All Dog Breeds >>Appearance of Basenji
Basenji are small, elegant-looking, short-haired dogs with erect ears, a tightly curled tail, and a graceful neck. Some people consider their appearance similar to that of a miniature deer. A basenji's forehead is wrinkled, especially when the animal is young or extremely old. Basenji eyes are typically almond shaped, which gives the dog the appearance of squinting seriously. Dogs typically weigh 24 pounds (11 kg) and stand 16 inches (40.6 cm) at the withers. They are typically a square breed, which means that they are as long as they are tall. The basenji is an athletic dog and is deceptively powerful for its size. They have a graceful, confident gait like a trotting horse, and skim the ground in a double-suspension gallop, with their characteristic curled tail straightened out for greater balance, when running flat-out at their top speed. The basenji is recognized in the following standard colorations: red, black, tricolor (black with tan in the traditional pattern), and brindle (black stripes on a background of red), all with white, by the FCI, KC, AKC, and UKC. There are additional variations, such as the "trindle", which is a tricolor with brindle points, and several other colorations exist in the Congo such as liver, shaded reds and sables, and "capped" tricolors (creeping tan).
Basenji Training
The Basenji is the hardest to train of all dog breeds. He learns new commands slower than all other breeds. You will need to be extra patient when Training him.
Basenji Shedding
The Basenji sheds a fair amount of hair. You'll find hair stuck to your couch, carpets, clothes and everything else in your home.
Basenji Grooming
The short coat of the Basenji only requires an occasional brushing. But because he sheds you may find yourself brushing him once or twice a week to remove loose hair. (What you get out with a brush doesn't fall out in your home!)