I think it's so interesting that so many of you agree that there HAS been a noticeable difference. So I glad I didn't just make this up! :p It's impressive to me that the overall temperament of a breed can change with conscientious breeding. The B's that I know tend to be fairly friendly (though still aloof with strangers), cuddly, etc. I'd be surprised to learn that there's a specific "nice" gene, but I'm convinced that the foundation of a good temperament is genetic.
I did wonder about training methods, too. I suspect some old school, heavy-handed training approaches can backfire with B's and make them lash out more, which would compel their owner to "punish" them more, and it turns into a vicious cycle. As training methods improve for all dogs, maybe some of these breed perceptions get worn down a bit, too.
When we started showing basenjis in the mid 80's we used to show with our breeder and she would send potential puppy buyer over to play with Winston and Tasha as they were great with everyone dog and human. Temperament and health are the most importAnt thing. The dogs I see now nearly 30 years later seem much more relaxed and well socialized than their predecessors.
Very interesting.. I have been wondering about this a lot… Now if we could just breed the chewing out of them...:p
I've always been curious why the temperaments ever like that. From the various presentations on the expeditions to the Congo, I've heard several times that poor temperaments and aggressiveness towards other dogs or people would not have been tolerated as it would not have worked well with how the people lived with the dogs. Granted, that is a significantly different environment and the dogs had a lot a more space and freedom to get away from other dogs they didn't get along with. Plus, I generally hear that the imports brought over in recent years have good temperaments. Was there generally different breeding priorities early on after the initial importations that may have inadvertently led to it?
We got our first basenji about 72, he was a year old when we got him, confined in a back yard his whole life. He was great with us and the female rescue we got a couple of years later, but he sent one small dog to the emergency vet. If he got out and saw another dog, he wasn't playing, he was serious. But he was the smartest and funniest basenji ever, he would play pranks on us! The reputation back then was "untrainable and aggressive". And indeed with the old jerk-and-snatch methods, they WERE untrainable; much better with modern positive reinforcement.
But I do agree, temperaments back then were much 'sharper' than most we see today, thanks to great breeders!
I've always been curious why the temperaments ever like that. From the various presentations on the expeditions to the Congo, I've heard several times that poor temperaments and aggressiveness towards other dogs or people would not have been tolerated as it would not have worked well with how the people lived with the dogs. Granted, that is a significantly different environment and the dogs had a lot a more space and freedom to get away from other dogs they didn't get along with. Plus, I generally hear that the imports brought over in recent years have good temperaments. Was there generally different breeding priorities early on after the initial importations that may have inadvertently led to it?
I have wondered about that too. All the Africans that I have met have been very easygoing, especially with people. Some have been downright gregarious (Dr. Jo!) I have heard people speculate that possibly, selecting for dogs that were confident and 'showey' for the ring led to a sharper temperament; or maybe it has to do with how breeders raise and socialize puppies now, as opposed to the olden days of keeping dogs in large kennels….it does seem like a good question though...
My experience with my half avongara litter is that they are all very friendly but are more environmentally sensitive than my domestics. What I mean by environmentally sensitive are things like when our across the street neighbor sets up her yard decorations for the seasons my domestics have never acted in any way to acknowledge that they notice. Sophie hackled up and boofed the first time she walked out and the scarecrow was out. Once she was taken over and allowed to investigate, it was no big deal but she needed everyone to know there something strange and new in the environment. I was doing some nosework in a parking garage and person popped up out of the stairwell and Sophie alarm barked. Again, no big deal after the new thing was acknowledged, she just alerts to environmental changes. For Sophie, it is not a big deal, we acknowledge the new thing and then move on but I can see how this sort of environmental sensitivity could lead issues if force based training was used and the alerting signals she gave were punished.
When we showed years and years ago for the first time, over 28 years now, no one could stand with their B next to another B, you had to keep your distance from each other outside the ring and be very careful moving them into the ring if another was coming out, especially the boys. Only I ever showed my boy, I was too scared to let anyone else handle him. Then in later years when we returned to the ring with my son's Timi and my Cory, it was a different world. Bs and their handlers all together in one group, visiting, not having to keep both eyes on the dogs at all times with short tight leashes. I can attest that temperment has improved 100 fold in my opinion. Breeding for temperment has to be a big priority if they are to remain companions and family members.
And thank goodness the temperaments have improved. Sunday I was rotating Gambit and my whippet out of and into crates ringside. I thought I had Gambits collar in my hand, and then looked down and the little imp had backed out of her martingale and all I had was the collar. I looked around and she was right behind me sitting next to Jaque's basenjis listening to her talk. I reached over, slipped her collar on her and walked off with her. I don't think anyone else realized she did not belong to Jaque.
The guy told her "don't move. It's a Basenji and they only bite once in their lives and will NEVER let go. You'll be dead in seconds."
OMG that is hysterical. I mean, he must have seen her coming… dead from a 20 something pound dog, roflmao.
Hmmm… I wonder if the idiot Kipawa and I met yesterday had old school thinking about basenjis? Could explain why he was such a jerk.
I suspect he is simply a jerk and had no idea about the breed.
And while I do not expect them to love all other dogs or get along, that to me is acceptable also.
I don't expect them to love other dogs or want to make friends. I do expect them not to try to eat any other dog or go Cujo at the site of them.
I've always been curious why the temperaments ever like that. From the various presentations on the expeditions to the Congo, I've heard several times that poor temperaments and aggressiveness towards other dogs or people would not have been tolerated
Dogs there not confined in houses, crates, fences. They don't like another dog, they leave. There was a great hunting dog article years ago about the changes in society creating the changes needed to continue to have dogs as pets. When I think about some breeds that are human aggressive, those breeds work fine on farms in Africa, South America and other places where there really is no need for a stranger to be on your property and you actually NEED human aggressive guard dogs (and won't get sued into poverty if they bite someone). We expect different here.
It is one reason I get so bent out of shape over Pit Bull stereotyping. Pit bulls are animal aggressive, not human aggressive, when bred "right." I don't agree with the "keepers of the breed" who insist that maintaining the animal aggression is good, but I also know a good dozen dog breeds still under the radar here that are darned scary in human aggression.
Years ago Kimbertal Kennels had an instruction page up for Filas. It said, I swear, that if your dog was friendly to strangers you should tie it to a tree and have a stranger come up, pet it, give it a treat, then beat it. It advised that after 2 or 3 people you should have that problem fixed. Their BREED CLUB AD said "If you are looking for a friendly dog, find another breed." Sigh. and yet, they aren't even on my top 10 list.
OMG…that is disgusting, and disturbing Debra 
those poor dogs...
A lot of people consider protection the main reason to have a dog. Every time someone comes up to me on the street the second thing they ask, right after asking if that's the dog from the movie The Mask ( did not know that was such a popular movie down here), is if he,s " bravo" which means angry, aggressive. Then when I say no, they say.. But in your house he is ,right ,..to strangers?, then when I tell them he doesn't even bark they really don't get it, they often ask why I have him…...
Never having had our house broken into in the 70s or 80s, I could not attest to what any of our dogs would do.
But, my guess is they would run up to the guy iwth his hand in his pocket and wait for treats… "Lady" Lucky Lady of Woz and "Tuff" CH Khani's Tuff Stuff were loose all the time and would love up on anyone.
Here and there you would find dogs that wouldn't be so nice to strangers.
In the Spring of 2003, my house was burglarized.
Neighbor behind me watched and had his Mom call the cops... he watched the guy toss dog biscuits in the wire crates and the dogs jumped up in the crate then went through the house gathering items to steal.
As he was going out the back door, he opened the crate and closed the door so the 2 Basenjis and 1 Whippet were running loose in the house.
So much for Basenjis as a guard dog!
If anyone tries to steal my bed or the food bowl, they are in big trouble. Otherwise, not so much.
ROFLMAO, but Kathy, how nice of him to take care of the dogs while burglarizing! And let them out so not cooped up as he left. LOL.
Well, I have to admit, having had Rottweilers and Chows in my house for over 20 yrs, I stopped locking my doors well, over 20 yrs ago. My philosophy being that anyone coming in MY house was obviously loaded for bear, so why make them break the lock? I very much have missed that sense of security this last year. But it isn't why I had them, nor will it be why I get another one in a couple of years when we settle in a new place.
Cara does boof when someone approaches the house or comes to the door, however.
LOL Anne, especially if there is FOOD in the bowls?
There is an opinion I know that Basenjis had bad temperaments but have now improved. Speaking only from UK experience I have found that it is more the methods of upbringing that produce bad temperaments. I know of instances where kennels have been accused of breeding bad temperaments but this has been disproved when new owners who've understood the breed have had charge puppies from those particular breeders. I have seen this happen over and over again and vice versa. I have seen perfectly well tempered puppies go to homes where they become monsters. I do believe that there is more communication now and people have access to loads of advice on the upbringing of Basenjis. When they were first imported here many people who had them tried to treat them as 'normal' dogs in particular with harsh punishment training methods. We all, I think, know that Basenjis don't respond well to these methods.
To give an example - an owner whose Basenji approached another in a wary fashion would immediately tighten his leash and later when he started to be apparently aggressive with another dog would then yank him away and hit him hard. What would you expect to happen?
In the Spring of 2003, my house was burglarized.
Neighbor behind me watched and had his Mom call the cops… he watched the guy toss dog biscuits in the wire crates and the dogs jumped up in the crate then went through the house gathering items to steal.
As he was going out the back door, he opened the crate and closed the door so the 2 Basenjis and 1 Whippet were running loose in the house.
So much for Basenjis as a guard dog!
Yikes – did they catch the guy? How did he know to have dog biscuits on hand? And I don't understand... did he open their crates and let them loose so that you would think the dogs had made a mess of your home?
I know Bowpi wouldn't do much to protect our home in the event of a burglary, but I'm happy to say that the Shiba, at least, would put up a big stinking fuss. He has a very vigorous and LOUD alarm bark, and he usually reserves it for situations where something's truly out of place. I came home the other day to find that the screen for the front room window had somehow been detached when nobody was home for about two hours... we don't know if the wind blew it off, someone accidentally or purposefully knocked it off or what (it'd be a pretty daring break-in, considering it's right on the front porch!).
My boyfriend went out front to put the screen back on. He was making a bit of noise because it was hard to manipulate (making it even odder that it just happened to "fall" off). Bowpi, who was inside in the front room, skedaddled off the futon in a flash. Bowdu charged in barking up a storm. I told him good boy, then hush, and he did. 
Anyway, this kind of relates because I've seen similar discussions about Shiba temperament, and what should be done to preserve a sense of the breed's "spirit," which are sometimes qualities that don't make them easy pets. I've also had a lot of people come up to me telling me they had or have mean Shibas. And Bowdu is definitely my "grumpy old man" whom I wouldn't wish on anyone but the most tolerant, patient, and dog-savvy folks. But I've long ascribed that to the "primitive" aspect of his breed heritage, certain mistakes we made while raising him as a pup, and the fact that I doubt his breeder screened for temperament or health or anything at all.
Years ago Kimbertal Kennels had an instruction page up for Filas. It said, I swear, that if your dog was friendly to strangers you should tie it to a tree and have a stranger come up, pet it, give it a treat, then beat it.
Sort of off-topic, but I'm assuming this is the same kennel that breeds Dobermans as well? I met one of their young dogs once that was in rescue (since the kennel had no answer about taking him back). HUGE fellow with a commanding presence, but man, nobody was getting within a 6-foot radius of him and his foster. He was in "project dog" limbo at the time while they worked on his temper…
Reviving an old thread to add an interesting tidbit (hey, if the spammers can do it, I can too…!).
I'm finally getting around to reading Jill Wylie's Call-of-the-Marsh, which I have checked out from the library. It's about a British woman living in Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) in the late 1950s/1960s, and she has a Basenji. Attending her first dog show, she writes:
Call behaved well considering that for the entire two days of the Show he had none of his precious freedom. He held himself nicely in the ring, and won the Open and Rhodesian Breed but his Challenge Certificate was withheld because he bit the judge. Well, she asked to see his bite and he took her at her word. I watched Basenjis being judged at Crufts Dog Show in England when I was over there, and all five of them bit the judge. Perhaps it's a sign of good breeding. (p. 31)
I'm finding a lot of LOL moments in this memoir. Some cute illustrations, too.
