My vet says my puppy is too aggressive

[Dagodingo]

@giira2121 Mine are muzzled at the vets, unless I am holding them and comfortable that I can control them. My two males have been fine with that. My female needed to be muzzled as she was fearful and hated the vets.

There are really two separate issues.

1. I don't look for a vet based on how the dog reacts, I choose one that is knowledgeable and competent. Vets simply don't have the time to put the dog at ease and all my Basenjis did not want to be poked by needles and examined.

2. It is safer for everyone if the dog is muzzled for the short period of time at the vets. It is the same as the crate argument, the crate is a safe environment for the dog. Any dog that shows any aggression should be muzzled at the vet, it protects the staff and also the other dogs.

[eeeefarm]

@Dagodingo, I agree entirely. Vets don't get "danger pay" for working with difficult dogs. As I indicated, never a problem with any of mine, but had I doubted my ability to control them I absolutely would have agreed to a muzzle. Reminds me of what my farrier said about unruly horses. "I get paid to trim hooves. If I have to train your horse to behave, that costs extra!" That said, some vets definitely have a better "bedside manner" than others.

[DonC]

He is so cute!

First off, if a vet thinks neutering will change aggressive behavior you should look for a new vet. That is such a discredited myth. If she doesn't know that what else doesn't she know?

Sounds like he is a bit of a butt head. When we took our five puppies in for their first shots, the four girls were like champs. Then we had "Jungle King". OMG. Took three vet techs and the vet to give him a shot. When we left people in the waiting room wanted to know what had happened he was so loud. Totally ridiculous. Not as ridiculous as your vet's suggesting your pup be neutered, but close!

It was the same for toe nail trimming. What a wuss.

On to the fear reaction: We kept one of the girls. Very gentle and mellow. We decided as part of socialization to leave her at doggie day care for one day a week. The first day we dropped her off we took her to the enclosure and left her. When we came to pick her up they told us to wait in the parking area below because people coming back agitated the dogs. We heard shrieking from hell, looked at each other, and said: "That sounds like it might be Diki." After more shrieking the main woman came out carrying Diki and told us she had biten one of the handlers when she went to pick her up. Apparently she thought she was going to be carried to her death.

Long story short this was the only time she has been aggressive. A good lesson that even a sweet natured Basenji will bite if they feel threatened enough. Not to say that all dogs would have interpreted the situation as she did. Just to say that strange environments can be very scary to a puppy. IOW I wouldn't be too concerned about this at this age.

Nails can be an issue. Try a grinder (like a Dremel). Not sure it matters for the dog but at least you don't take too much off and have them bleed. FWIW we've always given baths when they start to smell funky. They hate it but it's the price they have to pay to sleep in the bedroom with someone who has an exceptionally good sense of smell (not me).

[Isabob]

Don't walk!!!Run from that vet as soon as possible. I had the very same experience with a vet. Her Vet tech hated basenjis and I learned that to late. Because of something they did when I took him in to get him neutered, he has never been the same. They caused him to be very mistrustful of everyone. The last visit I took him to they ask me to muzzle him. He was so scared he got his muzzle off and they were both standing against a wall like he was going to attack them, when actually he just wanted to get away from them. When I tried to get the muzzle back on , I went home with a busted lip and bruises and scratches all over . Needless to say I never went back , but my daughter and husband took there little fufu dogs there and during a visit she told him Izzy was vicious and unpredictable. So the son in law didn't want him anywhere near there son. It caused real turmoil in my family. The new vet he has had for several years is fine with him, I have to muzzle him when we go in but the vet takes the time that he needs to get acquainted each time and then the vet takes the muzzle off and does what he needs to for the checkup. I wanted a basenji since I was 9 yrs old and finally got one in my 60s and the first vet ruined the whole experience for me. At my age I will not get the chance to try again. I have lived with anxiety every time we have company, fearing of him biting someone. You don't live in Nebraska, USA do you sounds all so familiar. Good luck in what you decide

[mikesull]

Hi - curious why so many are against neutering? Vet recommended that for me too but wasn’t pushing it or anything. Seems as if everyone I know has has their dog/cat spayed/neutered. Is it a city thing? My dog sniffs 3-20 different dogs a day on the beach/streets.

[JENGOSMonkey]

@mikesull So... others will correct me if I'm wrong and I invite that correction. Basenjis have been given a bad rap. They're somewhat rare, which means not a whole lot a vets know about them. They know what they've heard or read, but if there's no demand... why keep current? Doodles at $3,500. Basenjis at $1600. Demand? That's been my experience. At the same time I've never met a vet that was an @$$#*!# . All the vets I've met love animals. They just don't trust them all.

And, I get that. I just get nervous when that lack of trust might morph into lack of care. If a vet doesn't like my dog/breed... so what? If his/her care and expertise is solid... I'm good.

Basenjis are rare, they're weird, they can be feral, they can be vocal and they can seem nasty when they're just sayin' "I don't like that!", with a growl. IMO it's my responsibility to be my doggies' advocate. To size up the vet. I don't want to overreact. I don't want my vet to either.

Nurturing to early is bad. Bad, bad, bad. Did I mention that it's bad? I won't say never do it, but I'm convinced that it's bad too early. What's too early? Still trying to figure that out. I'm leaning towards 1.5 to 2 yo, but I'm NOT a scientist or a vet. I just don't know.

[Zande]

@jengosmonkey said in My vet says my puppy is too aggressive:

Nurturing to early is bad. Bad, bad, bad. Did I mention that it's bad? I won't say never do it, but I'm convinced that it's bad too early. What's too early? Still trying to figure that out. I'm leaning towards 1.5 to 2 yo, but I'm NOT a scientist or a vet. I just don't know.

Who are you nurturing ? I have long nurtured my Vets, taught them a great deal about the breed over the years and watched them grow into confident Basenji-philes, ready to take on any canine ailment my pack of Bs can design.

[JENGOSMonkey]

This post is deleted!

[Pawla]

giira2121 - Pharaoh is absolutely adorable!

I definitely agree that you need to find a new vet with whom both you and your basenji are comfortable. I took my basenji to 3 different vets - they were all great with my basenji, but I connected with the third vet who is super thorough and communicative. The attitude of the vet staff is equally important.

What really, really helps (behaviorally) is to take my basenji on an extra long walk right before a vet visit. It makes a huge difference in behavior - he is so much more relaxed. Maybe it would help Pharaoh. Just be sure to check with your vet whether or not they will need urine or stool samples because after a long walk, getting samples will be difficult.

As for your pup biting/nipping, perhaps your husband is playing rougher?

A tired basenji is a good basenji.

[Kembe]

@jengosmonkey said
“Nurturing to early is bad. Bad, bad, bad. Did I mention that it's bad?”

This is a TYPO - right? Nurturing - you meant Neutering?

[tanza]

@pawla - Totally agree, the office staff is MOST important along with the Vets themselves. I changed vets totally because of the office staff. As far as samples (stool/urine) your vet can supply you with containers and you can get them yourself before the visit.

[Zande]

@kembe Of course it was ! I just chose to take it literally because, for a fact, I HAVE nurtured my vets over the years !

Tongue in cheek, of course

[giira2121]

@pawla thank you so much on the compliment and advice. My husband plays with him without being rough but he nibbles, my husband does get serious with him and tells him no. He definitely doesnt treat him like a baby. Lol

[mikesull]

Hi - still not sure why neutering is “bad, bad, bad”? Understand if thats an opinion and thats cool but 100% of every dog owner i know has had their dog spayed/neutered. Seems the responsible thing to do as well?

[Zande]

@mikesull Too young is bad for the dog. You need to wait at least until hormonal and structural maturity. Best to wait, if you MUST do it at all, until they are at least three years old. But best not to neuter.

It is not difficult to take care he doesn't become a Dad unexpectedly. Over here dogs remain entire and we have almost no mixes at all.

[JENGOSMonkey]

@mikesull said in My vet says my puppy is too aggressive:

Hi - still not sure why neutering is “bad, bad, bad”? Understand if thats an opinion and thats cool but 100% of every dog owner i know has had their dog spayed/neutered. Seems the responsible thing to do as well?

I should have been more clear. Neutering TOO early is bad bad bad... IMO. From what I've learned it leads to weird things happening in males. For instance their legs can grown unusually long. Another way to put is that their bodies need the hormones to mature normally. Remove those hormones too early and the body gets confused. I'm not saying don't ever do it. I'm saying I'll never do it early again. I'm thinking no earlier than 1.5 to 2 yo. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think so.

[Zande]

@jengosmonkey said in My vet says my puppy is too aggressive:

no earlier than 1.5 to 2 yo. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think so.

No earlier, for sure. Best wait, if you MUST do it, until the animal is 3 at least.

[tanza]

@zande - As we have talked about, not the same in the US, sad to say. People do not want the responsibility be it a female or male. And the more that get dogs for "whoever" the more chances that they will breed them and have puppies. And then there are the people that want to breed "because their children should see the miracle of birth"... NOT

[eeeefarm]

@tanza, and also many breeders insist on their pups being neutered if they are not being shown. And often co-ownership if the dog is intact and showing. When I got Perry at 3 years old, he was intact, but I had to promise to send proof of neutering as a condition of having him.

[Zande]

@tanza I'm just pointing out that too early is NOT good for the dog.

Its such a shame that the mindset over there is so different to that over here. I have long since accepted that as fact, although with extreme reluctance.

But @JENGOSMonkey was saying not before 1.5 - 2 years. And that he didn't think that was 'too early'.

For the development of the dog, yes it IS too early. But it will happen, over and over again. Such a shame.