Basenji – Proud Dog of Peasants and Pharaohs

Basenjis are known in their native Africa as MBA make b’bwa wamwitu, which translates to “the jumping-up-and-down dog”. ). The active hunting dogs are real all-rounders and act very autonomously. Their history goes back to ancient Egypt; outside of Africa, they have only been known since the middle of the 20th century. Here you can find out everything about the soundless dogs.

The Exotic Dog From Central Africa: How Can You Identify The Basenji?

A gazelle-like grace is attributed to the Basenji. It is relatively high-legged and slim: with an ideal height at the withers of 43 cm for males and 40 cm for females, the dogs weigh no more than 11 kg. They belong to the original dog breeds and their appearance has hardly changed over thousands of years. Anthropologists and paleontologists suspect that the first domesticated dogs in Africa resembled Basenjis in appearance. Their fur is particularly short and fine.

Unique from head to tail: details of the Basenji at a glance

• The head is broad and tapers slightly towards the muzzle so that the cheeks merge neatly into the lips. Small but clearly visible wrinkles form on the forehead and sides of the head. The stop is rather shallow.
• The gaze is described in the FCI breed standard as unfathomable and directed into the distance. The eyes are almond-shaped and slightly slanted. Black and white dogs exhibit a lighter iris than tan and brindle Basenjis.
• The erect prick ears are well arched and directed straight ahead. They start far forward on the skull and slope slightly inwards (not outwards like the Welsh Corgi, for example).
• The neck is strong, relatively long, and forms an elegant arch. The body has a well-arched chest, back and loins are short. The lower profile line is clearly raised so that the waist is clearly visible.
• The forelegs are relatively narrow and delicate. They fit snugly against the chest without restricting the dog’s movements. Hind legs are only moderately angulated, with low-set hocks and well-developed muscles.
• The tail is set very high and is twisted tightly over the back. The fur grows a little longer on the underside of the tail (flag).

Colors of the Basenji: Everything is allowed

• Monochromatic Basenjis are almost never found. White markings are considered a clear identifying feature of the breed. White fur on the paws, on the chest, and on the tip of the tail is considered typical of the breed, and they often have white legs, white blazes, and white neck rings. In many, the white part of the coat predominates.
• Black and white are the most common.
• Tricolor Basenjis are black with white markings and tan markings. Tan marks on the cheeks, on the eyebrows, and on the inside of the ears are common and are desirable in inbreeding.
  In the so-called trindle coloring (tan and brindle), the transitions between black and white areas are colored brindle.
• Basenjis with a red and white coat color usually have smaller white markings than Basenjis with a black base color.
• Brindle dogs with white markings have black stripes on a red background. The stripes should be as visible as possible.
• Blue and cream are very rare (mainly in the USA).

Differences between similar dog breeds

• Japanese dog breeds such as the Akita Inu and the Shiba Inu are similar to the Basenji in terms of body and face shape, however, the animals are unrelated and likely evolved independently. Asian primal dogs have significantly woolier and longer fur.
• German Spitz breeds also have no genetic overlaps with Basenjis and are easily recognizable by their coat and skin structure.
• Like the Basenjis, Australian dingoes are partly wild and live autonomously as hunters. They are significantly larger and have yellowish-orange fur.
• The Xoloitzcuintle also belongs to the very old dog breeds and shares some external characteristics with the Basenji. The hairless dogs from South America have narrower and outwardly tilted ears.
• The Pharaoh Hound from the Spanish island of Malta appears to be a larger and elongated variation of the more powerful Basenji and is originally from the same African region

The Ancient Origins of the Basenji

Basenjis were depicted in images in ancient Egypt around 6000 years ago and played an important role in vermin control and small game hunting around the Nile. The breed probably spread from Central Africa (in today’s Congo) along the Nile via Egypt to the whole world. When the Egyptian kingdom disintegrated, the dog breed endured and dogs became companions for the common people. Western merchants did not discover Basenjis until the late 19th century. This is how the breed was able to remain unchanged for thousands of years. They are closely related to the slightly taller legged pharaoh hounds, which emerged around the same time.

The distribution of the Basenji in Europe and the USA

First attempts to reproduce the semi-feral primal dogs from Africa in Europe failed after just a few weeks. Many of the first exported breeding dogs died because they did not get used to the new living conditions in Europe. It was not until the 1930s that breeding started successfully in the USA and England and the exotic dog breed quickly enjoyed increasing popularity.

The Essence of the Basenji: Self-Determined All-Rounder with Lots of Energy

The Basenji has many characteristics that it shares with only a few other dog breeds. The soundless dogs don’t bark but make different soft howling sounds to indicate each other. In addition, they are known for their cleanliness. Similar to cats, they regularly brush all of their furs; They also prefer clean places indoors and perceive dirt and disorder as stress factors. Although they form a close bond with their owner and family members, they can be left alone (in groups) and entertain themselves with relative ease.

The hunting style of the Basenji in Africa

Watching a Basenji hunt instinctively is a sheer delight: in the tall grass of the African steppe, they jump back and forth to get an overview of what’s happening on the ground and to stir up small animals (hence the name up-and-down-jumping- dogs). They also jump up when grabbed and adjust their front paws as they jump to fix the prey.