Gorillas in the Mist or Crazy Momma?


  • What do you think the basenji sounds mean? Caesar has been pretty quiet all of his life. As I have had more basenjis around me I have realized that Caesar and basenjis say a lot, but do it through small sounds.

    All of my basenjis have made these sounds for communicating with me.

    Booff < short sound.

    Sounds like they are releasing air through their mouth and each time it is done, the head is at regular height and the nose will go down at the end.

    An excited greeting? They do it to me and each other. Not necessarily connected to play, but a happy attitude is present.

    Yaow (full yawn) Booff (short sound) The Yaow is a vocal definate yawn sound

    My guys always make this sound when we are in the car going to the dog park. They know where they are and as they get more excited they make this yawning sound.

    I suppose they are telling me they are excited or hurry up!!

    Sounds like a sniffing sound in and out real fast (if you do it with your mouth closed and breath in and out hard).

    They all do this in greeting and close to faces. Like an inspection, but it almost seems like they are breathing out more than in? Is this a greeting sound? They arent showing the regular smelling body language that goes with sniffing. It is just a meet and greet thing.

    Not sure.

    Please add your comments and feel free to tell me I am crazy. I am.


  • Nala makes all those noises, as I'm sure most Bs do, but now I'll have to take note of when she does them and see! It's great of you to "know" what yours want - or what they are saying to you!:)


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    This is to bring air over the chemical sensing organ (Jacobsen's organ) behind the nose, above the soft palate in the mouth. They are trying to move as much air over it as possible to sense any important chemical messages.
    My favorite noise is the baaarooooo---raugh....of our dogs, only Blondie does this particular pattern, but I have heard other Bs, particularly girls have that raugh...at the end. She only does it when she is really excited/happy.
    And Bella makes a specific rooster sounding high pitched barooo-rooo-rooo in anticipation.
    The rest are pretty quiet. Ivy only makes nasty noises 😉 Querk only makes cranky noises 😉 Luna makes plaintive, yawn/squeak noises; Ariel occasionally does a really quiet, squeaky grodel when she is happy.


  • My Kristii makes "nasty" noises… to the point that she "spits".... we have always told people that "you would not want to know what that is in English"....


  • @tanza:

    My Kristii makes "nasty" noises… to the point that she "spits".... we have always told people that "you would not want to know what that is in English"....

    Guess I should qualify that… the noises are at the other Basenjis, particularly the boy.....:o


  • My Kristii makes "nasty" noises… to the point that she "spits".... we have always told people that "you would not want to know what that is in English"....

    that is hilarious!! LOL


  • I read somewhere dogs can only cable of making 15 sounds (book of worthless knowledge)

    I think your probably right- I'll add

    Yodel Yawn- for a happy greeting

    Grunt- when they are content and being rubbed.

    Meow - our male does this when he wants something pitifully

    as long as they dont start asking for a martini (the movie -Congo)


  • Has anyone ever heard the 'HISSSSSSS' sound they make when they're not pleased??


  • Yes, Zahra does that and it reminds me of a cat hissing!

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