Basenjis - The Silent
Hunters of Africa
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 Basenjinse 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硠m墥 m硠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.
COLOURS
 |
Red/White |
 |
Brindle/White |
|
Tricolour |
 |
Black/White |
 |
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 rolex uk 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 masterࣨair.
One of them even Cartier replica watches has his name ᬭes�tioned 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 ﳣӄibueᮤ 鮠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
everyoneea 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 replica watches uk 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 寰le䯧, 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 crate 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 crate 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 is
usually sufficient. If he starts to ignore this take his muzzle firmly
in your hand and shake it a little while repeating in a firm
⯷ly毩ce. 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 hasnਡd 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.