Basenji
Schensi Africa Dog
information worth knowing about Basenjis
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black and white; black, tan and white with melon pips; red and white; brindle, red background with black stripes
Colour
Pure black and white; red and white; black, tan and white with tan melon pips and mask; black; tan and white.Brindle, red background with black stripes, the more clearly defined the stripes the better.
The white should be on feet, chest and tail tips. White legs, blaze and white collar optional.
BREEDING START
The history of acceptance as the Basenji Breed
May be the Egyptians in the age of the pharaohs, are the earliest breeders of Basenjis in the world. Possible Basenjis were carefully bred as family dog or hunting companion. It is possible that by crossing dogs and jackals a basenji Type dog of Ancient Egypt was created, may be the Tesem identifiable by the curled tail.
The Ancestor of the Basenjis is probably the Ethiopian wolf (canis simensis )
iucnredlist.org/apps/redlist/details/3748/0 stiftung-artenschutz.de/eng/index.html
1868/71 the explorer Dr. Georg Schweinfurth discovered Basenjis what seemed remarkable to him. He reported as the first one about these dogs in Africa . He described them as "Congo Terrier". They served with native tribes as hunting dogs.
1882 Sir Harry Hamilton Johnston found similar dogs that never barked in an expedition from the mouth of the Congo to Bolobo which he described as the Basenji as we know it.
1894 the first published mention in Europe of Basenjis appeared in a travel report not yet introduced as a breed.
1895 the first Basenjis being imported into England came from Mr. James Garrow and were exhibited at Cruft's Show. Afterwards the Basenjis were purchased but on the show they contracted distemper and died.
At the turn of the century, "Congo terriers" were reported in European newspapers and were displayed in various zoos, such as in Berlin and Paris.
Basenjis Zoo Berlin
Photo Dr.O.Heinroth Pariah Hunde R.Menzel
Bosc " Congo Terrier" Zoo Paris 1890
Photo The complete Basenji by Elspet Ford

1912 a stuffed Basenji in a Pygmy village was exhibited in the Museum of Natural History in New York City
natural surroundings became the first breeder in the western world.Breeding start in Great Britain
An interest in Basenji dogs was awakened. During the following decades Basenjis were brought to Europe and America and meanwhile spread worldwide. Under very difficult circumstances, the breeding of Basenjis was started in Great Britain. Lady Helen Nutting, Major George Richards, Mrs. Olivia Burn, Miss Veronica Tudor-Williams, Mrs. Elspet Ford and other pioneers who lived for several times in Africa and saw the Basenjis in their
Pioneers of the basenji breeding
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Lady Helen Nutting Major George Richards Mrs. Olivia Burn
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with kind permission Miss Veronica Tudor Williams Mrs. Elspet Ford
K'impi, Kwango, Kookoo, Kasui and Kavirondo of the Congo
Early Basenjis in Great Britain
1937 the breed was established in Great Britain by Mrs. Olivia Burn, "of the Bleans" Basenjis. Her Basenjis were exhibited at Crufts in the same year. The interest was so much that the police had to be employed to keep the visitors moving past the Basenji benches.
Basenjis exhibited at Crufts 1937
Photo The complete Basenji by Elspet Ford
Miss Veronica Tudor - Williams became a very successful breeder, "of the Congo" especially with her world famous female Fula of the Congo
Fula in her Africa home 10 week old 1959
Courtesy Photo Miss V. Tudor-Williams and Fula
The Basenji Club of Great Britain was formed on 09.02.1939 and is the oldest established club in the world for the breed of Basenjis. basenjiclubofgb.org The ever first standard was formulated and the Basenji as breed established. In the following years Basenji clubs in Australia, Canada and the United States of America were founded, to be followed by the establishment of new clubs worldwide.
Mrs. Berta Burkert established the Basenji-Klub Deutschland basenji-klub.de on 07. 07. 1977 in Munich. She became the first well known breeder in Germany, kennel
Casa d'Regina .
About current breeding and adequate animal housing you get any information from the Breeders or the Basenji Clubs. Standard
The breeding dog Basenji worldwide today.
Basenjis have all instincts very well compatible for their natural homeland in freedom. But they are not very well conformist to high tech civilization. Cars, streetcars and train are no danger in their mind. He still can provide his own food and find anything edible; look out for poison and spoiled food. Therefore it's so important to feed them appropriate natural food to the species. Basenjis learn very quickly to do what we want, but then often do as they like, because they are independent dogs. Take it easy and don’t worry. Start very early by training your Basenji and be consequent. In his natural surrounding the basenji is not accustomed to stay alone because he live beneath the people in freedom. Give the Basenji a chance to learn to cope with modern civilization. These intelligent dog need mental training and a lot of exercise . You should like to learn the basenji language , that makes the life with Basenjis easy going.
The world-famous Basenji expert Miss Veronica Tudor-Williams wrote an article (Journal of the Society for the Preservation of the Fauna of the Empire, Nr.54) on the Basenjis of Central Africa and called them a "living fossils". She wrote: "It would be a tragedy if these canines of such ancient lineage, having maintained their identity over numerous centuries, would now be lost to us forever as a consequence of expanding civilization".
I want to add, it is my concern that the Basenjis be not bred with purely optical fashionable or commercial goals in mind. The first must for the breeder is to have the health in mind.
It is our opinion that the BASENJI is perfect since thousand of years and should it be.