Basenji
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Basenji | ||
|---|---|---|
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| Alternative names | ||
| African Bush Dog African Barkless Dog Ango Angari Avuvi Congo Dog Zande Dog |
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| Country of origin | ||
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | ||
| Classification and breed standards | ||
| FCI: | Group 5 Section 6 #43 | Stds |
| AKC: | Hound | Stds |
| ANKC: | Group 4 (Hounds) | Stds |
| CKC: | Group 2 - Hounds | Stds |
| KC (UK): | Hound | Stds |
| NZKC: | Hounds | Stds |
| UKC: | Group 3 - Sighthounds and Pariahs | Stds |
The Basenji is a breed of hunting dog that originates in central Africa. It is considered by some, particularly in North America, to be a member of the sighthound family; most kennel clubs, including the American Kennel Club and the Kennel Club of the United Kingdom classify it as a hound. The Basenji produces an unusual yodel-like sound, due to its unusually shaped larynx.[1] Although Basenjis do not bark per se, they can mimic sounds, and thus are able to mimic barks if raised among barking dogs.[2] In behavior and temperament they have some traits in common with cats.
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[edit] Appearance
Basenjis are small, elegant-looking, short-haired dogs with erect ears, a tightly curled tail, and a graceful neck. Some people consider their appearance similar to that of a miniature deer. A Basenji's forehead is wrinkled, especially when the animal is young. Basenji eyes are typically almond shaped, which gives the dog the appearance of squinting seriously.
Dogs typically weigh 24 pounds(11 kg) and stand 17 inches(43 cm) at the withers- Bitches are 22 pounds(10 kg) and 16 inches(40 cm). They are typically a square breed, which means that they are as long as they are tall. The Basenji is an athletic dog and is deceptively powerful for its size. They have a graceful, confident gait like a trotting horse, and skim the ground in a "double-suspension gallop" when running flat-out at their top speed.
The Basenji is recognized in the following standard colourations: red, black, tricolour (black with tan in the traditional pattern), and brindle (black stripes on a background of red), all with white, by the FCI, KC, AKC and UKC. There are additional variations, such as the "trindle", which is a tricolour with brindle points, and several other colorations exist in the Congo such as liver, shaded reds(sables), "capped" tricolours(creeping tan) and piebald marked dogs.
[edit] Temperament
Like wild canids, Basenjis do not bark. They will, however, give the occasional single "woof." They also chortle, whine, squeal, howl, and make a Basenji-specific noise called a yodel or a baroo. Some Basenji screams, during times of distress such as being locked up, have been compared to the scream of a woman, the crow of a rooster; essentially, their ability runs the gamut of vocalizations. Though they do not bark, they are quite capable of making their voices heard.
Also like wild canids, most Basenjis breed only once a year, usually in the autumn.
Basenjis are fastidious about their personal grooming, even washing themselves with their paws as cats do. Like cats, most Basenjis have a strong dislike for contact with water, and will go to great lengths to avoid getting wet. On the other hand, they are extremely inquisitive dogs, and can temporarily be completely oblivious to the pouring rain if something piques their interest.
Basenjis are highly intelligent and learn quickly, but they also have a cat-like independence and "self-motivation" which can make them somewhat casual about obedience. A healthy Basenji is a mischievous and good-humored animal, and is not above testing the limits of its environment and owner just for sport. They can be aloof with strangers but form strong bonds with their owners. If not supervised or trained properly, Basenjis can become bored and destructive when left alone. Basenjis are also expert climbers, and have been known to scale chain-link fences as much as eight feet high. Basenjis also have a very strong sense of territory, and they consider their home plus the whole area where they are regularly walked their territory. Because of this, they can be very hostile towards other dogs in those areas.
Quick and fast on their feet, Basenjis love to run and chase, so much so that they are sometimes competitively run in lure courses. There are few creatures a Basenji is likely to encounter (including its owner!) that it does not believe it can outwit or outrun. This, combined with the breed's typically fearless approach to the world, makes it a good idea not to allow a Basenji to run free in an unconfined area or where it may get into trouble.
A clear way to tell if a Basenji feels something is a threat or prey is when it circles around the object/person/animal. Usually this happens with animals in packs, but Basenjis do not have to be in a pack to circle around their prey. When they are circling, usually they are determining how to kill the threat or prey, and they will also do this to humans they are unfamiliar with.
[edit] History
The Basenji is one of the most ancient dog breeds. Originating on the continent of Africa, it has been venerated by humans for thousands of years. Basenjis can be seen on steles in the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs, sitting at the feet of their masters, looking just as they do today, with pricked ears and tightly curled tail.
The Basenji had almost totally disappeared from the West when Europeans came across it in the Congo in 1895. There, the Basenji was prized by locals for its intelligence, courage, speed, and silence. They were assistants to the hunt, chasing wild game into nets for their masters. The Azande and Mangbetu people from the northeastern Congo region describe Basenjis, in the local Lingala language, as mbwá na basɛ́nzi. Translated, this means “dogs of the savages”, or “dogs of the villagers”. The dogs are also known to the Azande of southern Sudan as Ango Angari.[3] The word basɛ́nzi itself is the plural form of mosɛ́nzi. In Kiswahili, another Bantu language, from East Africa, mbwa shenzi translates to “wild dog”. Another local name is m’bwa m’kube m’bwa wamwitu, or “jumping up and down dog”, a reference to their tendency to jump straight up to spot their quarry. However, it should also be noted that in Arabic, dogs from Africa were referred to as 'be'zenji', meaning 'of the tribe of blacks', while during colonial times the term 'shenzi' (Swahili: 'wild' or 'savage' via Arabic 'Zanj' meaning 'black African') was a derogatory term that could be applied to anything shoddy or native, but was used particularly to refer to native dogs (as in 'Shenzi dogs'). (See also "Zanj" and "shenzi").
Several attempts were made to bring the breed to England, but the earliest imports succumbed to disease. In 1923, for example, Lady Helen Nutting brought six Basenjis with her from Sudan, but all six died from distemper shots they received in quarantine.[4] It was not until the 1930s that foundation stock was successfully established in England, and thence to the United States by animal importer Henry Trefflich. So it is that nearly all the Basenjis in the Western world are descended from these few original imports. For a fascinating account of the importation of the Basenji from Africa, read "The History of the Breed",[5] a letter to the AKC in support of opening the stud book to admit new African imports. The breed was officially accepted into the AKC in 1943. In 1990 the AKC stud book was reopened to several new imports at the request of the Basenji Club of America.
[edit] Basenjis in popular culture
The title character of the 1954 novel Good-bye, My Lady, by James H. Street, is a Basenji. It's the story of a young boy in Mississippi who takes in a most unusual stray. The book was made into a movie of the same name in 1956, with a cast that included Brandon de Wilde, Walter Brennan, and Sidney Poitier.[6]
Veronica Anne Starbuck's 2000 novel Heart of the Savannah features a Basenji named Savannah. Savannah narrates this story about her adventures as an African-bred dog brought to America. Starbuck also wrote a sequel titled August Magic.
Simon Cleveland wrote a novel titled The Basenji Revelation[7] published by Lulu Press in 2004 in which a government agent suffers amnesia and undergoes a change in personality after inheriting a Basenji from his late mother. The book delivers insightful facts about the ancient origins of the breed.
The true story of a Basenji named Trumpkin was featured in the episode The Cat Came Back[8] on the radio program This American Life. In the process of choosing a new pet, Trumpkin's family, the Blumbergs, decided upon a Basenji after researching to find the ideal dog, one that wouldn't bark, shed or smell. Trumpkin soon acquainted the Blumbergs to many of the characteristics which his breed is also noted for, such as their destructiveness, disobedience and aggressiveness with other animals, and the family found him a new home on an out-of-state farm. Ultimately, it would be Trumpkin's supreme tenacity and skill as an escape artist which restored him to the Blumberg household and guaranteed him a permanent home there.
[edit] Health
Some Basenjis are prone to an inheritable kidney disorder called Fanconi syndrome. A Basenji with Fanconi syndrome usually begins to display symptoms after reaching the age of four. Owners can test for Fanconi syndrome by checking for sugar in the urine.
Basenjis, along with certain other breeds of dog, have been known to be carriers of a simple recessive gene which, when homozygous for the defect, causes genetic Hemolytic Anemia[9]. Most Basenjis today are descended from ancestors that have tested clean. When lineage from a fully tested line (set of ancestors) cannot be completely verified, the dog should be tested before breeding. As this is a non-invasive DNA test, a Basenji can be tested for HA at any time.
As with other breeds of dog, Basenjis sometimes suffer from hip dysplasia, resulting in loss of mobility and arthritis-like symptoms. All dogs should be tested by either OFA or PennHIP prior to breeding.
Malabsorption, or immunoproliferative enteropathy, is an autoimmune intestinal disease that leads to anorexia, chronic diarrhea, and even death. Special diet can improve the quality of life for afflicted dogs.
The breed can also fall victim to progressive retinal atrophy (a degeneration of the retina causing blindness) and several less serious hereditary eye problems such as coloboma (a hole in the eye structure), and persistent pupillary membrane (tiny threads across the pupil).
[edit] References
- ^ Adapted from the book "Why Pandas Do Handstands," 2006, by Augustus Brown.
- ^ http://www.basenji.org/african/tudor885.htm
- ^ http://www.basenji.org/african/tudor59.htm
- ^ http://www.basenji.org/african/nutting.htm
- ^ http://www.basenji.org/african/jone8908.htm
- ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0049271/
- ^ http://www.amazon.com/Basenji-Revelation-Simon-Cleveland/dp/1411612507/sr=1-2/qid=1172176334/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2/104-2392536-1581501?ie=UTF8&s=books
- ^ http://www.thisamericanlife.org/pages/descriptions/06/316.html
- ^ http://www.basenji.org/healthha.htm
