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The Dogs of the Stone Age were small foxy fellows, who gathered
around the first campfires. As ancient man went from place to place
about his business, they followed at a respectful distance, probably
attracted by occasional handouts, possibly because they felt an
affinity to him. The first dogs, according to paleontologists, were
very much like the Basenji, and there are scientific reasons for
supposing that the Basenji was this dog of prehistoric times.
Living in long isolation from the outer world for countless
thousands of years in the heart of Africa, the Basenji has not been
altered by the demands and whims of man. Nothing about him has been
changed - neither his size, his shape, the color and texture of his
coat, nor his temperament. The Basenji is a well-defined natural
breed and is one of Nature's Masterpieces.
The Basenji made an appearance in civilization at the dawn of
history as a palace dog of the Pharaohs, so long ago that he watched
the Pyramids being built. Pictured in bas-relief and sculptured
in stone
as far back as 4000 B.C., the Basenji even lent his
ears to the dog-headed god
Anubis.
He was found in Mesopotamia many centuries later. The Metropolitan
Museum of Arts owns a bronze statue of a man and his Basenji-like
dog, including curled tail and wrinkled forehead. This is identified
as Babylonian.
Ancient empires, crumbling, disappeared. So did the Basenji - and
without a trace. The explorer
Merolla, whom Edward C. Ash quotes in "Dogs and Their
Development" caught a glimpse of him in the Congo in 1682. "These
dogs, notwithstanding their wildness, do little or no damage to the
inhabitants. They are red-haired, have small slender bodies and
their tails turned upon their backs." Only as recently as the latter
half of the 19th century were Basenjis re-discovered in their
original habitat - the headwaters of both the Nile and the Congo, in
the heart of Africa. There, they are the hunting dogs of native
tribes, and so highly esteemed are they that they are regarded as
having equal rights with their masters.
The purebred Basenji is a small dog, the male measuring
approximately 17 inches from the ground to the top of the shoulders;
the female, 16 inches. The preferred weight for the male is about 24
pounds; for the female, 22. His legs must be slender and long; his
toes highly arched. His movement lends distinction to the man who
owns and walks one.
In sunlight he is an arresting sight. His coat is short and silky
and one has a choice of colors. There is a lustrous golden brown
with white feet and white tail-tip, white chest and belly, and in
many specimens, a white blaze and collar. There is a striking black
and white edition, glossy black with white where it occurs on the
red dogs; and a handsome tri-color edition - glossy black with sharp
edgings of brilliant tan, tan tri-angular eyebrows and checks, with
white of course where it occurs on red dogs. (Editor
Update: Brindle basenis, with
black stripes over a base red coat, are now included as a recognized
basenji color.)
The Basenji's tail should curl tightly to one side of his back and
the more animated the dog, the tighter the curl. The head and
expression of the Basenji are his most appealing features. His prick
ears give him a constant look of alertness; his brown eyes have an
oriental slant; and his wrinkled forehead imparts an anxious
expression to his face -
the look of one who, having known man from the beginning, is terribly
worried about the outcome.
Since he is silent on the trail, the Congolese, as did the ancients,
require him to wear a hunting bell made of wood, or iron, or the
shell of a Borassus nut, so that they may trail him to his prey. He
will not become hysterical when the doorbell or the telephone rings.
He will not become vocal at the sight of other animals, or the
approaching stranger.
Although some are almost totally silent, Basenjis possess vocal
chords and do have a voice. They have a growl worthy of a dog twice
their size; they have a threatening wild-animal snarl, and they have
a scream of terror. Some will talk with their masters and with one
another in voices like those of Siamese cats. Others are yodelers,
with a range comparable to that of a coloratura, and will even
perform on command!
Then, there is a call heard generally at night, apparently a
pack-call. It is an eerie sound, more reminiscent of a bird than an
animal. And, there is the crow, delightfully like a young rooster's
initial attempt. The Basenji crows when he greets human friends,
when he's surprised, when he's amused, when he's achieved a triumph
such as charging into a room forbidden to him, or when he is pleased
with the way things in general are going. On such occasions he is at
his irresistible best.
Owners will testify to his phenomenal intelligence, his
inventiveness, his curiosity, and his clownish sense of humor. But
keep in mind that since the Basenji usually has a single devotion to
one man, one family, one boy or girl, it is preferable that he make
friends among the human race early in life.
He is a staunch believer in personal and property rights. The silent
hunter is also a silent watch dog. A sound outside brings him
noiselessly to the door, to await an intruder. He will give the
housebreaker a rough time.
The Basenji is immaculate, grooming his coat and paying particular
attention to his feet, again, like a cat. He takes such good care of
himself that he rarely needs a bath. An occasional brisk rub with a
rough towel and a daily going-
over with a soft brush will delight him and will cause his coat to
glisten.
The Basenji is practically odorless. If there is any scent at all,
it is reminiscent of clean, dry grass.
Some Basenji bitches still come into season only once a year,
usually in the fall, puppies arriving during the holidays. With an
eye on her own, Nature has ordained that in climates where there are
definite winters and summers, females ought to come into season in
the spring, puppies to arrive when the weather is congenial - in
June or July. In the northern United States and Canada as the years
pass, more and more litters are arriving in late spring and early
summer, so that puppies are now generally available throughout the
year.
Although for fifty years the British made many attempts to bring
Basenjis into England, they were not successfully acclimated there
until 1937. In 1938 they were introduced into the United States and
Canada. The Basenji Club of America, Inc., an organization of
Basenji owners, admirers of the breed, sportsmen, naturalists,
writers, and breeders, is dedicated to the preservation of the
Basenji as an aboriginal dog and in the image of its African
prototype.
Activities available for the Basenji owner are lure coursing, scent
field trailing, and much companionship. The lure coursing and scent
field trialing are activities in which you can enjoy watching your
Basenji do what comes naturally.
* Original pamphlet cover art
was by Bernice Walker, included the text of 1954 AKC Basenji
Standard on the back cover, gave a contact name for more
information, and welcomed new members to the Basenji Club of
America.
This is a reference to Father
Jerom Merolla da Sorrento, who authored a book about his early
Congo expedition:
"A Voyage to Congo, and Several Other Countries, Chiefly in
Southern-Africk." London: Awnsham & John Churchill, 1704.
Image Credit - Image from
the
IMAGE Royalty Free CD-ROM Volume 4: Art of
Ancient Egypt from the
Metropolitan Museum of Art |
