Lots more information needed here. As Debra asked, how old? How long have you had this dog? Is this a new behaviour and if so how recently has it appeared? What training have you done with this dog? IMO, it isn't unusual for a Basenji to object to doing something it doesn't want to do (or when asked to cease doing something it does want to do!), but usually this will be only a grumble and if it has escalated to biting or threatening to bite you need to deal with it, and if you aren't confident then you need help from a qualified trainer.
First Attack
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We have a routine in my house.
Each dog had to sit and each dogs dish is put in the same place every time.
Cody is on the left, Shasta's is in the right.
If the dogs are in the wrong place, they will self correct…
They know they have to be where they belong before the food is put down.
Maybe that will be something to try.
Oh, they are usually fed a few feet away, so its pretty close. -
I am sorry you had to deal with that Jill…what a pain! The way I tell a 'real' fight from a 'not so real' fight, is how the dogs act afterward. If the dogs are fine afterward, nobody seems stressed, or tense, then it was a minor argument. If they are tense, or one dog is fearful, then it was probably a real fight that had more meaning than just 'hey that is mine'.
Sounds like Duke just lost his mind being excited over the food, and displaced his angst on Daisy. As you already figured Jill, the best way to deal with it, is just not let them hover while you get the food ready. Anticipation can really build a lot of tension in a hungry dog. You might not get the same reaction over a dropped bit of food, because there isn't a lot of build up. Also, Daisy has most likely learned...if it hits the floor, it is Duke's...and that is how they learn.
I think you hit the nail on the head again, Andrea. Afterward, Duke went right in his crate. Daisy was circling about making her sounds. She wanted Duke out of there (I think). Duke immediatly wanted my approval of him when he got out. He seemed sorry - Daisy gave him a lip lick and off they went outside together. I didn't see any behavior difference. So like Max & Cleo - they're life mates and I'll have to watch Duke's temper best I can. Yes - he lost him mind. The hard part is learning to know when the potential of an eruption exists - it was so quick. Daisy and I both got something out of it.
Thanks to all for your wisdom and advice here. We don't need anyone going to the vets for injuries during the holidays. The $$ would be better put to use on chewies wrapped up under the tree.
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The scariest thing was when my injured dog screamed in pain and our other dog immediately viciously attacks trying to kill him, it appeared. It scared the heck out of my wife & myself!
I saw the same thing happen in a nature show where the pack rips apart an injured member.
I was at least able to pick her up off of him (then he bites me!)
Our Female does this, and once again shows she is a very primitive, instinct driven dog. The same goes for killing small animals. It's instantaneous, no playing involved, all business- It certainly brings up her African lineage in the back of my mind. She turns into a wild animal at the flick of a switch.
Our tri seems to be getting better everyday, but we are still trying to keep his activity down (no walks or jumping up & off things), still on meds
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Glad that he is doing better… mine are the complete opposite... they "care" for the wounded and sick.. totally... Since Maggii has been in renal failure they all treat her with the up most respect and very kindly... when she just had the major dental last week, when she came home they all huddled around her in "protective" mode...
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The scariest thing was when my injured dog screamed in pain and our other dog immediately viciously attacks trying to kill him, it appeared. It scared the heck out of my wife & myself!
I saw the same thing happen in a nature show where the pack rips apart an injured member.
I was at least able to pick her up off of him (then he bites me!)
Our Female does this, and once again shows she is a very primitive, instinct driven dog. The same goes for killing small animals. It's instantaneous, no playing involved, all business- It certainly brings up her African lineage in the back of my mind. She turns into a wild animal at the flick of a switch.
Our tri seems to be getting better everyday, but we are still trying to keep his activity down (no walks or jumping up & off things), still on meds
Yes, bad fights will expose you to the ugly side of a Basenji. I've seen that, let's attack the bleeding one…..it is very very scary.
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Again, I have seen that too, all jump on the bleeding one when there is a bad fight… but unlike Barklessdog, I have never had one jump a sick or injured one... like her bitch is doing to the Tri dog....
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She is the most gentle loving dog. She never bites anyone. She's as sweet as she can be, then wham, the instinct switch gets flipped and all that goes out the window, then the sweet switch goes back on just as fast???
It comes from genetic programming as this is not a learned behavior. The Tri does not have a clue on these instincts (except biting people). It's just so bizarre how they are so different, yet have their primitive sides, different, but just as bad.
I guess you have to remember they are still animals and very efficient predators and as much as we would like them to have human values, they can't.
99% of the time she's a huge love bug- it's just so shocking when they flip that switch.
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Again, I have seen that too, all jump on the bleeding one when there is a bad fight… but unlike Barklessdog, I have never had one jump a sick or injured one... like her bitch is doing to the Tri dog....
Me neither, just the injured/bleeding one during/after a fight.
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That's part of fact that on one side she is the most gentle loving dog. She never bites anyone. She's as sweet as she can be, then wham, the instinct switch gets flipped and all that goes out the window, then the sweet switch goes back on just as fast???
I guess you have to remember they are still animals and very efficient predators and as much as we would like them to have human values, they can't.
99% of the time she's a huge love bug- it's just so shocking when they flip that switch.
I tell people all the time you have to remember, they are dogs. They act so humanlike at times we tend to not treat them like dogs and more like our kids.
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I don't give mine human values.. just stating that my Basenjis do not attack the injured/sick…
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Dogs provide a unique bond that many humans can't provide- unconditional love.
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I don't give mine human values.. just stating that my Basenjis do not attack the injured/sick…
Thinking back,
We did have a terrier mix that had a cancer growth removed and the day we brought her home from the Vet the Basenji's acted a little weird, hoovering around her with these strange looks and my wife thought they would attack her if we didn't keep them away. It was fresh from surgery, dried blood and so on…......it was weird though.
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I would also like to add, that she only does this when he is screaming in pain.
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My two have had such bad fights that they now live on separate floors in my house. Rosie attacks Willie - she's much smaller, but much more fierce when she fights than he is. It's pretty scarey stuff - the first time they got into it when I was around, I thought Willie's ear would be ripped off when he got up. She's quiet, but he's usually screaming because she's just too quick for him and she's pulling on some part or another. They worked up to this gradually and I'm now in the process of trying to get them back together, at least when I'm home. I don't think I'll ever feel okay about leaving them together when I'm not around.
Your fight does sound like a little food frenzy rather than a real fight.
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Just to weigh in…I haven't had my Bs try to kick each other when they are down...but they do get nervous when somebody comes home smelling like the vet (well, not the vet...the vet's office...you know what I mean
)But I have seen this in gorillas from when I worked at the zoo. It was instantaneous. If a gorilla started getting ill, or injured, the subordinate gorillas of the same sex (usually females, since generally you don't keep multiple males) would immediatey start to pick fights with the ill one. The two who were the worst were two sisters that were both wishing to have the highest status (non-Silverback) status in the group. They had status issues going on all the time, though...and you may see that same behavior in dogs that have ongoing, but supressed status issues when one gets sick.
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I'm guilty of treating my Bs like kids sometimes and like they have human values/feelings….but I did see a program on tv recently about a study done on animals feeling "love" and other emotions--like grief. It was very interesting. And I do know some people whom I think my dogs have more feelings/values than
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After all things said and done - today for the first time ever - Duke laid in his crate for an afternoon nap. I was up & down doing errands and think - it's strange one or both aren't following me! hmmm . . . I find Duke in his crate and behind him on the rear half of his comfy fluffy bed is Daisy - snoozing away! I couldn't believe my eyes - I had to look twice to see if it was really Daisy lying with her head resting on top of Dukes behind. Duke would never-never-never let her come close when he rested - always he sounded a warning growl. I went and grabbed my camera and darn if the thing crapped out on me today. Yeah - it's dead. New batteries wouldn't wake it up. Darn - I had a Kodak moment and don't know if I'll see that again. I hope maybe that scary attack on Daisy was a turning point in their relationship. Is there love after all?
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Okay! Am I going nuts? Here is this thread about Daisy and Duke's fight and suddenly in the midst of the thread (top of page 3), I have a picture posted by Barklessdog that is so funny that it is almost disturbing. It is of a tricolor B in a Santa outfit. Now…the picture clearly has nothing to do with the thread but no one else has even commented on it.......which leads me to wonder if I'M the only one who has the picture. Tell me....are the voices in my head now showing me pictures!? Does anyone else have the picture? It is funny.Pat
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No, we all are seeing it… personally I think it is a little over the top
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Okay! Am I going nuts? Here is this thread about Daisy and Duke's fight and suddenly in the midst of the thread (top of page 3), I have a picture posted by Barklessdog that is so funny that it is almost disturbing. It is of a tricolor B in a Santa outfit. Now…the picture clearly has nothing to do with the thread but no one else has even commented on it.......which leads me to wonder if I'M the only one who has the picture. Tell me....are the voices in my head now showing me pictures!? Does anyone else have the picture? It is funny.Pat
What? Does that strike you as strange?
