Basenji

History

He's one of the oldest breeds with proof he existed in Ancient Egypt
He was developed in central Africa for hunting and excelled at it because he was courageous, intelligent, fast, powerful and worked silently
He arrived in England in 1937
He made it to the United States in 1941

He's known as the "Barkless Dog" and is mostly silent, but occasionally makes yodeling noises
He's affectionate and loving to his family
He's got lots of energy and is very active
He loves to play and will spur you into playing with him
He's fastidious and cleans himself all over like a cat does
He lacks a doggy odor
He is cautious and slow to warm up to strangers
He tends to be independent and aloof at times but forms a strong bond with his owner
He can be a great escape artist and will climb a fence to go wandering
He can't be trusted with smaller pets and has a strong chasing instinct
He's quite patient which makes him good with children

He's one of the most difficult breeds to train. You will need lots of patience as he is one of the slowest to learn obedience commands.

He sheds quite a bit of hair. You'll find some hair stuck to your clothes, couch and carpets.

His short coat only needs to be brushed occasionally. However, because it sheds you may find yourself brushing it once a week, or more, to minimize the hair in your home (what you remove with a brush doesn't end up on the couch!).