Health
There is apparently only one completed health survey of basenjis, a 2004 UK Kennel Club survey.
Many basenjis suffer from PRA (progressive retinal atrophy), which causes blindness, and Fanconi syndrome, which can cause kidney failure. Besides Fanconi Syndrome and PRA, Basenjis also suffer from Hypothyroidism, IPSID (immunoproliferative systemic intestinal disease), and HA (Hemolytic Anemia). Basenjis are also sensitive to environmental and household chemicals which can cause liver problems.
Mortality
Basenjis in the 2004 UK Kennel Club survey had a median lifespan of 13.6 years (sample size of 46 deceased dogs), which is 1–2 years longer than the median lifespan of other breeds of similar size. The oldest dog in the survey was 17.5 years. Most common causes of death were old age (30%), urologic (incontinence, Fanconi syndrome, chronic kidney failure 13%), behavior ("unspecified" and aggression 9%), and cancer. (9%).
Morbidity
Among 78 live dogs in the 2004 UKC survey, the most common health issues noted by owners were with their skin and urologic (urologic issues in basenjis can be signs of Fanconi syndrome).
There is apparently only one completed health survey of basenjis, a 2004 UK Kennel Club survey.
Many basenjis suffer from PRA (progressive retinal atrophy), which causes blindness, and Fanconi syndrome, which can cause kidney failure. Besides Fanconi Syndrome and PRA, Basenjis also suffer from Hypothyroidism, IPSID (immunoproliferative systemic intestinal disease), and HA (Hemolytic Anemia). Basenjis are also sensitive to environmental and household chemicals which can cause liver problems.
Mortality
Basenjis in the 2004 UK Kennel Club survey had a median lifespan of 13.6 years (sample size of 46 deceased dogs), which is 1–2 years longer than the median lifespan of other breeds of similar size. The oldest dog in the survey was 17.5 years. Most common causes of death were old age (30%), urologic (incontinence, Fanconi syndrome, chronic kidney failure 13%), behavior ("unspecified" and aggression 9%), and cancer. (9%).
Morbidity
Among 78 live dogs in the 2004 UKC survey, the most common health issues noted by owners were with their skin and urologic (urologic issues in basenjis can be signs of Fanconi syndrome).
History
The basenji is arguably the most ancient dog breed; that is to say that the common ancestor it shares with all other existing dogs lived longer ago than the common ancestor of any two other living dogs. However, this is not to say that that most ancient common ancestor of all dogs was a Basenji, as the characteristics that define the breed may have evolved since then. Although the modern Basenji is from central Africa, at some point long ago its ancestor arrived there from eastern Asia, having evolved from either Chinese or southeast Asian wolves. Originating on the continent of Africa, basenji-like dogs have lived with humans for thousands of years. Dogs resembling modern Basenjis can be seen on stelae in the tombs of Egyptianpharaohs, sitting at the feet of their masters, looking just as they do today, with pricked ears and tightly curled tails. Dogs of this type were originally kept for hunting small game by coursing. Europeans first described the type of dog from which the basenji breed was derived in the Congo in 1895. These local dogs, which Europeans identified as a unique breed and called "basenji" were prized by locals for their intelligence, courage, speed, and silence. An article published called The Intelligence of Dogs by Stanley Coren, Ph.D. questions this. It ranks the breed at #78 out of 79 which is the second to lowest rank in intelligence. This is generally considered to be an unreliable list, as it only focuses on ability to listen to a first command. Independent dogs such as Basenjis and Afghan Hounds are generally considered more intelligent than obedient breeds because of their ability to recognize what benefits them, and what is simply to please another. . Basenjis 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 basɛ́nzi. Translated, this means "dogs of the savages", or "dogs of the villagers". In the Congo, the basenji is also known as "dog of the bush." The dogs are also known to the Azande of southern Sudan as Ango Angari. The word basɛ́nzi itself is the plural form of mosɛ́nzi. In Swahili, 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 then to the United States by animal importer Henry Trefflich. So it is that nearly all the basenjis in the Western world are descended from these few original imports. The breed was officially accepted into the AKC in 1943. In 1990, the AKC stud book was reopened to 14 new imports at the request of the Basenji Club of America. The stud book was reopened again to selected imported dogs from January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2013. An American led expedition collected breeding stock in villages in the Basankusu area of the Democratic Republic of Congo, in 2010. Basenjis are also registered with the UKC. Further study is needed to determine whether they belong to the subspecies Canis lupus familiaris, as is the case with most dogs, or rather into the subspecies Canis lupus dingo, like the Australian Dingo. |