Basenji

Focusing on “the barkless dog of Africa,” this Comprehensive Owner’s Guide is dedicated to the Basenji, which comes to Westerners via Africa’s Congo. The Basenji is unique for his “barklessness”—he in fact yodels—as well as his felinelike cleanliness, his terrierlike hunting skills, and his teenagerlike naughtiness. British purebred dog specialist, Juliette Cunliffe traces the origins of the“Congo Terrier” (as it was once called) from the jungles of Africa to homes of dog fanciers in England and the United States. While the breed first entered the U.S. in the 1930s, the author updates this history with the various African sojourns which yielded brindle-colored dogs being added to the gene pool as recently as 1987. She continues with chapters on the special characteristics of the Basenji and the breed standard, assisting the reader better understand this uniquely primitive dog.

New owners will welcome the well-prepared chapter on finding a breeder and selecting a healthy, sound puppy. Chapters on puppy-proofing the home and yard, purchasing the right supplies for the puppy as well as house-training, feeding, and grooming are illustrated with handsome adults and puppies bursting with attitude and personality! In all, there are over 135 photographs in this compact, useful, and reliable volume. The author’s advice on obedience training the smart (but not too eager to please) Basenji will help readers better mold and train their dogs. The extensive chapter on healthycare, written by the highly regarded veterinarian Dr. Lowell Ackerman, provides up-to-date detailed information on selecting a qualified veterinarian, vaccinations, parasites, infectious diseases, and more. The chapteron showing and competing in trials will prove informative to the new owner who wants to get involved with his Basneji in the dog sport. Sidebars throughout the text offer helpful hints, covering topics as diverse as collars, behavior issues, toxic plants, first aid, crate training, carsickness, fussy eaters, and parasite control. Fully indexed.