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

Aggression

Behavioral Issues
  • barkless513B

    My boy Tobias is very wierd when we move him while he is sleeping, he growls at us and it sounds really vicious but once he is moved he wants to lick the skin of my face as to say "IM SORRY MAMA", I dont know if your Abby will bite , best to tell the children to respect her space, it also works when you talk to them before tring to move them, this always works now with Tobias, I guess it changes his frame of mind.

    0
  • MantisM

    please be aware that females in particular growl to talk….that snarfy sound.

    i have had a food aggressive dog, only towards those she wanted to dominate...the other basenji and my cats....she never growled at me because i was always the alpha female when they would get out of hand.

    i talked to a trainer about it and it is a dominance issue. he suggested feeding her separate in a kennel so she felt safe. she would still growl if a cat got close to her food, but I didnt have to worry.

    maybe you could feed her in the kennel when you eat.

    try a spray bottle when she growls and say no and see if that works.....

    good luck.....

    i found that the growling while sleeping and growling in general is a lot easier to understand when you are around other basenji owners in your community and they share similar behaviors...then it isnt so scary....

    if you are feeling uneasy and the basenji makes you feel uncomfortable in any way....try training classes without treats....that will help you communicate with your basenji...

    most stuff can be worked out with enough effort....and understanding. good luck!

    Caesar and Cairo….the boys

    0
  • QuercusQ

    Abby is participating in what is called "resource guarding" Your first step should be to set her up so that she can't practice the behavior….so put her in her crate before you eat.

    Limit and supervise the interactions that she and your stepkids have. If she is uncomfortable around them, which she very well may be..have them take turns feeding her treats. A lot of Basenjis that weren't raised around kids are very wary of them, and will try to warn them off by giving them a low growl...if it is ignored, or harshly corrected, many will bite.

    When she is sleeping condition her to quietly calling her name and when she gets up, give her a treat. It won't take long before she hops up as soon as you call her name, to get the treat.

    Good luck

    Andrea Walters

    Quercus Basenjis

    NW Ohio

    0
  • Y

    My Basenji also growled when woken up or moved from her warm spot. Didn't have a food problem though.

    I've once seen her wake herself up from a doggie nightmare, she even snapped in the air a few times before she awoke.

    The only way we could persuade her to move without the fuss was with something she liked even more than her warm spot like a treat or the heater.

    0
  • abby_basenjiA

    These are all really good tip thank you guys so much.

    Michelle, Abby B, Cooper B, Missy mut, and FatFat the cat!

    0
  • youngandtiredY

    My Sahara likes to eat cat poo, can anyone tell me how to get her to stay out of my cat's litter box. I have 2 cats that live in the garage during the winter and so the litter box is out there as well. My washer and dryer is there also, so when I wash Sahara of course follows me out there. I do try to get her to stay inside, but sometimes she scoots by me, she is such an escape artist. She likes to chase my cats, bother them until they jump on top of the chest freezer. Well, then she goes over to the litter box, I caught her in the process, it was so gross, help!!!!!!! No sweet kisses for me for awhile!!!!!! haha!!!!

    0
  • JazzysMomJ

    Every dog I've owned has had a thing for the cat poo…so nasty!!!

    We wound up having to get a covered litter box and turn it toward the wall, leaving just enough space for the cats to get in and out.
    At least it took the dogs longer to get to and we can could catch them in time!
    Since Jazzy moved in we've moved the litter boxes to part of the house where she cannot go. The poor cats were being daily tormented and it just didn't seem fair.

    0
  • QuercusQ

    We built a platform for the cat boxes, that was high enough, and small enough, the dogs weren't that wild about trying jump up there.

    Andrea Walters

    Quercus Basenjis

    NW Ohio

    0
  • MantisM

    yeah, its like chocolate or something fantastic for dogs. my one basenji was obsessed with the box.

    i have the automatic litterbox and it still didnt fix the problem. I eventually just added a baby gate for that room and it became the get away room for the cats when they didnt want to be chased….

    Caesar and Cairo….the boys

    0
  • abby_basenjiA

    I too have an automatic litter box but we built a platform almost like a cabinate and the poo goes down into a garbage can with a bag in it and abby or missy can not get into the poo.

    Michelle, Abby B, Cooper B, Missy mut, and FatFat the cat!

    0

Suggested Topics

  • M

    Early morning aggression

    Behavioral Issues
    8
    0 Votes
    8 Posts
    5k Views
    eeeefarmE
    It is not unusual for Basenjis to enjoy sleeping in. Pretty much all of the five I have owned have been like that! One question: do you feed her breakfast when she gets up? I find a meal is a good incentive for them. Usually my boy shows up shortly after I prepare his breakfast. I am wondering about how your current problem began? Just out of the blue, or did something happen that upset her? In any event, it is important that she realize bed is an option, not a right, and that bad behaviour will not get her what she wants. I think I would start requiring some sort of "work" before she is allowed on the bed, and as Debra suggested, a key word that means "get off", and enforce it if she does not comply. Stay cheerful, but use the leash when you must to get compliance. Try to head off any aggression by distraction. "Oh, Macie, look at that!" and throw a toy or something. Let us know how you get on.
  • Heinz57H

    Aggressive Behavior

    Behavioral Issues
    6
    0 Votes
    6 Posts
    4k Views
    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. visit BCOA on Facebook. http://facebook.com/basenji.org
  • T

    Aggression and leash problems?

    Behavioral Issues
    10
    0 Votes
    10 Posts
    4k Views
    BasenjimammaB
    How interesting. Makes me want to keep my eyes open when we go to the dogpark..
  • P

    Sudden aggression!

    Behavioral Issues
    32
    0 Votes
    32 Posts
    19k Views
    tanzaT
    Kept us up to date on how it is going with Pongo!
  • P

    Escalating Aggressive Behaviour

    Behavioral Issues
    29
    0 Votes
    29 Posts
    15k Views
    jys1011J
    Sounds like you're doing a really good job all things considered. Your experience with the dogs sounds like you're spot on with little Achilles. Dogs are dogs..and Basenjis are extra special dogs :D as you can see! In my experience these dogs NEED & WANT rules & direction. They're happy when someone else calls the shots. My little girls tends to get a little crazy with my male dog so I know what you're going through & while I can't "fix" her mood swings I do try to manage as best we can. When she gets "that look" I'll get her attention or throw a treat at her & she quickly goes into "ooh gotta find the treat" mood…sometimes I'll just pick her up & put her in my lap with her back towards the dog & lots of good praises for being good. I'm afraid that your daughter & her fiance may not keep up with all the work that you've been doing with Achilles & that could be disasterous for him. He's only 4 months & they really need A LOT of structure at this young age (kinda like kids :) right?) to be well behaved adult dogs. I really hope she follows your lead & what you've been doing. LOTS of pups need to be on a house line for a few months so that they learn the rules & learn how to behave. Good luck & hang in there...I promise you for all the work you put into this little guy you will get back 100 times over in love & respect.
  • P

    Sudden Aggressive Behaviour

    Behavioral Issues
    8
    0 Votes
    8 Posts
    5k Views
    P
    We have already started the positive reinforcement. My 12 year old daughter is very good with him, and she feeds him in the morning. He is always fed in his crate, and we always thought it was cute and funny that as we were putting the food in his dish he was crawling underneath us to get to it. That changed last night. When I was putting water in his dish I made him wait until I had finished. He was trying to drink it through the bars as I poured it. My hubby and daughter have both read the article I printed out. I think Paige will better follow it as my hubby is very softhearted and all our dogs run our life because he simply can't dominate them.