KENAI
Basenji

The breeds · sighthound · sighthound

AKC Hound · UKC Sighthound & Pariah · FCI standard 43

Basenji.

FCI 43 utilization: hunting dog, companion; Group 5 spitz and primitive types, Section 6 primitive type, without working trial. AKC standard: a small, short-haired hunting dog from Africa that hunts by both sight and scent. UKC: a hound with sharp eyesight and remarkable scenting ability, hunting by both sight and scent. RKC: used in the Congo region as an all-purpose hunter working by sight and by scent. AKC breed page: a compact hunter of intelligence and poise..

Breed sets the odds. The parents set the dog. Every number here shows its source, its spread and how sure we are. Nothing on this page is a prediction about one dog.

12.1YRMedian lifespan11.3 to 15.8, measured on real dogs.
17 / 16INHeightdogs 17, bitches 16. An ideal from the standard, not a range.
21–24LBWeight, all linesbreed dogs 24 lb (24 to 24.3); breed bitches 20.9 to 22 lb.
1HRSExercise, every dayUp to 1 hour per day (RKC). RKC size band: small; small house, small garden. BCOA: energetic, a tired dog is a good dog, and will chase every squirrel, cat and rabbit it sees, so it must be leashed unless in a secure area.. The constraint most homes get wrong.

The body

What the breed is built like. Registry standards give an ideal, not a range.

Height at the shoulder

dogs 17 in (16.9 to 17) · bitches 16 in (15.7 to 16)

Breed clubAKC breed standard, 1990

Ideals, not ranges. FCI runs 0.3 in lower. Conversion cm / 2.54.

Weight

dogs 24 lb (24 to 24.3) · bitches 20.9 to 22 lb

Breed clubAKC breed standard, 1990

The three differ by about 1 lb and all stand; no single ideal, so no center. Conversion kg x 2.2046.

Coat

Short and fine; skin very pliant; fine, profuse forehead wrinkles when the ears are erect, most noticeable in puppies (AKC, UKC, FCI). Colors: chestnut red, pure black, tricolor, or brindle, all with white feet, chest and tail tip; white legs, blaze and collar optional (AKC, UKC). UKC: creams, shaded or off colors are serious faults. FCI 43 lists black and white, red and white, black, tan and white, tan and white (with melon-pip markings), and brindle (red with black stripes).

Breed clubAKC breed standard, 1990

AKC and UKC agree; FCI 43 words the colors differently.

Shedding

Shedding 2 of 5 (AKC breed page trait score)

Breed clubAKC

AKC breed page trait score, 1 to 5: a breed-club tendency, never a measurement.

Heat tolerance

5 of 5 · Coat short and fine, skin very pliant (AKC, UKC); FCI: short, sleek and close, very fine. A small, lightly built hound.

DerivedAKC breed standard, 1990

Derived from the coat (short single coat = 5). The scale is coat-only; no measured data.

How long they live, and what they cost

Measured on real dogs, with the sample and the spread. Never a guess.

Median lifespan

12.1 years (11.3 to 15.8)

MeasuredMcMillan KM, 2024

UK pet dogs. Small sample (92 dogs, 30 deceased), hence the very wide interval. Teng 2022 (VetCompass) does not include the Basenji. The AKC, RKC and Wikipedia/KC-survey figures are shown beside the study and not used to set low/high; the 2004 survey was not read at source.

The dog at home

What the breed asks of a day. The first thing most homes get wrong.

Exercise need

Up to 1 hour per day (RKC). RKC size band: small; small house, small garden. BCOA: energetic, a tired dog is a good dog, and will chase every squirrel, cat and rabbit it sees, so it must be leashed unless in a secure area.

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

RKC band 'Up to 1 hour per day' = 60 min by the ruled mapping. AKC rates energy 4 of 5 and mental stimulation 4 of 5 (AKC bands), which reads higher than the RKC band; both appear in the energy row.

Energy

AKC rates energy level 4 of 5, mental stimulation needs 4 of 5, trainability 2 of 5 (AKC's own bands). RKC puts exercise at up to 1 hour a day. BCOA: energetic, intelligent, not necessarily obedient; reputation for being untrainable though they learn quickly with positive reinforcement; destructive when bored; will not reliably fetch. UKC: alert, intelligent and independent; aloof with strangers and protective of territory; not well suited to structured obedience work.

Breed clubAKC

AKC bands are an owner-audience summary. BCOA and UKC lines are the club's and the standard's own words.

Grooming load

2 of 5 · Once a week (RKC; coat length short, sheds). AKC coat grooming frequency 1 of 5, shedding 2 of 5, drooling 1 of 5 (AKC bands). UKC: exceptionally clean; FCI: remarkable for its cleanliness in every way.

Breed clubThe Royal Kennel Club

RKC band 'Once a week' = 2 on the 1-5 scale. AKC's 1 of 5 is lower; both stand.

The work

What it was built to do in the field, and what a test or trial asks of it.

Role

FCI 43 utilization: hunting dog, companion; Group 5 spitz and primitive types, Section 6 primitive type, without working trial. AKC standard: a small, short-haired hunting dog from Africa that hunts by both sight and scent. UKC: a hound with sharp eyesight and remarkable scenting ability, hunting by both sight and scent. RKC: used in the Congo region as an all-purpose hunter working by sight and by scent. AKC breed page: a compact hunter of intelligence and poise.

Breed clubFederation Cynologique Internationale, 2026

FCI utilization line, AKC and UKC standards, RKC history. No registry source read names the quarry.

Search pattern

Hunts by both sight and scent (AKC standard, UKC, RKC). Barkless but not mute: FCI 43 describes its own noise as a mixture of a chortle and a yodel; UKC says it should not bark but does growl and yodel. BCOA: will chase every squirrel, cat and rabbit it sees.

Breed clubAKC breed standard, 1990

Standards and BCOA. Whether it works single, brace or pack is not stated by any source read.

Field trial standard

BCOA points owners to lure coursing, tracking, conformation, obedience and agility as activities (no rules or titles read). FCI 43: without working trial. UKC: not well suited to structured obedience work.

Breed clubBasenji Club of America

BCOA names the activities without describing a standard. AKC and ASFA lure coursing rule books, and the Basenji's eligibility details, were not read.

How common the problems are

Evaluated dogs skew toward breeding stock; the numbers are still the best there are.

Hip dysplasia

3.2% · 3,924 OFA hip evaluations, all data as served Oct 8 2026; 3.2% dysplastic (mild 2.2, moderate 0.9, severe 0.2); normal 96.4% (excellent 24.9, good 65.0, fair 6.5). OFA rank 199.

MeasuredOrthopedic Foundation for Animals

OFA's own current breed statistics. OFA submissions come from breeding stock and from owners who choose to submit, so the figure describes dogs whose owners submitted, not every dog of the breed. Hou 2013 / Oberbauer 2017 not re-read for this entry.

Elbow dysplasia

2.8% · 955 OFA elbow evaluations, all data as served Oct 8 2026; 2.8% abnormal (grade I 2.6, grade II 0.2, grade III 0.0); normal 96.9%. OFA rank 112.

MeasuredOrthopedic Foundation for Animals

OFA's own current breed statistics, same breeding-stock skew as hips. A modest sample (955). The AKC national-club list does not call for elbows; BCOA mentions elbows among OFA registrations.

Most common disorders

BCOA: Fanconi syndrome (a late-onset kidney problem), progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), IPSID, hypothyroidism and hip dysplasia are the diseases to be aware of; a direct DNA test for Fanconi has existed since Aug 2011. Wikipedia, relaying the 2004 UK Kennel Club survey: dermatitis 9% of responses, incontinence and bladder infection 5%, hypothyroidism 4%, pyometra and infertility 4%; leading causes of death old age 30%, urologic (incontinence, Fanconi, kidney failure) 13%, behavior 9%, cancer 9%.

Breed clubBasenji Club of America

BCOA is a club statement; the survey percentages come through Wikipedia and were not read at source. One UK survey from 2004 with a small sample.

More

akc bands

AKC breed page trait scores (1-5): Energy Level 4; Mental Stimulation Needs 4; Trainability Level 2; Barking Level 1; Watchdog/Protective Nature 3; Good With Young Children 3; Openness To Strangers 3; Good With Other Dogs 3; Shedding Level 2; Coat Grooming Frequency 1; Drooling Level 1; Affectionate With Family 3; Playfulness Level 3; Adaptability Level 3.

Breed clubAKC

Fourteen AKC bands in one row; the selector reads each by name. Breed-club ratings: a tendency, never a measurement.

What to ask a breeder for

The health clearances the breed’s own club and registry name. Reference only: what to ask for, never a statement about any dog’s health.

No KENAI kennel lists the Basenji yet. If you breed them, list your kennel free: it shows on this page and in the hunting dog breed finder, under every handler whose answers land on the breed.

How to read this page

Every value carries a label. Measured means peer-reviewed data on many dogs. Studied means peer-reviewed, smaller or indirect. Breed club means a club or registry states it. Editorial means expert opinion with no measurement behind it. Where two good sources disagree, both are shown and neither is averaged.

Published when the entry rests on the best information available from no fewer than three independent sources, checked by a second pass that did not write it. 9 sources on this page. Found something wrong? Tell us and the correction is logged with its date.

Also called
Congo Dog, Barkless Dog, African Bush Dog

Every breed, read the same way.

The breed index grows as entries clear the standard. Gun dogs first.

All published breeds

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