The Wonderful Myths you hear about the Basenji's

[ElfinSailor]

1 Basenji were used for hunting lions, people killed the lions. The dogs would systematically run confusion patterns around the cat teasing and frustrating them. At a given opportunity the man would jump out from hiding and stick a spear into the lion.

2. Basenji's will learn behaviors with positive reinforcements. They for the most part will never stand up to a Border Collie or a Poodle as far as precise behavior.

3. When JaBok was a puppy, while sitting on the sofa I could throw a stuffed toy to the floor and he would jump down and get it kill it by shaking it and then jump back up onto the sofa with it. As he grew if I threw something for him on the beach he would chase it down shake it to death put it on the sand and look expectantly at me as if to say I did my part now come get it but never bring it back and now that he is an old man he is not even interested in that game. If we are out walking and encounter a bunny he nails it shakes it and eats it so fast that there is nothing I can do to stop it.

4. The Basenji is the first dog in recorded history to have a relationship with man. (AKC) Carbon dated cave paintings Zaire 6,000BC depicting small dogs with curly tails, stick up ears and four white feet. Earley Egyptian Hieroglyphics depicting Nubian Slaves in retinue leading a pair of Basenji following chieftains wearing caftans arriving from the east bering gifts for Pharo.

5. It seems to be a general consensus they do not like to be in the water. After much fighting at first JaBok will now tolerate an occasional bath when he roles in horse puckey, he now avoids horse puckey. When it is really hot out he will wade in the water up to his belly to cool off. If I take him into deep water he swims quite expertly straight to shore and looks at me with disgust.

6. ?????

7. See above.

8. They can definitely be trusted to do whatever pleases them.

9. I have seen JaBok chew on a marrow bone for hours with extrem vigor.

10. It is pretty safe to say this is true.

11. ???????

12. Basenji's do have the glottal mechanisms to bark. There are no natural occurring wild K9 that bark.

13. If you believe this you have never heard the bone chilling howl that they can make. JaBok is very communicative with a really broad spectrum of quiet vocalizations. Feed yours something a little warm some time and listen to him complain.

14. Basenji's may not require a lot of attention but JaBok definitely demands it. Though he seems to resent most attempts at physical care.

15. Come on where did you get an idea like that? At 11 years JaBok can easily standing hop 3' to his window seat. He will show caution now if he is unsure as to his landing spot. I think that shows extreme intelligence. Once as a pup he jumped onto a coffee table and landed smack in the middle of a blackberry pie. He has always shown some discretion since.

16. What do you consider intelligent? Is doing everything someone tells you intelligence? I personally consider questioning authority a sign of extreme intelligence. I have always thought that easily trained dogs are extremely lacking in natural intelligence.

17. Basenji's can climb trees but not like a cat.

18. For the most part Basenjis are pretty fearless but also intelligent enough to know when they should proceed with caution except around moving cars and trucks.

19. JaBok definitely covets as much lap time as he can get especially if it is cold and is under his blanket.

20. The only thing that can be be said to this is the opposite is the rule.

21. ?????????

22. All living creatures experience health problems.

23. I suspect that in primitive cultures Basenji are as respected and cared about as they are in ours. Pit Bulls that do not fight well are destroyed in ours. During times of extreme famine they may end up in the stew pot but only in extreme situations. I suspect the ones that do not hunt well were left home to entertain the children. I can't imagine a Basenji that does not hunt well.

24. Though I have never seen a flea on JaBok and we have lived in SanFracisco for a while I cannot imagine that the Basenji is impervious to fleas. Their close coats do no provide good shelter for them though.

25. Haven't' a clue. Basic biology says all K9 are color blind.

26. Much can be gleaned from the internet but living with a Basenji will teach you more.

27. What difference does it make?

[nomrbddgs]

Hmmm, IMO as follows:

1. Basenji's are Lion Killers! T-we had a speaker from Africa at the 2012 Regional Specialty and he confirmed this from his grandfather's stories. Apparently B's were kept around the village, especially at night, to protect the children from the lions!

2. Basenji's cannot be Trained! F-it's just that the memo they take may be kept for later use!

3. Basenji's do not Retreive! F-as long as they want to play the game!

4. Basenji's are one of the oldest Orignal Breeds! T-and not a manmade intervention breed!

5. Basenji's are deathly afraid of Water! F-only on their terms. LOL

6. Basenji's are pound for pound the most Vicious Dog Alive! T-IMO of course. I've seen these guys go after some amazing things and to watch them silently co-ordinate their attack is something to see!

7. Basenji's cannot Swim!-Depends on the dog. Not all dogs can swim, period.

8. Basenji's cannot be Trusted! T-definitely! They are like 2 year olds. A missed opportunity never happens when your back is turned.

9. Basenji's have short a very short Attention Span! T&F-when they are focused on something, it can take them hours to refocus in some instances. But, again, only when it's something that they want to focus on.

10. Basenji's will only do something when they Choose to do it! Definitely T. What's in it for them is the question of the day.

11. Basenji's prefer Clean Clothes to Dirty Clothes! F-doesn't matter-all underwear and bra's contain chewable material.

12. Basenji's cannot Bark! F

13. Basenji's are Quiet Dogs! Definitely F. Mine can sometimes sound like a little herd stomping their feet!

14. Basenji's do not require a lot of Attention or Care! I would have to say T&F. Depends on the dog.

15. Basenji's cannot Jump! F-Oh, don't tell my girls that! Have you seen the exercise video of Rose??

16. Basenji's are the Unintelligent Breed! F-Shadow had to think for 2 weeks to figure out a problem-and he succeeded in solving it.

17. Basenji's can Climb a Tree like a cat! T-Sugar will definitely climb if the mood strikes her.

18. Basenji's have no Fear! T-fear, what's fear!!

19. Basenji's are Lap Dogs! T-just try to tell one of them to get off you when you lay on the sofa!

20. Basenji's need no exercise! F-Basenji 500, nuff said.

21. Basenji's are Naturally Socialized! F-Most of the breeders take great care in sociallizing (?) the puppies they have.

22. Basenji's have no Health Problems! F- all dogs have some sort of issue over their lifetime.

23. Basenji's with poor hunting skills were culled out and killed in Africa! T-in some tribes they were used for food.

24. Basenji's do not get Fleas! F

25. Basenji's have Color Preferences! T- you can see it in the whelping box. And I believe they have done a further study on what colours dogs can see and they see far more colour than originally thought.

26. Basenji's are not loving pets! F-try to pry Shadow or Johnny away from me. Or Sugar for that matter!

27. The Internet is the best place to get information about the Basenji Breed! F-from a breeder. They know their own lines and dogs.

28. Basenji's tail's only Curl on One Side! T-IMO. They either set one way or the other. You can place it in a position, but it won't stay there.

[JoT]

@ComicDom1:

Its kind of amazing to hear some of the things that are spouted as facts about Basenji Breed. I have to admit that when I first started reading about the Breed, I was even taken in myself by several myths. However once I started gaining more experience with our Basenji and testing some of these myths do not hold water. So I figured I would start a list of Myths and see where it.

TRUE OR NOT TRUE MYTH's Of the Basenji Breed! You Decide

29. Basenjis don't shed.

30. Basenjis are hypoallergenic.

31. Basenjis don't use their dew claws.

[JoT]

@ElfinSailor:

1 Basenji were used for hunting lions, people killed the lions. The dogs would systematically run confusion patterns around the cat teasing and frustrating them. At a given opportunity the man would jump out from hiding and stick a spear into the lion.

4. The Basenji is the first dog in recorded history to have a relationship with man. (AKC) Carbon dated cave paintings Zaire 6,000BC depicting small dogs with curly tails, stick up ears and four white feet. Earley Egyptian Hieroglyphics depicting Nubian Slaves in retinue leading a pair of Basenji following chieftains wearing caftans arriving from the east bering gifts for Pharo.

ElfinSailor, I am interested in these two statements. Can you tell me the source of this information? Or if you have some website link, published reference, or expert that provided this information ….. please share.
Thank you!!!!

[eeeefarm]

1. Basenjis are Lion Killers! ?? Doubtful, unless they accomplish it as a pack.

2. Basenjis cannot be Trained! False. Of course they can. But you have to be at least half as smart as the dog.

3. Basenjis do not Retrieve! False. They can be taught to do so quite reliably, as long as the reward (or consequence, if you train that way) is sufficient. (video proof!)

4. Basenjis are one of the oldest Original Breeds! True.

5. Basenjis are deathly afraid of Water! False. Some Basenjis are afraid, some dislike it. Some will launch themselves off the dock after water skiers! (the rope isn't to pull her off the dock, it is to prevent her chasing passing water skiers!)

6. Basenjis are pound for pound the most Vicious Dog Alive! False. Ever meet a Jack Russell? My friend's JR put the fear of God into my guy in ten seconds flat! And he outweighs her.

7. Basenjis cannot Swim! False. Tell that to my girl who would determinedly swim after water skiers.

8. Basenjis cannot be Trusted! ?? Trusted to do what? True, you generally can't trust them not to steal.

9. Basenjis have short a very short Attention Span! False. They can be amazingly focused when they want something.

10. Basenjis will only do something when they Choose to do it! False. But it definitely helps.

11. Basenjis prefer Clean Clothes to Dirty Clothes! False. At least when it comes to underwear. Lost the crotch out of stray panties more than once, but never from clean ones.

12. Basenjis cannot Bark! False.

13. Basenjis are Quiet Dogs! Hard one to call. A content Basenji is generally quiet. A frustrated one, not so much!

14. Basenjis do not require a lot of Attention or Care! False.

15. Basenjis cannot Jump! False!!

16. Basenjis are the Unintelligent Breed! False. Obedience intelligence is not the same thing as intelligence.

17. Basenjis can Climb a Tree like a cat! False. But they can and do climb accessible trees.

18. Basenjis have no Fear! False. An animal with no fear would not survive long in Africa.

19. Basenjis are Lap Dogs! True!

20. Basenjis need no exercise! False.

21. Basenjis are Naturally Socialized! False

22. Basenjis have no Health Problems! False

23. Basenjis with poor hunting skills were culled out and killed in Africa! Probably true. And likely ones with snarky temperaments ended up in the soup pot as well, unless they were wonderful hunters.

24. Basenjis do not get Fleas! False!!

25. Basenjis have Color Preferences! ?? In relation to?

26. Basenjis are not loving pets! False.

27. The Internet is the best place to get information about the Basenji Breed! True, but only if you are selective.

28. Basenjis tail's only Curl on One Side! True for the individual, I think.

[nomrbddgs]

Jo, you can contact Sanda Allen for info on Father Titus who gave a speech at the BCOC Regional specialty re the lion part of this.

[JoT]

@nomrbddgs:

Jo, you can contact Sanda Allen for info on Father Titus who gave a speech at the BCOC Regional specialty re the lion part of this.

Okay. Thank you! Did you mean Sandra or Sanda? Do you have a website for her contact or a kennel name?

[nomrbddgs]

No, it's Sanda. Her kennel name is Africanadian Basenji's. The website is africanadian.net and her email should be on there. It took about 2 min for the page to load, but you can probably see her address there.

[JoT]

@nomrbddgs:

No, it's Sanda. Her kennel name is Africanadian Basenji's. The website is africanadian.net and her email should be on there. It took about 2 min for the page to load, but you can probably see her address there.

Thank you. I found it.

[Sanda Saunders]

Just to make a small but important clarification. Usually Basenjis did not kill the lions. They surounded the lions and the humans did the killing. So the Basenji is not really a lion killer. However Father Titus did hear of stories about packs of Basenjis having killed lions. But it would be very rare. For those who are curious. Father Titus is my parish priest here on Base Petawawa, Ontario, Canada. He was born and raised in the Congo. His grandfather, who hunted with a basenji, was the cheif of a village. This village still does not have power. People still live in huts. He also mentioned that often Basenjis would scare the lions and other predators away from the encampments. Basenji packs would always protect their humans through intimidation. Often scaring lions away!!! This for thousands of years. He also mentioned that the Basenji in Congo is in danger due to a rabies epidemic and some waring tribes using them for food. So the Basenji is not really a lion killer however it is a lion scarer. Absolutely! A pack of Basenjis will take on anything that threatens their humans. Heck yah!!!

[nomrbddgs]

Nice to hear you speak up Sanda! Your memory is much better than mine, but the establishment was quite noisy as well. I heard 'lion' and 'kill' in the same sentence. So technically, when threatened Father Titus did say they would kill a lion if needed.

[Sanda Saunders]

@nomrbddgs:

Nice to hear you speak up Sanda! Your memory is much better than mine, but the establishment was quite noisy as well. I heard 'lion' and 'kill' in the same sentence. So technically, when threatened Father Titus did say they would kill a lion if needed.

Yes we had information overload!!! Yes he did say they could kill a lion as a pack if need be but that is rare. Usually they scare the predators away. It is very hard to beleive that small dogs like that could kill a lion. I will ask him for more info about this topic. Next time he goes to the Congo, he will gather more stories on this topic and share them with us. I will ask him to video interview people. We can all watch it together. It will be so much fun!!!

[nomrbddgs]

Hopefully next Sept at the next Regional you put on? It was really good. And so much info from everyone and a wonderful slide show from Father Titus on Basenji info.

[Sanda Saunders]

@nomrbddgs:

Hopefully next Sept at the next Regional you put on? It was really good. And so much info from everyone and a wonderful slide show from Father Titus on Basenji info.

Yes The BCOC Regional Specialty should be at the same place same time "ish". The last Saturday of August. August 31st 2013
Yes I will try to get part B of the Father Titus presentation. So much we never got to present. I will work on it with him all next spring and summer.
I will make sure to weed out any unimportant info. As too much is not the best. Just keep the most interesting and most relevant. We will have loads of fun too!

[Sanda Saunders]

http://www.basenji.org/african/macd6709.htm
There is a good part on the lion hunting in this article…. sooooooo good!!!!

Interesting part about a possible brindle connection in there too, towards the end.

[Sanda Saunders]

OMG I wonder if the SAFANDO talked about in the article could be this African Wild Dog
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lycaon_pictus
Go look at the map of where it lives. It does overlap known basenji territories.
What if… what if....
We need John Curby to do a DNA annalysis to see if any possible genetic input could have come from there????
(He is the only guy I know of who would be capable and pehaps interested.)
In the article it mentions people crossing them with local dogs.
Sooo interesting.....
Sanda

[agilebasenji]

Or Aardwolf? but the geography doesn't really work for the Aardwolf (but the tiger stripes do!)