Skip to content

Lunging/Growling!!

Behavioral Issues
  • i posted in a previous thread about how my basenji lunges at my cats. i think this is a more appropriate section to put it in..

    ive got 2 cats, and raleigh, the basenji. they're getting used to eachother, and getting along pretty well now, being only about a week into knowing eachother. things are all fine & dandy until raleigh does this crazy move that completely freaks out the cats:

    it's a very abrupt, in-your-face bow/lunge/jump thing. kinda like he's saying "haha gotcha, scared ya!" i tell him NO! right when he does it, to hopefully show him that that's a definite no-no. help!

    another thing he did this past weekend was: my boyfriend was on 1 side of his dad's backyard, and raleigh was on the patio. eric called him over, C'MERE RALEIGH!! C'MERE BOY!" and raleigh came charging, and eric kind of bounced around, trying to do a little "catch me" thing. and raleigh started growling, and tried to nip at his leg!! what is that about? how do i fix it? his tail was wagging the whole time, he had a huge smile on his face, and it didnt seem very aggressive, but erics dad said that's definitely aggression, and needs to be fixed soon. again, help!!

  • doesn't sound like agression AT ALL to me. sounds like very excited play! I recommend How To Speak Dog, by Stanley Coren. I've read it, and it helps you understand a dog's body language, what certain types of growls (communication) mean, even facial expressions (ear placement, teeth showing, etc…). it's not the most comprehensive book, but it's a good start to learning that a growl can mean MANY different things.

    from what you described, it sounds like your dog was trying to engage the cats in his level of play, and the same when your bf called - he called in an excited tone and then jumped around - the dog was only reacting to the excitment. sort of like saying "oh this is so fun! I don't want to stop! c'mon keep playing! woooooo! yayyy!"

  • Our dogs growl at each other when they play, and it IS a different growl than when they are angry.

    I'm also wondering if Raleigh wasn't "talking" to your boyfriend. I know Jazzy's "talk" sounds like a growl to those who are unfamiliar with it. To us it is a completely different sound than her "Tasmanian Devil" "Evil Dog" noise she makes when she's made.
    Sometimes freaks guests out when she greets them – they back up and look at me like, "Aren't you going to DO something?" until I explain that she was just saying, "Hi! Good to see you!"

  • haha thanks for the info. will definitely check out that book as well.

Suggested Topics

  • Growling at bedtime

    Behavioral Issues
    5
    0 Votes
    5 Posts
    5k Views
    CrazySenjiC
    This is a very common basenji issue! They get comfortable and don't want to be bothered. My brindle dog only does it when he's still delirious from sleep and "snaps out of it" when he realizes what's going on. Teaching a dog "OFF!" is very important! Do it when they are happy and awake and then move to sleepy and grumpy. On the couch, say OFF! and treat them when they get it right. It becomes a game. Both of my dogs know what "OFF!" means and listen to it. One of them will continue to grumble until he's fully awake and then he's back to his happy self. I agree with Pat and the treats for crate time. When I leave for work I say "Who wants a treat?" and off they run to their kennels! I break out the good stuff for going to work time. At night I say night-night and in they go. This didn't happen overnight! It took my red boy months to like his crate. Lots of sleepless nights with a screaming puppy. I actually had to buy him a new one because I discovered he was scared of the all enclosed plastic crates. Now his perfect in his crate and goes in on his own to relax.
  • Vet Concerned with Growling

    Behavioral Issues
    22
    0 Votes
    22 Posts
    11k Views
    MothM
    Oh he is so cute <3
  • Ears and Growling

    Behavioral Issues
    8
    0 Votes
    8 Posts
    5k Views
    curlytailsC
    Aside from personal aesthetic preference, I think this is also why I tend to like dogs with pricked ears. I like being able to read the range of expressions through their ears. It's especially cute when they fold their ears flat in their extremely-happy-greeting-face, like when I just get back home and open the door.
  • Growling at the dog park

    Behavioral Issues
    22
    0 Votes
    22 Posts
    7k Views
    torchsongT
    The treat issues haven't been too horrible. Most of the time the people who bring them quickly learn the downside of it and don't do it again. :) She's been doing a lot better, and I've been determining when it's okay to discipline and when not. If she's doing a "give me space" where three or four dogs are sniffing her at once, I hold back, but occasionally she's gone after just one dog and I put her down for that. Next thing you know she's just playing with the dog, chasing or whatever. So it seems to be working. She's gotten a lot better at coming on command as well, even from across the park. It's tough to break that ADD that most 'Senji's have :), but of late she's gotten really good at breaking away from what she's doing if I call her. Who knows…we may make a dog out of this "cat-dog" yet! :)
  • Stranger/Roommate Agression

    Behavioral Issues
    11
    0 Votes
    11 Posts
    4k Views
    wizardW
    I had a mixed breed when I was in college that was the nicest dog - even tempered when strangers were around. Then one day I was talking to a fellow (at a campground) with my dog just laying nearby and the man suddenly raised his arm to make a point in the conversation - my dog took after him just like you described. I think my dog thought he was attacking me and so went after him. The situation with your dad kind of sounds like that.
  • Male/Season question

    Behavioral Issues
    6
    0 Votes
    6 Posts
    3k Views
    YodelDogsY
    @BasenjiDiva: I'll probably give the Ecchinacia and goldenseal a try. Where do you find it? I get mine at Wal-Mart.