Skip to content

Basenji is waking up screaming in he middle of the night?

Behavioral Issues
  • My basenji mix is 4 years old and I got him when he was 10 weeks old from a local shelter. He has always been a happy/healthy pup. He is mixed with a shiba inu and lab.

    Earlier this summer my basenji mix was waking up in the middle of the night doing a very high pitch scream. He looks scared and disoriented and then wants to cuddle afterword. He does not twitch, jerk, or move his legs at all. He is awake and just laying in his bed. This scream is the most awful noise I have ever heard come out of a dog. The first time I heard it I thought someone was being murdered! He sleeps in the same room as me on the floor on a bed with blankets. It normally happens between 12:30 am-3:00 am. It has never happened when he's been taking a nap during the day. It happened about 6 times in June. Then suddenly stopped. I took him to the vet and they did blood work to see if his thyroid levels were off and if he had epilepsy. They ruled out both. My vet is baffled. Well now this past week he did it 3 times in one night and 2 other times later in the week. He has never had more than one "fit" in a night.

    Does anyone know anything about this kind of behavior? I have no idea what to do. Could these be nightmares?

Suggested Topics

  • basenji screams when left alone

    Behavioral Issues
    16
    0 Votes
    16 Posts
    5k Views
    Y
    @elbrant said in basenji screams when left alone: @yahtzee92 said in basenji screams when left alone: especially when he can see her in the backyard). Presuming that the yard is enclosed/fenced, why not have him outside with her? Because you are presuming incorrectly! That said, he has gotten much less anxious as he is more used to the house and people going in/out. Neighbors did finally put a fence up in back though (new houses got built very close to ours).. now I'm looking for something to block off the part of the yard that is exposed between the garage and house. Hard to find something that stands out or, mainly, taller than 3 feet
  • Basenji and Baby

    Behavioral Issues
    5
    0 Votes
    5 Posts
    5k Views
    tanzaT
    You need to get a professional to come to your home and observe... and give suggestions
  • 0 Votes
    1 Posts
    2k Views
    No one has replied
  • Night terror?

    Behavioral Issues
    11
    0 Votes
    11 Posts
    6k Views
    K
    My little basenji boy, his mom is full bred basenji but his father is a border collie/lab mix. Anyways he has really bad nightmares. I have heard the blood boiling screams and the crying at night. We use to pet him to put him back into a good sleep but that doesn't work anymore so we have to shake him awake. Night terrors happen and the doggy can't move just like humans. Im a vet assistant so she probably just had a really bad nightmare. If it was a night terror it would happen all the time and she wouldn't have jumped out of bed.
  • Screaming

    Behavioral Issues
    2
    0 Votes
    2 Posts
    3k Views
    A
    My basenji has been waking up screaming in the middle of the night as well. It's happened probably 12-15 times in the last months or so. Do you know why your dog did this or did it ever happen again? Health wise my dog checks out fine and my vet is baffled. Please reply! I'm at my wits end trying to figure this out!
  • Basenji Watchdog

    Behavioral Issues
    7
    0 Votes
    7 Posts
    5k Views
    MantisM
    it is just socialization….my australian shepard was that way with men with facial hair because my dad and brother were always clean shaven....