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How we got through the first years of "whacko dog" and some tips for you

Behavioral Issues

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  • Couple of "Issues" with my Basenji

    Behavioral Issues
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    P
    I completely forgot about this topic, but I figure I would reply (after a 4 month hiatus) with updates. Thank you all for your responses. Marvel no longer bites (what a relief!). It stopped around the time that all of his adult teeth were falling out, so I assume it was related to the discomfort of his baby teeth. He will play bite every now and then, but nothing drastic. Marvel no longer wakes up absurdly early now that he's 6 months old, as someone pointed out. He typically gets up when we do except for the rare occasion here and there. Marvel has been marvelous and his behavior only gets better. The only "issue" we deal with now is his separation anxiety when we leave him in a crate. I'll probably make a separate topic on this. And he seems to be strangely attached/dominant to my girlfriends underwear when he manages to get a hold of it... Thanks! Peter
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    bellabasenjiB
    @Quercus: …I can't imagine a dog in a real fight taking the chance of turning his back on the attacker. Though, I am used to seeing girl, girl fights...where neither girl is willing to surrender...it could be that a dog who really doesn't want to fight will try to protect his head and neck by offering other 'parts'...it would definitely indicate that the other dog wasn't reading his signs correctly...either by the dog offering surrender, or running away...it isn't really appropriate for the attacking dog to continue attacking... This is probably what may have happened. I don't think anyone actually saw the fight… So it's hard to tell, but my friend now thinks it is a part of male dominance fighting! I told them I would ask on here and see if it is common or not...
  • "Stupid Dog" kind of night…...

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    JazzysMomJ
    @Ninabeana26: That's a basenji for ya right? :p Yup, for "unpredictable" dogs, they sure are "predictable". :D Still think he's a big turd.;) And honestly, if Jazz would just scoot over….......:rolleyes:
  • First bath

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    MomOfMyaM
    Basenji 500! Love it!!!
  • "Conquering"

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    N
    I think you're Mom's on the right track. By adopting a 'submissive' pose, you're making the dog anxious. She thinks she's expected to do something, but she's not sure what. She would prefer it if you would act like a grownup, so she won't have to! What is inoccuous or meaningless to us can be very significant in 'dog culture.' Basenjis are all about the pack and have a lot of ancient customs we don't always understand. It's part of their intrigue and charm.
  • There was a little dog…

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    J
    Thanks for your replies. I guess in the spontanaity of the moment I did as I do with my other dogs, a no and then a quick taking the thing away since I'm boss and I'm the owner of everything ultimately. I do believe Rowdy was not being the bad growling type bite – he took his front teeth and nipped at my arm, pinching it, but it hurt! I will try to work on the "leave it" command, since I taught that to my mom's poodle and it worked well. Rowdy is smart and is finally getting some of the house rules down. Though he's sneaky when he isn't resting beside you and you forget to watch him... :)