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Basenji Breed
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| History | The Basenji originates from the middle of the Africa. Named after a Pygmy tribe meaning Bushman. The Basenji's ancestors the Tesem and Egyptian Hound are depicted on the tombstones of the Pharaohs. The Basenji dog was used to guard villages and used for hunting small game. | Personality | The Basenji breed is most unusual. Affectionate, with a strong and independent personality. These pint sized dogs are easy to train due to very high intelligence, but can be destructive if not given sufficient daily exercise. |
| Appearance | A wrinkled forehead giving them a quizzical or worried look. Short and silky coats in Black and White, red and white, black and tan. All dogs should have white on tip of tail, chest and feet. Pointy ears and an alert look and tightly curled tail are also typical features of the Basenji. |
| Grooming | The Basenji breed cleans itself like a cat. It has no odor and is a very low shedding dog, making this one of the easiest dogs to groom. A weekly wipe is all that is required. These small dogs are naturally clean. |
| Health | Generally a healthy breed, but can be prone to eye problems, hernias, anemia and kidney problems (Faconi syndrome which is peculiar to the Basenji dog breed and humans). | Family | Very good with children, although needs to be supervised as they are almost too playful! He may try to dominate other pets. These small dog breeds must have daily exercise otherwise it will not be happy and can become destructive. |
| Training | The Basenji Breed is easy to train as it is intelligent, but can test his owner and be disobedient particularly if he is not exercised daily. Agility is a good sport with this energetic and clever hound. |
| Ideal Home | Not suitable for apartment living unless it has long, daily walks. as this is an undemanding dog breeds, needing companionship and not much else. However, in-door kenneling is absolutely essential as they cannot tolerate extreme temperatures be it hot or cold. |
| Lifespan | These incredible dogs have a relatively short life span of just 12 - 14 years. |
| Purpose | Originally bred as a hunting dog, nowadays this is a popular companion dog. |
| Watch dog | These types of dogs are not aggressive but don't like strangers. As this dog does not bark, no alert qualities exist! |