Basenjis are small with short hair, pointed ears, and tightly curled tails.

They usually grow to about 18 inches at the shoulder and weigh 24 pounds with males being slightly larger. Basenjis are known as a square breed meaning they are as long as they are tall. 

Their coats come in red, trindle, brindle, black, and tricolor, with all colors having white on their feet, chest, and tail.

A common nickname for Basenjis is the barkless dog. This breed is not mute, but they have a bark unlike any other dog, instead letting out a yodel-like sound called a “baroo”. This is caused by their laryngeal ventricle being more shallow than other dogs, which limits the movement of the vocal cords. It is unknown if Basenjis were born this way or if African villagers bred this trait into them to make them quieter.

They originate from central Africa shown in drawings and models dating back to 1900 B.C. Even though there are many dogs that resemble the Basenji throughout Africa, original Basenjis came from the old growth forest regions of the Congo Basin, kept by the villagers there to lead small game into hunting nets.

Pet Basenjis aren’t recommended to have a fully raw diet as the wild ones couldn’t even find meat as a meal daily. It is important to avoid cooked meat with bones since they can puncture a dog’s intestine or stomach.

Similar to the Tibetan mastiff and New Guinea singing dogs, Basenjis can only reproduce once a year. Other dog breeds usually reproduce twice a year with smaller breeds doing it up to four times. They will carry their litter for 8-9 weeks before giving birth to 5-7 puppies. Puppies should be fed more food than an adult but not overfed to the point where you lose sight of their waist.

The Basenji is a hunting dog that major kennel clubs now put in the category of hound dogs.

While in Africa, one of the Basenji’s local names translated into the “jumping up and down dog.” This is because they used to spring vertically up so they could see over the tall grass when hunting prey.