Skip to content
Basenji Forums
  1. Home
  2. Behavioral Issues
  3. Female aggression to older female

Female aggression to older female

Behavioral Issues
  • G

    I just joined your group looking for help. We live in New Jersey (AC area)
    and recently adopted a 6 mo. old female Besenji boxer mix, (we decided that by looking at pictures on yours and other websites) who was abandoned in a kennel in Orlando, Fl. We have two other older dogs,female Border collie 13 years, male Australian Cattle dog 9 years. We have the Besenji for 4 months, she just finished her first season and obediance training. 6 to 7 weeks ago she started to fight with the oldest dog (female). The problem is that the fight is vicious there is blood and their faces are marked from the fights. My wife and I love our new dog she is really very sweet, two weeks have gone by without an incident and yesterday it happened again. The attacks are usually caused by a show of affection to the older female. Our besenji is very smart and did great in training but the trainer tod me that I should think about getting rid of her because of the attacking behavior. We don't want to get rid of her and would try to do whatever we can to work-out the problem with the old border collie. Is ther any hope that we can work it out or do we need to find her a home?

    George

    0
  • S

    You might have to run 2 packs…this fighting will probably continue.
    Sorry, I know that is not what you want to hear.

    Sharron Hurlbut

    BRAT, basenji rescue

    Evergreen basenji club

    Seattle Purebred Dog Rescue

    0
  • G

    You mean get more dogs? The three we have now keeps us busy although we could manage one more but I'm afraid that won't be a gurantee to our problem. My wife is determined to keep our new dog and I would also like to. do we get another female or male? What happens to our alpha cattle dog?

    0
  • tanzaT

    Sharron is right and she means that you will have to always keep the two dogs separate (ie: running two packs)… typically with "blood" fights, bitches never forget and the fights only get worse... been there, done that

    Pat Fragassi

    Tanza Basenjis

    www.tanzabasenjis.net

    0
  • nomrbddgsN

    My two will also fight off and on. Sometimes I have to separate them and run them separate from each other. Especially during heat season. Some dogs just do not get along. However, I can run them together most of the time. I can now see most of the signals that they are escalating into fighting mode. If you favour one over the other, they will sense it and will try to dominate the other. I also have an older female cattle dog as well. My first female has just started to show signs of trying to dominate her. The CD is getting older and more feeble and showing signs of weakness. So, the basenji is trying to oust her from her place. This will continue, I suspect, until the CD expires. This is what would also happen in the wild. IMO. I'm sure Pat and Lisa can explain further what I mean, as my thoughts usually do not translate into a language most people understand.

    Arlene, the Basenji Brats with the Boxenji![](images/smilies/biggrin.png "Big Grin")

    0
  • G

    We will have our new besenji mix spayed within the next 4 to 5 weeks, will that help? I can detect some behavior when things might get testy and I distract the young one with a firm call out of her name. I'm not sure I understand about getting another dog! Get one more for the young one to bond with and keep them seperate from the older ones? Is that right?

    0
  • tanzaT

    @gpmars:

    We will have our new besenji mix spayed within the next 4 to 5 weeks, will that help? I can detect some behavior when things might get testy and I distract the young one with a firm call out of her name. I'm not sure I understand about getting another dog! Get one more for the young one to bond with and keep them seperate from the older ones? Is that right?

    Spaying may or may not help with the Basenji mix…(or any dog for that matter) she just might be dominate and want to be "top dog" in the pack and will keep challenging the other until either she is top dog or kills the other dog... and make no mistake.. in a dominance fight it can be to the death.

    My suggestion would be that you keep them separate and that would most likely be for their entire lives.... I don't recommend another dog at all. And I don't really see any post that recommended getting another dog? Maybe I am just missing something.

    The message from Nomrbddgs was that in her "pack" she has an older bitch that has been top dog in the pack, but with age now, one of the younger ones is trying to "oust" her in the pack order

    Pat Fragassi

    Tanza Basenjis

    www.tanzabasenjis.net

    0
  • G

    My mistake! Sharon said run 2 packs, I thought that meant get another dog to have 2 packs. I guess I can keep my dogs seperated. There has never been a problem when they are alone all day long. The problem is when the older dog gets any affection from us and the young one jumps right in and starts to fight.

    0
  • phoenix3P

    Not sure about 2 females i have 1 female and 2 males and sometimes they have a tiff except a few mths back they really got into a show down fight my B acaully got part of his ear bit off :( since then i have taken ALOT of steps making sure this doesnt happen again .. I contacted ALOT of trainers even ceasar milan and was told the same thing U need to reaffrem that u are the leader not anyone of them. So that is what i have been doing for a few mths now and they seem to be back to buddies i did take any triggers away from them No toys unless it's one on one play time or they can play with toys but I don't play with them unless there alone also when ever one of the boys gets out of line with a growl or such i step in My other male is also a cattledog mix a cattledog/ terrier mix . Sorry i can't help ya with 2 females never been there but with 2 males I know the key is to keep them on there toes with u being the pack leader both boys now know when " Momma" gets upset and i walk over to them they go into a sit or a laydown and just look at me with that " I didn't do nothing look" lol I hope u can find a way to make it all work :) Good luck

    Basenji's don't steal they Borrow ..![](images/smilies/biggrin.png "Big Grin")

    0
  • JazzysMomJ

    We have two young Basenjis {female: age 3.5 and male: 1.5} and one 14 yr old Golden Retriever mix.

    Jazz, the B-female, is really snotty with Gypsy, the GRmix, and is getting worse as Gypsy ages – actually started getting worse once the little B-boy moved in.

    He is very aggressive in his play/actions with Jazz, often grabbing her neck so hard and dragging her to the point where she cries out and he won't let go until we make him.
    Before he moved in, she was very much the alpha dog between her and Gypsy. Gypsy never cared who was top dog, so it worked out well with the two females getting along fine and there was peace in the house most of the time.
    Once Keoki moved in and started pushing Jazz around, she seems to have reacted by being more assertive in her position over Gypsy.
    Also, Gypsy is definitely showing signs of aging -- hips giving out, stumbling a bit, etc -- and the more problems she has, the more snippy Jazzy gets with her. I think, as with nomrbddgs. she recognizes Gypsy's weakness and is taking advantage of it {Not that it's necessary because Gypsy doesn't care or ever try to be any kind of top dog}.

    It's hard to watch and kind of pisses me off sometimes -- Gypsy is the queen, you know! -- but I figure it will happen until G passes away.

    There's never any blood drawn though, just loud and vicious sounding growls whenever Gypsy does any thing at all, including dare to enter a room!

    0
  • G

    Thanks for all of your help. It just happened again, this time I was in another room when I arrived the young one had a mouthfull of the old dog, drew blood from her leg (lots of blood) around the shoulder area. The cattle dog was biting the besenji her face is all scared. Your right I have to keep them seperated at all times, too bad.

    0
  • tanzaT

    @gpmars:

    Thanks for all of your help. It just happened again, this time I was in another room when I arrived the young one had a mouthfull of the old dog, drew blood from her leg (lots of blood) around the shoulder area. The cattle dog was biting the besenji her face is all scared. Your right I have to keep them seperated at all times, too bad.

    Yes, it is… oh and hey, by the way.. it is "Basenji" not Besenji......:(

    Pat Fragassi

    Tanza Basenjis

    www.tanzabasenjis.net

    0
  • G

    I knew that, no disrespect intended. I like the breed and hopefully we will enjoy this mix, she looks and behaves like a basenji more than an other breed.
    George

    0
  • S

    I am sorry these dogs don't get along, but really, it will be best to keep them apart.
    They can hurt/kill each other, and often its silent and very, very ugly.
    Hugs for being committed to all your dogs.

    Sharron Hurlbut

    BRAT, basenji rescue

    Evergreen basenji club

    Seattle Purebred Dog Rescue

    0

Suggested Topics

  • J

    Aggression with older dogs

    Behavioral Issues
    8
    0 Votes
    8 Posts
    3k Views
    S
    Has Dexter had any basic obedience classes?
  • 2

    Aggressive Behavior as they get older?

    Behavioral Issues
    8
    0 Votes
    8 Posts
    3k Views
    MacPackM
    I agree with all the above. My oldest at 15 has spine issues and has been on rimadyl low dose for about a year with great results, he had pain before, but has had a very good year. Eddie (11) is on thyroid meds, he was a cranky-pants a couple of years ago and after thyroid meds, is a happier dog. A vet visit is in order to figure out what has caused his change, 11 is still pretty young.
  • S

    Aggression to another female.

    Behavioral Issues
    44
    0 Votes
    44 Posts
    15k Views
    mauigirlM
    My concern with this situation is that the issues these two are having is something that should have come about during a trial period. Were they introduced on neutral ground? Were they in the same space for HOURS before you decided to adopt the lab? I think that maybe the decision to adopt the lab wasn't thought through as completely as it could have been and it's unfair that as a result Lady will have to go through another major life change. If you're going to add another animal to the household, and this is as big a life change for Lady as it is for you, I think you owed it to her to make sure this other dog could be her friend and integrate into the pack. Maybe your assumption was that all dogs do (should?) get along, no questions asked. Not all humans get along, that is for sure, so why do we expect this of dogs? I agree with other comments that in no way should Lady be labeled aggresive for how she interacts with Raven. Also Lady's growling when you pick up her possibly suggests that she sees herself as leader of the pack. Basenjis need a very strong alpha human to keep things in order. If she sees herself as ruler of the household she's dealing with an intruder who became part of the family without any of her input and certainly not her approval.
  • L

    Food aggression

    Behavioral Issues
    11
    0 Votes
    11 Posts
    5k Views
    QuercusQ
    @JazzysMom: Let me ask you this, Pat {and all}….. I've always fed my dogs separately, esp. since Keoki came into the picture because he will scarf his food and run to see if he can get what the others have. I don't crate them, but they are fed in separate rooms which puts them about ten feet away from one another. Keoki has learned NOT to hover over the other dogs, but he does kind of watch and wait for either of them to finish and then he runs over to lick their bowls. I don't have a problem with that, as they all run from bowl to bowl at the end of the meals, licking whatever {icky} they can find there. It's funny because they all get the same food. Lately, in the mornings only, Jazz won't eat UNTIL Keoki finishes and and then she will growl and ruuuuun for her bowl. So, the last few days I have put her bowl near his {as an experiment}-- w/in maybe 2 feet -- and she will immediately eat while he does. He eats faster, and it's almost as if she slows down when she knows he's finished. She picks up one piece of food at a time to carefully chew it, with the occasional quiet growl to remind him that it is hers. What is up with that? Honestly…sounds like a fight in the making to me. Eating faster is the first level of resource (in this case food) guarding. She may be eating slower for any number of reasons...the first one I thought of was a calming signal to him? I doubt she is trying to tease him...but she may be trying to make a point...mine, calm down, mine, calm down... These kind of things tend to escalate, so IMO, I wouldn't even experiment with it. Why not feed them separately, like with doors in between? It has got to be less stressful for the dogs if they don't have to worry if the other dog is going to bully them for their food...or on the other hand, if they can bully the other dog.
  • D

    Aggression

    Behavioral Issues
    7
    0 Votes
    7 Posts
    3k Views
    tanzaT
    And sometimes you have to "push" and/or demand for the complete test that is not usually done by the labs that your Vet might use…
  • SarahRNS

    Leash aggression??

    Behavioral Issues
    13
    0 Votes
    13 Posts
    5k Views
    basenjibratzB
    @Quercus: That sounds ideal! I do love the head collars…the ONLY drawback is so many dogs have fits when they wear them. But the control is awesome, particularly for reactive dogs. Glad it is working for you! Oh yes, Talker had a fit when he was younger and I tried the collar. I gave up because I felt so bad for him. I don't know what changed this time–whether I was calmer or he mellowed out or what, but he accepted the halti this time around and I'm loving it. There were so many times that he would be so anxious to be out walking that getting him to stop pulling was tiresome and the walks were not enjoyable. We were constantly stopping and starting and stopping and starting to re-adjust ourselves. Now, we just walk. Loving the halti!:)