I've been involved with Basenjis for many years and can only remember one occasion where one Basenji was startled by one particular noise ( ice cream mixer van starting up), otherwise they seem completely immune to noises even the loudest ones. Of course there will always be the odd exception.
The Wonderful Myths you hear about the Basenji's
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I don't every say they are not smart, but when people ask I reply "they are clever." When people ask if they are hard to train, I reply "they can be hard to motivate"
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I tell people that the Basenjis are problem solvers who think outside the box. And I too tell them that they can be hard to motivate.
Our first Basenji, Dino, used to retrieve until we got our second Basenji, Holly. The first time she saw him chase a ball and bring it back, she looked absolutely horrified! Within 2 weeks he refused to retrieve any more… I think she gave him 'the word.' -
When people ask if they are smart I tell them that I have no children in the house but every cabinet and drawer has a child safety latch installed so the dogs don't get into them and I had to buy an upside down refrigerator model so my dog would stop helping himself to tri tip roasts. I also tell them that basenjis have their own sense of humor and if you can not find it funny to come home to the inside of your house TP'd and your dog yodeling and wagging its tail in great satisfaction about a job well done then you probably want to look for a different breed.
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I tell people they are way to smart for their own good… which is 99% of the time what gets them in trouble....gggg
And Terry, that is a great line... "think outside of the box"!
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I guess some people equate smart with easy to train…but I still contend that Bs ARE easy to train...really easy....the thing that is difficult is to motivate them to do it your way, not theirs.
I think they are really, REALLY smart. Think of it this way...the smartest people are not usually the most obedient...they are the ones, like Terry said, that think outside the box.
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I guess some people equate smart with easy to train…but I still contend that Bs ARE easy to train...really easy....the thing that is difficult is to motivate them to do it your way, not theirs.
I think they are really, REALLY smart. Think of it this way...the smartest people are not usually the most obedient...they are the ones, like Terry said, that think outside the box.
Exactly.
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Our first Basenji, Dino, used to retrieve until we got our second Basenji, Holly. The first time she saw him chase a ball and bring it back, she looked absolutely horrified! Within 2 weeks he refused to retrieve any more… I think she gave him 'the word.'
Ha! Bongo will retrieve, and Fiji gives him a look that says "Oh, please, have some dignity, we're basenjis for God's sake." She'll eventually run over and grab him around the neck if he won't stop. :rolleyes:
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There was a newspaper here a couple of years ago that listed the most intelligent dogs and the least intelligent dogs. If I remeber correctly, the Border Collie was top of the most intelligent and the Afghan was top of the least intelligent, closely followed by the Basenji. I have a BC and 4 Basenjis and I would definately say that the BC is not that intelligent at all!!! I go to training with one of my Bs and we are now doing off lead heel work and send aways. 3 of my Bs will retrieve (Ok only in my living room with a tennis ball). I always ask people what their understanding of the word 'intelligent' means when it comes to dogs. BCs and the likes are maybe slightly more willing to obey their owners but Bs (as a previous post said) like to do things their way. By working out how to open doors and crates etc does that not make them the more intelligent breed??
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Ha! Bongo will retrieve, and Fiji gives him a look that says "Oh, please, have some dignity, we're basenjis for God's sake." She'll eventually run over and grab him around the neck if he won't stop. :rolleyes:
My two MOST prey driven Bs will retrieve, right up until they decide they are done with the game…it's like they say 'yeah, I am done chasing this ball, there is no reason for me to bring it back to you'
The others are like 'Seriously? Chase it? Why?" -
There was a newspaper here a couple of years ago that listed the most intelligent dogs and the least intelligent dogs. If I remeber correctly, the Border Collie was top of the most intelligent and the Afghan was top of the least intelligent, closely followed by the Basenji. I have a BC and 4 Basenjis and I would definately say that the BC is not that intelligent at all!!! I go to training with one of my Bs and we are now doing off lead heel work and send aways. 3 of my Bs will retrieve (Ok only in my living room with a tennis ball). I always ask people what their understanding of the word 'intelligent' means when it comes to dogs. BCs and the likes are maybe slightly more willing to obey their owners but Bs (as a previous post said) like to do things their way. By working out how to open doors and crates etc does that not make them the more intelligent breed??
Well, I think so
But I don't want to take anything away from Border Collies…holy cow! As a trainer, it is always such a treat to train a herding dog...and you will find that most serious trainers end up with at least on herding dog. I don't think it is because they are 'smarter' than a 'clever' dog...but they are ALWAYS listening to you, cuing off of you, ready to learn. Again, the difference between a genius who struggles in school (Basenji) and a Yale Valedictorian (BC)...who is smarter??? Neither. But if you boil it down to the lowest common denominator...guess who would survive the longest if dropped into a completely unpredictable environment.....I am rambling now
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Well, I think so
But I don't want to take anything away from Border Collies…holy cow! As a trainer, it is always such a treat to train a herding dog...and you will find that most serious trainers end up with at least on herding dog. I don't think it is because they are 'smarter' than a 'clever' dog...but they are ALWAYS listening to you, cuing off of you, ready to learn. Again, the difference between a genius who struggles in school (Basenji) and a Yale Valedictorian (BC)...who is smarter??? Neither. But if you boil it down to the lowest common denominator...guess who would survive the longest if dropped into a completely unpredictable environment.....I am rambling now
Indeed. I had a Border Collie for years. Very intelligent but also very eager to learn something new. Basenjis also appear very intelligent, but only if you look past the obedience part. I think you could train basenjis to do anything. It will simply take patience. Border Collies want to learn. Basenjis will think about it for awhile. They like to learn on their own. Hence their independent personality.
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Don't get me wrong, I'm not doing the Border Collie a disservice. I love mine to bits. I'm only quoting the newspaper list!! Chance, my 2 yr old B, is ever so eager to please so I am taking the opportunity to do a bit more than just basic training with him.
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In order from above: Here's how my B Moses ranks
f
f
f
t
f
f
unknown
f
t
t
unknown
t
f
f
f
f
f
f
t
f
f
f
f
f
f
f
f
t -
Show me a border collie that can open its crate from the inside (without being trained to do so) - Gossy could do that before I would make it out the door - then maybe they (BC) can be equated with basenjis for intelligence
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I have never owed a collie, but my little guy is only 5months old and is the smartest dog I've ever known. I have had many dogs of different breeds over
the years and none of them compare to Moses. He is by far the smartest. He
makes his bed at night, he puts his toys away in there basket. He knows my children by name. I can tell him to go find Raven and he'll go until he finds her. I told him "find Benjamin" (who was hiding out of sight & Moses did not seen him hide) he ran around the yard, looked & looked and when he came across the stuff my son was hiding under, Moses leaped on him. He knew what he did and was very proud of himself. So was I! And YES, Sometimes he doesn't listen and he tears things up, and does what he wants to, but so do I, so does everyone I know - I don't consider stubborn people to be Unitelligent? When trained with Love & patience a Basenji is as smart if not smarter then ALL other dogs. No one in my family dumb, everyone can be trained. Sit, good family LOL!
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I too have had, and do still have one, and have competed in obedience with them.
Yes they are intelligent in lots of ways but not intelligent enough to disobey if necessary. I was once told by a BC enthusiast and expert trainer who also had a Basenji that if told to do so a Border Collie would jump off a cliff but a Basenji would say "Are you mad?".
When we used to train our collies one of our then basenjis learnt the obedience moves merely from watching us and the collies. She competed in matches with some very trainable breeds and never disgraced herself. The only thing she refused was to do the 'Fetch'. She would just turn and say 'You threw it, you go and get it!'
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1 Basenji were used for hunting lions, people killed the lions. The dogs would systematically run confusion patterns around the cat teasing and frustrating them. At a given opportunity the man would jump out from hiding and stick a spear into the lion.
2. Basenji's will learn behaviors with positive reinforcements. They for the most part will never stand up to a Border Collie or a Poodle as far as precise behavior.
3. When JaBok was a puppy, while sitting on the sofa I could throw a stuffed toy to the floor and he would jump down and get it kill it by shaking it and then jump back up onto the sofa with it. As he grew if I threw something for him on the beach he would chase it down shake it to death put it on the sand and look expectantly at me as if to say I did my part now come get it but never bring it back and now that he is an old man he is not even interested in that game. If we are out walking and encounter a bunny he nails it shakes it and eats it so fast that there is nothing I can do to stop it.
4. The Basenji is the first dog in recorded history to have a relationship with man. (AKC) Carbon dated cave paintings Zaire 6,000BC depicting small dogs with curly tails, stick up ears and four white feet. Earley Egyptian Hieroglyphics depicting Nubian Slaves in retinue leading a pair of Basenji following chieftains wearing caftans arriving from the east bering gifts for Pharo.
5. It seems to be a general consensus they do not like to be in the water. After much fighting at first JaBok will now tolerate an occasional bath when he roles in horse puckey, he now avoids horse puckey. When it is really hot out he will wade in the water up to his belly to cool off. If I take him into deep water he swims quite expertly straight to shore and looks at me with disgust.
6. ?????
7. See above.
8. They can definitely be trusted to do whatever pleases them.
9. I have seen JaBok chew on a marrow bone for hours with extrem vigor.
10. It is pretty safe to say this is true.
11. ???????
12. Basenji's do have the glottal mechanisms to bark. There are no natural occurring wild K9 that bark.
13. If you believe this you have never heard the bone chilling howl that they can make. JaBok is very communicative with a really broad spectrum of quiet vocalizations. Feed yours something a little warm some time and listen to him complain.
14. Basenji's may not require a lot of attention but JaBok definitely demands it. Though he seems to resent most attempts at physical care.
15. Come on where did you get an idea like that? At 11 years JaBok can easily standing hop 3' to his window seat. He will show caution now if he is unsure as to his landing spot. I think that shows extreme intelligence. Once as a pup he jumped onto a coffee table and landed smack in the middle of a blackberry pie. He has always shown some discretion since.
16. What do you consider intelligent? Is doing everything someone tells you intelligence? I personally consider questioning authority a sign of extreme intelligence. I have always thought that easily trained dogs are extremely lacking in natural intelligence.
17. Basenji's can climb trees but not like a cat.
18. For the most part Basenjis are pretty fearless but also intelligent enough to know when they should proceed with caution except around moving cars and trucks.
19. JaBok definitely covets as much lap time as he can get especially if it is cold and is under his blanket.
20. The only thing that can be be said to this is the opposite is the rule.
21. ?????????
22. All living creatures experience health problems.
23. I suspect that in primitive cultures Basenji are as respected and cared about as they are in ours. Pit Bulls that do not fight well are destroyed in ours. During times of extreme famine they may end up in the stew pot but only in extreme situations. I suspect the ones that do not hunt well were left home to entertain the children. I can't imagine a Basenji that does not hunt well.
24. Though I have never seen a flea on JaBok and we have lived in SanFracisco for a while I cannot imagine that the Basenji is impervious to fleas. Their close coats do no provide good shelter for them though.
25. Haven't' a clue. Basic biology says all K9 are color blind.
26. Much can be gleaned from the internet but living with a Basenji will teach you more.
27. What difference does it make?
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Hmmm, IMO as follows:
1. Basenji's are Lion Killers! T-we had a speaker from Africa at the 2012 Regional Specialty and he confirmed this from his grandfather's stories. Apparently B's were kept around the village, especially at night, to protect the children from the lions!
2. Basenji's cannot be Trained! F-it's just that the memo they take may be kept for later use!
3. Basenji's do not Retreive! F-as long as they want to play the game!
4. Basenji's are one of the oldest Orignal Breeds! T-and not a manmade intervention breed!
5. Basenji's are deathly afraid of Water! F-only on their terms. LOL
6. Basenji's are pound for pound the most Vicious Dog Alive! T-IMO of course. I've seen these guys go after some amazing things and to watch them silently co-ordinate their attack is something to see!
7. Basenji's cannot Swim!-Depends on the dog. Not all dogs can swim, period.
8. Basenji's cannot be Trusted! T-definitely! They are like 2 year olds. A missed opportunity never happens when your back is turned.
9. Basenji's have short a very short Attention Span! T&F-when they are focused on something, it can take them hours to refocus in some instances. But, again, only when it's something that they want to focus on.
10. Basenji's will only do something when they Choose to do it! Definitely T. What's in it for them is the question of the day.
11. Basenji's prefer Clean Clothes to Dirty Clothes! F-doesn't matter-all underwear and bra's contain chewable material.
12. Basenji's cannot Bark! F
13. Basenji's are Quiet Dogs! Definitely F. Mine can sometimes sound like a little herd stomping their feet!
14. Basenji's do not require a lot of Attention or Care! I would have to say T&F. Depends on the dog.
15. Basenji's cannot Jump! F-Oh, don't tell my girls that! Have you seen the exercise video of Rose??
16. Basenji's are the Unintelligent Breed! F-Shadow had to think for 2 weeks to figure out a problem-and he succeeded in solving it.
17. Basenji's can Climb a Tree like a cat! T-Sugar will definitely climb if the mood strikes her.
18. Basenji's have no Fear! T-fear, what's fear!!
19. Basenji's are Lap Dogs! T-just try to tell one of them to get off you when you lay on the sofa!
20. Basenji's need no exercise! F-Basenji 500, nuff said.
21. Basenji's are Naturally Socialized! F-Most of the breeders take great care in sociallizing (?) the puppies they have.
22. Basenji's have no Health Problems! F- all dogs have some sort of issue over their lifetime.
23. Basenji's with poor hunting skills were culled out and killed in Africa! T-in some tribes they were used for food.
24. Basenji's do not get Fleas! F
25. Basenji's have Color Preferences! T- you can see it in the whelping box. And I believe they have done a further study on what colours dogs can see and they see far more colour than originally thought.
26. Basenji's are not loving pets! F-try to pry Shadow or Johnny away from me. Or Sugar for that matter!
27. The Internet is the best place to get information about the Basenji Breed! F-from a breeder. They know their own lines and dogs.
28. Basenji's tail's only Curl on One Side! T-IMO. They either set one way or the other. You can place it in a position, but it won't stay there.
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Its kind of amazing to hear some of the things that are spouted as facts about Basenji Breed. I have to admit that when I first started reading about the Breed, I was even taken in myself by several myths. However once I started gaining more experience with our Basenji and testing some of these myths do not hold water. So I figured I would start a list of Myths and see where it.
TRUE OR NOT TRUE MYTH's Of the Basenji Breed! You Decide
29. Basenjis don't shed.
30. Basenjis are hypoallergenic.
31. Basenjis don't use their dew claws.
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1 Basenji were used for hunting lions, people killed the lions. The dogs would systematically run confusion patterns around the cat teasing and frustrating them. At a given opportunity the man would jump out from hiding and stick a spear into the lion.
4. The Basenji is the first dog in recorded history to have a relationship with man. (AKC) Carbon dated cave paintings Zaire 6,000BC depicting small dogs with curly tails, stick up ears and four white feet. Earley Egyptian Hieroglyphics depicting Nubian Slaves in retinue leading a pair of Basenji following chieftains wearing caftans arriving from the east bering gifts for Pharo.
ElfinSailor, I am interested in these two statements. Can you tell me the source of this information? Or if you have some website link, published reference, or expert that provided this information ….. please share.
Thank you!!!!
