Skip to content
Basenji Forums
  1. Home
  2. Behavioral Issues
  3. Benny bit the neighbor!

Benny bit the neighbor!

Behavioral Issues
  • BennyB

    @nobarkus:

    The key is to establish a good trusting connection/relationship with Benny. In my 33 years with Basenjis using force/dominance did not work period!! I stopped it immediately and used more positive ways to work with the dog. Have some fun outdoor adventures with him and play games with him. When you're in the yard throw something he'll chase after then go hide. Wear him out! Socialize little by little. Try to remain calm when you're around Benny as he will pick up on any negative energy. Reward good behavior always. Getting bit ten times with a pool of blood on the floor means that person is fired!

    Oh yeah, he's not coming back into my home. Benny tried to bite my mom today (who is like his mom). He lays with her every night when she's in her chair and spends as much, if not more time with him than my fiance and I. Benny was laying in the chair that she just got out of, when she came back, she tried to move him and he growled and snapped at her. My dad yelled at him and he put his ears back and then jumped on her when she sat in the chair (to lay on her lap).

    Biting strangers is one thing, biting my mom is a whole nother beast. Benny really needs help :( .

    0
  • nobarkusN

    Sounds like a case for the Dog Whisperer. Have you seen him?
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cffj0vOBWsc&feature=channel

    Buddy, Paolo and Dan

    0
  • lvossL

    @Benny:

    Benny was laying in the chair that she just got out of, when she came back, she tried to move him and he growled and snapped at her.

    Considering what happened with the trainer, it is not surprising that Benny does not want humans to touch him. It is going to take some relationship building and trust building to help mend what happened with the trainer.

    As for humping, many dogs hump not because of dominance but as a form of stress relief or because they are over stimulated.

    0
  • nobarkusN

    I adopted a red/wht in 1994 at the age of 2. Oh man was he defensive and growley. If he was laying on the couch and you approached him he would growl at you like he was going to bite. I didn't yell at him "NO"! I just slowly worked my way at him little by little each time I approached until over time he trusted me. The first day I took him to dog trainning class he wanted to fight every dog around us. It took some time to calm him down.
    Also please get his thyroid checked. A lot of time there's something wrong physically that can cause bad behavior. Maybe take him to a holistic vet. Don't give up.

    Buddy, Paolo and Dan

    0
  • BennyB

    He just growled at my girlfriend… who is his mommy. She went to pick him up off of the couch (to see if he would growl at her). I will get his thyroid tested... what types of treatments are available if he doe shave a thyroid problem?

    0
  • nobarkusN

    @Benny:

    He just growled at my girlfriend… who is his mommy. She went to pick him up off of the couch (to see if he would growl at her). I will get his thyroid tested... what types of treatments are available if he doe shave a thyroid problem?

    They will see what his thyriod levels are from his blood work then if it's low put him on Thyroid pills. They will then check again in a few months. I had 2 on them.
    Please check this link.
    http://www.apubasenjis.com/bhealth.html

    Buddy, Paolo and Dan

    0
  • nobarkusN

    Also just a note about the red/wht. He was physically sick too. So after handling that he really started to change and became a fun dog. He still occasionally like to challenge a bigger dog but not too bad.

    Buddy, Paolo and Dan

    0
  • nobarkusN

    How long has Benny been like this? Did it start at a certain point in time? He's obviously feeling threatened by someone or something.

    Buddy, Paolo and Dan

    0
  • BennyB

    Started roughly 4 weeks ago… he started by snapping at a kid and an old man who tried to pet him on a walk. Then it progressed to him biting the neighbor, biting my neice, snapping at my nephew, my friend, and then biting the trainer... now today he snapped at my mom, dad, and my gf.... I approached him and did the same thing shortly after and he didn't snap at me. I didn't think he would, but I wanted to make sure of it.

    0
  • BennyB

    I have noticed his fur got slightly lighter around that same time. We mentioned it to the vet and he said it was normal…

    0
  • nobarkusN

    How long have you had Benny? How old is he?

    Buddy, Paolo and Dan

    0
  • nobarkusN

    I really suspect there's a physical problem going on with Benny.

    Buddy, Paolo and Dan

    0
  • BennyB

    Also, back in February, my sister's lab started getting a little bigger. She snapped at benny when he tried to take his bone back from her. Benny backed off somewhat… The very next day, benny started snapping at her when she tried to take his treats and bones from him.

    0
  • BennyB

    @nobarkus:

    How long have you had Benny? How old is he?

    We've had him for 13 months… he is 16 months old.

    0
  • nobarkusN

    How often does your sister come around with the lab?

    Buddy, Paolo and Dan

    0
  • nobarkusN

    So Benny's behavior before this was pretty good?

    Buddy, Paolo and Dan

    0
  • BennyB

    @nobarkus:

    How often does your sister come around with the lab?

    2-3 times/week… It's my nephew's dog really.. and she goes where he goes. He comes over after school a few days a week and spends the night over the weekend 1-2 times/month. They love each other, they occasionally snap at each other (when one is trying to steal the other's bone)

    0
  • BennyB

    @nobarkus:

    So Benny's behavior before this was pretty good?

    For the most part. Before we got him neutered, he humped a lot and seemingly got bad for about an hour every night. We got him snipped and started taking him for an additional 2-3 more walks and it did the trick.

    0
  • nobarkusN

    @Benny:

    2-3 times/week… It's my nephew's dog really.. and she goes where he goes. He comes over after school a few days a week and spends the night over the weekend 1-2 times/month. They love each other, they occasionally snap at each other (when one is trying to steal the other's bone)

    The lab and Benny love each other?

    Buddy, Paolo and Dan

    0
  • BennyB

    @nobarkus:

    The lab and Benny love each other?

    They're best friends… when they're together, they play non stop with the occasional nap in between.

    0

Suggested Topics

  • M

    Snarling and Bitting

    Behavioral Issues
    10
    0 Votes
    10 Posts
    3k Views
    K
    @DebraDownSouth Swedish Animal Welfare Regulations Section 13 of Sweden’s regulations on keeping dogs and cats states that, “dogs and cats may not be kept in cages” unless they’re used for transport, hunting, or a competition or show. Even then, pet owners are required to let their dogs out of their crates at least every two to three hours.
  • fjd89F

    My dog bit me.

    Behavioral Issues
    7
    0 Votes
    7 Posts
    7k Views
    DebraDownSouthD
    :::Note: I’m not a professional trainer, I have a degree in psychology and im a teacher; a dog is like a 2-4 year old. Every dog is different though, maybe I’ve just gotten lucky, but what I’ve been doing has been working for me; maybe it will for you.::: LOL, not luck... good common sense. We do basic training to get solid responses in controlled environments, which gives a good base for expanding it to other situations. Like eeeefarm, I don't thing animal aggressive dogs need to socialize with strange dogs. I keep them separated. For the unexpected, working at home on basic commands (Leave It!, "look at me" to focus on you and understand the other dog is off limits, solid 100 percent down-stay) can help you avoid your dog getting revved enough to bite. That means you have to stay on top of things, change directions if necessary, and be firm and loud in asking others to not approach with their dog. Training is wonderful bonding, and it exercises their brains. http://www.clickerlessons.com/index.htm
  • S

    Help! My basenji is bitting

    Behavioral Issues
    11
    0 Votes
    11 Posts
    7k Views
    DebraDownSouthD
    @kjdonkers said in Help! My basenji is bitting: @DebraDownSouth No use for further discussion, if everyone outside your sphere of reference is a quack, a nut job, a con artist. Different planets. Stay healthy! Everyone outside of provable or at least probably science, especially when they peddle for money, does fit my definition of quack and cons. But I slept with a bar of soap in desperation with restless leg syndrome. I have tried things that have almost as little scientific basis, but I do so armed with knowing that. My issue is people selling things as science/proven when they aren't. My issue is vulnerable, desperate or uneducated people getting taken in by hustlers. Not a different planet, just the science based and honest part of the same one. Having seen too many people hurt, or their animals hurt, or children hurt, by false science/medicine/therapies... I am sorry that you think belief in scientific proof and honesty about what is or is not proven is wrong. If someone says to me, "I drink vinegar and it helps my arthritis, but there's no research proving it works"... good. I might even try it. But when some quack says "pay me $100 and I'll tell you why your dog bites or where your missing child is or if your husband is cheating on you or whatever"... they deserve to be horsewhipped. I am sorry if I sounded dismissive to you personally. It wasn't my intent. It was reaction to what you wrote. In general, we're on common ground. We don't have to agree on things to stay on the same planet. :)
  • Tayda_LennyT

    Tayda bit the dog sitter tonight… now what?

    Behavioral Issues
    19
    0 Votes
    19 Posts
    7k Views
    TuckerVAT
    Have you considered having the pet sitter stay with you for a few days or even a week before you leave, doing what he/she normally would do with the dog or dogs while you are there also? With most dogs, it's just the change in routine that is upsetting. Tucker likes things to have things be the same all the time and even the smallest change can start a spiteful peeing spree, some unusual growling and other things. We used to get a housesitter/petsitter to com stay at our condo when we still lived there and EVERY time when we got home we would find pee somewhere in the house and Tucker would pee in the house for days after, sometime weeks. Tucker did okay at the kennel, but after 3-4 days, he becomes incorigable even to the trained staff there. My stepfather passed several years ago right at the end of my alumni reunion weekend. Wife and I were in Charleston, had spent the weekend there and got the call as we were leaving town and had to divert to Greenville rather than home. We were away for 10 days and around day 6 or 7, Tucker started biting the staff back home at the kennel…
  • BennyB

    Benny's Behavior

    Behavioral Issues
    12
    0 Votes
    12 Posts
    4k Views
    QuercusQ
    Also, I would recommend "Click to Calm" by Emma Parsons…and just about anything by Patricia McConnell. You can find these books at dogwise dot com You CAN learn to change Benny's behavior yourself, but it would really help to have a behaviorist help you. You wouldn't really have to risk a lot if you learn exactly what techniques you prefer to use, and then interview people about their preferences. After you do some research, it should be pretty easy to tell who is thinking the same way you are, and whether or not they can help. Did you try Northcoast Dogs? their website is that name then dot com
  • I

    A little bit of this and that

    Behavioral Issues
    15
    0 Votes
    15 Posts
    5k Views
    tashaT
    Sounds like that is his personality. No different than my beagle/dalmation mix who does not like to have his feet touched. If he doesn't like it, let him not like it. My cat does the same thing now that I think of it. She'll plop herself on my foot and as soon as I touch her with my other foot she takes off.