I am taking the big step of bringing a One Year Old Male Basenji into my 5 Year old Female Basenji's home with me. I am very excited and prepared for the most part, but as this is going to take a little while to do I have to time make myself crazy thinking about it! Will my girl be happy? Will they fight? Am I nuts to rock the boat of a very happy home, or does this usually work out OK? I've heard tell that it is best to bring in a younger Male so Pip does not feel threatened and may take on the role of Matriarch…...I have heard to bring in a female is to insight trouble eventually, so a boy it is! But this time element is going to have me thinking the worst and worrying about it, I need some feedback, perhaps an assurance of a similar situation working out splendidly!?
.....Oh PLEASE TELL ME YOUR STORY ABOUT HAPPY BASENJI"S!! (I can take the others too, I need to know what you think I may or may not be in for)
From what I've heard Basenji's get on better with other Basenji's then other dog's…depends on the individual dog really.
This IS what I have heard, seen and read. My girl played amazingly well with Great Danes and Pit Bull Makes who had no aggressive tendencies of any kind when playing and running, she was pretty much diggin' it….it's the idea of them fighting over the simple pleasures of home I worry about (a tiny bit) as I just love that Pip is so happy, I just want her to be happier and getting to run like a maniac was her best thing as a youngster, I hope that Diesel will impart more of that joy into our little world....Thanks for your comment!!
Aw Pipet is such a sweetheart, I'm sure Poppy would love to jump on her!
Not sure if it will help, but one of my 'Basenji Bookmarks' and there are a lot of them, is this;
http://dogs.thefuntimesguide.com/2007/01/aggressive_with_puppy.php
The only tip I have is to introduce them on neutral ground, if that is possible. I arrived home late at night with my first (almost 2 year old) boy, and my nine year old girl hated him on sight! It just wasn't practical to do a proper introduction, as it was late and I had been driving a long time. I took the boy and went to one bedroom, my husband took the girl with him to another room, and in the morning she still hated him but we convinced her to tolerate him and eventually it worked out, although she never did like him well enough to cuddle and play. You want to avoid a really nasty exchange, as Basenjis tend to hold a grudge. They may be just fine, but if they aren't crazy about each other at first, try to finesse it until they get used to the idea of sharing a house. Good luck!
Please keep us updated on the transition!!! I have a dominant female B and we've been considering adding a boy to the mix… I will be interested to hear how Pipet adjusts!!!
Good Luck!
Introduction should be done in a neutral place… and if you seach the forms, you will find many threads on bring in a second Basenji.... Male/Females usually do just fine... and yes there will be "discussions" between them!
I've had several pairs, first was a mother and daughter but had been seperated for a couple of years. After the first couple of "discussions", no problems. Next male/female pair got along again after getting to know each other. Added problem was that one was blind in one eye and the other went blind in both. They got along great for ten years. Last pair happened this Jan when I picked up a 1 1/2 years old male Basenj Fox Terrier mix mainly as a companion for my 3 years old female. "B" They hit off right on minuet one. The way they play fight and chase each other in the yard is fun to watch. The new one, the mix, is missing a front leg but can still out run/out corner the "B".
Dave
A good piece of advice that I got about integrating a new dog into the home is that you can never go TOO slow… and too slow is always better than going too fast. Don't expect or force them to eat/sleep/play together right at the outset. Things may change in a flash when food or other precious resources are around, so maybe keep those out of sight at the outset and dole them out carefully as the weeks progress, giving them nothing to compete over. They will decide when they are comfortable enough to share, and they will let you know...
Can't wait to hear how the integration goes! Congratulations.
Congratulations on the future new addition. Boy/girl is a good combination. As others have advised let them meet on neutral ground and take them for a long walk together. For every good interaction praise both inordinately. As Curlytails says don't rush it.
Keep us posted, please and best wishes to you all.
