD CL2-F CL2-H CL2-S MC FCh GRC ORC JOR CGC TDIA VBX. • Guy Noir–Apu Guy Noir RA TKN NAJ OJP OFP JV-N THD CL2-H CL2-S CL2-F FCh SGRC ORC SOR CGC TDIA MVB.

Fiddle is CH Apu Sweet Baby James RN CA AX AXJ TKP RS-N JS-N GS-N MXF ORC FCh GRC MVB.

Lure coursing. Gilda extended, Fiddle collected. Joe Stewart photo.

Me and M. Was was my first Master Class agility dog. M was CH Apu Little Red Lentil RE AX MXJ NF OAP NJP OFP THD GRC CGC TDIA MVB. 2010 Piroha photo.

CH Apu Flash. 1981. Ashbey photo.

98 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, OCTOBER 2020

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