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Aggressive Behavior

Behavioral Issues
  • Heinz57H

    My basenji's started growling/snarling at me when I approach him when he's hiding under the bed or behind the couch (he does this when he knows I'm getting ready to leave).

    He just started doing this in the last month or two.

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  • eeeefarmE

    Do you crate him when you leave? If so, perhaps he is objecting to the confinement. Try this. Put something he really likes to eat in his crate about 20 minutes or so before you are going out. Lock him out of the crate. By the time you are ready to leave, he will likely want that crate door open! (you can condition this before you use it for going out by doing it when you have no plans to leave.) If a crate isn't the issue and you normally leave him loose, just leave! :)

    "In order to get along with a Basenji, you have to be at least half as smart as the dog!"

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  • DebraDownSouthD

    The longer you allow this behavior, the harder it will be to stop it. If you are going out, shut him out of the bedroom. Put a leash on him if necessary before he knows what's up. In fact, it is of course great to do that a couple of times a day for a few minutes so he doesn't KNOW what is coming. Treat when leashing. Treat and happy praise when you take it off. Get the leash, put in the crate and treat. Leave for a minute, let out of crate. Keep repeating til you can easily get him into the crate. Make the crate more fun.. food, toys, etc, because this is a 2 fold problem –- he is acting bad (which you cannot allow to continue) because he hates his crate. Working on getting him in there a LOT for a few minutes of something good on a regular basis should help decrease the drama til you can stop with the leash in a couple of months. OBVIOUSLY remove the leash in the crate and collar too if you are using one.

    Debra

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  • PearlsMomP

    Pearl used to be aggressive when she was asleep and we tried to move her. She would snarl, rather scary. We just stopped trying to move her. Really we wanted to roll her over to pet her tummy. So we just went over and let her know we were there, and pet her without moving her. She grew out of it, I guess, cause now she kind of rolls over by herself. I lover her so much!

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  • K

    I agree with PearlsMom, same with our Lela, less with Binti.
    Also, when you approach your dog, does she have a easy way out? Can she move away from you or are you blocking all exits? I find my B's get excited easily if they don't see a way out of a situtation.

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  • NemoN

    A way to do what Debra is suggesting in a game format is Crate Games, which you can get on DVD.

    You said this happens when you are getting ready to leave. Pay attention to exactly what you are doing before you leave and then see how your dog is reacting. You should be able to pick up on the cues that your dog is picking up on. You can try changing the pattern of how you get ready and potentially remove the cue to lessen the behavior until you can build the good associations others described.

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  • M

    Aggressive issues

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    BigVB
    I don't want to sound personnel but if you are in control why does he keep showing aggression to other intact dogs. By taking him away from the other dog is not teaching him not to be aggressive . He may see you as boss but he wants to be second in charge and see,s all other intact dogs as a threat to his position. Don't be to proud to use a muzzle , and as I said take out to mix with intact dogs . As he can't hurt them and will soon relize,s this you need to stand up and let him know your displeasure using voice and physical presence and a small water pistol as he will hate being squirted. You should find the water pistol works a treat. I would do this every few days until his stops the aggressive behaviour , then I would try without the muzzle but always keep the water pistol with you and let him see it as he will remember what happens when he acts up. This is a method I have used to help mates control their pig dogs . I am by far an expert and are always prepared to Liston to others thoughts as this is how I learn.
  • agilebasenjiA

    Poopy behaviors

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    TimesthemythT
    This is an interesting thread. Any afghan owners notice this in their dogs as well? When Beo was younger, back when I was using the crate with him, when he would have a 'poop' accident he would take a blanket and use his nose to encircle said accident, didn't do the same thing with pee accidents….I don't know if it's the same thing or not, honestly I think he just wanted it as far away from him as possible. He still does this mounding behavior with like bones and the like; he'll use his nose and push a blanket or something on top of it, and then further us his nose to bunch it up into a relatively good looking circle shape. He won't have anything to do with dog feces now though ....he prefers to go in the bushiest/covered area he can find, and then wants absolutely nothing to do with it afterwards (I have to literally drag him through public areas where there's a lot of dog poop lying around).... It is kind of funny to see his "wide-eyed, EW! ICK!" reaction when he accidentally steps in some. Seems like it's more common for basenjis to half halfheartedly attempt to bury it, as opposed to take the time to cover it up with their noses?
  • ShannaniganS

    Mealtime Behavior

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    ?
    Since Sonny joined the family three years ago its seems everyone has invested in a pub style table! my house, my parents & my brother. he can't reach so he doesn't even try. sometimes its just easier to out smart them! :D The two things that just overwhelm sonny are cheese and steak…he'll do anything to try and get it and I swear he blocks me out and is lost in a trance! ;)
  • KanangaK

    Outside Behavior

    Behavioral Issues
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    KanangaK
    @LBRunyon: I have a supplementary question along these same lines . We got our BRAT Ricky two weeks ago ( YIPPEE!!!! ) He is WONDERFUL . The only problem we are having is that he WILL NOT potty in our fenced in yard . In fact , it seems he won't go within 1 block of our house . We walk in the am and pm . He is very particular about where he will go, though he sniffs every available surface . While the weather is nice , I really don't mind this . We would be walking anyway . But when the frigid cold hits , it would be nice to open the door and have him go out , do his business quickly , and return . We have tried waiting him out in hopes of praise and treats once he goes in the yard . But Mr. iron- bladder- steel- sphincter WON'T go in the yard. Are there any suggestions ?Oh , by the way, once we are out of the yard and down the street he goes after a few quick sniffs . I have to take my B outside no matter what. It's nice during the spring/summer/fall, but the midst of winter is just simply brutal. -20F with a nice wind (colder windchill) will make any B go quickly, but it's still painful for us humans.
  • L

    Food aggression

    Behavioral Issues
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    QuercusQ
    @JazzysMom: Let me ask you this, Pat {and all}….. I've always fed my dogs separately, esp. since Keoki came into the picture because he will scarf his food and run to see if he can get what the others have. I don't crate them, but they are fed in separate rooms which puts them about ten feet away from one another. Keoki has learned NOT to hover over the other dogs, but he does kind of watch and wait for either of them to finish and then he runs over to lick their bowls. I don't have a problem with that, as they all run from bowl to bowl at the end of the meals, licking whatever {icky} they can find there. It's funny because they all get the same food. Lately, in the mornings only, Jazz won't eat UNTIL Keoki finishes and and then she will growl and ruuuuun for her bowl. So, the last few days I have put her bowl near his {as an experiment}-- w/in maybe 2 feet -- and she will immediately eat while he does. He eats faster, and it's almost as if she slows down when she knows he's finished. She picks up one piece of food at a time to carefully chew it, with the occasional quiet growl to remind him that it is hers. What is up with that? Honestly…sounds like a fight in the making to me. Eating faster is the first level of resource (in this case food) guarding. She may be eating slower for any number of reasons...the first one I thought of was a calming signal to him? I doubt she is trying to tease him...but she may be trying to make a point...mine, calm down, mine, calm down... These kind of things tend to escalate, so IMO, I wouldn't even experiment with it. Why not feed them separately, like with doors in between? It has got to be less stressful for the dogs if they don't have to worry if the other dog is going to bully them for their food...or on the other hand, if they can bully the other dog.
  • luzmery928L

    Agressive behavior

    Behavioral Issues
    38
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    luzmery928L
    Well last night was good. My daughter wasn't feeling to well so I went to lay with her on her bed and our B came with us. When it was time to get off the bed, my daughter took him down and he did not show any aggresive behavior and when it was time to exit the room he didn't growl or anything. This is a good step though I still haven't been able to stop the nipping but hey it's still good!