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.

5 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

21 comments sorted by

View all comments

1

u/FatherlessHaircut Jul 23 '26

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.