I've frequently heard people online say that while basenjis are technically sight hounds, they are also practically scent hounds as well. Some people also list them as pariah dogs, but I can't find much info on what that's all about. That's surprising to me because on the other hand when I see people talking about dogs that are good at scent work, even outside the hound group, the basenji rarely comes up.
Or may be the credit would go to african
Tribe people and nobody would want that. What kind of crack was that?
What I was saying is that when a breed that is bred specifically for scent work does well at it, the credit goes to the breeder. If my blood hound is a better tracker, her pups are worth more. So it pays to know very specifically how good their nose is. Basenji's, if I'm correct, are not typically bred specifically for their hunting and tracking outside of Africa. I know my breeder is more interested in temperament. So who would bother paying for research on a how many parts per trillion of scent concentration a basenji can track? I'm not trying to take whacks. You don't need to get defensive.
@joan-duszka Know what? You're right. You win the argument. Just... peace. ok?
@roguecoyote - You know how it goes... we all have our opinions... please don't take it personal... I think it is great that you are asking questions... maybe you don't like the responses, but that is all they are... other comments. You are doing great with your pup... keep it up... But to add to that back in the day, Basenjis in Africa were bred to hunt... they hunted as a pack (or maybe a few)... and drove the prey into nets. Basenjis were part of a village... if you go to www.basenji.org you can find a link about Basenjis and how they made their way here. It is a great history lesson that you would enjoy reading about!
@roguecoyote said in Basenji sense of smell comparison:
when I see people talking about dogs that are good at scent work, even outside the hound group, the basenji rarely comes up.
True enough, but consider that the Basenji is a relatively rare breed, and not known for obedience either, although there are some titled dogs out there. Which proves they can do the job, but they would not be most peoples' first choice for that challenge. Most of the competitions offered by various groups for different activities are not all that difficult for the dog. OTOH, for the trainer it can be more of a challenge, and Basenjis can be a challenging breed.
"In order to get along with a Basenji, you have to be at least half as smart as the dog!"
@eeeefarm - That is true but there are a number with multi titles for scent work... just not many that are doing this....and it is a pretty new venue for dogs, scent work... but I know many Basenjis with lots of scent titles....
@tanza, absolutely. No doubt Basenjis can excel at nose work, just not too many people who own them are into that sport.
Actually, I meant to add that once upon a time people did hunt with Basenjis. An excellent section on hunting in Susan Coe's book "The Basenji, Out of Africa to You" describes hunting both birds and small game with Basenjis, and makes it clear that they hunt by scent as well as sight, even pointing, flushing, and retrieving birds. Sadly, not many people seem to be doing that kind of thing with them these days. What is interesting is Major Braun's description of training a Basenji for the field. He suggests that by the time a pup is four months old it should be solid on basic commands "sit, stay, and come, promptly and happily in a field situation". He also recommends teaching "whoa", to "stop the dog, steady him on point, preventing him from flushing the bird and to teach him to honour the point of another dog". There is also a bit on Basenji Field Trials, which apparently used to be held in Minnesota back in the day. There is a detailed report on a trial held in June of 1980. This comment was interesting. "When a Basenji is given a chance to hunt, he will prefer hunting over any other thing."
Seem obvious when you consider their origins. I also note that in the section on training the only reward mentioned was "Good Dog" and gentle fondling. The recommendation was for "firm but loving discipline and plenty of praise" to turn out a willing and obedient dog.
"In order to get along with a Basenji, you have to be at least half as smart as the dog!"
@eeeefarm said in Basenji sense of smell comparison:
they hunt by scent as well as sight, even pointing,
I have zero hunting experience, but I will say that doodle displays hunting characteristics on a regular basis. She trees the squirrels, and poses in point for birds in bushes (or critters off in the distance). Her nose work is stellar -- she can find food scraps from a quarter mile away! 
Not exactly what you meant, I'm sure, but she is a city pup now...
Over here in the good old days when. . . (pre Covid) Basenjis could compete in both Sight Hound and Scent Hound events. At least they could back in the early 1980s when I started !
@roguecoyote Don't worry about it...You are asking good questions and taking care of little Rogue! Working with writing in a chat room like this is always difficult....often times people take what you are saying the wrong way, and sometimes you might too. It's all good. Just don't engage with anything you perceive as negative. As for the biting, if you show Rogue that she gets ignored EVERY times she bites, she will soon learn. (And just so you know, when you do something that displeases her, she will no doubt give you the famous Basenji "cold shoulder" which consists of sitting a little ways off, but still in your sight path, and turning her back to you, but periodically looking over to her shoulder to make sure you realize you are being "ignored.") It's a riot.
@nancyss Is that what that's all about? like, I let her come up on my bed sometimes if she lays down. I've found that laying down and peeing are incompatible behaviors for the most part. (She did pee right on my lap once when I had just given her her first beef Colligan stick. I dont' know what that was all about. She was chewing it like crazy and maybe didn't want to stop to go potty.) Anyway so when I let her on my bed, most of the time she wants to curl up in little spoon position, but sometimes she crawls away on her belly. (If she stands up, she gets to lay on the tile floor, so she's learned to crawl to get around on my bed.) I think sometimes she just gets fed up with too much petting.
Anyway, I think we're going to have to have a chip on our shoulders about it, and try to become a crack team for hunting, tracking, and detection. Rogue's not allowed to go very far right now, but she can pinpoint an old brown oak leaf under 4 inches of crusty virgin snow, and she loves to follow her own ground scent from the previous day. We'll train hard and get some attention for the breed's nosework. Beleive it!
@nancyss said in Basenji sense of smell comparison:
when you do something that displeases her, she will no doubt give you the famous Basenji "cold shoulder" which consists of sitting a little ways off, but still in your sight path, and turning her back to you, but periodically looking over to her shoulder to make sure you realize you are being "ignored.") It's a riot.
My boy Sunny did this when we left him at a kennel for the weekend. On our return, when they brought him to the reception room he took one look at us, turned his back, and sat down. A Basenji will definitely let you know when you have crossed the line with them!
@roguecoyote said in Basenji sense of smell comparison:
She was chewing it like crazy and
Probably just excitement... she was really enjoying her treat! Pups outgrow this.
@roguecoyote Jeff Schettler trained Basenjis for hunting, tracking, and detection. He wrote a series of article for The Basenji magazine. I don't think he breeds Basenjis anymore. Here is a link to his bio: http://reddogrising.net/about/jeff-schettler-author/
@roguecoyote That's funny....just this morning I had Binti out for her first thing in the morning pee and the grass was still wet. She walked a little then went back to the street without peeing. She returned to the grass to pee and when she came back to the street she had to sniff each of her OWN pawprints!!!!! These guys are a crack up!!!!
