Ray R
Club Member
Basenjis are small African hunting dogs that typically never bark. The most recent DNA studies show it is the oldest of all domesticated breads.What the albino sheep **** is a Basenji??????
My AVITAR is part of a group of Basenjis looking at you and trying to figure out "what the heck you are talking about". Perfect for an AVITAR on the forum - LOL
They are both a sight hound and a scent hound. They are known for stubbornness and very high intelligence. They are normally hard to train because they "are not particularly interested in pleasing you".
Mine finished 3rd in her obedience class of about 15 animals, just behind a Golden Retriever and a Shetland Sheep Dog. She sat crookedly when we "heeled" and on the long sit/stay command she would eventually lie down. On the long down/stay command she would eventually sit up. These guys can be irascible without even trying hard. We owned this breed of dog as a house pet for over 30 years, so there must have been something about them that made it worthwhile - LOL
I raced her for 3 years up in Dayton, Ohio (I lived in Cincinnati at the time). It took 3 years before any of the Afghan hounds could beat her. She (Bagel the Basenji) and a whippet (Willy the Whippet) were the fastest dogs on the course and won most of the races. There was a Greyhound who ran, but he liked to lay back until the lead dogs were 25 yards or so ahead, then run them down. He was fast, but his "run them down" technique wasn't too effective on a course that sig zagged.
There was a Walt Disney movie called "Goodbye my Lady" - a story about a boy who lives in a swamp and finds a dog. He trains it to hunt birds. That Dog is a Basenji. You can find this movie on "you tube". Why not watch it. The season doesn't really start for another couple of weeks.
Yes, they can scent and point birds at 50 yards. they may have the best "nose" in the dog world, just behind Bloodhounds. They have better noses than Beagles. I know this because it was brought to my attention by a Beagle breeder I met.
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