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Help with biting

Behavioral Issues
  • C

    Hello everyone! My first time here. I have a Basenji that is not very friendly with anyone except my husband and I. Anyone comes we have to shut him up, cause he would bite. Is this natural? He is 7 years old and can anyone tell me how to control him when someone is around? Would love to hear your response.

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  • sekoS

    2 threads on this site speaking of bitting problems:

    http://www.basenjiforums.com/showthread.php?t=258
    http://www.basenjiforums.com/showthread.php?t=238

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  • QuercusQ

    @concessionlady:

    Hello everyone! My first time here. I have a Basenji that is not very friendly with anyone except my husband and I. Anyone comes we have to shut him up, cause he would bite. Is this natural? He is 7 years old and can anyone tell me how to control him when someone is around? Would love to hear your response.

    You might have his thyroid checked. Sometimes, unexplainable aggression can be caused by a failing thyroid gland. You need to have a full panel run, regardless of what your vet might tell you.

    Good luck :)

    Andrea Walters

    Quercus Basenjis

    NW Ohio

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  • DebraDownSouthD

    If this dog has always been that way, the likelihood of changing him and him being trustworthy may be more than it's worth. I don't see a problem with putting him up with people are over if it fits your lifestyle. if it doesn't, then there are things to do to help retrain. if it is a NEW problem, then I would worry seriously about health issues, such as andrea suggested (thyroid aggression).

    Debra

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  • D

    Hello I'm New , My Daisy Is A Biter. If You Touch Her Sometimes. She Seems Really Sensitive All The Time. She Can Be Fully Awake And Loving Than It Switches. She Has Gottin Us Good A Couple Times. I Don't Know Why She Can Turn Like That She Is A Spoiled Pooch. Do You Have Any Ideas What I Could Do.

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    Saving money sometimes isn't the best route… a full thyroid panel gives massively more information. But a low dose won't hurt, and as Pat said, if it doesn't help, you wean off easily and done.
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    You aren't likely to find a Basenji specific trainer. You need to look for someone in your area. Perhaps some other forum members know of someone. Any good trainer can probably help you, but it would be advantageous if they have worked with the breed. Best way to find out is by referral from someone else with a Basenji, but otherwise check out what you see on line, and phone them and ask. Whereabouts in Michigan are you located? Ah, Pat, you beat me to it! :)
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    @AJs: This might be relevant… My cat of Questionable Heritage is the most friendly animal anyone will ever meet. She has never met a stranger. There is a very rare visitor who does not wind up with a cat on his or her lap. My step-mom is wonderful with animals, pet-sits for everyone and can approach the meanest junk-yard dogs anyone has ever seen. She can even "pet" bees. They won't sting her. They met each other when Sumi was a kitten. Sumi took an instant dislike to my step-mom. To this day, when Mom comes to visit, Sumi hisses, whacks her on the leg and stalks out of the room. Sumi has never done this with anyone else in her life. My point is, sometimes, animals take a disliking to someone for no apparent reason and there is no convincing the animal otherwise. It is not necessarily a reflection on either the person or the animal. Perhaps this is the case here. Like Forest Gump says " A Basenji is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you gonna get".
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    @sharronhurlbut: Re car rides, this is going to sound odd, but it does work for me and my 2 dogs. Even if you have walked your dogs before a car trip, I find the excitement of the "get into the car" and going makes there guts act up. So, here is what we do. We take the dogs a lot on vacation when we go by car. We walk the dogs in the am, feed and water. Get them into the car. Drive about 2 miles and stop and let them out to walk. Both always pee and poo when we stop. Once back in the car, they settle and are quiet. About a hr or so into the ride, they start to get "ACTIVE" again…we stop at a rest area, they go, and then they sleep the rest of the way. Could be the excitement of leaving home, the motion of the car or whatever, but these stops, even tho you want to get going...make the trip much easier on all involved. Give it a try. All you can lose is a bit of time... Sharron…I've had friends use that method as well...so I think you (and them) are on to something. Wizard...It is a tough road, separation anxiety. I never had much success with the DAP - spray or plug-in...and I used both for about half a year. I finally gave up on it. Although, my vet and the pet store I bought it at said they knew of people that had had success with it. Good for you for working with a behaviorist...they definitely will have better ideas about things to try. The second beastie was the golden ticket for Ruby though...and seriously, I've found that 2 b's are so much easier than one. So much so that I'm thinking of adding another either this year or next...and for that I might need my head examined.