If you’d like to take up an activity with your dog, Basenjis are aces at the sport of lure coursing, the perfect game for these dogs who hunt by sight and love to chase. The lure is tied to a line that is run by a series of pulleys as the dogs give chase.
Agility is another sport that might suit the Basenji’s love of a good time. While Basenjis don’t excel in obedience competition, they can be successful if you can come up with a creative way to make them think that training and competition is their idea.
But the best activity that we can recommended for you and your Basenji is HIKING. This type of sport is the one you can both enjoy. Basenji is a perfect companion for mountains. Basenji is like a “little goat” that climbs the hill. You can hike with him many kilometers per day without getting tired. We suggest you use GPS and some bright color harness, coat or collar on your Basenji.
That is because they love to explore and wander around on their own for a while.
Also if you are in some problematic or dangerous area you can carry him in the old African way. They really like it. I’m sure my Basenji thinks “Wooow, this is so great (cool)!!!! I have a better view now”. This used to be a typical way of carrying Basenjis in Africa so they could better see animals in the bush or when the bush was too dense for them to get through.
Plan to give him plenty of daily exercise such as a long walk on leash or an opportunity to run in a safe, traffic-free area. Dog sports that will provide physical and mental stimulation include agility, lure coursing, obedience, rally and tracking. Without plenty of activity to keep him busy, he will think up his own (potentially destructive) fun.
It’s often said that a good Basenji is a tired Basenji.
