Sunday, May 19, 2013

Collective Nouns


During a quiet moment with our two basenji, I found myself considering one of the more fascinating parts of the English language: The tradition of "terms of venery" (sometimes called "nouns of assembly"). Collective nouns for specific animals were developed by hunters. They originated in France and migrated to England, where their use flourished in the Late Middle Ages. The Book of St. Albans contains over 150 collective nouns for describing groups of animals. Some common examples: a pride of lions, a gaggle of geese. More evocative examples include a murder of crowns, a boil of hawks, a skein of geese. Which got me to thinking about what one might call a collection of basenji.

"Pack" seems good for large dogs, especially German sheppards, Irish wolfhounds and the like. But Pack doesn't seem to fit basenji. Maybe it's because of their size or maybe it's because they don't really seem to be dogs at all. Instead of Canis lupus familiaris some say Canis basenji is more apropos. Many popular ideas about the basenji's unique features are true, but some are not so accurate. You may have heard that basenji don't bark, but the breed standard more accurately describes "seldom barking." Our male will often let out a single bark and he becomes very vocal when he's happy or excited, yodeling and howling. On the other hand, our female is generally quiet except when she's angry at which point she will readily make all sorts of growling, hideous, awful sounds. Why basenji do not exhibit common barking behavior is a bit of a mystery and a subject of much speculation.

Another mystery is that most female basenji go into estrus only once a year, usually in the late summer or autumn. Many theories have been offered as to why this is. Some say it is an adaptation to seasonal weather patterns in central Africa (where the breed originated) that aren't conducive to the survival of young offspring. Whatever the reason, basenji tend to have birthdays in October, November or December.

The 1950's B movie, Goodbye My Lady, was partly responsible for popularizing, and in some case exaggerating, basenji traits. Basenji do indeed groom themselves, but not quite as much as cats do. Like cats, they generally don't like water or getting wet, but there are exceptions: Our female will gladly enter the chilly waters of San Francisco Bay in motivated pursuit of another dog or a flock of birds. In contrast, our male will hop over water puddles to avoid getting his paws damp. And he will give incredulous looks when the front door is opened for a morning walk and rain is falling. 

When basenji get together with other basenji, it's clear they have a strong recognition of their own breed. And you can expect fireworks as they establish the pack dynamic. A wise basenji owner once told me when basenji are "working things out" that all is well as long a they are making a lot of noise. If the vocalizations stop and the tussling continues, it means the posturing has ended and they have gotten serious.

One of the most ancient breeds, basenji were unknown to westerners until the 1800s. The first Basenji to come to the US reportedly did so in the early 1900s as a stowaway on a ship carrying coffee. The breed wasn't formally introduced until the 1930s. At early dog shows where basenji were first shown, it was said that someone was bound to be bitten: A handler, a judge, or another dog. Much has been done to calm their primitive temperament, but this leads to one of the more problematic aspects to basenji ownership: Off leash, most basenji have a strong prey instinct and little or no traffic smarts. If they see a cat or squirrel, they will chase it down, they'll likely never hear your voice calling, and never see the car that hits them. Basenji are often referred to as sight hounds, but that seems controversial since they have both keen sight and sense of smell. Owning a basenji requires good situational awareness and respect.

Various studies have attempted to measure dog intelligence, often boiling down to how obedient a dog breed tends to be. Basenji can obey, but they seem to do so when they choose to. Basenji are self-directed and they seem to see humans as their peers. That's not exactly right, but it's the closest I can come to describing the relationship. You cannot force a basenji to do anything and if you try, you're in for trouble. Instead, you find ways to get them to cooperate. Does this make basenji less or more intelligent than other dogs? Hard to say, but it helps to have a good sense of humor because a basenji will outwit you at least once a day.

You'll often see basenji in pairs for the simple reason that it's easier to have two rather than one. Mostly. Like humans, dogs need companionship. Without a partner, basenji get bored and a bored basenji is dangerous: When frustrated, their problem-solving abilities (read destroy and escape) is legendary. Which brings us back to collective nouns. What to call a group of two or more basenji? What collective noun captures the complexity of this unique breed?



I'd have to say "tangle." A Tangle of Basenji.

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