Basenji
The Basenji is a hound breed from Democratic Republic of the Congo, standing males 17 in · females 16 in at the withers, weighing males 21–24 lb · females 21–22 lb. Recorded lifespan is 14–16 yrs.
- Breed group
- Hound
- Origin
- Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Height
- males 17 in · females 16 in
- Weight
- males 21–24 lb · females 21–22 lb
- Lifespan
- 14–16 yrs
Among the 500 breeds here with recorded measurements, the Basenji is taller than 26% of the measured breeds, heavier than 17%, one of 33 in the Hound group.
Living with the Basenji
Two breed references score every breed they cover from 1 to 5 on the things an owner lives with day to day. These are the Basenji’s, with what a 1 and a 5 mean on each row.
- Affection with family
- 4 of 51 independent · 5 devoted
- Good with young children
- 4 of 51 not suited · 5 very good
- Good with other dogs
- 4 of 51 not suited · 5 very good
- Openness to strangers
- 4 of 51 reserved · 5 everyone is a friend
- Watchdog / protective nature
- 3 of 51 unbothered · 5 vigilant
- Energy
- 4 of 51 couch potato · 5 busy all day
- Exercise needs
- 5 of 51 a short walk · 5 a job to do
- Playfulness
- 2 of 51 only when invited · 5 non-stop
- Barking
- 1 of 51 only to alert · 5 very vocal
- Shedding
- 1 of 51 barely · 5 constantly
- Drooling
- 1 of 51 a dry mouth · 5 keep a towel
- Tolerates being alone
- 4 of 51 poorly · 5 well
- Tolerates hot weather
- 4 of 51 poorly · 5 well
- Tolerates cold weather
- 1 of 51 poorly · 5 well
Rated 1 to 5 by the American Kennel Club and DogTime, averaged where both rate the same thing, and read from their breed pages in 2022. Nobody at Woof & Beyond has met this breed — these are the publishers’ judgments, not ours.Basenji on AKCBasenji on DogTime
Breeds that look like the Basenji
A neural network trained to tell breeds apart by sight read all 510 photographs in this reference, and these are the 6 it placed closest to the Basenji.
Height 0–38 in
- Basenji17 in
- Telomian15–19 in
- Bull Terrier (Standard)20–24 in
- Ratonero Valenciano12–16 in
- Canaan Dog20–24 in
- Cretan hound20–24 in
- Sinhala Hound14–16 in
Weight 0–220 lb
- Basenji21–24 lb
- Telomian18–28 lb
- Bull Terrier (Standard)45–80 lb
- Ratonero Valenciano9–18 lb
- Canaan Dog45–55 lb
- Cretan hound33–49 lb
- Sinhala Hound22–26 lb
Lifespan 0–20 yrs
- Basenji14–16 yrs
- Telomian12–14 yrs
- Bull Terrier (Standard)10–14 yrs
- Ratonero Valencianono recorded figure
- Canaan Dog12–15 yrs
- Cretan hound~14 yrs
- Sinhala Hound14–18 yrs
Nothing here was grouped by hand. The ranking is an opinion about appearance, not about ancestry, which is why it sometimes puts together breeds no kennel club would — and why it is worth looking at the photographs rather than taking the order on trust.
Guides that mention the Basenji
Every guide on this site whose text actually discusses this breed.