The Basenji is native to Central Africa. He does not bark, but he is not mute. He can make all the same noises that a wolf or coyote can make. He can scream, cry, howl, whine and growl. When he is very happy he makes a "chordle" or "yodel" sound. (Some think it sounds like crowing.) Basenjis are medium sized: 16"-17" tall and about 22 to 24 pounds. They have short, sleek coats which they constantly groom like a cat. For this reason, they have no "doggie" odor. Also like a cat, they do not like water. They hate to walk on wet grass and most would rather die then go out in the rain! Because they originate in Africa, they tolerate heat much better then cold. They love to sun bathe and prefer to be inside when it cools down at night.
A Basenji is a hunting dog. They are used by natives in Africa to chase large game into nets where it is then speared by the natives. They also hunt small game such as rodents. A Basenji hunts with it's eyes and can see very far. It is the natural instinct of a Basenji to chase things that are moving fast. Basenjis are extremely quick and a large percentage of Basenjis that get loose on the streets end up hit by cars and killed. For this reason, Basenjis should always be kept on leash when not in a completely fenced area.
A big misconception about Basenjis is that, because they are clean and don't bark, they make good apartment dogs. Not true! Basenjis are very smart and bore easily. Therefore, leaving a Basenji loose and unsupervised in your house is much like leaving a three year old loose and unsupervised! They are going to entertain themselves and it will, most likely, be in a way that would not please you. Besides chewing and/or destroying things in your house, an unsupervised Basenji can cause injury to themselves. In addition, Basenjis love the sun. On sunny days, even if the door to the house is left open, our Basenjis prefer to lie out in the yard and soak up the sun. We feel that Basenjis do best when they have a yard to be in during the day when their owner is away and a nice warm house to be in when their owner is home.