Getting to Know your Basenji

By Daniel Stevens, author of SitStayFetch... for Your Basenji

Getting to know your dog starts by getting to know its breed. At Kingdom of Pets, we keep a large database of detailed information on the appearance, personality, and health requirements of individual dog breeds. Here's what you need to know about the Basenji:

The Basenji is classified as a member of the “sight hound” family, otherwise known as a “hound.” However, this breed is also referred to as a “Congo Dog” because it is one of the oldest breed dogs, coming out of the continent of Africa. In fact, if you were to visit Africa, going to some of the Egyptian Pharaoh’s tombs, you would see carvings or other depictions of the Basenji on the Steles. Just as they did thousands of years ago, the Basenji is a regal breed with a proud stance, erect ears, and a curled tail.

For many years, this breed almost completely disappeared but then in 1895 when the Europeans crossed over into the Congo, it was again discovered, becoming a favorite pet due to its high level of intelligence, speed, silence, and even courage. All of these special qualities made the Basenji a great help during wild game hunts. After being imported to the United States sometime in the 1930s, the Basenji became popular, which lead to the breed becoming a member of the American Kennel Club in 1943.

Physical Appearance

As mentioned, the Basenji has a strong, proud look that is hard to miss. This breed is small, typically between 20 to 24 pounds and about 17 inches tall. The hair is short, the eyes almond shaped, and especially when puppies the forehead is wrinkled. Watching a Basenji move is fascinating in that the breed trots similar to a horse with a double-suspension gallop at full speed running.

While you will see a number of hair colors, only some are recognized by the American Kennel Club. These colors include:

* Brindle White (black stripes on a red background)

* Red and White

* Black and White

* Tricolor (red, black, and white)

* Trindle (tricolor and brindle combination)

Temperament and Personality

The most fascinating aspect of the Basenji is that this breed does not bark although a simple woof sound is possible. Other sounds made by the Basenji include a squeal, chortle, white, or yodel. Basenjis are also insistent on being clean, often wiping the face just like that of a cat. While this breed loves to hunt and explore, it does not favor water.

Being an extremely smart dog, the Basenji is easy to train, learning commands quickly. Other temperaments include being independent, funny, aloof to strangers, devoted to the master, and even mischievous. Keep in mind if you buy a Basenji that they love to run and they are exceptional climbers. Therefore, a chain link fence is not necessarily a good barrier.

Most Basenjis are high energy and independent. While they get along well with children and other pets, it is usually recommended they be heavily socialized and supervised. In most cases, if this breed is raised around other animals, walked in the park, and exposed to a number of environments, it will do well. However, the Basenji is a breed of its own, sometimes being unpredictable and a little standoffish.

Health

Typically, the Basenji is a healthy breed although some might develop Fanconi Syndrome, which is an inheritable kidney disorder. When a Basenji develops this problem, he or she would likely not have any symptoms until around four. In addition, this breed can be a carrier of a recessive gene known as the Hemolytic Anemia, which can be tested for with a non-invasive procedure.

Other possible health risks include Progressive Retinal Atrophy, which is a form of degeneration in the retina, causing blindness, Coloboma, a hole in the eye’s structure, Persistent Pupillary Membrane, which are small threads going across the dog’s pupil, Malabsorption, an autoimmune intestinal disease, and Hip Dysplasia, which is a bone disease that causes symptoms similar to arthritis.

Daniel Stevens is the renowned dog trainer and author of SitStayFetch: Dog Training To Stop Your Dog's Behavior Problems, one of the leading dog training guides on the market today selling over 21,000 copies (and counting). He currently heads the Kingdom of Pets (http://www.kingdomofpets.com) dog training team. See http://www.kingdomofpets.com/dogobediencetraining/dogbreeds/basenji.php for more on dog breeds.

Basenji Calendar

These designs are available as calendars.Many more to choose from.



Basenji Charge
We all know who is in charge at your house. With this fun dog design on assorted apparel and office supplies you can show the world that around here the Basenji is in charge.

Basenji Pictures from the Web

Family Tree Imaging - Basenjis



Basenji Mousepad for home and office,imprinted & Made in USA



Beautiful Basenji Dog Portrait. This lovely Drinkwear is a must for the fancy Basenji owner or admirer.



Basenji Bumpersticker for cars,vans,boats or even dog crates -get several for gifts.

Basenji Video

This is Tamu, who won a best-in-breed in Februry 2007.



A video demonstrating Basenji behavior.



Lucy the "yodeling" Basenji. Pretty funny

Basenji - The Egyptian Dog

The Basenji is a small to medium sized dog weighing between 22 to 25 pounds. Their height is around 15" to 17". Known as the barkless dog, the Basenji (bah-SEN-gee) makes a low howl/moaning/yodeling sound instead of barking. They are also called the Congo Dog.

The smooth, shiny, dense coat is short and lies flat against the body. AKC acceptable colors for Basenjis are black, chestnut red, tricolor or brindle all with white on chest, feet and tip of tail in any color including pinto, white or brindle. The coat is easy to care for. Basenjis are also known for licking and grooming their hair like a cat.

This high energy dog makes an excellent watchdog. They are slow to warm up to strangers and will alert you if they see a stranger. They need a lot of exercise and play. Since they are a little on the independent side, they also enjoy some alone play. Chewing is one of their favorite pastimes, so load them up with toys so they don't pick your favorite pair of shoes as a chew toy. They tend to no do well with non-canine pets. With early socialization, they can do well with children and other dogs. Because they possess a little bit of an independent nature, early training is recommended to help curb any unwanted behaviors.

Originating in Africa, the Basenji dates back to ancient times in Egypt. Pictures of the Basenji are on the walls in ancient Egyptian tombs. They are mainly used as watchdogs in Africa to warn others of the presence of wild game and they often hunt wild game as pack dogs.

Just because the Basenji does not bark, does not mean that they are a meek, quiet lap dog. They are very energetic and need plenty of play and exercise. They are perfect for homes that enjoy outside activity and will make sure that their Basenji has time to run and roam.

Click here to read about SitStayFetch for the Basenji

By: Dakota Dog - Learn more about the Basenji or discuss dogs with other dog lovers at www.deardoggy.com/

Basenji Consultation

By Daniel Stevens, author of SitStayFetch... for Your Basenji



SitStayFetch: Consultation

SitStayFetch offers a free consultation with every order! Here is one submitted by Simone about her Basenji mix called Tamsin...

Simone's Consultation

Hi Daniel,

Tamsin was attacked by another dog 3 months ago. Now, every time we go to the dog park, she shows teeth and growls at other dogs. She occasionally growls at people when I walk her and they want to reach down and pet her.

She loved going to the park (prior to the dog bite) and after about an hour she would start getting a little aggressive but I thought it was because she was getting tired of playing.

After the dog bite, she is aggressive upon entering the park and we can stay at most 10 minutes because of her behavior. I'm going to start walking her with a muzzle but would love some advice on taking her to the off-leash areas again.

Thanks,
Simone.

SitStayFetch Reply:

Hi Simone,

Sounds like you have a difficult problem there. It isn't unusual for a dog to react the way Tamsin has after being attacked. Can you give me a bit more background on Tamsin?

Specifically:
What breed of dog is Tamsin?
Is she a well trained dog? Can she sit, stay, and wait on command?
Does she respond to you immediately?
How is she in other social situations besides the dog park?
Does she growl at strangers/dogs when you are taking her for a normal walk?

Once I have this information I can arrange a program and give you some ideas on what to do in this case.

Thanks for the enquiry.
Kind regards,
Daniel Stevens and the SitStayFetch Team
"SitStayFetch - Dog Training To Stop Your Dog's Behavior Problems!"

Simone's Reply:

Hi Daniel,

Tamsin is a basenji mix, although I don't know the other mix of breed. She was a Christmas present for my sister and she was told that Tamsin was a collie. My mother was going to see if anybody at her work would like a new puppy, because my sister didn't have the time to take care of a dog. When I was home for Christmas, we bonded so I've had her since she was about 8 weeks or younger...she is now 5 years old.

Some people think she is mixed with a Corgi or a Pit Bull, but everyone automatically says Basenji. I've read up about Basenji's and she has many characteristics of one.

She is well-trained and knows the basic commands. She has been to obedience class around a year ago, mainly for pulling me when she walks...which is still a problem but she is getting better. She pulls especially if she sees a cat or squirrel and she is very strong. We have enrolled in class which starts this weekend for a refresher course, mainly for me. I need to become the alpha in the household.

She growls at strangers when we walk but only if they reach down to pet her and she
does not growl at everyone. She is very particular on who she likes...she has always had this quality about her. She can tell who the dog people are and would bark at the neighbors coming home who did not have a dog and not at the neighbors who owned a dog.

When people come over and knock at the door she sounds very ferocious and it take awhile to calm her down, so she does not respond quickly with "No barking." She is also really standoffish with everyone at first. She acts really timid when people come over to my place but warms up to them after she acts like she is going to tear the person apart. She has never bitten anyone or another dog, but the aggression is bad enough (cujo comes to mind).

I bought her a muzzle and took her to the park yesterday evening and there were three dogs at the park and she played with them without being aggressive. I eventually took off her muzzle too.

So she has good days and moody days. She hates all basenjis with a passion and they fight without biting of course, but it sounds like a terrible cat fight. So, I leash her immediately when I see a Basenji at the park. For other breeds, it is random, although the last time at the park we only stayed for 10 minutes. It may have been overwhelming because there were so many dogs at the park? But the day before she growled at a neighbor in the parking garage and the lady stepped back and said "she's not going to bite me is she?" Also, in the past week she has growled (cujo like) at other dogs, when we are taking a walk. At first, they come up to her and the other pet owner and myself will let the dogs do their sniffing, but then Tamsin has her mood. I don't know what to say, except "Tamsin stop, let's go" and then I apologize to the other owner.

Well, thank you very much for your time.
Simone.

SitStayFetch Reply:

Hi Simone,

As you probably know, once a dog gets into a serious fight, especially one that results in injury, that dog's natural aggressive instincts can come to the fore and be very difficult to contain. However there are a few things that you can do that I believe will help turn things around with Tamsin.

One of these is to go through a fairly rigorous training program, similar to that outlined in SitStayFetch, starting from the very beginning. As you are doing the refresher course that should help out quite a lot and you may wish to continue on with that or use both together.

The reason I am recommending starting the training program afresh is that, if the training is done properly, then you will;
- Get Tamsin used to responding to you.
- Be able to control her in a variety of situations.
- Be able to enforce your top dog status more easily.

Those 3 things may not stop her aggressive behavior (although hopefully it will, as ideally she should wait for a command from you instead of deciding on her own course of action) but they will let you control and reprimand her effectively if she does step out of line.

I think that if she is pulling on her lead then that is also a sign that she doesn't quite understand where her place is in the family structure! In conjunction with resuming training I think that it would be worth your while reviewing “Secrets to becoming the alpha dog”. The methods outlined in that book will help establish you as the 'pack leader' and, again, make her much more likely to listen to you when you command her.

On the whole it sounds as though Tamsin has had a bad experience but from what you are saying I think that she will come through it ok. However, if you are genuinely concerned that she may bite someone, or another dog, then you should muzzle her in those situations until you are confident that you have her under control. The last thing you or Tamsin needs is a visit from the police, especially if she has previously been acting aggressively towards neighbors and the like you stated in your email. Better safe than sorry!

Well I hope this helps. You have my sympathies with an awkward situation, but hopefully within another month or two she should have settled down.

Kind regards,
Daniel Stevens and the SitStayFetch Team
"SitStayFetch - Dog Training To Stop Your Dog's Behavior Problems!"