Sudden aggression!

[Pongo]

Thanks everyone for your help. i will try the treat thing and see how things work out. as far as i can tell, pongo likes to be petted. and loves to cuddle. i just dont understand why he is doing this. he hasnt been in for a vet check up and doest seem to be in any pain anywhere because of anything. i will talk to the breeder and see what she says.

[tanza]

I would still suggest that you look into a behaviorist for help… especially when you don't see or understand the reasons behind something that is happening... it makes it very difficult to resolve the issues... The simple fact that he had problems early on makes me think that while you might think these issues are resolved and they well might be, he has moved those problems now to other people.

[lvoss]

I agree with Pat that it would be a good idea to seek an outside opinion. The fact that this came on pretty suddenly and has escalated to snapping pretty quickly would make me really want to get this under control before it escalates further.

[Mantis]

Pongo, a 7 month old is a challenging age all by itself.

My 6 month old has all of his adult teeth now and has been biting anything and everything very hard. He is beginning to learn bite sensitivity and that is probably an additional factor in your story.

If a basenji changes behavior suddenly it is important to verify that your basenji isnt in pain or discomfort first. And, basenjis dont all show pain the same way. My female would just shake, my male would be very growly when he had a bladder infection.

I would suggest asking your vet to do a fecal, urine and blood test. You may also want to check his eyes as well. Trainers suggest massaging your dog all over and in the mouth to get them used to handeling. It is a good way to note any painful areas.

I can say it is very bizare behavior for a 7month old to growl and want to bite if you have had him since he was 8weeks without anything traumatic going on.

I do remember that around 7 months is when I began yelling, "no" at Caesar and he became far more difficult, never growling, but difficult. Socialing him in an obedience class with lots of other people and dogs would be a good way to work on training and how he addresses others (your rules). It also helped me understand and communicate with him.

Keep us posted.

[Duke]

Very good suggestions Mantis. DITTO on the Obedience training. That is a great way to socialize a puppy. The training instructor is with you for hands on help. PetSmart offers very good classes and they are reasonably priced.

[Pongo]

Pongo has already taken puppy kindergarden and basic obedience classes. his last class was about 2 months ago. im afraid to enroll him in any more classes because i dont want him "attacking" or biting anyone. i will get ahold of the vet and see what they have to say. i got the same suggestions from the breeder and she also told me to try a water bottle. everytime someone comes over and pongo begins to growl likes he about to attack, i spray him. i guess im not suppose to acknoledge him but just spray him. so far it seems to work. he stops growling for a few seconds and cant figure out what just happened. when (on the very few occasions) he is ok with someone being around him i tell him good boy and give him his favorite treat. i guess i will try this for a little while and see how this works out. thanks again for everyones help. as i have been monatoring his behavior latly i can see that he trusts my husband and i am would never snap at us for anything. when he is on the couch or being held by my husband and i and someone even just walks too close to him, he snaps. it seems like a pertective thing then. but when we is just walking around and someone comes close to him, his fur gets raised, ears go back, and he will not take his eye off that person. its like he is catious, nervous even. its strange. but im going to try everything i can think of to get this resolved. ill keep you posted. thanks!

[Quercus]

He is resource guarding you. I would not squirt him when he growls, you will teach him not to growl and go straight to bite. You really need a behaviorist, one familiar with positive reinforcement techniques.

Breeders are a great source for a whole lot of information; but for aggression problems, see an aggression specialist

Find the leash aggression thread, and go to article that yodeldogs posted…that will explain why correction doesn't work well in this situation.

[basenjibratz]

Aside from having Pongo checked out by the vet to rule out any health issues, I would say that Pongo maybe attempting to make his place in the pecking order.

It seems like he is not recognizing his place and he is challenging the order.

How are you treating him at home?
Is he treated like a dog first and not like a human?
Does he earn his food? Do you make him follow basic commands like sit/wait before being served?
Check out how you are dealing with him and make sure that you're not treating him like an equal.
He might be challenging his position and trying to be top dog in the house and with others.

[Mantis]

im afraid to enroll him in any more classes because i dont want him "attacking" or biting anyone.

If you have taken several obedience classes then you shouldnt have these types of problems that treats will easily fix. I would expect with yout training in the class you would know how to address your basenji.

My dogs will raise their hair like a mowhawk when scared at the dog park on first meeting. They posture and hop around not letting anyone close to them.

It is very strange that your boy would growl/bite.

I would do a vet check to rule out health issues.

[tanza]

I hate to say this, but reading that post, Pongo is ruling the house or better said, confused on "who" should rule the house…. Pongo thinks it is his job to protect you and your husband from everyone.

IMO, the water bottle is not the way to go. He needs to learn that people are good things... not something that causes a surprise....which again IMO can lead to even more aggression.

[Quercus]

Personally, I don't think this has anything to do with pack order…not surprising for anybody who knows me Sounds to me like he is a nervous, resource guarder. He growls because he is afraid of anybody taking away, or getting in between him and his precious

[Pongo]

Honestly, Quercus i agree with that. i do know that my husband and i have worked very hard to establish dominence with Pongo. he obeys everything we say, and IS the dog in the house. we make him wait for his food, show him that we are the first ones out the door, and he even goes to bed (in the crate) when we tell him to "go to bed". he is a very good dog overall. i will look into a behavioralist and im going to talk to our obedience trainer tonight. if anything, i think pongo is reacting in nervousness or fear or protecting his territory. i thought we had done a good job socializing pongo but maybe im wrong? i dont know.

[tanza]

@Pongo:

Honestly, Quercus i agree with that. i do know that my husband and i have worked very hard to establish dominence with Pongo. he obeys everything we say, and IS the dog in the house. we make him wait for his food, show him that we are the first ones out the door, and he even goes to bed (in the crate) when we tell him to "go to bed". he is a very good dog overall. i will look into a behavioralist and im going to talk to our obedience trainer tonight. if anything, i think pongo is reacting in nervousness or fear or protecting his territory. i thought we had done a good job socializing pongo but maybe im wrong? i dont know.

Resource guarding is fairly common… and sometimes it happens (as do many behavior problems) without you even knowing it is happening.... just like "bang" one day it is there... It is very easy to miss the little things....so don't get down on yourself... at least you reconize the problem and are ready to correct it. I agree that a behaviorist would be the best choice....

[tanza]

@basenjibratz:

Aside from having Pongo checked out by the vet to rule out any health issues, I would say that Pongo maybe attempting to make his place in the pecking order.

It seems like he is not recognizing his place and he is challenging the order.

How are you treating him at home?
Is he treated like a dog first and not like a human?
Does he earn his food? Do you make him follow basic commands like sit/wait before being served?
Check out how you are dealing with him and make sure that you're not treating him like an equal.
He might be challenging his position and trying to be top dog in the house and with others.

And I agree with Andrea that this behavior is not "challenging for position".. but guarding "his" humans….

[Quercus]

@Pongo:

Honestly, Quercus i agree with that. i do know that my husband and i have worked very hard to establish dominence with Pongo. he obeys everything we say, and IS the dog in the house. we make him wait for his food, show him that we are the first ones out the door, and he even goes to bed (in the crate) when we tell him to "go to bed". he is a very good dog overall. i will look into a behavioralist and im going to talk to our obedience trainer tonight. if anything, i think pongo is reacting in nervousness or fear or protecting his territory. i thought we had done a good job socializing pongo but maybe im wrong? i dont know.

Is your trainer using positive reinforcement training?

One thing that I learned recently regarding dogs with issues like this (I have two of them, by the way!) is that the socializing, and desensitizing them to strangers is often done in a way that makes the problem more intense for the dog. It is best for the OWNER to feed treats to the dog, as the dog meets new people…not the STRANGER feeding the dog. When the stranger feeds the dog, it makes the dog VERY conflicted..."I am really nervous, but I want the treat too" so it draws the dog towards the thing they are nervous about. This is something that I did wrong socializing our first and second basenjis.

IME, six and seven months is the first time that you start to see the personality that the adult dog will have. You can see hints of it when they are baby puppies, but as they mature you really start to see who they are. Is Pongo neutered? Sometimes neutering helps the kind of growly/bitey behavior.

[nomrbddgs]

Just a little further info-if you react to him in a certain way when this happens, and your husband reacts in a different way this may have some bearing on how he reacts in these situations. An eg is My Shadow nips at males that come in the house-only when I'm not there. There are 4 girls in the house-2 spayed and 2 not. If my husband is there he will nip-if I'm there he will not-because I won't put up with it. I'm not saying anything either way, just watch everyone's reactions. This may give you some further clues as to what is going on.

[tanza]

@tanza:

Resource guarding is fairly common… and sometimes it happens (as do many behavior problems) without you even knowing it is happening.... just like "bang" one day it is there... It is very easy to miss the little things....so don't get down on yourself... at least you reconize the problem and are ready to correct it. I agree that a behaviorist would be the best choice....

I should have said that resource guarding is common in many, many breeds, not just Basenjis.

[tanza]

@Quercus:

Is your trainer using positive reinforcement training?

One thing that I learned recently regarding dogs with issues like this (I have two of them, by the way!) is that the socializing, and desensitizing them to strangers is often done in a way that makes the problem more intense for the dog. It is best for the OWNER to feed treats to the dog, as the dog meets new people…not the STRANGER feeding the dog. When the stranger feeds the dog, it makes the dog VERY conflicted..."I am really nervous, but I want the treat too" so it draws the dog towards the thing they are nervous about. This is something that I did wrong socializing our first and second basenjis.

IME, six and seven months is the first time that you start to see the personality that the adult dog will have. You can see hints of it when they are baby puppies, but as they mature you really start to see who they are. Is Pongo neutered? Sometimes neutering helps the kind of growly/bitey behavior.

That is a great point Andrea… and I totally agree.... the owner should be the one feeding the treats and the stranger/friend just being there.... by the owner not reacting to the person and keep feeding/talking prasing their dog makes the dog feel like "OK, I don't have to be in control, Mom/Dad have the situation under control.... and if they are comfortable with the person, I can be too"...

[Pongo]

the fact that i should be feeding the treats to him and not what makes him nervous is a very good point. i havent been doing that just right. i will try that out. and pongo probably is resouce gaurding or gaurding us. i did talk with his trainer. (which by the way is a positive reinforcer trainer) she asked me to come in next week. she wants me to enrol him into the beyond basic obedience class so she can she how he acts and help us out. she is very good and has been a trainer for over 20 years and has delt with basenjis before. i feel confident in her and i will let you know how his classes go.
also, pongo has not been neutured. she said that is prob. part of the reason he is acting this way. i dont want to neuter him becuase i hope to show him. thanks for all the support and help

[Quercus]

@Pongo:

the fact that i should be feeding the treats to him and not what makes him nervous is a very good point. i havent been doing that just right. i will try that out. and pongo probably is resouce gaurding or gaurding us. i did talk with his trainer. (which by the way is a positive reinforcer trainer) she asked me to come in next week. she wants me to enrol him into the beyond basic obedience class so she can she how he acts and help us out. she is very good and has been a trainer for over 20 years and has delt with basenjis before. i feel confident in her and i will let you know how his classes go.
also, pongo has not been neutured. she said that is prob. part of the reason he is acting this way. i dont want to neuter him becuase i hope to show him. thanks for all the support and help

I sent you a private message I totally understand what you are feeling. Our first B was pretty much the same way with strangers.