Can a male Basenji live with another male dog?

[karann]

I had two male basenjis who got along great until they turned on each other viciously in early sep and we could never bring them back together. We tried to bring them back together many times but never could. Hired a trainer. Etc if they got access to each other they would start to fight viciously and draw blood and it would be hard to separate them without getting hurt yourself. I’ll never have two males again; it was an awful experience.

[Zande]

In September ? of course they mixed it ! But have a read of something I wrote (from experience) some years ago now.

http://www.zandebasenjis.com/rutting.htm

Even if the boys have been cut (Ganymedes and Rodi were both entire) it makes no difference. You can cut off the how-to but that doesn't remove the primordial instincts which come to the fore at certain times of the year.

"The survival of the Breed depends on ME !"

[DonC]

@karann said in Can a male Basenji live with another male dog?:

I had two male basenjis who got along great until they turned on each other viciously in early sep and we could never bring them back together. We tried to bring them back together many times but never could.

As others have mentioned, you're more likely to find this behavior with two females. Less often with two males. But those are tendencies. Dogs, like people, are social creatures, and some individuals can be harder or easier to get along with than others.

[Zande]

@donc said in Can a male Basenji live with another male dog?:

some individuals can be harder or easier to get along with than others.

Love it !!!

[tanza]

@zande - I do agree that boys are easier than girls, my point was I don't think that two males are much different than two bitches with the exception that I noted that if they do fight, many times it is easier to get males back together than bitches that getting them back together after a knock down fight is slim to none. And I do typically recommend males to people.

[flbasenji]

I have fostered many basenjis, ~200, from many different backgrounds and have b-sat intact males and females. I regularly have more than ten basenjis running together. Some seem to prefer pals of the same sex. I've had to be more careful with some males together, but the same applies to females. The ones more challenging were larger, so my experience has been that more males were a little more difficult to integrate than females since the males tend to be larger. Perhaps their slightly larger size made it easier for them to intimidate prior owners and set up a behavior pattern that was difficult to change.
To minimize the potential for issues, they are not left together unsupervised until it is quite apparent that they know our rules - no one gets to be top dog. No fighting allowed. Even when they are playing, I end the fun before it gets out of hand. I have seen many times when a couple started to get too rough. They do not forget quickly, so I try to make sure no one has a bad experience particularly prior to having lots of good interactions.
Note that all of this may go out the window if one gets sick. I have had fosters who were fine in adoptive homes for a year, when suddenly attacks started. As one example, the attackee ended up having lymphoma and had passed within half a year of the first attack. One really just has to constantly be vigilant because the game can change at any moment. That's part of the fun with basenjis.

[Zande]

@flbasenji Well done for being big hearted enough to foster so many Basenjis and to give them a chance of a good life. I take my hat off to you, you deserve heartfelt thanks from the Fancy.

[flbasenji]

@zande Thank you! I am lucky enough to have been in the right place at the right time for so many - and to have a setup which has accommodated so many different stages of need as well as a spouse who puts up with the zoo!

[eeeefarm]

@flbasenji said in Can a male Basenji live with another male dog?:

Note that all of this may go out the window if one gets sick. I have had fosters who were fine in adoptive homes for a year, when suddenly attacks started. As one example, the attackee ended up having lymphoma and had passed within half a year of the first attack. One really just has to constantly be vigilant because the game can change at any moment. That's part of the fun with basenjis.

Absolutely! I have observed this with both dogs and horses over the years. Animals notice a change in others and may take advantage of perceived weakness. Changes in the pecking order can have serious repercussions for the animal who ends up "demoted". Some can deal with a change in status, some do not do well at all and you can see the decline. Good on you for keeping the peace and making sure all know the rules! :slightly_smiling_face:

[karann]

@donc yes I’ve also read and heard that this happens more often with two females.

[DonC]

@flbasenji said in Can a male Basenji live with another male dog?:

I have fostered many basenjis, ~200, from many different backgrounds and have b-sat intact males and females.
....
Note that all of this may go out the window if one gets sick.

I'll second (or third or fourth) Zande's expression of gratitude. So kind of you to do this.

On the sick part, I've seen this as well but only for serious illnesses. IOW not if a dog has an intestinal issue or something similar. More like cancer or, for sure, something like a seizure. Definitely law of the jungle.

[RugosaB]

I have never had any luck with 2 intact males living together. Got one neutered, and problems were solved.

[Zande]

@donc said in Can a male Basenji live with another male dog?:

Note that all of this may go out the window if one gets sick

Interestingly, I have always found the exact opposite with my pack of Basenjis over the years.

As well as being very sensitive to their human family if someone is ill or feeling under the weather, they are also very solicitous of each other. I have a photograph of three entire males curled up together. Two are kind of surrounding the third - a very old man who had to be helped across the Rainbow Bridge a couple of days later.

Those two knew something was seriously wrong and were 'supportiing' the old man who up to then had been the pack alpha.

Hoover has acupuncture to ease spasmodic pain when she moves in certain ways. Surgery might be possible but the length of recovery time, the length of anaesthesia etc, at her age ? when we can control her pain with acu, Diazepam and other pain killers and muscle relaxants. I prefer to go that path. She can go days with nothing wrong and then, like all of us, has a bad day. Those days Mku curls up close, licks her face, cleans her ears and is obvious aware something is wrong with his old friend. She appreciates it, I know.

So I am not convinced Basenji packs follow the law of the jungle. I think the pack instinct is stronger.

[eeeefarm]

@zande said in Can a male Basenji live with another male dog?:

@donc said in Can a male Basenji live with another male dog?:

Note that all of this may go out the window if one gets sick

Interestingly, I have always found the exact opposite with my pack of Basenjis over the years.

I have seen it both ways, and it may well turn on the prior relationship of the dogs. With my two girls, Tamu was considerate of Lady when she started to fail, waiting patiently until Lady settled for the night before curling up with her, but with Sunny, who was never welcomed by Tamu, the situation was quite different, and he took some advantage when Tamu could no longer bully him. I am sure he did not miss her when she died.

[Salemsockmonkey]

Yes. We also have a male TFT Toy fox terrier We adopted him when our Basenji was six. They are true brothers.

[Zande]

@eeeefarm said in Can a male Basenji live with another male dog?:

Tamu was considerate of Lady when she started to fail,

The Duchess, a bitch bred by us, went to live with a another Basenji bitch. When Tok started to fail, the Duchess felt it her duty to feed her and went miles out over the fields, hunting.

She brought back flea-ridden rabbits on an almost daily basis which she gently nosed towards the aging Tok. While she appreciated the deed, their owner didn't like the choice of diet which the Duchess provided for her friend.

She was utterly devastated when finally Tok crossed the Bridge at 15 +