Saving money sometimes isn't the best route… a full thyroid panel gives massively more information. But a low dose won't hurt, and as Pat said, if it doesn't help, you wean off easily and done.

Hi - a few thoughts in case they are helpful, although ours doesn't bite.

For biting:
Figure out the reasons for biting first.

if it is around toys/possessiveness - we gave him the toy on his bed and let him be there gnawing on his own. Then walked close by (not too close) and threw him something yummier in his view (eg a small piece of sausage that he can eat quickly) and walk away. Do this at random (though not too often) and have different people in your family do it. Soon she will associate your coming close to her and her favorite toy as something good. Progressively get closer (ie throw the sausage from closer), and then squat down, then touch on head briefly, then hand sausage to her, then move hand towards toy but don't touch it. By this time she will anticipate your coming to her when she has a toy as "yay, something more tasty coming my way". Evenutally, you should pick up the toy/bone hand her the sausage then hand back the toy/bone. Pretty soon she'll let you pick up her toy/bone without biting or thinking you are going to take it away. The key is to progress slowly in terms of distance etc, and mix up the treats (sausage, cheese, chicken).

-if she does bite someone, then immediately isolate her in a basenji-proof room where she cant destroy things. And when letting her out, ask her to sit and be calm for a few seconds first so that she's not hysterical and she learns to watch and listen to you. There may be something else that one does for biting, so maybe others or a trainer would have good ideas.

For pulling on walks, 2 things worked for us:

A gentle leader - suggested by our trainer. This means she can't control her head (if they pull forward their head moves to the side like a horses halter) and so she won't be able to forge ahead. It will give your arm/shoulder immediate relief while you work on the rest.

In the yard and on walks start rewarding with small treats every time she looks back at you/checks on you. At first she'll do it by chance, or if she is checking to see what you are doing, and sometimes it's a side glance. As soon as she does it - give big verbal praise and get her to come to you and give her a treat and lots of pets. She will begin to do this more often. initially treat every time she looks at you, and once she is good at it, then randomly. On walks you'll find her looking back and coming back to you more often, and as a corollary less pulling, which is a relief. We usually keep the leash in one hand and a handful of small, soft treats in the other - so you don't run out and have to keep going into your pocket to get treats. So, she'll come and nose your hand and you can pet some times, treat sometimes, etc.

The one thing is to progress slowly, praise the right behavior and don't get impatient (count to 10, stop training or go do something else for a bit till you feel ready to try again). When doing the praise really have an excited voice and go overboard even! Our basenji really loves being praised. It takes more time perhaps than other methods, but it's long lasting because they see these behaviors as rewarding so you don't have to get into a battle of wills. And once they get the idea, they'll improve rapidly, even over one walk.

Good luck!

Sometimes… when you are replying to an OLD POST, it helps to click on the person's name. Many people post once or twice and never return. Yep..

Drew
Join Date 01-18-2015
Last Activity 04-16-2015 09:06 AM

I know this is an old thread, but it seems to be what we are experiencing…so rather than start a new one, I thought building on an old one would be best.

We adopted a brother/sister pair of 5 month old Bs. They do well with other dogs, rarely nip at other dogs (unless they are overly excited and the other dog is a little too friendly - nothing serious so far), but my goodness do they roughhouse with each other.

They will start the B-500 while taking them for a walk, and wrestle and tackle, nibble, grab each other by the throat, ear, leg, etc. Sometimes there's noise, sometimes not, lots of legs flying everywhere as they wrestle each other to the ground. By what I've read so far using the search feature, this seems pretty normal B behavior. But occasionally we fear someone's going to call the police and tell them we have a dog fighting ring going! Luckily for us it's only with each other that they wrestle. Other dogs don't interest them except to prove they can run faster.

So the $64,000 question is...should we try to train this out of them, or do we just need to learn to live with it - as long as they keep it to themselves and don't involve other dogs.

Many thanks!

Just to be clear, I am NOT against Spay/Neuter, my contract requires spay/neuter on all companion pets placed. Just on the "when"… early spay/neuter, is not IMO the best for the dog.

@tanza:

There is a play date in the East Bay…. and they have lots of Basenjis... you just have to get past the initial meet/greet..... lots of noise... and just get used to it....

Hi Tanza, can you please advise where/when these plays take place in the East Bay? I've just moved in SF with my boy Basenji and we are looking for a company for our walks. Thanks in advance.

Maria.

In the US most all dog parks do not allow intact males or females

Give them some time to adjust. It may take weeks for things to settle. I introduced a rescued male to my female and she was quite standoffish. They were both the same age. When you train or play with them do so equally with both and do not favor one over the other during these sessions. If your female has a favorite spot do not let the male supplant her. However, make sure you allow both equal access to you. In other words I had to move to the middle of the couch and later on it didn't matter anymore.

In my case and after a while (about two months) they adjusted to the new makeup of the household. And sure they still had their snits from time to time but I always growl louder than they can to remind both who is the top dog in the pack. As you know they have unique personalities and hopefully with love and patience and you being the leader they will learn all is ok.

Your story is so similar to mine, though mine is two and has not changed. Totally destructive. Even though he has had lots of training, gets mental stimulation, and goes to the dog park every day, he is no longer fun to be around. My brand new wood floors and furniture are ruined, my car is scratched up and dirty and he refuses to come to me. It is cold here, too, and when I took him to the park yesterday (all ice, snow, mud and cold water) he would not leave…even after all the other dogs left. The only way I caught him was that his paws were beginning to freeze and he could only keep three on the ground at a time. It was dark by then, I was nearly frostbit myself.

I have had several GOOD dogs in the past. This one has been to the "best" trainers in town, has a great vet and a nice home.

I don't think it would be ethical to adopt this monster out, so I am considering putting him down myself and cut my losses, both emotional and financial.

I just wrote a note to the breeder to see if they have similar problems with the dogs they sell.

I had such high hopes.

Btw, let me add… after about 5 mos, neutering often has NO effect on marking behavior.

You should also treat ANY new dog, puppy or adult, as a puppy. Which means you either have them leashed to you, crated, or actively watching every single move. It is far easier to stop marking from starting (or any bad behavior) than correcting it once establish. You also need to go back to that when marking or other unwanted behaviors start. Sure, it's a pain in the butt, but easier than letting it become a habit then try to retrain.

My basenji has been waking up screaming in the middle of the night as well. It's happened probably 12-15 times in the last months or so. Do you know why your dog did this or did it ever happen again? Health wise my dog checks out fine and my vet is baffled.

Please reply! I'm at my wits end trying to figure this out!