What are Basenjis and where do they come from?
Is it the right breed for you? Your questions are answered below...
ORIGINS
The Basenji came to the western world from Africa, mainly from
the Congo and the Sudan but there are accounts of them in most
of the other African areas, although nowadays there are very few
pockets of pure bred dogs remaining. In Sierra Leone the Basenji
is known as the talking dog because they yodel instead of
barking. They are also known as the witches dog or familiars,
the more powerful the witch doctor the more dogs he owns.
Tanganyikan natives removed the tails from their dogs and used
them to hunt apes, this made it harder for the ape to seize the
dog and kill it. In Liberia, if the dog was not a good hunter he
ended up as a tasty snack! The Basenji’s sense of sight and
smell is amazing. It is marvellous to see one jump up and down
in five foot high elephant grass, he almost seems to hover in
the air at the top of his jump while he has a quick look round
and scents the air: hence one of the African names, m’bwa m’kube
m’bwa wamwitu - the jumping up and down dog.
DESCRIPTION
When you own a Basenji you own a unique dog, one that is
terrier-sized and comes in four colour variations - red and
white; black and white; a combination of these colours, known as
tricolour; and brindle and white. All have white feet, tail-tip
and some white on the chest. They may also have a certain amount
of white markings on the face and neck. The Basenji has alert
pricked ears with the characteristic puzzled frown, and a tail
which curls tightly over the hip. He does not bark but is very
far from mute, making all the usual doggy noises plus his own
very special yodel when he is excited or happy. He is cat-like
in that he hates the wet and cold. If by chance he should get
wet or muddy he will lick himself clean, as well as helping any
other dog or human who is in the same state. He uses his front
paws a great deal in play, and to rub his ears and face. He also
has the cat habit of sitting in the best chairs or on a sunny
windowsill watching the world go by. He is the ultimate in
sun-worshippers, very seldom seeking a shady spot and always
being found in the warmest place in the house. Basenji bitches
normally come in to season only once a year, the majority of
them in the Autumn. As a result, most of the fairly small number
of puppies each year are born between November and January, and
the likelihood is that you will have to wait a while for a
puppy, especially if enquiring in the spring and summer months.
FUNCTION
In his native habitat the Basenji is used as a hunting dog,
rounding up the game and circling it, thus keeping it penned
until the hunter arrives to dispatch it. Because of their
silence when hunting the dogs are very often belled around the
neck or loin. In England and America they have been used with
some success as gundogs, pointing and flushing the game. As they
are very fast and agile they can catch and kill hares with ease.
With patience they can be taught to retrieve. Some puppies do
this naturally, others will have no idea what is required. The
greatest problem in training them for the gun is to get them to
hunt within range instead of disappearing to circle a wide
radius in their natural style. They have a strong tendency to
look up into the branches while hunting, perhaps from the
prevalence of monkeys in their jungle home, and this makes them
excellent bird dogs.
HISTORY
The history of the Basenji has been traced back to the Stone Age
but they are more generally connected with Egypt and the
Pharaohs who valued them very highly. In the Egyptian tomb
engravings, dated before 3000 BC, this dog is shown as the house
dog, sitting under the master’s chair. One of them even has his
name “Xalmes” mentioned Possibly the Pharaohs were responsible
for giving this dog his taste for the good life: Cleopatra and
Nefertiti may have used them as bedwarmers. Certainly the
Basenji loves that job today, also resting on the best chairs in
the warmest places, and in fact being treated like royalty!
OUT OF AFRICA
The breed was first known in the modern world as the Congo
Terrier. There is a picture of three dogs named “Bosc”, “Dibue”
and “Mowa” in the Paris Zoological Gardens c.1880, with a
description very similar to the present day standard. After many
disappointments they were finally established in Britain in 1937
by Mrs. Burn of the Blean Basenjis. Now they are popular in most
countries where pedigree dog shows are held.
THE BREED FOR YOU?
The native background of this breed means that they are not
everyone’s idea of the ideal breed. They are incurably
inquisitive and everything out of the ordinary, or ordinary for
that matter, must be inspected and assessed. They have a sublime
disregard for traffic and their road sense is
non-existent. They are not by nature instantly obedient and see
no point in abandoning an interesting ploy the minute they are
summoned, although it is only fair to mention that many have now
been trained to the highest level of obedience work, mostly in
America. If you want a dog that is servile and obeys your every
command the Basenji is not for you. On the other hand, if you
lean towards a proud, faithful, teasing, playful, talking dog
that can outsmart you nine times out of ten you will never
consider any other breed.
TRAINING
The Basenji is without doubt, a “people” dog, trained by
thousands of years around native camp fires to be part of the
family. He is miserable if confined to a kennel and will do his
utmost to return to the bosom of his family, and his utmost can
be very powerful indeed. For this reason it is a good idea to
accustom the dog to his own cage or box while he is still a
young puppy: in this way he gets used to the idea that the box
is his own special place where he can keep his treasures and be
safe from baby fingers or older children who want to play when
he would much rather sleep. It is also much safer all round for
the dog to travel in his cage when in a car.
Like all puppies, a Basenji needs to be taught acceptable
behaviour from an early age. Be consistent from the start and do
not allow the pup to do anything of which you would disapprove
in an adult. A firm “NO” is usually sufficient. If he starts to
ignore this take his muzzle firmly in your hand and shake it a
little while repeating “NO” in a firm “growly” voice. This is
the way his mother corrects him, and all small puppies respect
this action. As soon as he stops doing whatever was displeasing,
you reassure him, pet him and give him one of his toys to play
with. The same routine may have to be repeated several times -
you need LOTS of patience but consistency will win in the end!
Wise and sensible early training will produce a dog that is a
joy to own. Also he must be socialised at a very early age;
noises to which we are well accustomed will be doubly suspicious
events to one with his background. Motorbikes, traffic, looming
lorries, crowds and strangers handling him can all present
educational chances to the discerning owner, and must not only
be used but sought after to familiarise your puppy to the
strains of modern life. Start all this really EARLY, long before
he is old enough to be immunised he can be carried outside to
hear the traffic and given to other people to hold and pet. Lots
of reassurance from you, if needed, will soon get him used to
this treatment and it will pay off in later life, helping to
make him a confident, well adjusted dog. Remember that the
barking of other breeds can be a very frightening thing at first
to the silent Basenji, and introduce him to this in the same way.
DIET
In most cases a Basenji is very easy to feed: they are
four-legged hoovers and will devour a meal as though it is the
only one they have seen for a week. The adult dog does not need
much to keep him trim and neat. On no account succumb to
pleading eyes and voice that insist the owner of same hasn’t had
a square meal for years! There is nothing worse than a fat
Basenji - and they do get plump very very quickly. Race memories
of always being last in line for the tribal cooking pot means
that your Basenji is a natural thief, so do not leave temptation
in his way. Remember also his cat-like abilities and do not
assume that the table will be high enough to thwart his desires.
He will drink very little but that little is essential, so
always have fresh water available. Your pup will need routine
immunisations - consult your vet about this and also when to
worm him. Your breeder will have given him his initial doses
before you collect him.
EXERCISE
A Basenji will enjoy as much exercise as you like to give him
but will also be quite happy snoozing by the fire if the weather
is inclement. On free exercise DO make sure that there are no
sheep or other animals in the near vicinity on which your dog
can use his hunting instincts. Once away hunting they are not
easy to recall, and under current legislation the owner is
responsible for any damage the dog may cause. |
