And remember that many Basenjis have thyroid problems… both genetic and otherwise...
I really doubt neutering influenced any aggression. Usually it works the other way around unless the dog is in some kind of pain possibly from the procedure gone wrong.
If this were my dog, my first instinct would to have him completely checked out medically. If the dog checks out medically then you really should consult a behavior therapist.
It's your dog, you know better than anyone if you think the dog bit someone intentionally. In my personal experience, I have never seen a dog bite anyone unless it was in pain, fearful, or felt threatened. I do know that dogs temperaments can be affected by breeding. Since I do not know the history of your dog, is it possible something happened to it when it was younger that you might not be aware of?
We have taken special care to consistently socialize our Basenji since he was a very tiny puppy. He has gone all kinds of places and met all kinds of people and dogs, and continues to do so, so that he will not forget. We have always touched him everywhere, tugging (gently) on his ears, tail, paws, etc, putting hands in his mouth, rubbing his muzzle, everything. This has resulted in a dog that likes everyone he meets, especially children (which is odd, because we don't have any) and will tolerate almost anything. The only sign of aggression we have ever seen was when a strange man came up out of the woods one day on our walk. The man surprised us all, and Roo gave a low growl of warning.
Does your Basenji bite everyone or is your dog selective? Miranda and I had a rescue Americian Eskimo that was very loving to us, but he was a selective biter, he was very fearful of strangers and just plain out disliked certain people. In fact he tried to bite Miranda's father at one time. Dogs are very protective of their packs. If they associate a behavior or a scent as threat then any dog can become aggressive.
Even though our dog bit someone, we did take time to understand his behavior and then as responsible owners we made sure that this dog was never allowed to be in a situation where he could hurt someone. With proper precautions, he lived a long happy life. He was no trouble, really, we just had to be aware of his issues, and be certain to accommodate them.
Jason and Miranda
Well put Jason… and just to add... that there are selective biters.... and some just take an totally dislike to a person or persons... and the first choice is to bite first, ask questions later....
But as already said, the first course is to make sure there is nothing medically going on.
It seems that he's biting anyone he's not comfortable with, he gets stand-off-ish when someone goes to pet him. My friend who he was completely comfortable with 3 weeks ago (who he has only seen one other time in his life), he snapped at yesterday when he came over. I remember him squeeling because my friend pulled the skin on his neck (which ticked me off and I yelled at my friend for doing it). I forgot about that incident… That might have something to do with this recent surge in misbehavior...
Stresses in a life are cumulative. Let say I'm having a great day and someone cuts me off in traffic. I may think "gee, that was rude" or "boy, he's in a hurry." Whereas on another day, where my boss chewed me out for something I had nothing to do with, my mother scolded me for not remembering her birthday, my grandmother's health took a downturn and I've got 5 minutes to make it to the store to get dogfood before it closes AND this $%$^^& cuts me off. I'm probably not just going to ponder the guy's ill manners. I'm probably going to yell "&^%$$#%^Y&U!!!!" and there may be some gesturing. It's the same with dogs. So you can't always look at the bite incident by itself, you have to be aware of what led up to the event. Maybe he doesn't like "John" because John was wearing a hat, or because John is 6'4 and leans over him, or because John has a really heavy footstep and tends to pet him with a heavy hand. Or maybe what the bigger problem was he spent the day being overstimulated and he's over threshold. It does take a while (exactly how long I'm unsure of, but at least several hours) for the adrenaline to return to normal levels.
A lot of this type stuff is covered in the Control Unleashed book. (and probably explained a lot better)
Here's some reading you may find interesting.
Stresses in a life are cumulative. Let say I'm having a great day and someone cuts me off in traffic. I may think "gee, that was rude" or "boy, he's in a hurry." Whereas on another day, where my boss chewed me out for something I had nothing to do with, my mother scolded me for not remembering her birthday, my grandmother's health took a downturn and I've got 5 minutes to make it to the store to get dogfood before it closes AND this $%$^^& cuts me off. I'm probably not just going to ponder the guy's ill manners. I'm probably going to yell "&^%$$#%^Y&U!!!!" and there may be some gesturing. It's the same with dogs. So you can't always look at the bite incident by itself, you have to be aware of what led up to the event. Maybe he doesn't like "John" because John was wearing a hat, or because John is 6'4 and leans over him, or because John has a really heavy footstep and tends to pet him with a heavy hand. Or maybe what the bigger problem was he spent the day being overstimulated and he's over threshold. It does take a while (exactly how long I'm unsure of, but at least several hours) for the adrenaline to return to normal levels.
A lot of this type stuff is covered in the Control Unleashed book. (and probably explained a lot better)
Here's some reading you may find interesting.
Really great post 
thanks renaultf1 - it was late when I wrote that, so i'm glad it made sense.
Update: The behaviorist came over today…
He told us that Benny thinks he's the pack leader and we have to break him down and build him back up.
I am not sure that I understand what you are saying happened in the last point. Are you saying that the behaviorist forced Benny to the ground while he bit him to force him to submit? If so this is based on an outdated belief and is likely to increase Benny's aggression not decrease it.
I am not sure that I understand what you are saying happened in the last point. Are you saying that the behaviorist forced Benny to the ground while he bit him to force him to submit? If so this is based on an outdated belief and is likely to increase Benny's aggression not decrease it.
That's what I thought, I didn't like what he was doing. Benny didn't either, and there was a big puddle of blood in the floor because of it. But yes, he said if he trys to bite someone then we should hold him down on the ground for a minute and said "this is what the mom does to pups who misbehave".
I felt horrible for Benny… He was screaming and sounded like a little kid doing so.
Well I would put that behaviorist down the road. I agree with lvoss that most likely this will make your dog more aggressive. Basenji's are very smart as I imagine yours is as well. I really suspect there is more going on here than meets the eye.
It is a mistake to use force to break a dogs spirit and it will have a negative impact. With that being said, it is important for you to assert yourself with your pet. From my reading, there has been behavior in the past that should have not been allowed. Now your dog expects things to go a certain way. These problems and behaviors did not all happen at once and will take time and patience to be corrected. There is no quick fix, and even if you do find a good behavior therapist, ultimately your dog has to respond, respect, and trust you.
I think you should first decide if you are up for the challenge. You need to find your dogs hot button. What I mean is something he or she really likes and will respond to. Once you do figure that out then use that as a training tool.
Many have suggested using a gentle leader for a dog that pulls you when you walk. I personally have started using one with my Basenji even though I have been successful at times to get him to heel without this type of lead. This lead will make the job much easier but please read all the directions, watch the CD Or DVD it comes with, and make sure that you handle the leash gently when using this lead. It does work effectively. After a successful walk, treat your dog. Use Cherrios, pieces of hot dog, or another treat but do it right then and there.
If you get this lead and it works for you, then take your dog out for a 3 or 4 mile walk at your pace. First your dog will love it. Second your dog will get good exercise that will tire him or her out and your basenji will be much easier to handle. If you can do this daily, you will not only improve your own personal health, but you will also find that your dog starts looking forward to this exercise and time with you and becomes more responsive. If you walk in a park where there are other people, it will also help socialize your pet.
Now I am going to say something that I will probably catch heat for. Letting your pet out in a fenced yard to exercise is not the same as taking them for a walk. You are not in charge when you just put your dog out in the yard to exercise. When you take him for a walk on a leash you are letting your dog know that you are in charge and in control. In the past when I have had a dog I was having issues with, I have even put then on a leash when I was in the house. I made them sit or lay down when I sat. When I got up, they got up. Even if you have to do it for a day or two you will see how effective it will be.
During dinner time, Kennel your dog. Feed him his food at the same time you eat if possible. Basenji's are great beggers as you already know. Since you gave in to his/her Begging you really need to let the dog know that they will not be allowed to continue. The best way is to kennel them during your meals and provide one of theirs for them. This does not mean your dog will completely stop begging, but if you help them form a different habit then they will start responding to it.
As I am sure you already understand, this is all about conditioning. From your own words you have conditioned your dog as to what to expect that he can get away with. Now you have to condition him to understand what is acceptable and what is not.
None of this is going to be easy so do not expect it to be. Sometimes things can get worse before they get better so expect that. All in all this is the time where you need to practice Tough love with your dog. Ignore the whinning, crying, and scratching when you kennel him during meal times. Do not feel sorry for him if you use a Gentle Leader as has been suggested and he tries to get it off. Practice Tough Love.
Hope some of this helps.
Jason
Update: The behaviorist came over today…
He told us that Benny thinks he's the pack leader and we have to break him down and build him back up.
- He walks us, we don't walk him. We need to get a training lead.
- We give into him at the dinner table and feed him.
- We basically have to make him earn everything we give him.. beit attention we give him or food we give him
- We always keep his dish full, we were instructed to feed him 2-3x/day.
- Benny bit him about 10x on his hand when he held him down on the ground to show us what to do if he trys to bite someone. He's been aggressive towards family and friends who don't come over often, including my 2 year old nephew who loves Benny.
I did not see where you have told us or not if you have taken your Basenji to be checked out medically by the Vet. I know Tanza did mention thyroid should be checked. If you already have posted that you did this then please point me to a link so I can read about that as well.
Thanks
Jason
Thanks for the tips Jason…
Benny went in for his annual checkup a few weeks ago, my fiance mentioned the aggression and said we were very concerned. I missed the Thyroid thing, I'll call the vet tomorrow and set something up.
From your earlier posts, especially saying that you felt Benny is biting people that he is not comfortable with. It sounds like this could be more of a fear based behavior than a dominance behavior.
I would work on things that will build your relationship with Benny and if you can get him into a positive reinforcement based class where you can work on skills that will help build confidence and give you a means to effectively communicate with Benny. Hand feeding can be a great tool to help relationship build and reinforce basic obedience. It doesn't have to be for every meal or for an entire meal but the daily interaction is good.
Get the book that Kim recommended, Control Unleashed. I would also recommend getting the DVD, The Language of Dogs. You may find that Benny is giving early warning signs that he is stressed that you aren't seeing.
In the meantime, management will help make you and Benny more successful. Crating him when company is over so that he doesn't have the opportunity to behave badly. When you are on a walk don't let people try to touch him, you can tell them that he is working, or he is in training and needs to concentrate on what he is learning. When people are around praise and treat Benny for calm behavior, make him feel that people being around is a good thing.
The behaviorist today said he is definately being dominant… also from what I've seen personally, he is definately a dominant dog. My sister's lab acts out of fear on occasion.
In what way is he behaving like he is trying to be "dominant"?
I would also recommend reading this article about the current thoughts on dominance theory. http://dogpublic.com/articles/article.aspx?sid=14&pid=1640
Please do not confuse Dominant behavior with Manipulation. Basenji's are great Manipulators. From what I have read so far, your Basenji has done a good job manipulating you and possibly others. Interesting enough, just like any other animal, if a basenji or any other dog senses fear in you or someone else they will react to it.
Like lvoss I am also interested in knowing what Dominant behavior or Behavirors your Basenji has exhibited. Can you please be more descriptive in regard to this. In My opinion, Biting alone is not enough.
Jason
Update: The behaviorist came over today…
He told us that Benny thinks he's the pack leader and we have to break him down and build him back up.
- He walks us, we don't walk him. We need to get a training lead.
- We give into him at the dinner table and feed him.
- We basically have to make him earn everything we give him.. beit attention we give him or food we give him
- We always keep his dish full, we were instructed to feed him 2-3x/day.
- Benny bit him about 10x on his hand when he held him down on the ground to show us what to do if he trys to bite someone. He's been aggressive towards family and friends who don't come over often, including my 2 year old nephew who loves Benny.
Please, PLEASE find a new trainer….
