Skip to content
Basenji Forums
  1. Home
  2. Behavioral Issues
  3. Basenji Reactivity with Men

Basenji Reactivity with Men

Behavioral Issues
  • B

    I recently adopted my Basenji from the pound who had been given up twice prior. Causing her to have separation anxiety and she seems to hate men. Whenever men get too close to her or even just pass her by on a walk she will start growling and barking (thank god she has never tried to bite anyone) I have had her for about two months now and I thought we were making good progress with socialization and we were able to go to the dog park without her barking at any of the other owners ( she has always done better when there are other dogs around and is more relaxed around strangers with dogs present) and even go on walks without her barking at men. However, it seems as if she is going backward and is now beginning to be reactive with all strangers and even with one of my roommates who she previously tolerated well and it seems like all our progress is gone. Does anyone have any tips for me?

    0
  • elbrantE

    Start giving her a command that would indicate that she should focus on you, not them. A firm, "heel" with a shortened leash and quicker pace. A stop, sit, and stay until the offending human passes by. How you choose to deal with it is really up to you. I will say this though, if you feel dread when you see someone approaching because of how your dog acted the last time, your dog will not learn to react differently. Be clear. You are the one in charge. If a stranger asks to pet or otherwise approach your pup, a polite, "next time, we are in training today", or similar comment should cue them to pass without further interaction.

    It's training. Both for you and your dog. It takes time, just keep working on it.

    elbrant.net

    1
  • S

    Take the dog for walks and bring high quality food rewards (like steak). Give the rewards while at a distance from strangers. The dog will tell you how much distance you should keep between the strangers and the two of you. (i.e. when the dog starts to react, you're too close; the idea is to communicate that strangers are nothing to be scared of. This is done by giving food to the dog in the presence of strangers. Depending on how reactive the dog is, you may have to keep a lot of distance at first. Keep doing this for several sessions, getting closer to strangers over many sessions, at your dog's pace.

    If the dog is too reactive to even take food rewards, then you need to go back to confidence building, or try from an even further distance from strangers.

    Best of luck.

    1

Suggested Topics

  • C

    Basenji Reactivity- please help!

    Behavioral Issues
    25
    2 Votes
    25 Posts
    12k Views
    DebraDownSouthD
    Cara is 11. She has only love our Samoyed in her entire adult life. No animal is worthy of breathing air. While Pam did take her about 5 years ago for a refresher course, she learned to ignore the other basenjis, not like them. If she freezes, she is definitely waiting for prey. Usually she keeps walking slowly, eyes seemingly forward, until she is within striking distance. I wouldn't trust my dog to lie in wait until you truly are sure of their intentions. Even then, do you know if their behavior may be stressing out the other dog? And how many dogs and how much time do you have to play out this behavior? On a good day, Moose the Samoyed runs into up to 10 of his harem on a long walk (usually 3 to 5). He's out to play, that's the goal. On a potty walk when my daughter or her fiance are in a hurry, they give him very little play time and he accepts it. No, he's not a basenji...but also an ancient independent thinking breed. They live to play. We get to decide when. My point being, I understand that a behavior may be normal...but I am surprised at owners throwing up their hands and letting it go. There are many situations where you need the dog to keep moving, and you want training in force before that occurs. I am not sure at the resistance against that view.
  • BarklessdogB

    Basenji packs

    Behavioral Issues
    6
    0 Votes
    6 Posts
    6k Views
    eeeefarmE
    For what it's worth, I have noted that in households with a strong human leader/boss/alpha/disciplinarian (pick one!) there are less squabbles among dogs, at least when the human is present. My neighbour has Rotties, had two bitches that hated each other and would fight, but they didn't do it when she was around. She did have to be careful that they could not get together in her absence. ;) Interesting anecdote: If my mare is bothering my old gelding and I notice it, I can break it up by yelling at her out the window! Guess I am "alpha" in that herd.
  • V

    Basenji behaviors common ??

    Behavioral Issues
    10
    0 Votes
    10 Posts
    12k Views
    KipawaK
    I can only comment on my experiences with Kipawa, my first basenji, who is just shy of 2 years old. @viv58: 1. OBS #1: they were only affectionate on their terms and didnt like to be petted or picked up.Is this more common than not. They wanted to be by you, but hands off for the most part. 2. OBS#2: Off the leash - they are unpredictable and may not come when called. Had some wild roaming experiences at the off-leash beach. Always kept treats -and 95% of the timeit worked.Can you train them to counter this? or is this a stretch ? 3. OBS#3: Not snuggly 4. OBS#4: Only looked me in the eye when I had food- everything was a distraction. 1. Kipawa is just an extremely affectionate dog. His affection for me is special, but he recognizes all family members and care aides who come into the house and enjoys their attention and gives it back. He loves being petted and adores being massaged, but has a preference for it being from someone in his 'pack' (family members and care aides). He will tolerate being picked up by anyone, but prefers it when I do it. He is a little uncomfortable when turned on his back, however, we practice this quite a bit and he's getting better at it, especially if tummy rubs are included. 2. The only areas Kipawa is off leash is in our backyard or dog parks that are fully fenced. For these places, he is predictable, because he is very used to them. He usually comes when called, but if it doesn't work, I carry the squeaker part of a squeaker toy with me, and that most always brings him back. If he needs to come to me based on an emergency situation (say he got onto a street by accident), I have a word/sound that I only use in emergency situations. He is excellent at responding to that. All this said, if he spotted a bunny in the dog park, I don't think the emergency recall would work. Based on his breeders seeing him this summer, they have indicated he has a very high prey drive. 3. Kipawa is super snuggly all the time and is also a 'velcro dog'. We are tightly bonded. He is on my lap when I watch TV, or at least laying against me. He sleeps under the blankets on my side of the bed. 4. He easily looks me in the eye. If I am talking to him, we have full eye contact. He enjoys when we give each other 'soft eyes' - the slow blinking a person/dog might do when fully relaxed or before settling down for a nap. If he is distracted (only happens outside) I use the command 'watch me' to get eye contact. Usually 95% success rate, but that would go down to zero should he see a bunny. I can't answer your other questions. Kipawa will be a solo dog in our home. As for the breeders, his breeders were Therese and Kevin Leimback (FoPaws Basenjis) from Washington state. We researched for a year before selecting them. Their breeding program concentrates a great deal on temperament. Hope this helps.
  • BarklessdogB

    My Basenji training

    Behavioral Issues
    7
    0 Votes
    7 Posts
    6k Views
    jys1011J
    WOW!!!..Words to live by!! I commend you for all the effort it sounds like you've put into your dogs. I wish people were more like you…and your mantra should be placed on every B owner's refrigerator door :D :D It's all about knowing your dog & KNOWING their limitations. Respect is key and so is a no tolerance policy. At least that's how it is at our house! :) BTW-I went to a Basenji Fun Match...and A LOT of B's are bitchy snarky little fur balls. Rest assured yours are not the exception. Mine are exactly the same way but we work with them every day on this!
  • J

    Basenji Watchdog

    Behavioral Issues
    7
    0 Votes
    7 Posts
    6k Views
    MantisM
    it is just socialization….my australian shepard was that way with men with facial hair because my dad and brother were always clean shaven....
  • KateJK

    Our Basenji and our new pup…

    Behavioral Issues
    7
    0 Votes
    7 Posts
    5k Views
    S
    Kate i have a 2 year old Vizsla ans a ! year old Basenji when i 1st got my B she was very in charge. But now they can not be apart! My male V is very understanding V in a whole are very easy going laid back dogs . My in laws and husban is from hungary and say that V will take a back seat to almost any other dog so i feel that you will not have a problem later on. Just like w/ other V's give him 100 kisses a day and they will be happy Shannon