Skip to content
Basenji Forums
  1. Home
  2. Behavioral Issues
  3. Biting

Biting

Behavioral Issues
  • E

    Hello, I have a 6 year old female basenji. She has been a little aggressive lately. It all stems around when I am correcting other behaviors.

    Like last night, she was taking food from the baby and I called her off. Normally I tap her on the behind to get her moving. When I went to tap her behind she spun around and bit me. She has never actually bitten before, she use to be very mouthy but I worked with her on basic "tricks" like sit, down, roll over, ect and she stopped being as mouthy. I am pretty sure it is a dominance issue, but I am not sure how to correct this.

    I had her working with a professional at one point, but it didn't do much good for either of us.

    Do you have any good suggestions?

    0
  • BarklessdogB

    Do you know the breeder of her?

    If so talk with her.

    0
  • Q

    I agree that is probably the Very Best Thing, but if you don't…do you have a Word for treat time? I would say whatever you use to stop her doing stuff you don't want, immediately followed by the treat word, and reward her...in Butu's case this goes "Butu, leave - treat". I'm not quite sure who's training who, here ;-)

    0
  • agilebasenjiA

    since this is a new behavior, i'd take her in for a full vet check up. Especially her thyroid.

    You also need to find a positive reinforcement trainer. Here's a nice place to start.

    http://apdt.com/petowners/ts/

    0
  • eeeefarmE

    How did you react when she bit you? Better to avoid the confrontation, but if one occurs it's important that the dog not feel she has succeeded in having it her way by biting. I concur on the vet check, particularly with a six year old and particularly if the aggressiveness is a new thing. If it has been a gradual escalation, i.e. if she has always snarked a bit when corrected, perhaps she was in a testy mood and decided to take it to the next level, but at her age that would surprise me. Apart from thyroid, it is possible she has an "ouch" somewhere.

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

    0
  • K

    Some good advice here already. I started to work with Bach remedies a while ago and know of many other that do, and the results are great. You might want to see someone with experience to get the right one(s). Also: www.anaflora.com (new flower remedies from the USA)

    0
  • tanzaT

    Full Vet check up is needed before anything… especially a FULL THYROID PANEL... I agree with contacting her breeder and also finding a positive reinforcement trainer as suggested

    Pat Fragassi

    Tanza Basenjis

    www.tanzabasenjis.net

    0

Suggested Topics

  • Sandy HovisS

    Biting update

    Behavioral Issues
    5
    6 Votes
    5 Posts
    2k Views
    K
    @sandy-hovis, totally agree with you. I didn’t want to do this but did it after redirecting to toys and positive reinforcement did not work. Did work (:
  • ?

    Biting Necks While Playing

    Behavioral Issues
    10
    0 Votes
    10 Posts
    7k Views
    2baroos2
    female til she squeeks and then lets go of her. Sometimes he uses this method to drag her out of the room. She has never done this to him.
  • ErinElisabethE

    Biting Issues

    Behavioral Issues
    24
    0 Votes
    24 Posts
    12k Views
    eeeefarmE
    You aren't likely to find a Basenji specific trainer. You need to look for someone in your area. Perhaps some other forum members know of someone. Any good trainer can probably help you, but it would be advantageous if they have worked with the breed. Best way to find out is by referral from someone else with a Basenji, but otherwise check out what you see on line, and phone them and ask. Whereabouts in Michigan are you located? Ah, Pat, you beat me to it! :)
  • eoyE

    Nipping / Biting

    Behavioral Issues
    17
    0 Votes
    17 Posts
    8k Views
    eoyE
    Wow thanks sinbaje!
  • wizardW

    Biting bitch

    Behavioral Issues
    15
    0 Votes
    15 Posts
    4k Views
    nobarkusN
    @AJs: This might be relevant… My cat of Questionable Heritage is the most friendly animal anyone will ever meet. She has never met a stranger. There is a very rare visitor who does not wind up with a cat on his or her lap. My step-mom is wonderful with animals, pet-sits for everyone and can approach the meanest junk-yard dogs anyone has ever seen. She can even "pet" bees. They won't sting her. They met each other when Sumi was a kitten. Sumi took an instant dislike to my step-mom. To this day, when Mom comes to visit, Sumi hisses, whacks her on the leg and stalks out of the room. Sumi has never done this with anyone else in her life. My point is, sometimes, animals take a disliking to someone for no apparent reason and there is no convincing the animal otherwise. It is not necessarily a reflection on either the person or the animal. Perhaps this is the case here. Like Forest Gump says " A Basenji is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you gonna get".
  • M

    Questions about biting

    Behavioral Issues
    23
    0 Votes
    23 Posts
    11k Views
    spitfirekrl1S
    @JoeyQ: Yikes, have we done something really wrong??? Joey has not been aggresive at all. When we play with him he will "bite" our arms, but not hard. If we say "ow" or "no biting" he stops immediately. Should we not encourage this behavior? or is it ok to do when we are playing which has been the only time that Joey uses his mouth? We do the same thing. Alani will put her mouth around our arms but never bite down enough to even leave an indentation. However, sometimes she will grab a toy to play fetch and if I don't respond or tell her I don't want to play she will lay the toy across my arm and act like she's chewing on her toy but feel for where my skin is and start pinching it. I know she's doing it on purpose and she thinks she's so sneaky…but I know.