By Dennis Fisher.
This article is one of a great many articles written by Dennis Fisher about a very wide variety of subjects concerning different dogs, such as obedience training, breeding, showing, health matters, training problems and other subjects. All these articles appear on Dennis Fisher's websites. Visit http://www.allaboutgermanshepherddogs.com the site that has been set up specifically for German Shepherd Dog enthusiasts, or http://www.freedogadvice.com if you interested in a breed other than German Shepherd Dogs.
This unusual breed originated in central Africa, but in the middle 1930’s they were brought to Europe and became quite popular.
A remarkable feature about this small dog, that weighs about 22 pounds, is the fact that it cannot bark. Instead of barking it makes a strange whining sound. Another distinctive feature of this breed is the unusual gait, which can best be described as the prancing of a pony.
It is a very intelligent animal, friendly with children, but a feature of its temperament is the fact that it does not like cats.
The Basenji has a short, silky coat. Another unusual feature of this breed is that the coat does not have the usual dog smell and so grooming is a very simple matter.