Basenji

Many of the dogs that we come across today are descendants of very old and ancient breeds they share links with various other animals. This makes for an interesting cocktail of genes. One such ancient and old breed is the Basenji. This breed of hunting dog originated in Central Africa. They have some very unique and interesting features that set them apart from their counter parts. It has been said that the Basenji is actually one of the oldest known dog breeds. This may in fact be true as there have been references to this dog in the early ages.

The Basenji has some very unique features. It is one of the few breeds of dogs that do not have the typical bark of a dog. Instead it produces a yodel type of sound from its complex larynx. Hence they have a nick name called the Barkless Dog. They also share some traits with cats such as licking themselves clean. The nearest relative of the Basenji is the Dingo. The breed does not have a distinctive odor of their own just like the dingo, hence are very clean animals.

The Basenji is a very good looking and regal dog. It is normally small, elegant, with a strong body and a very attractive neck. The tail is curled tightly upwards. The Basenji forehead is typically wrinkled and the eyes look like as it they are squinting seriously. They are astonishingly powerful for their size. This is because they were bred in the harsh and thick African bush and hence were required to be strong to survive. They have a graceful and confident gait which is like a trotting horse. They are extremely fast and skim the grass with a characteristic double suspension gallop. Their curled tail will be straightened out for greater balance while running flat out.

The breed is a very intelligent one and has to be brought up with a lot of discipline and training. The Basenji dog is alert and always ready for fun. They are very playful and seek their master’s attention. The dog may be somewhat aloof to look at and are vary of strangers. They are very good climbers and have an interesting habit of standing up on their hind legs and looking across walls when they are curious about something. Their natural talent is to chase small game and they are not friendly towards smaller animals. This tendency leads them to chase anything that is moving and end up chasing cars and injuring or killing themselves. They need to be kept on a leash when they are close to vehicular traffic.

The Basenji suffers from an health condition called the Fanconi syndrome. Here the kidneys fail to reabsorb nutrients and electrolytes. This is common among the breed. Other than that they are generally healthy and happy dogs. The Basenji breed has a very illustrious back ground. It has been said that the breed was one of the first breeds to be domesticated. The fact that they originated in Africa is proof enough to understand that they evolved along with humans.