Breed # 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. ![A photograph of the Basenji](https://www.woofandbeyond.com/breeds/lg/basenji.webp) 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. Compare the Basenji with another breed ## 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. Around people and other dogs Affection with family 4 of 5 1 independent · 5 devoted Good with young children 4 of 5 1 not suited · 5 very good Good with other dogs 4 of 5 1 not suited · 5 very good Openness to strangers 4 of 5 1 reserved · 5 everyone is a friend Watchdog / protective nature 3 of 5 1 unbothered · 5 vigilant What they will ask of you Energy 4 of 5 1 couch potato · 5 busy all day Exercise needs 5 of 5 1 a short walk · 5 a job to do Playfulness 2 of 5 1 only when invited · 5 non-stop Barking 1 of 5 1 only to alert · 5 very vocal Around the house Shedding 1 of 5 1 barely · 5 constantly Drooling 1 of 5 1 a dry mouth · 5 keep a towel What they tolerate Tolerates being alone 4 of 5 1 poorly · 5 well Tolerates hot weather 4 of 5 1 poorly · 5 well Tolerates cold weather 1 of 5 1 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 AKC](https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/basenji/)[Basenji on DogTime](https://dogtime.com/dog-breeds/basenji) ## 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. - [![](https://www.woofandbeyond.com/breeds/telomian.webp)Telomian](https://www.woofandbeyond.com/breed/telomian/) - [![](https://www.woofandbeyond.com/breeds/bull-terrier-standard.webp)Bull Terrier (Standard)](https://www.woofandbeyond.com/breed/bull-terrier-standard/) - [![](https://www.woofandbeyond.com/breeds/ratonero-valenciano.webp)Ratonero Valenciano](https://www.woofandbeyond.com/breed/ratonero-valenciano/) - [![](https://www.woofandbeyond.com/breeds/canaan-dog.webp)Canaan Dog](https://www.woofandbeyond.com/breed/canaan-dog/) - [![](https://www.woofandbeyond.com/breeds/cretan-hound.webp)Cretan hound](https://www.woofandbeyond.com/breed/cretan-hound/) - [![](https://www.woofandbeyond.com/breeds/sinhala-hound.webp)Sinhala Hound](https://www.woofandbeyond.com/breed/sinhala-hound/) Side by side Height 0–38 in 1. Basenji17 in 2. Telomian15–19 in 3. Bull Terrier (Standard)20–24 in 4. Ratonero Valenciano12–16 in 5. Canaan Dog20–24 in 6. Cretan hound20–24 in 7. Sinhala Hound14–16 in Weight 0–220 lb 1. Basenji21–24 lb 2. Telomian18–28 lb 3. Bull Terrier (Standard)45–80 lb 4. Ratonero Valenciano9–18 lb 5. Canaan Dog45–55 lb 6. Cretan hound33–49 lb 7. Sinhala Hound22–26 lb Lifespan 0–20 yrs 1. Basenji14–16 yrs 2. Telomian12–14 yrs 3. Bull Terrier (Standard)10–14 yrs 4. Ratonero Valencianono recorded figure 5. Canaan Dog12–15 yrs 6. Cretan hound~14 yrs 7. 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. - [Your Dog Doesn't Bark? Here's Why](https://www.woofandbeyond.com/dog-doesnt-bark/) See the Basenji on the breed map Read about the Basenji on Wikipedia