Basenji | Dog Breed Facts and Information - Wag! Dog Walking (2024)

Purpose

Hunting Small Game

Date of Origin

Ancient

Ancestry

African Bush Dog

Brushes for Basenji

Brushing Frequency

Activity Level

Rec. Walk Mileage Per Week

15 miles

Minutes of Activity Per Day

90 minutes

#88

Cups Per Day

2.5 cups

Daily Cost

$1.20 - $1.40

Monthly Cost

$34.00 - $45.00

6 Months

12 Months

18 Months

Pastimes

The Basenji was very friendly and very energetic. He wanted to run around and sniff everything, but was pretty good about walking on leash. Verbal cues were well received and understood, he was quite obedient and very smart.

6years, 9months ago

Pastimes

The Basenji I watched was affectionate, and very jealous of others who tried to take your attention away.

6years, 9months ago

Pastimes

The Basenji I walked was very energetic and wanted to explore.

6years, 9months ago

Pastimes

He barked at everything and was a bit jumpy with new people but warmed up pretty quick. Very sweet and gentle natured breed, easy grooming, and a playful pup that loves to chew up toys also!

6years, 9months ago

Pastimes

I walked a basenji named Luna. She was an overall sweetheart. The first time we met, she was a bit scared of me. I sweet talked her and eventually she warmed up. She hid and ran away from me in the owners’ house as I tried to get her collar on. We eventually agreed going on a walk was best! She wore a pinch collar and the owner let her roam free in the house when she was away. Luna was a great walker! She was well behaved and walked at a mellow pace. Nice with other dogs. Now that she recognizes me when I enter her home, she just wags her tail and isn’t shy.

6years, 9months ago

Pastimes

My basenji pups name is Rocky who I walk 5 times a week. I absolutely love him because he's so nice, and active. His owner toby sometimes will let me run with him, and he keeps up the whole entire time. He really dislikes the metal crates on the ground, and groups of people. He loves other dogs, and also loves to lay on peoples laps and jump on them. He can be very obedient when ask to sit, but can also ignore everything you have said.

6years, 9months ago

Pastimes

The Basenji I took care of was really smart but mischievous. He would turn on the water faucet and rummage through stuff when he was left alone. He can run really fast in the dog parks and loves to be entertained with dog toys

6years, 9months ago

Pastimes

I had never even heard of this wonderful breed until I walked them with Wag! I have walked two Basenjis now, one older and one younger. They were very sweet, energetic dogs and very eager to walk. Despite being small, they had much more speed and agility than a lot of other dogs I’ve walked and they were even ready to run while we were out in the park. The older pup was seven and his age didn’t make him any slower than the younger one. They were mostly friendly but they did start barking at some other dogs after saying hello for a while. They were very friendly with me and quite well behaved other than that. I would most definitely walk these dogs again!

6years, 9months ago

Pastimes

Max is a sweet-affectionate boy. He was hesitant to trust me at first, but after a few seconds he got right on to giving me all his love. On our walk, he loved running around and tried to make new puppy friends every chance he could get. He pulled a little on our walk, because he really wanted to go fast, but he listened to everything I said. Throughout our walk, he would walk ahead of me but constantly turn around to make sure I was still there with him.

6years, 9months ago

Pastimes

The basenji I walk is very well behaved. She doesn’t pull a lot on the leash, very respectful to whoever is walking. Sometimes vocal when nervous but never goes to bite or snap. Overall lots of energy but sweet

6years, 9months ago

Pastimes

Maximus is a fantastic walking companion as long as you can keep him from sneaking snacks. Because he was bread to scout out small animals, he is an expert at finding street snacks. He had a tendency to want to zig-zag while walking and because of this, I keep the leash short and have been working on keeping his head up and facing forward and using a signal, "tsst" to keep his attention. Over the course of our experience together he has learned this command and has improved dramatically in his manners. He is a stubborn dog and is only erratically interested in interacting with people. This behavior, in conjunction with his lack of interest in treats does lend itself toward a more difficult training regiment. He recently has developed an interest in other dogs and will either stand stone-still until they pass or he will jump wildly to get toward them. Because he have less interest in a human connection, he sometimes seems to get frustrated and actually uses his front paws to launch himself off of me toward the dog with whom he is interested in interacting. We have been working to quell this behavior.Basenjis have a wealth of energy. Maximus could easily cover many more miles than our time allows.When we get back to the house he moans about it and mildly resists going back into his cage. He is, however, well trained in this regard--though not without protest. As is the nature of Basenjis, he does make a little noise, but never barks.Maximus does typify the Basenji nature in many of his characteristics, though because of his age, he does tend to be a little more personable than other Basenji dogs I've encountered. When given a command or interacted with by an individual on the street, he will gaze directly at them and does sometimes try to put his front paws on them. For an individual who is interested in an independent companion, Basenjjs are very good companions. If, on the other hand, a person is seeking a dog who will respond with cuddles and tail wags, their behavior would not lend itself to much reward. Maximus is a fantastic dog, a very good distance-walking companion, and for the surprise of a sudden silly burst of energy and happiness. Overall, because of their size, energy level, and independence, I do tend to enjoy strolling with Maximus.

6years, 9months ago

Pastimes

She does not like cats. Gets along well with dogs and people. A complete cuddlebug on the couch. She slept well at night, no whining or noises. She peed and pooped well outside. Just got nervous at first and had an accident on first day.

6years, 9months ago

Pastimes

My particular basenji was Incredible, from his beautiful soft face to the way he played properly and sweetly with any other pups and people. Ive heard if you get 2 basenji’s together, they go wild on each other and attack, but I’ve never seen this and I think this may have been the case of one persons opinion instead of valid evidence

6years, 9months ago

Pastimes

The Basenji, the infamous dog that "can't" bark. I would have to say they're VERY vocal. The Basenji's that I've worked with were always mouthy. They are more of a mature dog and I don't really see them getting along well with groups of kids. I would say they are more of an adults dog especially if not very well socialized at a young age. If they aren't spending energy outside you'll more then likely find them scouting out a toy or something to chew on. I find they get bored pretty fast and are pretty stubborn when it comes to training. If you plan on owning a Basenji I'd recommend having patience with this breed. With time, patience and training they make great companions. They remind me of cats in a way where they go to you for the attention when they want it. Outside they love to run about and play with other dogs. You'll often see them trying to lead the "pack" at dog parks. For their size they're really spunky.

6years, 9months ago

Pastimes

Basenjis are like no other dog I've known. Soooooo funny! Extremely clever and mischievous. Dolce was able to escape from her wire cage from the inside as a puppy, it was insane. She was able climb fences and jump over high walls. They are the kind of dog to do what they want and get what they want. She responded well to clicker training and was very smart, too smart. She's the kind of smart to try to take advantage and be smooth about it.. They are NOT a dog to be trusted off leash, extremely prey driven. When outside in the wild they seem to be in a trance and want to chase everything. She's an amazing cuddler and will be lazy with you all day if need be but also walk 10 miles as well.. They don't really like cold and or wet. They are like the cat of the dog world. They do not bark, they MAY yodel and they can be very destructive if not crated or with another dog to keep them company. They need a lot of love and attention!

6years, 8months ago

Pastimes

The Basenji I walked was very excited by other and older dogs. This pup was not into cuddling or being petter, instead he preferred playing tug-of-war with the dog in the home, play fighting, and any activity that involved running. It is a fairly active breed that takes time to develop trust in humans. He was not aggressive or fearful of humans, but instead just seemed to prefer the other dog's company.

6years, 8months ago

Pastimes

Parker is my first Basenji, I think I got lucky because she has just been awesome. She's not aloof like people say, she loves affection, all other dogs and people. We did do a lot of socializing with her, so maybe that helped. She is great off-leash, I take her hiking daily. She is a good mountain bike companion too, though we have only done two very short rides as she is still young. My partner is allergic to dogs, but she doesn't bug him at all. We will definitely be getting another Basenji in a few years, and I'm sure many more after that! Oh, and she yodels the most when she's very excited, and her tail kind of wags, too. It's the cutest.

3years, 11months ago

Pastimes

Our first Basenji ... much research before decision ...

3years, 10months ago