We have a basenji lady here in Sweden which turned 17 recently! According to her owners she's still fit and in good shape, so we hope she'll stay so for many more years to come.
I wish they would live until they're 50!! 
It brings me to tears to think of my baby not being here with me, my hubby and I both love our Sahara so much. This is our first Basenji, and we are so glad I saw this baby in a pet shop. I know that most of you don't like pet shops, but the fact remains that if I had not wondered in this one I would not have Sahara. We have only the 2 Basenji in our small town, so the chances of me knowing about this breed otherwise were miminal. It took my son who was with me hours to convince me I needed this baby, (she was quite expensive)but in the end I came home with her that same night. We love this breed now, and may end up with another one in the future, but not from a petshop, next time from a breeder. I hope and pray Sahara lives as long as she can be healthy, to the max of her expected lifespan. There will never be another Sahara, she is quite special, and soooooooo affectionate.
The owner of the boy I used for my litter has had dogs of her breeding live to 20 years old. Most of her dogs live between 16-18 years.
My Basenji is 15 years old this year in June. Shes still going strong, she cant see very well but that is about all that is wrong with her.
We had a basenji with Cushing's who lived to almost 17 years old. We had another basenji with diabetes who lived to 12 years old. We had a really great vet who took great care of both dogs and who was honest with us when there was nothing else he could do. With good attention to the cushings, I think they can live very long lives.
My understanding was that 15 was the "average" age for a Basenji.
Personally, I'm hoping for 20! I REALLY love this goofy dog!
My Jojo is 11yrs and we just got her a little over two weeks ago from BRAT…We certainly hope she lives well into her teens...She only has hypothyroidism and is on Soloxine...
I wish mine would live to 20…I love her to pieces and i know she feels the same about me...she would give her life to save me...i know...she already tried...scared me half to death...a dog attacked me a big ol lab and she jumped in only being so small...and of course I had to jump in and save her...i ended up being bit on the hand and had a HUGE wound there....but i saved my lil dog....like she tried to save me...well I hope she doesnt try some stunts like that again cuz I would die if she wasnt with me...she means to the world to me...she is my baby dog....:) but ya 20 would be great for her if she lived that long....:D
Have two Fred 15 and Oddie 7 . Fred still going strong give him glucosamine and chondroitin (comes in nuto brand natural choice from pet smart .seems to help joint pain.He was prescribed phenobarb for siezures .He still opens the fridge and helps himself to anything left on the bottom shelf .Sence the glucosmine he is getting to the second and onto the first shelf where all the good left overs are hunted .
Our Black Magic lived to be 17 1/2 before we had to let her go to the bridge. She welcomed new basenji pups into our house, played with them and then almost overnight she was not Magic anymore, her eyes said it was time to go, and we did with great sorrow, but loved her too much to make her stay. She was a wonder, both of our kids grew up with her, learned to walk pulling up on her, she never growled at them or lost patience with the kids. She was a wonderful protector. As long as my husband was home, plumbers, electricians etc could come in the house and she would never even get up from her place. But let me be home with the kids and a service person needed to come in I had to hold her back from them, she wanted them out of her house and away from her people pack. My friends she had no problem with.
My BRAT permanent foster, Annie, is 16 1/2, will be 17 in December. I am just trying to keep her comfortable since she has arthritis and neurological problems. She has eye and hearing problems also but those are common in old age. She has a good appetite but it is hard to keep weight on her and she looks thin.
My Fanconi affected girl, Missy, will be 12 in December and is doing fine. One would never know she has Fanconi by looking at her.
The fanconi protocal is heaven sent..I am glad your Missy is doing so well.
My boy is going on 12 and getting a bit stiff in the legs and back, but we are still walking slowly and giving him what he needs to keep going!
I sure love the "golden" ones.
Blaze is 16 1/2, 17 in December. He has no front teeth, partial vision, and mostly deaf. He does have the no liver health issue. He's also stiff in the mornings, but man is he full of life. He routinely outruns the 7 year old border collie farm dog and the neighbour's 9 year old lab. On walks people always ask what breed and how old, then pause at Basenji and corrects me with months, not years. I usually have to explain and swear on the bible and sometimes, they still don't believe me.
The oldest Basenji I knew was Sunny, he died a month away from 25. Three month before, he ran circles around Blaze (who was three).
My BRAT permanent foster, Annie, is 16 1/2, will be 17 in December. I am just trying to keep her comfortable since she has arthritis and neurological problems. She has eye and hearing problems also but those are common in old age. She has a good appetite but it is hard to keep weight on her and she looks thin.
My Fanconi affected girl, Missy, will be 12 in December and is doing fine. One would never know she has Fanconi by looking at her.
Could check Annies blood sugar there are two tests for diabeities and my Fred was eating and drinking so much and still getting skinny .He was tested with the test strip and had his blood sent to a lab waiting on results.
My sweet old guy will be 13 on December 21st.
My oldest at present is Jewel she was 16 on the 15 this month - I pray she has more years of healthy life. I hate to see these oldies who're really sick are dragged on and on but if they still get good quality of life its a pleasure to have them around. Jewel still loves her daily walks but doesn't want to have road walks as much as the younger two who are exercised with her. She will walk for long distances in the fields and footpaths and still gives chase to rabbits and other living things. She is a pleasure to live with and has already given us many joyful years.
The last time she was showed was at 13 plus and the experienced breed judge (Bunty Bowers of the Domewood fame) said that she showed the younger ones how a Basenji should move. She still has her beautiful true Basenji movement although rather slower now.
The oldest Basenji I had lived to 17 plus and decided herself that it was then time to leave us 7 months short of her 18th birthday. I do think age runs in lines. There are some Basnejis over the hill at 13 and indeed Spring my second oldest now seems a fairly old dog although still full of life and with a keen appetite.
The oldest Basenji I knew was Sunny, he died a month away from 25. Three month before, he ran circles around Blaze (who was three).
Wow, that is one long living Basenji! I would love to think my girls would live that long, but since I'm kind of old myself, I have the fear of them outliving me, which would be awful for them.:( Better start early grooming one of my kids or grandkids or greatgrandkids to step in if they live that long….
My BRAT permanent foster, Annie, is 16 1/2, will be 17 in December. I am just trying to keep her comfortable since she has arthritis and neurological problems. She has eye and hearing problems also but those are common in old age. She has a good appetite but it is hard to keep weight on her and she looks thin.
My Fanconi affected girl, Missy, will be 12 in December and is doing fine. One would never know she has Fanconi by looking at her.
What kind of neurological problems is she having? Fred has seizures if he does not get has phenobarb , but does really well as long as he gets it every 12 hours . I was really lucky his first owner is a pharmacist and was able to get his does correct , given a larger does made him very lethargic . But he does great now a little stiff but the gluclosamin seems to help .
Kevin
My Yuhafta Yodel is 18 years old this month. Although she forgets where she has walked to in the house or walks under a chair and forgets how to get out, or even if she no longer remembers to go outside to potty, I wouldn't change a thing about her after living with her this long. To look at her, one would think that we are not feeding her because she looks so emaciated. But, we have to doctor her food with juices from other foods before she will take a bite, and then she eats. She paces in circles or just all over the house. She has had many a stroke, some lasting as long as 8 minutes. Some only 2 minutes. When they pass, she gets up like, Okay, Dad. Im all done now?. But then we have to corral her in a pen for about 4 hours, otherwise she could hurt herself just by bumping into things or stumbling.
Still, with all of these circumstances, she has not failed to greet me when I come home from work. Slow getting there, but she still gets there. She still wants to get in my lap and once she is there, she is as happy as a lark, lays her head down, and goes to sleep. She could still
jump on the sofa up to 6 months ago.
She is in no pain. She is not starving. She is not lacking in anything that would be detrimental to her health, so I see no reason for putting her down. My mother-in-law had all of these signs with Alzheimer and we did not ?put her down?. We tolerated all of the conditions and let her pass from natural causes. Just because 'Hafta has "Dogsheimer" doesn't mean we have to get rid of her. We will tolerate Hafta just like my mother-in-law.
Hafta is the first Basenji to hold the #1 position is ASFA all year in 1996 since Basenji's were admitted into ASFA in 1975, and she is a
dual champion.
Selfish? Maybe. Tolerable? A lot. Love and devotion to this dog? More than you know.
