If you pay attention, there may be some subtleties that might give you a clue. Dogs pay close attention to body language. He may see the Collies as a threat because of something not easily noticeable, and perhaps he is generalizing if one of them has given him bad vibes and the others look similar enough for him to consider them a threat. My boy really didn't like small white fluffy dogs, I have no idea why....but perhaps because many were noisy and wanted to get in his face.
2Bs vs 1B - How Much Different w/Multiples
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I really like 2 b's together.
Most of us have to work outside the home, and the dogs not only keep each other company, but play and sleep together, when we are gone.
Myself, I would always have 2. -
Weeelll…yes....the most effective way to fix it is to leave everytime one dog growls at another as they approach you. That is kind of unrealistic for most people because you are usually at your most comfortable (curled up on the couch, with dog on lap) each time it happens..but if you do it, the growling dog will quickly realize it doesn't pay.
There are other, more complicated ways to train them to be more tolerant of each other
And there are simpler ways, that can sometimes backfire and make a dog more aggressive (reprimand/squirt bottle)...but some dogs do really well with a simple reprimand.Yay for Eldorado! Super breeders, and nice and knowledgeable ladies as well. And I think it is great that you are considering a retired show dog..they make GREAT pets!
Thanks for that…as you can tell I'm new to training methods :D, but Ruby has responded really well to positive training, and consequently have never wanted to pull out a spray bottle on her (been a little leary of that). I could see myself trying your first method if the problem arose.
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Hey Kim, I was in a similar position you are….
Overall I really like having 2 vs. just 1. They keep each other company, lay all over each other, and chase each other around. sometimes they get on each others nerves, and then there is a smackdown (usually tayda puts lenny in his place) but even that is fun to watch.This was really good info and those pictures are adorable. Last night I was thinking about what I would do when visiting friends with 2 dogs, so this was really timely. Based on meeting Coal, I think I already have the high-strung one
so my situation might be a reverse of yours. And you are right, with Ruby, I've found her energy fun and it has actually made me a lot more active (and I didn't think that was possible). The 2nd B might take the pressure off me a little to always be the source of the entertainment and play ;)….like when I wound Ruby up last night and she smacked me in the face by accident.Definitely wasn't thinking about the money aspect of the vet & food, I was thinking more logistics, but from everyone's responses it doesn't sound like that would be a big deal.
Thank you, thank you for all the info!
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I really like 2 b's together.
Most of us have to work outside the home, and the dogs not only keep each other company, but play and sleep together, when we are gone.
Myself, I would always have 2.Thank you. One more question, they sleep together & play together when you are gone, does that mean you put them in the same crate? I was wondering if that would work…
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I have a few in the house (dogs) I don't find it any harder than when I had one. The only time I have ever used the spray bottle is when they go for the cat. I also had a problem when I got the pup-my older female was jealous. I spent a little more time cuddling her and with her (our 'special' time) and she eventually turned back around.
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The breeder is Eldorado…the dog is Eldorado's Black Gold of Wilmer.
I met him when I originally visited there and then subsequently picked up Ruby. Neat dog, he was a quite a bit more aloof w/me than Ruby was...definitely not as outgoing.Good info about the snarking over attention...is that something that can be fixed w/training or is that something you just sort of have to live with?
I figured the walking might be a challenge...I'd say 90% of the time Ruby is very good on the leash. When there is another dog or a rabbit (that happened last week) that is a whole different story.
Black Gold of Wilmer is Willy's father.:D
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Black Gold of Wilmer is Willy's father.:D
Too cool…it is such a small world. Does Willy have a spot on his head like Coal does? Coal has a black spot in his white stripe on the top of his head.
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Too cool…it is such a small world. Does Willy have a spot on his head like Coal does? Coal has a black spot in his white stripe on the top of his head.
I've never seen BG of W in person.
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We have three dogs; two of which are B's.
There is a lot of snarking between the two B's,which bugs my dh but not me. It alarmed me at first until I realized that it's really just a bunch of noise. They are loud, but no one ever gets hurt. Most of the time, depending on what they are fussing over – often it's the best spot on the big pillow --I just ignore it and let them work it out.
I used to try to stop Jazz from getting snarky at Keoki when she was on my lap and he'd come into the room, but now I let it go. For them, it has become yet another game. Here's how it is played:
Jazzy is sleeping on my lap. Keoki walks into the room; Jazzy growls. The growling gets louder and meaner sounding as he comes closer. He jumps down into puppy-play position,then bounces back up and hops away, returning quickly to repeat. Jazzy leaps from my lap to charge him; Keoki dashes down the hall w/Jazz in hot pursuit. The Basenji 500 has begun and they will usually play for at least ten minutes and both forget about the lap.
When Gypsy {non-B and old} comes into the room and Jazzy growls, I can usually turn her face away and tell her to "be nice". For those two,that does the trick pretty well because Gypsy just ignores her and goes about her business --- she's too big to get on my lap anyway, and Jazzy knows that Gypsy is no competition for "the spot".
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I crate Tayda and Lenny together and they are fine. Some snarking sometimes, but overall they are fine. I got them a big crate so they'd have some room to move around and they just lay on top of each other anyway…
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I used to crate Jazz and Keoki together w/no problem.
I stopped when Jazz was spayed and needed some peaceful rest, and just never put Keoki back in {because he HAD been doing so well alone…...}
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ours do great together and yes they fight but never drawing blood. they keep each other company & play a lot together.
Two actually makers it easier in my opinion, they keep each other busy.
walking two can be a trick, but I find they both are on the same frequecncy so usually go the same way.
I saw someone near me jogging with three on one leash!
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Personally, I will always have at least two Basenji's.
We've had two in a crate together, but never when we are not around to supervise.
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Personally, I will always have at least two Basenji's.
We've had two in a crate together, but never when we are not around to supervise.
Ditto, I have crated two together in a car, or at a show, or coursing, but never when someone wasn't there to keep an eye on them.
I know of quite a few people who do very successfully, though.
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We stack ours- she just jumps in the top, although a couple of times she jumped up with the crate door shut.
She even will close the other crate door if it's in the way before she leaps.
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Thanks for that…as you can tell I'm new to training methods :D, but Ruby has responded really well to positive training, and consequently have never wanted to pull out a spray bottle on her (been a little leary of that). I could see myself trying your first method if the problem arose.
I'm in the same situation as you–live alone and single parent of two Bs. I had one B and one german shepherd mix for many years, and I feel that most Bs need companionship--either their person or another dog. When I adopted Tyler and Zoey--whom the rescuers said could not be separated because they were so close and had always been together--they told me they never snarked at each other. Well.....that was in the shelter situation. After they got comfortable at my house, Tyler (the dad) started growling at Zoey (he's 6; she's 4) at times. It really startled me at first, and I didn't know what to do. Advice here on the board about leaving them when that happens worked--but the rescuer advised me to let them work it out--and she thought Tyler was disciplining Zoey when he didn't think her behavior was approriate. So I felt like if I tried to get Tyler to not growl--that he would resent that and maybe things would escalate. What I did find was that if I picked up Zoey or comforted her, then she would turn on Tyler like a Tazmanian Devil. So I immediately ceased doing that. Zoey seems to have learned what irritates Tyler (usually--it seems kind of a pecking order thing) and has modified her behavior a bit. And Tyler isn't as "stern" now when he growls at her--which isn't very frequent now. Sometimes he'll growl at her and then take her head gently in his mouth, and they play a little bit. I would highly recommend two over one.
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we stay out of it. They work it between themselves. our male has grabbed our female by the neck and thrown her into the book case!
They never really hurt each other, It sounds nasty but, it seems it is more vocalization & acting out than real aggression.
our female now realizes that he's not really going to hurt her so she will come up and just irritate him by pawing at him continually as he growls at her. She just keeps poking him!
The male on the other hand, if the female growls at him, he will just sit right on top of her, ignoring it.
wish I had my camera then.
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If you get another basenji I would suggest a seperate crate next to your b…a seperate food dish, I found food a BIG issue so I always put my boys food bowl down on the left, and the girls dish on the right...always,....now, they will "switch" places, when one is on the "wrong" side...and no one feel that they can "take" the other dogs food.
I am hopeful that you find a companion you like and your dog likes. -
we only feed ours in there crates or else someone would eat EVERYONES DINNER! the one who never chews her food, the female vacuum cleaner.
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Thank you all for your advice and help. Really good information here. I emailed Eldorado and told them I wanted Coal…yay, Ruby's getting a friend.
Haven't heard back yet, but "Lord willin' and the creek don't rise..." I'll have 2 bs (one red/white & one black/white) within the next couple of weeks.I'll definitely be keeping them in 2 separate crates and separate food dishes thanks to everything I've read here.
