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Basenji History
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The Basenji hails from Central Africa, where it has been used as a hunting dog since ancient times. For thousands of years, the Basenji lived in close proximity to the Pygmy tribes and remained self-sufficient while still having interaction with humans. Though the modern Basenji has been domesticated by man, the breed historically belongs to a group called Schensi Dogs, which are considered undomesticated by humans. Other dogs that are part of this group include the Dingo and the Canaan Dog.
In Africa, the Basenji was used to find and drive marsupials from their homes into the waiting nets of their human counterparts. Tribesmen would often place bells crafted from shells and bones around the necks of their dogs as a way of keeping track of them. In 1870, an explorer in Africa named Dr. Schweinfurth brought a Basenji female back home with him, but was unable to study or breed her, as she jumped to her death from a window. In 1937, a breeder named Mrs. Olivia Burn showed her Basenji puppies which she acquired from African pygmies at Crufts. Beginning in the 1930s, the dog began to be seen outside of Africa and was given the name Basenji, Bantu for “bush thing.” In 1944, the Basenji was officially recognized by the American Kennel Club. To this day, it remains one of the most exotic and rare dog breeds in the Western world.
