Nature´s Masterpiece

Nature's Masterpiece: The Basenji
 

The dogs of the Stone Age were small foxy fellows, who gathered around the first camp fires. 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 like Basenjis, 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 thousand of years in the heart of Africa, the Basenji has not been altered by the demands and whims of man. Nothing about him has 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 Anubia. He was found in Mesopotamia many centuries later. The Metropolitan Museum of Art owns a bronze statue of a man and a Basenji-like dog, including curled tail and wrinkled forehead. This is identified as Babylonian, 1500 B.C.

Ancient empires, crumbled, disappeared. So did the Basenji - and without a trace. The explorer, Merolla, whome 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 bodeis and thie 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 thy 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 ground to top of shoulder; the female, 16 inches. The preferred weight for the male is about 24 pounds; the female 22. His legs must be slender and long; his toes highly arches. 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 lustroush, golden brown with white feet and white tall tip, white chest and belly, and in man 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 hansome tri-color edition - glossy black with sharp edgings of brilliant tan, tan triangular eyebrows and cheeks, with white, of course, where it occurs on red dogs. The Basenji 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 Barassus nut, so that they may trail him to his prey. He will not become hysterical when the door bell or the telephone rings. He will not become vocal at the sight of other animals nor the approaching stranger.

Although some are almost silent, Basenjis possess vocal chords and do have a voice. They have a growl worthy of a dog twice their size; they have a threateneing 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 the 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 preferrable 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 house-breaker 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 will 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 climate where there are definite winters and summers, females ought to come in 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, Incorporated, an organization of Basenji owners, admirers of the breed, sportsmen, natualists, writers and breeders, is dedicated to the preservation of the Basenji as an aboriginal dog in the image of its African prototype. Your inquiries regarding the Basenji and membership in the Basenji Club of America, and the Magnolia Basenji Club are welcome, and will be promptly answered.

Author Unknown

08-12-2011