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Fence fighting & redirected aggression

Behavioral Issues
  • My 7 yr. old B, Rocket, is a fence fighter. At home with the 2 shih tzu's next door he will race up and down the fence, hair raised, and attack the fence. If my female, Rumor, is helping, he will turn and snark at her too. At daycare, he bit one of the helpers when they were bringing a dog in. It is always when he is at the fenceline or on a leash that this occurs. What do I do when this happens?

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  • Aggressive issues

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    BigVB
    I don't want to sound personnel but if you are in control why does he keep showing aggression to other intact dogs. By taking him away from the other dog is not teaching him not to be aggressive . He may see you as boss but he wants to be second in charge and see,s all other intact dogs as a threat to his position. Don't be to proud to use a muzzle , and as I said take out to mix with intact dogs . As he can't hurt them and will soon relize,s this you need to stand up and let him know your displeasure using voice and physical presence and a small water pistol as he will hate being squirted. You should find the water pistol works a treat. I would do this every few days until his stops the aggressive behaviour , then I would try without the muzzle but always keep the water pistol with you and let him see it as he will remember what happens when he acts up. This is a method I have used to help mates control their pig dogs . I am by far an expert and are always prepared to Liston to others thoughts as this is how I learn.
  • Early morning aggression

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    eeeefarmE
    It is not unusual for Basenjis to enjoy sleeping in. Pretty much all of the five I have owned have been like that! One question: do you feed her breakfast when she gets up? I find a meal is a good incentive for them. Usually my boy shows up shortly after I prepare his breakfast. I am wondering about how your current problem began? Just out of the blue, or did something happen that upset her? In any event, it is important that she realize bed is an option, not a right, and that bad behaviour will not get her what she wants. I think I would start requiring some sort of "work" before she is allowed on the bed, and as Debra suggested, a key word that means "get off", and enforce it if she does not comply. Stay cheerful, but use the leash when you must to get compliance. Try to head off any aggression by distraction. "Oh, Macie, look at that!" and throw a toy or something. Let us know how you get on.
  • Aggressive peeing

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    nobarkusN
    I would start off with a vet visit, blood work and urinalysis to rule out any physical problems.
  • Aggressive Behavior

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    @davcoz: there are some people that he just does not like. These people tend to be the type that make my wife and I uneasy. Any ideas about this? **If these folks make you and your wife uneasy. Then why wouldn't you expect the same reaction from your B? He's lettin everybody know what he's feelin and your not sayin! :rolleyes:**
  • Food aggression

    Behavioral Issues
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    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.
  • Help with aggression

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    L
    Some basenjis seem to have particular kinds of dogs they don't like. My Abbey is best friends with a rottweiller, a black lab, and a dalmation, but she hates golden retrievers! What do they go by, coat color?? She goes after anything that moves at the vet's though. My first basenji many years ago, Pumpkin, climbed trees to get after squirrels, and fences were no problem either.