This dog is also know as the
congo dog, the
African bush dog, the
Congo terrier or simply the
barkless dog. In many
West African languages the word Basenji means '
little trouble maker of the forest' --In the Congo the dog is called
M'bwa M'kubwa Wanwitu which means '
the jumping-up-and-down dog' Basenjis have a habit of jumping up on top of things and often end up in odd places (such as inside of a kitchen cabinet. )
Like
wolves, Basenji have only one breeding season a year. They are also unusual in that they tend to trot like
horses and lick themselves clean like cats. They have almost no
doggy odor and tend to avoid water.
You can see these dogs in
Egyptian artwork that is over 4000 years old.
These dogs were prized for thousands of years by West
African Tribesmen for their independence and intelligence. An old saying went '
a smart dog is better than a wife.'
If you are considering a Basenji it's important to remember what these dogs were bred to do. They are meant to
hunt small animals. Keep homes and villages free of rats and assist hunters in spotting prey. They are not good at
following orders and require a lot of exercise and ideally a fenced area of great size so they can roam about. They are
sighthounds to a certain degree and have a strong chase instinct that makes cars dangerous to them.
Often when Basenji owners speak of their pets it seems like they are talking about a person. Part of the joy of Basenji's is their
individuality and
personality. They insist on being included in the family and will even put their
two cents in to any family discussions by
yodeling and
rooing.
The sources for this write up include Desmond Morris’ book DOGS and various websites on the Basenji.