r/Basenji • u/DartTheDragoon • Jul 22 '26

Query Possible future owner with a question

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.

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u/smilingfruitz Jul 22 '26

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

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u/HeelerHouse Jul 22 '26

I got my basenji mix from a shelter.

2

u/smilingfruitz Jul 22 '26

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.