Basenjis for Adoption - North America

09/12/2022

They wore little wooden bells around their necks so they wouldn’t be lost in the tall grass, and when white men first saw these dogs in the Congo region in the 1800s, they thought they looked like wolf-dogs. The European colonials called them Congo Terriers, and a standard was even written for the dogs under this name dated 1880.

We’re not sure why the name changed for these dogs, but when the dogs were first exhibited in Great Britain in 1895, they were exhibited as “Lagos Bush Dogs,” and in 1905, they were exhibited at the Berlin Zoo as “African Bush Dogs.” Today, we know the breed as the Basenji, but even that name is curious. The well known judge and author, Maxwell Riddle, once wrote of his travels in the Belgian Congo where he asked to visit tribes with Basenjis. As the story goes, the officials were puzzled by the reference and finally asked if Mr. Riddle was referring to the dogs that don’t bark. When told yes indeed, Riddle was advised not to call them Basenjis because in the native tongue, the word meant “savage,” which might lead to a misunderstanding and a spear in the back. The dogs were called “Saba Dogs,” or “dogs of the Queen of Sheba.” Poor Mr. Riddle. It’s said he was later chastised by famed anthropologist, Dr. Louis Leakey, for using the word, “Basenji.” The proper name, he said, was “dog of the forest.”

These were by no means the dog’s only name: One native name for the it included, M’bwa M’kubwa M’bwa Wanwitu, which means “the jumping-up-and-down Dog, but other names included African Barkless Dog, Schensi dogs, Belgian Congo Dog, Congo Bush Dog, Congo Hunting Terrier, the African Dingo,Ango Angari, the Avuvi, the Congo Dog, Egyptian Dingo and the Zande dog. Whew.

Our reading tells us that the name, “Basenji,” means “small wild thing from the bush,” which in Kiswahili, the language of the Bantu, sounds like “Basenji.” How that name finally “stuck,” is unknown to us. In some African tribes, Basenjis are known as, “talking dogs.” Would that it were true so that the dogs, themselves, could tell us what they’d like to be called.

Image of Faraoland Swedish Design (“Julle”) owned by Anna Söderberg and painted by Martial Robin
www.martialrobin.fr
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Martial-Robin-paintings/156867181010482

07/06/2022

After years of searching, I finally found the full Pound Puppies episode of *The Pups Who Loved Me*, featuring Bondo the Basenji.

https://tubitv.com/tv-shows/113366/s03-e03-the-pups-who-loved-me

19/05/2022

The Basenji is thought to be one of the oldest domesticated dogs. His reputation as a non-barking dog may be because early people preferred a quiet dog as a hunting companion. Basenjis do bark, but usually only once, and then they are silent.

Another interesting aspect of this breed is that it may be only partially domesticated. The Basenji’s metabolism is unlike that of any other domesticated dog, and females only cycle once a year, compared to twice a year for other domesticated dogs.

The Basenji was used by African tribes to flush game into nets, carry goods, and warn of approaching danger. The American Kennel Club recognized the breed in 1943, and to this day the Basenji remains a rare breed in the U.S

13/05/2022

Basenji history...

The Basenji is arguably more unique than most breeds, from its yodel-like vocalizations to its lack of a distinctive doggie odor.

11/02/2022

A scene from the 1951 movie The African Queen.

Rewatching The African Queen and this little peek of Basenji face never fails to put a smile on my face.

04/09/2021

The Basenji is arguably more unique than most breeds, from its yodel-like vocalizations to its lack of a distinctive doggie odor.

21/06/2021

Genome of the Basenji Dog

An international team of scientists has sequenced and assembled the genome of the Basenji dog (Canis lupus familiaris), an ancient dog breed of central African origins that still lives and hunts with tribesmen in Congo.

16/05/2021

Three Dogs: An Eskimo Dog, A Basenji

An Eskimo dog had been given to Queen Victoria in 1843 by Captain Wemyss. In the list of dogs in Home Park Kennels, Windsor, in 1844 is Niger, an African dog brought back from the Niger expedition in 1842. A dog called Nelson is also entered, but as a Newfoundland, rather than a poodle. Signed and d...

17/06/2020

Join the NEW Facebook group "Basenjis for Adoption - North America"
https://www.facebook.com/groups/basenjisforadoption