M/F pairings (MM, FF)
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Looking ahead to this year and next, it is likely that I'll be adding a new B to the pack. I have had a great time with my male/female pair but have never had two males or two females. My preference would be a M/F pair, but I am interested in hearing other owners' views on MM and FF pairs. Would a same-sex pair be a recipe for disaster?
Thanks for your advice.
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Looking ahead to this year and next, it is likely that I'll be adding a new B to the pack. I have had a great time with my male/female pair but have never had two males or two females. My preference would be a M/F pair, but I am interested in hearing other owners' views on MM and FF pairs. Would a same-sex pair be a recipe for disaster?
Thanks for your advice.
dont ever put 2 of the same sex together if you can help it. I has 2 females 2 years apart that i raised since pups. all was fine until the younger female turned 3 and kept challenging the older one. the older smaller one always got the best of her younger sister but the war was on every few months. they were both cut up so bad that i had to seperate them after every fight. when the older one died early of fanconi i urchase 9 week old male pup and they were the best of friends, then i got convinced to take in a shelter dog female-spayed 2 year old. all was well again until the younger female turned 3. she started challenging the 8 year old female and the fights were very bad. also the male starting siding with one or the other in the fights so i always pulled him off first and kenneled him for time out. then i would put the two females back together as soon as possible. they didn't seem to fight if the male was locked up. my advice is to stay with 2 dogs only and stay with a male/female pairing. they seem happiest that way. also if you do have to ever pull apart fighting basenjis i have found if you put a leather belt over their back ahead of their rear legs helps to pull them apart without being bitten. and i can tell you that i have been bitten very bad twice to be more careful next time. the most important thing is to always be the dominant one in your relationship with you dogs. you have to let them know that you are the leader of the pack. i love my 3 but they do not eat until i am done eating. you have to be the alpha dog to survive living with basenjis.
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I think it really depends on the dog's personality and their socialization with other dogs of the opposite sex. I have had great luck with with same sexes getting along but mine are rescues, almost all from commercial breeders and are spayed/neutered although some were together a short time before the surgery. I now have at home two males-12 and 6 years old and one female-10 years old and had another female last year but she died at 13. My oldest boy gets along with all dogs as I made sure he was socialized a lot and he lure coursed and the others I have taken to lure coursing events to get socialized. Once I brought home 5 intact males from an Amish breeder and 4 were older pups about 7 months old and one was about 18 months old and they were from three different breeders as that is where the Amish breeder acquired them from. I was pleasantly surprised they all got along and with my own group also as I was sure I was going to have to let them outside in groups!
Jennifer
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A male and a female is always the best match up, but I think that 3 is the correct number of Basenji one should have so that means that one gender will have to be doubled up on. It always depends on the dogs of course, but I'd be inclined to double up on the male. Assuming the dogs are all fixed, otherwise all bets are off.
-Joanne -
We like having 3: 2 M, 1 F. It depends hugely on the dog's personality of course. We have had M/F who were not at all bonded and boys or girls who were very close. Nicky and Eddie were "the Bickersons" till we got Chipley and now all 3 are happy and loving to each other. If I had to have 2 same sex it would be 2 males. Neutered, of course. We think that a 1F:2 M ratio keeps it pretty even, the boys aren't too outnumbered, .
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I had two girls who got along wonderfully well, but I added the second when she was 7 weeks and the older was 7 years. After a couple of days of stiff legged walking around and occasional growls, my older girl decided the pup was "hers", and they were BFFs for a lifetime after that. :)
My girl/boy combination didn't go quite as smoothly. After my old girl died at 16, I had the idea my 9 year old might be lonely. When I heard of a two year old boy needing a home, I provided one. Well, my girl hated him on sight! But over a few days we convinced her to tolerate him. They got along O.K. after that, but never developed a "loving" relationship. When she passed on, we stayed with one dog, and I think he was happy with that arrangement. My girl had never liked him much, and not having to share the human attention suited him just fine.
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I know people who run packs of 4 to 8 basenjis and manage with almost no issues. That isn't the norm. Many years ago I was at Basenji Specialty in NC and did an informal poll of breeders… most I talked to said they had to run separate packs. I never will forget one man who said he had 8. I asked if he could keep them together or run in packs. He said in packs. I asked "how many packs do you have to run?" he looked at me with the saddest face and said "Eight." LOL
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I think a large difference in age can be an issue also. I know my Bambi who is 10 does not like overly playful dogs pestering her so no young ones for her but I think she would be good at teaching puppies manners as long as they did not stay permanently!
Jennifer
