Great Dasenji

The Great Dansenji gets its name from its parent breeds: Great Dane and Basenji. Each parent breed has its own unique history. The Great Dane is thought to have originated sometime around 3000 B.C. Historians hypothesize that this breed belonged to Assyrian traders who would bring the dog on their travels to Rome and Greece. First known as the Boar Hound because of its talent for hunting wild boars, Great Danes were later known as English Dogges in England and then the Kammerhunde in Germany. In Denmark and France in the 1700s, they became known as the Grand Danois which later evolved into to the Great Dane. Despite its Danish namesake, this majestic breed developed through the work of German breeders. Giant, yet gentle and kind, the breed gained a following in North America in the 1800s. They were registered with the American Kennel Club in 1887. The Basenji’s history is shrouded in mystery, but it is possible that this breed existed as early as ancient Egypt and spread throughout central Africa over time. In fact, its name is derived from ancient Congolese and Sudanese languages and roughly translates to “bush thing”. It was originally used to hunt small game, but was imported to England and the United States in the 1930s as a show dog, pet – and later – sighthound. The Basenji Club of America was formed in 1942 and the AKC recognized the breed shortly thereafter in 1943. The combination of these two parent breeds is unusual and the Great Dansenji is not a widely-known hybrid.