BASENJI    AFRICA  DOG

 

information worth knowing about Basenjis

              

 

 

 

 

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, probably the Tesem identifable by the curled tail.

 

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

 

 

Pygmies

 

1912 a stuffed Basenji in a Pygmy village was exhibited  in the Museum of Natural History in New York City

 

 

 

 

Breeding start in Great Britain

An interest in Basenji dogs was awakened. During the following decades Basenjis were brought to Europe and America. 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  natural surroundings    became the first breeder in the western world.

 

 

Pioneers of the basenji breeding

Photo The complete Basenji by Elspet Ford                                                 Photo Miss Veronica Tudor-Williams         

 

 

 

 

 

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

Curtesy 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 founding of new clubs worldwide.

 

Mrs. Berta Burkert founded the Basenji-Klub Deutschland  basenji-klub.de  on 07. 07. 1977  in Munich. She became the first well known breeder,  kennel  Casa d'Regina  in Germany. 

 

About current breeding and adequate animal housing you get any information from the Breeders or the Basenji Clubs.  Standard

 

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