Skip to content

Delicate question

Behavioral Issues
  • Our boy just recently started doing the air dance of love as well, I would say its normal.

  • My girl does this too (lol)

  • Yup, normal…gggg But all breeds will do this, not just Basenjis

  • Thanks everyone! I appreciate the reassurance! And I love the "Air dance of Love" description - that will be the new description of this behavior in our home. It's just so strange and I feared it indicated some discomfort in my B, as I can't imagine that it's a pleasant thing - but hey - I stopped trying to make sense of what Bs find pleasing long ago!

  • When you are able to catch this 'dancing' behavior, try to say in a sing song/mickey mouse/happy voice somthing like "let's play with this toy" or lets go out for a walk…..something that will make your B think of something else, get him mentally challenged and engaged in a game of something like 'find the hidden treat'...well, you get the idea. Could be anything, not just boredom, but maybe you can divert this behavior. ...maybe not, it could be it just feels good-like something he can't remember not doing in a previous life but should be doing.....

  • I have occasionally seen this behaviour in males with a full bladder, typically when we have returned from lunch and the dog needs to go out for a pee. Most times I have observed the penis protruding a little bit, and then the humping occurs. Outside, the dog pees promptly and the behaviour goes away. That has been my experience with the two males I have had.

  • Oakley has done this maybe once or twice..likely out of boredom I I recall correctly. He never was once to get sexually hyper stimulated, even as a pup, if he got too woun up it became mouthiest rather than humping the air..I have friends whose dogs do this often, whenever it strikes their fancy!

  • This is a common enough habit with male Basenjis (and other dogs) that are crated for hours on end and get little exercise. Its just frustration especially when they are at the peak of their maturity.

  • @Patty:

    This is a common enough habit with male Basenjis (and other dogs) that are crated for hours on end and get little exercise. Its just frustration especially when they are at the peak of their maturity.

    He gets LOTS of exercise, and is only crated for 4 hours twice a week or when I run to the store. He's only done it a couple of times, but he seems to do for about 30 seconds just out of the blue and then he stops. Doesn't seem sexual at all as far as I can tell. Strange critters, these Basenjis!

  • I wasn't suggesting that this was the problem with your dog - just showing you that it isn't an unusual habit.

  • @Patty:

    I wasn't suggesting that this was the problem with your dog - just showing you that it isn't an unusual habit.

    Oh Patty - I didn't take offense! I understood what you were saying, I was just explaining his particular situation. No worries!

  • My neutured, male Basenji does this sometimes when he wakes from a nap and the pattern is always the same. There are two very hard acorn size lumps on either side of his penis, closer to the base but not as far back as the scrotum area. I asked the vet about them and he informed me that my dog was having an erection. I was so shocked I didn't ask anymore questions. He then proceeds into the "air dance of love" for a short time. When he stops, the lumps are gone and everything is back to normal. He never tries to mount anything, I don't think he really knows what is going on and he is obviously uncomfortable as he is trying to walk at the same time, so I usually say encouraging things like, "Work it out baby." Has anyone else noticed it happening after sleeping?

  • @barklesshound:

    My neutured, male Basenji does this sometimes when he wakes from a nap and the pattern is always the same. There are two very hard acorn size lumps on either side of his penis, closer to the base but not as far back as the scrotum area.

    Yes, that would be the description of both of my neutered males. Usually after sleeping or relaxing, and it disappears quickly. Maybe erotic dreams at work? Pretty harmless, in any case. :)

Suggested Topics

  • puppy exhibiting behaviors that are questionable

    Behavioral Issues
    7
    0 Votes
    7 Posts
    4k Views
    A
    @margiem Yea, he bites his blanket. probably because he is still a puppy. He doesn't do it to cover himself. Garcia, Allan
  • Simple question about playing bitten each other

    Behavioral Issues
    19
    0 Votes
    19 Posts
    10k Views
    M
    thanks clokatys, i must to say that here we got 35-40 C i think 95 F -104 F and even we get at 44 at top 111F So when its to hot my girls sleep on the floor getting fresh .. inside the house of course or inside a cartoon box that they like and even with these hot weather they take some sun baths. But they dont like so much the comfort beds at the day because is too hot. So i cant explain to me leaving them inside a crate, i think is too hot. I even let a fan directly to my bed so they can go there and sleep with the air. I let almost daily the tv or the computer with the radio on, so they got the same noises that get when im there. And i left some clothes or pijama over my bed in case that the smell give some comfort. I adopted Laika because dont want that Maca was alone all day sure, i dont have such advise here or i were getting a male. They sleep all day and are very happy at nights getting outside the house to walk and getting some fresh. The house is so hot on the second floor, but the first floor is more fresh and they spent the day on that place and can go outside to make pee well… Maca does, Laika dont.. Or can go to check the lizards or the neigbours dog, we have 5 months on these new house and some days i left separate.. pff i must do that today.. Maca was anxious and i fail to read that.. just know writing i get the idea that i must left one inside and one outside on the garden, that have a little roof to give shelter from the sun and the rain. Well, so i thinks is too hot and boring having them crate.. so i separate them when Maca is anxious and these is the days that i must do that. Will carry on checking their plays and stoping when is too much. I notice too, lately that sometimes one invite the other to play rolling and showing the belly so the other grab the neck of the one showing belly or try because the other escapes and then they switch. Some times Laika do that, i mean push Maca with her side and then Laika seek the belly position to escape asap. The day they fight was when i was leaving the house to work and was on january i think was the strees of the new house, i must left separte and fail to recognize that. I need to learn to read them. I hope wont find any injury bad. On weekends i spent all day at home and they sleep and play or go to take sun baths or follow me while i do my house chores and get happy at the door to take walks that days. Will carry on checking his plays.. will make a video so you can check the kind of plays, sure all with hunting practice..
  • Dog to dog greeting aggression question

    Behavioral Issues
    12
    0 Votes
    12 Posts
    4k Views
    S
    I will take a bit of time, but it does work. Please let us know how it goes.
  • Stupid question….

    Behavioral Issues
    14
    0 Votes
    14 Posts
    4k Views
    QuercusQ
    Oh, and BTW…not a stupid question at all...I think everybody who has an intact male has contemplated that question :)
  • Spayed Puppy Question

    Behavioral Issues
    6
    0 Votes
    6 Posts
    3k Views
    DukeD
    @Quercus: When females are spayed, it removes the estrogen production which in turn had masked the natural androgen (female testosterone) in her body. So, yes, I believe that spayed females will sometimes have some more masculine characteristics. But also some unspayed females will exhibit more masculine traits during "the season"….the other day Bella decided she would try to breed Luna @@ and Luna seemed happy to oblige. Hopefully Daisy will go back to her normal, less testosteroni, self in a few weeks..... Thanks for your replies Andrea and Pat. My curiosity in observing them is eye opening to say the least. I thought I'd seen it all with all the bickering and full out brawls when resolving together some time ago - in March. LOL with the Bella and Luna!! :D Silly girls . . . I can guess you've seen and observed more than the average parents of furkids. Thanks again - will wait and see how the "world" changes here. :D
  • This might be the wrong section for this question

    Behavioral Issues
    7
    0 Votes
    7 Posts
    3k Views
    firefoxkatanF
    @jessi76: one piece of advice on classes, see if you can observe a class before paying or enrolling. this way you will be able to see what methods are used, how classes are run, how large they are, what level the other dogs are at, etc… always look for classes that use positive reinforcement methods, and are run by a certified trainer who will give you one on one attention if needed. good luck! keep us posted on the move (and of course, on Bindi) ! thanks! I wish I could have done some sort of check on my roommates before I moved in anyways, thanks again for the advice! I will pay close attention to the classes, I already seem to have high standards for Bindi as is LOL ~Kat