History

The Basenji is one of the most ancient dog breeds. Originating on the continent of Africa, it has been venerated by humans for thousands of years. Basenjis can be seen on steles in the tombs of Egyptian pharaohs, sitting at the feet of their masters, looking just as they do today, with pricked ears and tightly curled tail.

The Basenji had almost totally disappeared from the West when Europeans came across it in the Congo in 1895. There, the Basenji was prized by locals for its intelligence, courage, speed, and silence. They were assistants to the hunt, chasing wild game into nets for their masters. The Azande and Mangbetu people from the northeastern Congo region describe Basenjis, in the local Lingala language, as mbwá na baśnzi. Translated, this means “dogs of the savages”, or “dogs of the villagers”. The dogs are also known to the Azande of southern Sudan as Ango Angari. The word baśnzi itself is the plural form of mośnzi.In Kiswahili, another Bantu language, from East Africa, mbwa shenzi translates to “wild dog”.Another local name is m’bwa m’kube m’bwa wamwitu, or “jumping up and down dog”, a reference to their tendency to jump straight up to spot their quarry.

Several attempts were made to bring the breed to England, but the earliest imports succumbed to disease. In 1923, for example, Lady Helen Nutting brought six Basenjis with her from Sudan, but all six died from distemper shots they received in quarantine.It was not until the 1930s that foundation stock was successfully established in England and thence to the United States by animal importer Henry Trefflich. Therefore, it is that nearly all the Basenjis in the Western world are descended from these few original imports. For a fascinating account of the importation of the Basenji from Africa, read "The History of the Breed",  a letter to the AKC in support of opening the studbook to admit new African imports. The breed was officially accepted into the AKC in 1943. In 1990, the AKC studbook was reopened to several new imports at the request of the Basenji Club of America. Basenjis are also registered with the UKC.

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