The small, compact basenji is known as a skilled hunter and, oddly enough, a yodeler of sorts. That’s because the roughly 16-inch-tall hunting dog is perhaps best known in the world for its inability ...

Dear reader, I was fortunate to meet a Basenjis dog named Yodel on a ferry trip to Victoria, British Columbia. I had never seen a Basenjis and his striking regal appearance immediately fascinated me.

Another primitive breed, the New Guinea singing dog, has its own odd song, so this kind of vocal curveball is not completely unique in the dog world, but the Basenji scream sits in a league of its own ...