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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.

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    It would be useful to know more about this dog. Has resource guarding been an issue in the past? Has he bitten either you or your wife before? (a real bite, not playful nipping). Or anyone else? A dog that isn't used to children may be fearful of their loudness or quick movements. Perhaps you could do some socialization work with him, e.g. hanging around places where young kids congregate to accustom him to their noise and activity. Obviously not allowing any interaction as you are unsure of his behaviour. Dogs react differently to newborns. In my experience bitches are more likely than dogs to be tolerant, but it is very much the individual dog's reaction that counts. People have been blindsided when their supposedly tolerant and gentle dog turns out to be hostile to a young child. Bottom line, no dog should be left unsupervised around young kids, so in any event you would have to monitor his behaviour carefully once your baby arrives. On a personal note, of the five Basenjis I have owned, two bitches were entirely reliable with kids, the other was tolerant as long as they respected her space. One of the males adored children and was curious about them, the other curious but uncertain and would react to fast movements. I did not trust him and controlled any interaction closely. IMO, he would have bitten had he felt threatened. And kids, especially babies, tend to grab and pinch, ears, tails, whatever. Caution is always the safest route.
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