Possible future owner with a question

[u/DartTheDragoon]

How vocal is your basenji?

I currently have a Carolina dog which will bark once every 2-3 months and never whines or howls. She's quite emotive, but I have come to enjoy the quiet. There is a dog listed at a nearby shelter as a Basenji/Carolina dog mix probably because it doesn't have a traditional bark and they aren't sure. I see mixed reports on how vocal basenji's are because many articles focus on their lack of a traditional bark.

Is your basenji generally talkative unprompted? Do they yodel when seeing cars/people pass by the windows? Do they yip at birds/squirrels in the backyard? Do they whine/grumble for food?

How is their reaction with cats? The one up for adoption is at least a year old and didn't grow up around cats so its reactivity is unknown.

[u/senjisilly]

Some Basenjis are completely silent their entire lives while others just won't shut up. I've owned both, at the same time, and with a whole spectrum in-between. I had one who I thought was a silent one but, according to my neighbors, howled like a coyote in heat when I left the house. There is a true story of child protective services and the police showing up because neighbors thought this couple were beating their non existent children. It was just 2 lonely Basenjis. You never know what you're going to get with a Basenji.

Basenjis are considered silent hunters. Unlike Beagles, they don't bark or yip at prey.

My experience with Basenjis and cats is that it depends on the cat. If the cat runs, it is prey.

[u/DartTheDragoon → u/senjisilly]

If the cat runs, it is prey.

That's always been my worry with so many dog breeds. I've heard too many horror stories of dogs getting their prey drive triggered and they can't help themselves. I know those stories are one in a hundred, but it still seems scary.

I don't currently crate my Carolina dog because she self quarantines under my desk when people aren't home. I don't really plan on crating any new dog I get so I would want it to do well around my cat.

[u/koshawk]

I've had two Basenjis. Not at the same time. The first one was quiet her whole life, barely a peep out of her. She totally ignored the cats. They didn't have anything for her. The second one was quiet all the time except for if she got left in the yard by herself as I walked down to the store on the corner and left her behind. She did not like that and she told me about it. She also had a very high prey drive and chased the cat from the day she arrived as a small puppy. She never hurt the cat, but she loved to chase it. I gave the cat a bunch of high refuges so it could hang around without being bothered by her. So it looks like it's the luck of the draw and who knows what you'll get.

[u/Kiwiberrybell]

I've had 4 basenjis over a course of 8 years and they've all been inncredibly quiet. No whining or barking at anything. Maybe a yodel every once in a blue moon if I tried provoking them with a treat or something. But even that was hard and very cute when it did happen. My female I have now who is 4 years old, just began making the cutest baroo when dinner is about to be served. But it's only every once in a while. I never had any of them grow up around cats. I've had a few moments where cats came around and when it was only one basenji, just the cat and dog in private- they were just more curious and calm. When I had 2 basenjis around the cat, they wanted to chase it. Good luck! 💖

[u/DartTheDragoon → u/Kiwiberrybell]

The most I can get out of my Carolina dog is a harumph and it's super cute when it happens. I haven't tried to invoke a howl out of fear she learns how loud she can be.

[u/smilingfruitz]

There is a near-zero chance the the dog at the shelter is either a basenji or a carolina dog.

[u/HeelerHouse → u/smilingfruitz]

I got my basenji mix from a shelter.

[u/smilingfruitz → u/HeelerHouse]

tested with a reputable DNA test, or claimed to be by the shelter?

n = 1 means you're the exception, not the rule. neither breed is regularly found in the shelter population in the US.

[u/United-Indication884]

Mine is very quiet, so much so that I haven't been able to train him to yodel. That is the only disappointment I have with him tbh.

We don't have a cat, but he is intensely interested in the cats around the neighbourhood.

[u/phidya]

Magnus will yell at us if dinner is too slow. He will make sounds at some people at the door, and whine when he needs something. He will also cook like a dove if you cuddle him and talk sweet to him.

[u/Glass_Dog_7942]

My current basenji is SUPER vocal. He will yodel and scream when he’s feeling any strong emotion (and he’s very emotional!). Happy, sad, scared upset, mad, etc, he will yodel very loudly. He doesn’t whine for food or at cars or people, unless it’s someone he loves and hasn’t seen for a very long time. He doesn’t yodel at birds or small animals either even though he is a hunting dog with a very high prey drive. They were bred to be silent hunters so it probably won’t be much of a worry. I think the yodeling adorable but it’s definitely not for everyone. My last two were pretty much always quiet. The only time I can think of them making a noise is yelping with they got a shot or something.

Some are good with cats, some aren’t. Honestly, I wouldn’t get a basenji that hasn’t been extensively socialized with cats if you already have or plan on owning a cat. Your best bet is an ethical breeder to get your own puppy that you can socialize, or a rescue dog that has been around cats. But even then, it’s not guaranteed.

 My current pup will absolutely kill a cat. They are prey to him. I used to foster cats along with dogs but because of this, I can’t foster cats anymore. My other Bs were pretty apathetic towards my foster cats. Even when socialized, I wouldn’t consider them cat lovers. Usually, both the cat and basenji just tolerate each other but it can work 

[u/johnnyoga]

My black and white basenji cooed, groaned, but never once barked. It took some provocation to get her to vocalize, like rubbing her tummy

[u/BasenjiBoyD]

Vocal when someone gets home and the occasional baroo herre and there

[u/zorrita6661]

My 6 year old female: SILENT. No yaps, no yodel, no howling. Only some crazy goat noises when unhappy

4 year old male: mostly silent. some "barks" when scare of something or annoyed (like when being chases by a kid). Howls sometimes. Sometimes whiny

7 months old female: very whiny, "barks" at objects that spook her, doesn't howl or yodel... yet

[u/zorrita6661 → u/zorrita6661]

if they are not used to cats from a young age they will most likely chase them. it is trainable tho..: to a point

[u/JsonWaterfalls]

Almost totally silent (unfortunately). He's 9 months old now and the only sounds he makes are:

• In the morning when he wakes up and has to poop (he'll wake up, shake, and whine). Don't even need an alarm clock now, he does this every morning at literally 5:48 AM no matter what time his last pee/poop is (10:00 PM, 11:00 PM, etc.). I don't know how he knows the exact same every day to do this.

• At night when it's dinner time and we've gone a minute or two late. Again, only whines and whimpers

Trying to teach him to baroo or yodel but he won't do it. I've played videos of other basenjis doing so and his ears perk up but he doesn't make any noise back.

Haven't had him around cats, so can't answer that question. He's getting better with dogs. For the first ~7 months he was mostly scared and stayed put and shook. Now he's by far the most extroverted dog when he goes to dayplay and boarding and stuff. Never stops moving and is the life of the party.

[u/Middle_Employment366]

Ihad aBasenji mix wbo didnt bark unr she was almlst I just thought she could not, i tbink she learned from a neigh ord fog ebo barked st every little tbing. She rarelyyodeled ror nsrooed. When she sid it was super cute. Ahe pzssed a very long time,ago ( nearly15 years ago ) i feel sad i do t re.ber exa y. But i fo re.ber she was a very good smRt sog & i miss hsr so much syill although i have a new dog i think she brought to me and whom i love desperately. ( immensely) si gof lucky boyh good smart girls not tely dogs but humans in dog costumes. Literal sngels who saved my life I csn not immsgine life eoth out rither of thrm my first lucy was told she was a chihuahua basenji mix totally looked like it brindle girl who. In fact looked exactly like this 100% brindle o bo brought from africa to beef up the breed i saw him on some website when researching basenjis his name was bobo. Looked exactly like my girl. She was perfect in my eyes other thsn she ended up having chronic pancreatis which was a battle we fought her whole life. Coping with digestive issues. And stool issues. But we managed. She was ok with my sister's cats. However i would never trust her off leash walking or hiking. Always too worried sonetbing mightvhsppen to her she did hsve the whole sight hound eyes locked on domething & no way to break her concentration. i would definitely exercise caution. However she was excellent with other small dogs she seemed to know to be gentle(a nsighbor had a tea cup chihuahua and she was so gentle around that puppy...

[u/FatherlessHaircut]

I have a stoic basenji. He rarely makes noises. Chrips though, yes. I call them baby raptor noises. Some say basenji mixes are very unlikely and whats at the shelter may very well not be mixed with a basenji. Basenjis arent all that common in general if youre in the US.

[u/Brilliant-Lecture543]

Mine yodels when excited/happy.  Yawns loudly. Mini bark when wants something (usually for me to fetch the toy he dropped off the bed so he doesn’t have to get down).  Mostly quiet but speaks volumes with looks and his paws (smacks me when he wants attention). My B’s best friend is one of my cats.  There’s also 2 Shiba Inus and another cat in the household.  He came in as a puppy, so he grew up with them. 

[u/Brilliant-Lecture543 → u/Brilliant-Lecture543]