Thinking of adding a third basenji

[Barklessdog]

We have a male that's 3and a girl who is twelve. They get along great. We are thinking of a getting a girl puppy for a third dog. We were told that our girl is likely to accept a puppy. My question is what will happen when the puppy matures. I have heard that if females fight they do damage to each other. Also once they get in. A fight they will never get along andmust be kept separate?

Is this a bad idea getting a third dog and how likely will this happen?

[MrBaRooampBitty]

Adding a third? We didn't even think about it. We took a supposed year old brindle boy as a foster. The very first day with us he and Mr Baroo bonded so well that we decided that we would adopt instead. So, now we are the happy parents of 3 curley tails.

[agilebasenji]

@Barklessdog:

We have a male that's 3and a girl who is twelve. They get along great. We are thinking of a getting a girl puppy for a third dog. We were told that our girl is likely to accept a puppy. My question is what will happen when the puppy matures. I have heard that if females fight they do damage to each other. Also once they get in. A fight they will never get along andmust be kept separate?

Is this a bad idea getting a third dog and how likely will this happen?

Tanza will say "It works until it doesn't" . And really, nobody can answer that question for certain. There are just too many variables. I have 2 boys that have had their ups and downs. There have been fights, blood and some stitches, but I've always been able to re-introduce them for a peaceful household, but I've never left the house without them being separated. (In my case this means Digital is loose in the house and Jet is in his Xpen. At the moment, Jet has a 2 dogbeds - one of which is on a chair, water and a woodstove in his xpen, so it's not really a hardship. And he is usually in there even when the xpen is open.)

I'd never leave the 2 girls alone together, but in this case, that be just as much because of the age difference as the same sex issue. Here's my math, your 12 year old will be 13 by the time you add a puppy given normal basenji cycles. And 14 or 15 before your puppy is grown enough to think to challenge your current girl. So, your old girl might be happy for your male to have someone else to play with. Just keep an eye on the girl-girl dynamics, work with a reputable breeder and ask for the most laid back girl puppy of the liter.

[kjdonkers]

We got Lela as a pup, and her sister Binti (a year older) 6 months later.
No problems, they cuddle in the sun, clean each other's ears, run like devils in the park.

[Barklessdog]

The other though was, since we are getting our male neutered is get another boy and when the girl passes on get a girl then. Our male is really easy going and has no aggression in him with other males.

[eeeefarm]

I would say, from what I have seen and been told, that girls are more likely to hold a grudge than boys. I had two girls, and they got along fabulously, but it doesn't always work out that way. If your boy is good with other males, that might indeed be the way to go.

[clokatys]

I have a Basenji an American Eskimo and a Whippet. The Eskimo was7 when we got the Basenji, than she was 1 yr old when
we added the Whippet. The Basenji and Whippet are both females which I was told to add a boy if I could instead of a female.
Well the Whippet litter was all girls so I had no choice, as this was a free replacement puppy for a Whippet I lost2 years before
and I was tired of waiting as the breeders wait list was so long. The Basenji and the Eskimo accepted the puppy immediately.
But surprisingly the Whippet is very domineering, so the Whippet and Basenji girls quarrel. They will argue over anything.
But they love each other, cuddle and kiss all the time. But when they fight they fight. No one has drawn blood and I do not
let them go at it if they are getting too angry. I separate them and get them doing something else and they are fine again. Definitely would not feed the 2 females together that is the biggest cause of their fighting so they eat apart. Sometimes toys get them going they want the same toy. So it gets put up if they get carried away. We have not had anybody get hurt and they even go in the crate on their own together and cuddle if they are sleepy. I would never leave them in a kennel or crate together unattended though. So it can work but can be work, but whos to say you get a male and it doesn't happen also. So that's my experience. I know I would not do 3 females together. Also the girls do not hold grudges so that shows me they love each other, and are more quarreling than being mean.

[DebraDownSouth]

@Mr:

Adding a third? We didn't even think about it. We took a supposed year old brindle boy as a foster. The very first day with us he and Mr Baroo bonded so well that we decided that we would adopt instead. So, now we are the happy parents of 3 curley tails.

You should have thought long and hard about it. Glad you lucked out, hope things KEEP going well. But before adding another dog one should ALWAYS think about it and honestly evaluate if they are willing and able to run more than one pack FOREVER if things don't go well.

[Barklessdog]

Yes we have been warned and we definately are aware of the possibility. We were wondering how others have packs of basenjis?

Is their a magic number where they become a pack?

[YodelMa]

If you have an INTACT 3 y/o male it doesn't matter if you neuter him, I'd be VERY careful bringing another male into the equation! Yes females hold grudges, but they don't display the blind, single-minded fury that two intact males can. Having broken up horrifying fights between males neutered late in life–including nasty bite wounds to my legs--You need to realize that neutering years after sexual maturity doesn't magically remove male sexual aggression. This is something I learned the hard way. Why not let your older female live her golden years in peace and get a female when she passes?

We just became a two-pack with the passing of an elderly dog this weekend. 3 dogs are very expensive to care for adequarely with vaccinations, spay/ neutering, heartworm meds, boarding if you travel--I've kept as many as 5 dogs for brief periods due to fostering and I've learned a lot: primarily that "packs" are best left to folks with tons of money, experience and an ulterior motive like breeding.

[DebraDownSouth]

Packs vary. You have people like the Wimauma group with 5 to 15 and no fights. But these dogs grew up in a feral pack where I suspect those with dog aggression ended up dead. Oh yeah, and Pam is magical. Want to see huge packs get along… go to youtube and watch her videos

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfffJHIGSgkvyTgIDy3xyjQ

[LeeL]

@DebraDownSouth:

Packs vary. You have people like the Wimauma group with 5 to 15 and no fights. But these dogs grew up in a feral pack where I suspect those with dog aggression ended up dead. Oh yeah, and Pam is magical. Want to see huge packs get along… go to youtube and watch her videos

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfffJHIGSgkvyTgIDy3xyjQ

OK, my mind is blown and I feel like the most inadequate dog owner ever!

That feeding routine is just awesome.

[MrBaRooampBitty]

I do have to agree, adopting Buddy, on a whim could have gone terribly wrong but Buddy and Baroo are still play buddies. The only time that they have had a real difference was last month when they caught and killed a squirril and fought over the kill. There were bloody ears, and legs, and a trip to the vet, but they still play chase and run the Missouri 500 around their half acre yard. Buddy grumbles a little when he thinks Baroo has gotten the choice spot under the covers with Dad, but they still sleep in a tangle.

[Shaye's Mom]

I have two females; a PB basenji and a basenji/sheltie/collie mix. From the time we added the mixed girl when the PB was 7 months, they have been joined at the hip. I was warned two females would never work, but ours definitely love each other. They argue once in a while, but my PB is definitely top dog, while the mix, even though almost double the weight, easily accepts she is not the boss. They are both about 5 now, so if there's been no teeth involved to this point, I feel pretty safe. You never know - each dog is different.

[Barklessdog]

When our 12year old girl went blind recently and the puppy is coming next weekend. Fingers crossed.