Basenji

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.

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, tricolor (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.

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 was featured in the episode The Cat Came Back [8] on the radio program This American Life. The segment tells the story of a family who chose a Basenji because they do not shed or slobber, but became frustrated with his aloofness and destructiveness. They eventually bring him to live on a farm 30 miles away, but within a few days the tenacious dog found its way all the way back home.

In Spike Milligan's War Diaries "Mussolini: His Part in My Downfall" (Sept 24, 1943) the following exchange takes place:

...we are bloody lost. Lt. Budden is looking studiously at his map, the wrong way up.
"It's upside down, Sir."
"I know that, I turned it upside down for a reason."
"Sorry, Sir, only trying to help."
"If you want to help, Milligan, act like a Basenji."