Breeding the Basenji

The Basenji breed is seen as one of if not the oldest breed of domesticated dogs dating as far back as ancient Egypt. This has attributed to this breed seen as a non barker.

Early civilizations preferred going on hunts with dogs who were extremely quiet. Quite similar to its distant cousin the wolf, the Basenji breed has the tendency to bark only once after which it will remain silent. Many breeders have attributed this type of behavior as the breed being partially domesticated and not fully. The breed has a metabolism unlike any other domesticated breed and as with wild canines, it has been observed that the female Basenji will only experience her heat cycle only once a year.

Discovered in the West African Congo region by Western Civilization explorers during the 19th Century the dogs were used to heard game into nets, carry goods and alert hunters of approaching dangerous animals while on the hunting trails. This breed is highly valued for its hunting abilities, ingenuity, and its resourceful attitude.

In 1930 the breed was successfully imported into the United States and England for the first time.

The Basenji breed is seen as standing between 16 to 17 inches in height and having a weight of no more than 24 pounds.

Highly intelligent, the Basenji breed is also independent alert and affectionate at heart. His quick reactiveness to sudden movement will have this breed chasing squirrels, cats, and rabbits.

Caring for the Basenji breed requires a vast amount of patience and an excellent sense of humor as this dog has the tendency to chew and eat almost anything pleasing to its eye which will most certainly include your favorite pair of shoes, trophy ball or any other valuable left carelessly within it’s reach.

Due to the breeds nature as a natural hunter the dog should never be left alone in the presence of other small animals or cats unless it has been raised with them as a puppy.

Similarly to most other breeds, the Basenji should be trained and socialized from an early age as they will become shy and timid in the presence of strangers and unusual environments. It is recommended that they should be introduced to a variety of people, sounds, and various experiences to allow the breed to have some level of exposure to such events allowing them to mature accordingly thus developing high social skills.

The Basenji breed can be quite stubborn at times and will require training by the use of positive reinforcements to achieve the best results and responsiveness to your commands. Training exercised should be structured to provide some levels of interest with respective to the breed as they have ht tendency to turn their attention elsewhere it they find the exercise less stimulating to their interests.

As in the case with most other breeds, the Basenji is prone to certain diseases including,  the Fanconi Syndrome, Colomboma, Progressive Retinal Atrophy among a few others and as such should be checked regularly to ensure they are healthy and disease free especially when preparing for breeding.

The Basenji with its natural breed as a hunting dog requires a vast amount of exercise in the form of daily walks and other intense events. Not to be left unattended for any long periods to time in the back yard can result in the Basenji missing in action as the breed searches for some levels of excitement elsewhere. This has resulted in most owners constantly having the Basenji on a leash when going out for walks.

The Basenji breed sports a short fine textured coat, which can be either black, chestnut red, or black stripes on its chestnut coat and white on it’s feet.

The Basenji breed similarly too the cat will groom itself regularly keeping the coat clean. They should be bathed at least once per month. The shedding is hardly noticeable as the coat hairs are fine and short in length making them hardly noticeable.

The Basenji breeds high energy makes it a suitable companion for energetic children who are mature enough to issue assertive commands to the breed which is generally most effective if the dog has been exposed to that particular child from an early age.

The Basenji heat cycle occurs between 9 to 12 months per year as the females will show similar symptoms to other breeds during this period. Such symptoms include the swelling of the vulva and the excretion of a reddish pink discharge indicating she is ready to mate. During this period she should be introduced to the male stud for breeding.

A successful pregnancy will last anywhere between 50 to 80 days in length during which she should be examined on occasion by your local vet to ensure she remained in the best of health for delivery of her litter.