Skip to content

My basenji turned on me :(

Behavioral Issues
  • I adopted my 7 year old Basenji in October of '08. She has never been violent or anything of that nature. She has always followed me around, and will lay right on top of me and sniff my face and lick my arms. She is really the sweetest thing. Well last night, we were laying on the couch, and I was petting her behind her ears like I ALWAYS do, and my boyfriend came and sat on the couch at my feet. Red started to growl, then she lunged and bit me right in the face. At first I thought she was protecting me when she was growling, but she turned and bit ME. She has only been around my boyfriend maybe 5 times, and she is with me every single day. WHY in the world would she do this? She's been to the vet a few times, and everything has checked out fine. Any answers or suggestions?

  • Redirected aggression. You usually see it when dogs are on leash or on the other side of a window and will lash out at the dog standing next to them when they are upset by something.

  • Makes sense. Thanks.

Suggested Topics

  • Basenji and Baby

    Behavioral Issues
    5
    0 Votes
    5 Posts
    4k Views
    tanzaT
    You need to get a professional to come to your home and observe... and give suggestions
  • Basenji and Grudges

    Behavioral Issues
    17
    0 Votes
    17 Posts
    12k Views
    Buddys PalB
    Hey eeeefarm, read that article you shared via link…..very interesting and enlightening! when one reads about spindle cells and the amygdala, one has to consider emotions to some degree in animals across the board! don't know about trees etc....???? 'nother forum ????
  • 0 Votes
    10 Posts
    7k Views
    P
    Congratulations on the future new addition. Boy/girl is a good combination. As others have advised let them meet on neutral ground and take them for a long walk together. For every good interaction praise both inordinately. As Curlytails says don't rush it. Keep us posted, please and best wishes to you all.
  • What happened to my nice Basenji?

    Behavioral Issues
    18
    0 Votes
    18 Posts
    9k Views
    torchsongT
    When we see other dogs on our path, I tend to move off it and let them "play through". Every now and then you get someone curious about the breed and we'll instigate a meet and greet, just to see how far either dog will go. I tend to look for the "mohawk" - those bristled up back hairs that let me know she's on edge. Plus She-Ra's a growler, so you can usually get a little forwarning if she's not happy about the situation. Generally that's enough for both me and the other owner/walker to realize we should pull back. I get more incidents at the dog park than we do on walks, but I think that's almost to be expected. Never anything bad, though…She-Ra knows to run like hell if it gets too hairy, and she can pretty much outrun anything that's shown up in the park (so far). :)
  • My Basenji training

    Behavioral Issues
    7
    0 Votes
    7 Posts
    4k Views
    jys1011J
    WOW!!!..Words to live by!! I commend you for all the effort it sounds like you've put into your dogs. I wish people were more like you…and your mantra should be placed on every B owner's refrigerator door :D :D It's all about knowing your dog & KNOWING their limitations. Respect is key and so is a no tolerance policy. At least that's how it is at our house! :) BTW-I went to a Basenji Fun Match...and A LOT of B's are bitchy snarky little fur balls. Rest assured yours are not the exception. Mine are exactly the same way but we work with them every day on this!
  • Same Sex and Basenji to Basenji aggression.

    Behavioral Issues
    6
    0 Votes
    6 Posts
    7k Views
    T
    I agree with Catherine, socialization is a must, but it depends on the personality of the individual dog. When we had 4, they all slept on the bed together and ran together and rarely did we have any problems. We added a puppy and things were still going ok, just really crowded. However, one day our youngest girl decided she was all grown up and didn't want to be bossed around anymore by our 'wanna-be' alpha. Neither of them was a true alpha. We managed to defuse the situation, but a month later it happened again. The girls could never be together again. In fact, the tri developed a predjudice against all red girls after that! Both girls were terrific with people and with Basenji males and even with males and females of other breeds. I had 2 intact males, brothers, who stayed together with absolutely no problem for almost 4 years until one went to another home. They even got along during season. Terry