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Fence fighting & redirected aggression

Behavioral Issues
  • My 7 yr. old B, Rocket, is a fence fighter. At home with the 2 shih tzu's next door he will race up and down the fence, hair raised, and attack the fence. If my female, Rumor, is helping, he will turn and snark at her too. At daycare, he bit one of the helpers when they were bringing a dog in. It is always when he is at the fenceline or on a leash that this occurs. What do I do when this happens?

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    R
    I have had 15 - 20 adult female basenjis over the years, and 2 was the age when it seemed like they became their 'true adult selves.' (spayed/neutered or not) I do not feel confident giving suggestions, just wanted you to know her age is typical for this to happen.
  • Aggression ONLY when in trouble…URGENT

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    Just another suggestion regarding the trash. Shaye used to get into ours all the time - I'd just go over the pick it all up, ignoring her completely. Eventually there was nothing there so she'd back off. Problem not really solved. Then, we bought a trash can with a lid that opened when you step on a lever on the bottom. She figured out how to step on the lever. So, we turned the trash bucket around, she couldn't get to the lever, and couldn't lift the lid, and the problem went away. Just a suggestion - and be sure to get a heavy one. I also agree with everyone who has said Cesar Milan's methods are about the exact opposite of how to train a Basenji. They just don't care enough what you think when they want to do something, and coming on strong with them triggers aggression. Distraction and showing them something they might want more works best for me. When that does not work, the squirt bottle has saved many many confrontations.
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    MacPackM
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    QuercusQ
    @JazzysMom: Let me ask you this, Pat {and all}….. I've always fed my dogs separately, esp. since Keoki came into the picture because he will scarf his food and run to see if he can get what the others have. I don't crate them, but they are fed in separate rooms which puts them about ten feet away from one another. Keoki has learned NOT to hover over the other dogs, but he does kind of watch and wait for either of them to finish and then he runs over to lick their bowls. I don't have a problem with that, as they all run from bowl to bowl at the end of the meals, licking whatever {icky} they can find there. It's funny because they all get the same food. Lately, in the mornings only, Jazz won't eat UNTIL Keoki finishes and and then she will growl and ruuuuun for her bowl. So, the last few days I have put her bowl near his {as an experiment}-- w/in maybe 2 feet -- and she will immediately eat while he does. He eats faster, and it's almost as if she slows down when she knows he's finished. She picks up one piece of food at a time to carefully chew it, with the occasional quiet growl to remind him that it is hers. What is up with that? Honestly…sounds like a fight in the making to me. Eating faster is the first level of resource (in this case food) guarding. She may be eating slower for any number of reasons...the first one I thought of was a calming signal to him? I doubt she is trying to tease him...but she may be trying to make a point...mine, calm down, mine, calm down... These kind of things tend to escalate, so IMO, I wouldn't even experiment with it. Why not feed them separately, like with doors in between? It has got to be less stressful for the dogs if they don't have to worry if the other dog is going to bully them for their food...or on the other hand, if they can bully the other dog.
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