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Possessive of her property.

Behavioral Issues
  • Hi all, Molly our 14 month old Basenji is very possessive of her area outside and of her toys. She does NOT like to share. We are fulltime RV people and stay in Arizona in an RV park most of the winter and spring, Molly has become very possessive of her area where we park, she is on a 10" lead outside and when anyone comes up to her while she is on lead she wants to bite their shoes, etc. When we go to the dog park and play with the same dogs and people she is very nice and loves everyone. Does anyone have any ideas how to break her of this.

  • what have you tried so far? who does she need to "share" with? do you have another dog? is she agressive? towards you or just people who approach? is she possessive when you are with her or is she tied out alone? who is coming up to her? strangers or friends? have you tried to correct the behavior and teach good "meet and greet" manners on leash?

    I know that's alot of questions, but more info is really needed.

    for a nice meet and greet on leash, I keep my dog at a SIT/STAY on my left side. if his toosh comes off the ground, I get in front of him, and put him back in a sit/stay. he is to remain there until released, or until the person I'm meeting asks to interact w/ him. I simply practiced this skill over and over (first w/ family members & friends, then worked my way up to strangers), shaping and rewarding the correct behavior.

    if your dog is showing aggression, you should consider working with a professional trainer.

  • Molly lives full time in a motorhome. We live during the winter time in an Arizona RV Park. We keep her on a 10' lead outside of our motorhome when we aren't playing at the dog park or walking, etc. She has become very upset when people or dogs, which are friends of hers and she plays with them at the dog park with no problems, when they come in our little yard. She growls and tries to keep them out of this tiny yard of hers. She is fine anyother place, only in her little yard. When we are outside with her we tell her NO, and hold on her lead until wshe settles down. She hates to share, so I know she doesn't want the dogs to get her stuff, but she does it with people she knows really well as well with her best dog friends. Is this a trait with a female B? Everyone who see's her out of her yard thinks she is soooo friendly and calm. Would love to get some more help with her.

  • Basenjis in general can and are leash aggressive. You need to work on redirecting her when she is outside and others come by… Have you done basic OB training? This would be a start... when people are coming by you can redirect her by giving her a job... put her is a sit or down stay until they pass by and then reward the good behavior. And I would not leave her outside unsupervised, at least not at this point. Also you can try when people come by, put her is a sit stay/down stay... if she lets the people come into the yard area, then they can reward her with a praise or a treat.

  • Thanks for responding to my message, Molly is very good on her leash when walking, she walks right by our knee and prances like a queen and very good with people and dogs while walking. She is only that way in our little ,kindof ,yard. She is fine unless they come into the yard, I will try the sit stay/down stay to see if that helps and then treat her. She is sooooo fussy about her treats, she only likes a few types and I get rid of the others.

  • LOL, typical Basenji… but try really yummy stuff like string cheese... or something like that....

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    Neutering is not going to help - training is. But a good trainer will train YOU to deal with the dog. If a trainer can get him to behave but you can't - there is little to be gained from paying out money. This is something you should never have allowed to happen, but since it has, I think you should deal with it and @JENGOSMonkey has given you a good idea to start you off. Withdrawing treats is a good idea, but also, get up and walk away. He could be biting to get attention and therefore you withdraw the attention at the first sign of a bite, with a firm NO.
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    @sarahmiri - I would say no to carrying him.... don't pick him up, but get down to his level as Zande pointed out in her response.
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    IMO it is a myth that Basenjis cannot have good manners on a walk. Yes, great if you can do off leash, but when circumstances dictate that a leash is necessary then walking calmly without a lot of drama and pulling should be achievable. Personally I do not like long lines or flex leashes. Or allowing dogs to eat whatever they find on the ground, which can in some cases earn you a trip to the vet or worse. Like most dogs, Basenjis are not overly discriminant about what they will ingest. A short leash and being observant can protect them from unwelcome outcomes. Mental exercise will also go a long way with any dog. But one should have a definite opinion about who is running the show, and it should not be the dog....they are quite willing to take up the position should you abdicate.
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    Just thought I'd share an update on this. I removed the blankets from the crate and replaced them with a mattress. We have been strict about her only staying in the crate at night. When we have had accidents I have cleaned up, with a dog urine killing spray, and placed her back in the crate. Everything is progressing smoothly, not had any accidents for over a week now. So it's been a rather quick turnaround, lovely to have her properly crate trained again. Thank you all for sharing advice on the situation.