Behavioral Issues

@tanza: True… but don't let that put you in a false sense of security... nothing worse then "2" howling Basenjis!!!!! Ha! So True. That would be my worst nightmare :eek:

Etzbseder-you could also condition him to stay on the floor without petting him or any of your attention. You could start with 5 min petting & then set him on the floor with a YUMMY filled kong or compressed raw hide bone. Give him great treats on the floor NOT on your lap or while petting. He's got to understand that he doesn't need your attention all the time & he also gets good things when he's on his own. If you ARE home & you can't watch him can you put him in an expen near wherever you are so he doesn't feel so confined but still not getting into trouble. I do think you're crating him for the right reasons but he may not be understanding that. He's probably interpreting it as punishment…not staying safe. Hope this works for you. Good luck :)

Opps didnt know this topic had 5 pages i properly said something that was already mentioned lol :D

Get a second dog who's NOT a basenji. Some nice, calm, older mutt of the opposite sex. Larger than the basenji, too. Lavish attention on the big dog for her good behaviour, and the little one will try to emulate it. We've had that arrangement with two wicked basenjis, both of whom loved their big mutt girlfriends and learned from them.

I think you're Mom's on the right track. By adopting a 'submissive' pose, you're making the dog anxious. She thinks she's expected to do something, but she's not sure what. She would prefer it if you would act like a grownup, so she won't have to! What is inoccuous or meaningless to us can be very significant in 'dog culture.' Basenjis are all about the pack and have a lot of ancient customs we don't always understand. It's part of their intrigue and charm.

@Vanessa626: Here is an update on the little growler. Since the post I have tried a few different things and the best thing that seems to work is getting down and dirty :) (figure of speech) I have been mixing the food with my hands and hand feeding him. It has been working and after doing that for a few minutes I give him the bowl and sit next to him telling him that he is a good boy. So far so good. He is definitely trying to show that he is becoming a teenager but what he doesn't realize..I am more stubborn than him and wont give in :) He is now sleeping on the floor. No more sleeping with us. I now make sure I am first to walk out any door and he must follow. These little things are helping. Thanks everyone for offering suggestions!!! That is great…. and glad that Chance is getting the message... It has always amazed me how quickly they get these ideas into their heads...

You are _too _funny, Andrea! The image of that has just made me smile and laugh - thanks for making my day!!

grr, he's so random…oh well!!

It can take at least 6 months or more till they are truely house trained.

My 2 definitely slept a lot when I left them at the boarders. And Topaz is just generally a lower energy dog.."comparatively" speaking that is :) But YOU know your dog best. If she's not herself then just take her in to the vet for some tests just for precaution. It would give everyone peace of mind. I sure hope it's nothing. Good luck to you both.

@Quercus: That is really interesting Robyn. I don't seem to have that amount of control over my bitches….when they decide they hate each other, there doesn't seem to be anything I can do. Of course, they are all unrelated...and I think that makes a difference...I think families of related dogs get along better over all...what do you think about that? Everything I have is related and I think this makes a huge difference in pack construction. Being born here and raised up means the dog has no question of its position from the beginning. Temperament plays a huge role though for if an animal has a strong disposition, relationship is immaterial.

Jojo will do that when she is in her bed and I move it with my hands but if I just scoot it with my foot (hard wood floor) she is fine…I just chalked it up as Jojo being a B...

Funny story about licking…my husband came home with a pizza stain on his pants. I thought oh well there goes that! I can never remove grease stains. So I threw in the laundry bag & my little TOPAZ found it was licking like a maniac...low & behold the stain was GONE!!! :eek: :eek: She literally licked away the stain..talk about licking :D :D Basenji Clean!! :D

I think the b's when the toes are warm, smell like warm, corn chips. My b's sleep in the bed and when Shasta puts her feet on my pillow, that is what I think about. My dogs will p/u nasty smells, but mostly from rolling in items they shouldn't. However, I have found if you put a bar of soap down on the carpet, or one of those perfume ad things in mag, open and fresh.. my b's will roll in it like a dead carp on the beach. Kind of funny to watch!

If you get into the habit of walks/marking they will actually save their pee just for their walks. To them it's like going on a trip with a full tank of gas. I can't remember the last time ourmale had an accident. He loves & needs his walks.

A cold Basenji is a cuddly one! [image: recline.jpg] Winter has it's advantages in cold parts of the world! I find Basenji's are like cats, sometimes they want tons of physical attention and other times. it's DON'T TOUCH ME!!!

Is thread is sooo in line to what we have been through and the suggestions are spot on with what we have done to correct it. You eliminate the situations. We put our dogs in crates if someones coming over. We never leave them out unsupervised with anyone, except our direct family. They never get loose at anytime. Our dogs love our kids, but they respect the dogs and know how to handle them. The dogs love the kids as well, but strangers they want nothing to do with. We treat our house like a submarine, we have several doors or 'hatches" that must ALWAYS be closed coming or going, this includes our garage door as well. We also put up beware of dog signs, which keep kids & strangers (meter readers) out and also provides some safety from burglers which have hit our area from time to time. No ones going to mess with a basenji!

Kept us up to date on how it is going with Pongo!

@Quercus: That sounds ideal! I do love the head collars…the ONLY drawback is so many dogs have fits when they wear them. But the control is awesome, particularly for reactive dogs. Glad it is working for you! Oh yes, Talker had a fit when he was younger and I tried the collar. I gave up because I felt so bad for him. I don't know what changed this time–whether I was calmer or he mellowed out or what, but he accepted the halti this time around and I'm loving it. There were so many times that he would be so anxious to be out walking that getting him to stop pulling was tiresome and the walks were not enjoyable. We were constantly stopping and starting and stopping and starting to re-adjust ourselves. Now, we just walk. Loving the halti!:)

Other times, Jazzy lets him chew so hard on her neck that she gags and does nothing. THAT upsets me, and I always pull him off. He is relentless. Same at my house with a 6yr old and 6month old. It is the challenge for the alpha position. And I believe there is an adjustment for the young ones with a full set of big teeth learning bite sensitivity. I have noticed Cairo now immitating the little grooming bites that Caesar used to do to him. The biting and choking must be okay or the adult would stop it. I thought it was just Caesar being sweet and taking it, but it sounds like you are all experiencing the same thing. A soft muzzle is fantastic for this type of behavior. Normally they both play. But in the evenings, Cairo is just too much with that second energy spurt and all Caesar wants to do is sit with us on the couch. The soft muzzle freezes Cairo like a stone. Once he stops sulking and he finally sits or does a down for me he will come back with kisses for everyone.:p I find that he will have to immediately pee after the muzzle comes off becuase it stresses him out (FYI). Also, Cairo goes to bed at 9pm every night and Caesar gets to hang out with us and gets a break. I call it the acting like a 2 year old syndrome. Cairo is fighting sleep and gets ultra pesky.