Did she always have them or did they start after something/some time? Do antihistamines clear the problem?
Catlike hunting skills
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My Piper will be 3 yrs old in a few months. Though she has chased plenty of birds without real intent of harm....and has chased lots of bunnies only to be left on the wrong side of the fence as the bunnies wiggles out of our yard. Today however she successfully killed 3 baby birds and a baby bunnies. As far as I know these are her first conquests and she ate the bunny. She is super fast and I honestly thought she loved the hunt more than actually catching and eating anything. I am ambivilant about this new skill. I assume this is normal behavior. Wondering if I can safely take her to a campsite with other animals walking by. Of course she would be on a leash, but she is fast and strong. As well as headstrong. She listens much better than her puppy days. Still concerned. Any ideas?
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When I take doodle out to hike in the woods, she wears a "safety orange" harness with a "bear bell" attached to it. She can roam (but she's usually nearby). This set up allows me a chance to see her if she ducks behind some foilage, and I know she has stopped moving if the bell stops ringing.This is a relatively simple set up. The bell helps to alert the wildlife to our presence, and they generally stay away. The squirrels keep to the upper branches and out of reach. The coyotes, red fox, rabbits, and other local wildlife don't want anything to do with this noisy pack. We can hit the paths on 30 acres of forest without an issue.
Perhaps a few smaller bells, zip-tied to a collar or harness, would work for your yard as well.
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My Kembe (currently 13 years 8 month) has killed 2 squirrels while on leash in her younger days. Also snatched a squirrel by the tail on our deck w/ fur flying -squirrel got away. It’s interesting to watch her go into STEALTH MODE- she crouches down and hones in on her prey - moves @ a slow steady pace with laser focus -ready to pounce @full speed on her prey! She still does it to this day. It’s amazing to watch.
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My two have been quite successful catching those plant eating rabbits in my yard, as well as a few chipmunks, a squirrel now and then, and several small birds. I try to keep on eye on them, however, as I especially don't want them eating the rabbits (which they would do).
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Watching my three girls gang up on a possum in our chain link fenced yard. Lightening quick and totally coordinated. One would dash in, bite and dash out, second one would dash in and bite before the first one completed her attack, ,third one same thing going in for a bite just ,as the second one backed out. Eventually it played dead, basenjis said...”oh well “and i was able to collect them and get them in the house and go back outside and open the gate as a very wobbly possum stirred to life and was looking for a way to get out. They are fierce and fearless and fast. As a pack they are pretty deadly. The youngest was only 9 mo.old but seemed to know exactly what to do even tho none of them had ever had a confrontation with any thing.
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The result is gross. Couldn't figure out how our first two Basenjis were routinely getting squirrels until I figured it out. One would go right at the squirrel and chase it up a tree. I didn't know this, but apparently they had figured it out, that the squirrel circles as it climbs (makes sense as an evasive maneuver). So the second one would run at the front of the tree and then time its jump so it would pick off the squirrel as it came around to the front on its way up.
I applauded the cleverness but after that I made sure they stayed on their leashes. Can't imagine eating this stuff would be safe.
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My Basenji will hunt down and kill anything it can. They are natural hunters with a very strong prey drive. A leash is a great idea.
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Mine catch and kill squirrels and rabbits. We have fewer pests in the garden over the years. Its nature. Its natural. You can be cross with a Basenji for doing something they have been bred to do for centuries !
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Forgot to mention to those folks whose basenjis catch and kill rabbits and squirrels . Or any wild prey for that matter. When they kill or seriously injure something. Fleas jump from victim to dog. In 30 yrs we have had only one instance of fleas. One girl killed a bunny in her yard. I removed corpse immediately as i saw it happen. Picked up bitch and she was loaded with fleas for the first time in her life. Thank goodness fleas show up on basenjis very obviously. She was not allowed in the house until hubby ran down to pet store and bought appropriate flea shampoo. She was bathed outside, dried outside and then sat on my lap upside down ..she thought it was for a belly rub.....i was looking for a stray flea that had escaped having a bath. Found nothing...they did not have time to lay eggs so we were comfortable that we had solved the problem.
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I have never had that problem ! Nary a flea in all these years on any of my pack.
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@elbrant
Cute Basenji Butt! -
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Yesterday Teki wouldn’t come back to the house. She was hanging out all day by our hay shed. I could see she pulled out a long pvc pipe that I previously used for my pole stakes. When hubby came home I had him go take a look. He brought the pipe up and there were FIVE chipmunks in there trying to hide from Teki! I’m thinking I’ll sign her up for barn hunt. She’d be awesome!
