The Basenji belongs to the medium-sized dog breeds. Due to the fine build with a weight of 9-12 kg combined with the proudly raised head and the large, upright ears, the Basenji appears very noble and graceful. In addition, there are the characteristic clear forehead wrinkles, which additionally emphasize the special appearance of the Basenji.
The Basenji is not a dog for everyone due to its stubborn and independent nature. However, if you are looking for a happy dog and have the necessary patience as well as time to train your four-legged friend, then the Basenji could be the perfect choice for you!
The almond-shaped dark eyes are set at an angle to the head.
The legs, which are long in contrast to the rest of the body, also give the Basenji an elegant gait. The Basenji carries its tail tightly rolled on its back.
The coat, which lies close to the body, is short and can be black and white, red and white, tricolor and brindle.
Another characteristic feature for the Basenji is that this breed of dog does not communicate by barking, but by making sounds that are more like yodeling, yipping or laughing.
The Basenji reaches a life expectancy of 13 – 15 years.
The personality of the Basenji strongly resembles that of a cat. The Basenji is a very intelligent and independent dog, at the same time he is always attentive. In addition, the Basenji is also very reserved and cautious. He usually meets strangers with a certain shyness. However, he is very close to his master or mistress, but he would never submit or subordinate himself. The Basenji is too independent for that. In thought as well as in action.
Although the Basenji is the most eager to run, he is still usually very calm and serene in his usual environment. His environment he observes even while resting, always attentive and alert. However, due to its independent nature, the Basenji also tends to stray. In addition, the Basenji has a strong hunting instinct.
Since this dog breed is a social pack animal, it gets along with other Basenjis as well as with other dog breeds. Cats can also be kept together with the Basenji, if the Basenji has been well socialized and accustomed to them beforehand.
Due to his desire to belong, the Basenji does not like to be alone at home. You should therefore make sure that you do not leave your four-legged friend alone at home for too long and too often. Furthermore, the correct and consistent education from an early age is essential with the Basenji, because this dog breed is very stubborn and stubborn. You will notice that this self-confident dog breed will initially try to assert itself in order to put its own needs first. Therefore, mutual trust and clear rules are indispensable for education. Even if the education of the Basenji can be exhausting and requires a lot of patience, you should never work with pressure, because then you will quickly notice that your quadruped will “shut down” and it comes to a standstill in the education.
Since the Basenji is also very active, you should be able to move a lot with him and also keep him busy. Jogging or cycling together is very suitable for this, as are long walks. However, you should avoid water with your four-legged friend. The Basenji is not one of the water rats among the dog breeds.
In addition, the Basenji does not like cold. For this reason, you should also make sure that he does not hypothermia in the winter and also a dog coat is very useful for the cold winter days.
The diet of the Basenji should be high quality and high meat content, but no cereals and sugar. This applies to both wet and dry food. Due to their delicate physique, dogs gain weight very quickly if their calorie intake is too high. Therefore, it is important to make sure that you always adjust the feed to the energy consumption of your four-legged friend. The best way to check your four-legged friend’s weight is to weigh him regularly.
Not only the character of the Basenji reminds of that of a cat, but also its cleanliness is strongly comparable to that of a cat.
Basenji is very clean and cleans himself regularly. It also mostly avoids dirt and mud. Also, this dog breed does not have the typical ,,dog smell”. In general, the short coat of the Basenji requires little care. However, you should still make sure that you comb it at least once in a while. After all, this not only removes loose hair, but also strengthens the bond with your dog. However, the dogs also lose little hair compared to other dog breeds.
You should also check your quadruped’s ears, claws and teeth regularly. This way you can prevent inflammation.
To avoid hereditary diseases, you should definitely choose a reputable breeder. Namely, Basenjis can be prone to kidney disease, eye problems as well as hernias.
Little is known about the exact origin of the Basenji due to a lack of records, but Stone Age images and ancient Egyptian tombs already testify to the existence of this type of dog. Thus, the Basenji is one of the veryold and original dog breeds. Researchers assume that he is descended from the Egyptian Tasem .
Translated, Basenji means as much as “small wild bush animal“. Originally, the Basenji of today comes from Central Africa. There he lives in villages, but he has never been bred specifically or formed a close bond with the people there. The Basenji lived more as a rat hunter next to the humans. It also happened that people slaughtered the dogs so that they had something to eat.
Then, at the end of the 19th century, some Basenjis came to Europe with African explorers. The dogs were then bred in Great Britain around 1935. Even though the dog breed originated in Africa, today Great Britain has patronage over the dog breed. From Great Britain, the dog breed then gradually spread throughout Europe. Since 1964, the Basenji is officially recognized by the FCI.
The Basenji is not a dog for everyone due to its stubborn and independent nature. However, if you are looking for a happy dog and have the necessary patience as well as time to train your four-legged friend, then the Basenji could be the perfect choice for you!
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