Skip to content
Basenji Forums
  1. Home
  2. Behavioral Issues
  3. Anyone have advice for a male basenji afraid of kids? Brigs is 8 years old and will try try to bite

Anyone have advice for a male basenji afraid of kids? Brigs is 8 years old and will try try to bite

Behavioral Issues
  • C

    Help my nephew ( 5 years old) is visit next week from out of town and my 8 year old basenji is afraid of kids.. Briggs basenji will go up to kids and growl and try to snap ..Cant crate..confine him , he trys to break out and will hurt himself doing so..

    Any ideas will be appreciated..My 10 year old female basenji is fine wth kids

    0
  • eeeefarmE

    Obviously, keep the dog away from the kid! If you can't crate him, is there a fenced backyard where you can put him some of the time? Otherwise, you could tether him to yourself and keep him away from the child that way. Or perhaps there is a kennel or doggie daycare where you could park him for a few days? You can't really afford a bite, so it is up to you to keep both your dog and nephew safe. There are possible longer term solutions, but IMO there isn't really enough time to work on it when the visit is so soon.....

    "In order to get along with a Basenji, you have to be at least half as smart as the dog!"

    0
  • DebraDownSouthD

    Wow, I'm afraid that's pretty overwhelming to deal with and like eeeefarm said, no way on earth to do it in a week. However, you do need to begin working on it soon and plan on a very long time to turn this around. Because this dog has shown he will grown and try to bite, your risk of him actually biting, and your legal liability are huge.

    If you can buy or borrow a secure crate (they aren't cheap) that he can't get out of or hurt himself in, do so. If you can't, do what eeefarm suggested, and make darn sure that leash and collar are totally secure.

    Once your nephew has left, please get a trainer to start working with your family and this dog on both children and crating. They are very important and it can be overcome.

    Debra

    0

Suggested Topics

  • C

    Desperate for help with my biting basenji

    Behavioral Issues
    8
    0 Votes
    8 Posts
    10k Views
    M
    Hi - a few thoughts in case they are helpful, although ours doesn't bite. For biting: Figure out the reasons for biting first. if it is around toys/possessiveness - we gave him the toy on his bed and let him be there gnawing on his own. Then walked close by (not too close) and threw him something yummier in his view (eg a small piece of sausage that he can eat quickly) and walk away. Do this at random (though not too often) and have different people in your family do it. Soon she will associate your coming close to her and her favorite toy as something good. Progressively get closer (ie throw the sausage from closer), and then squat down, then touch on head briefly, then hand sausage to her, then move hand towards toy but don't touch it. By this time she will anticipate your coming to her when she has a toy as "yay, something more tasty coming my way". Evenutally, you should pick up the toy/bone hand her the sausage then hand back the toy/bone. Pretty soon she'll let you pick up her toy/bone without biting or thinking you are going to take it away. The key is to progress slowly in terms of distance etc, and mix up the treats (sausage, cheese, chicken). -if she does bite someone, then immediately isolate her in a basenji-proof room where she cant destroy things. And when letting her out, ask her to sit and be calm for a few seconds first so that she's not hysterical and she learns to watch and listen to you. There may be something else that one does for biting, so maybe others or a trainer would have good ideas. For pulling on walks, 2 things worked for us: A gentle leader - suggested by our trainer. This means she can't control her head (if they pull forward their head moves to the side like a horses halter) and so she won't be able to forge ahead. It will give your arm/shoulder immediate relief while you work on the rest. In the yard and on walks start rewarding with small treats every time she looks back at you/checks on you. At first she'll do it by chance, or if she is checking to see what you are doing, and sometimes it's a side glance. As soon as she does it - give big verbal praise and get her to come to you and give her a treat and lots of pets. She will begin to do this more often. initially treat every time she looks at you, and once she is good at it, then randomly. On walks you'll find her looking back and coming back to you more often, and as a corollary less pulling, which is a relief. We usually keep the leash in one hand and a handful of small, soft treats in the other - so you don't run out and have to keep going into your pocket to get treats. So, she'll come and nose your hand and you can pet some times, treat sometimes, etc. The one thing is to progress slowly, praise the right behavior and don't get impatient (count to 10, stop training or go do something else for a bit till you feel ready to try again). When doing the praise really have an excited voice and go overboard even! Our basenji really loves being praised. It takes more time perhaps than other methods, but it's long lasting because they see these behaviors as rewarding so you don't have to get into a battle of wills. And once they get the idea, they'll improve rapidly, even over one walk. Good luck!
  • W

    Why is my 8 month old digging?

    Behavioral Issues
    1
    0 Votes
    1 Posts
    2k Views
    No one has replied
  • T

    8 month old is biting…can't get him under control

    Behavioral Issues
    81
    0 Votes
    81 Posts
    45k Views
    Patty MP
    I'm a cheerleader for you and Tango! Please let us know what is going on, and remember, that we all have wonderful basenjis on our laps… I'm getting ready to go to bed, but here is my girl, all cuddled up in a cat-like curl, waiting for me to carry her to bed... and we live in FLORIDA? Too cute. :) Thank you for believing in Tango. He is new to this thing called life, and at the end of the day, all he wants to do is please you. I sincerely believe that basenjis are sensitive to our moods, and when they get scared/tense/mad and react, and then WE react... they react back. I'm so grateful that you didn't toss Tango into the basenji orphanage... I believe that he will be come the most loyal B there ever is! :)
  • K

    Issues with my 6 1/2 mo. old neutered brindle male basenji

    Behavioral Issues
    13
    0 Votes
    13 Posts
    6k Views
    agilebasenjiA
    @Jylly18: The only bad thing about the "trade" strategy, is that Tosca learned that everytime she takes something she shouldn't (DVD, Remote, etc) she will get a treat to give it back to me. This has actually reinforced the behavior more! So manipulative :) There are days I'd be happy for anyone to find the remote in this house! Just put it on a "find the remote" cue. (Or just put it up when you're finished with it. - nah)
  • VanessaV

    4mth Tri puts 1 year old in its place

    Behavioral Issues
    9
    0 Votes
    9 Posts
    3k Views
    tanzaT
    Years ago when all my kids were young… the girls would be under the covers and OJ's favorite thing was to walk on the top and paw the "lumps" to see what got a reaction.... it was pretty funny to here that typical Basenji noise from out of no place.... covered at they were.....
  • jys1011J

    Basenji Nipping Kids?

    Behavioral Issues
    39
    0 Votes
    39 Posts
    28k Views
    V
    I stopped a little hassle between my Basenjis the other night and was bitten. Yikes, those are sharp little teeth. I would hate to see a child bitten by any dog. Young children and dogs, not just Basenjis, need to be supervised; children should be taught respect for animals. I've seen many lovely pets 'go away' or be put down because one bit a child who was teasing or being cruel. Actually, in my opinion teasing is being cruel. I think children need a "time out" when they play too rough with animals, too.