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Attacking People!

Behavioral Issues
  • S

    My b Simba is about 5 years old, about a year and a half ago we got him neutered. Before he was neutered he was fine with everyone. But after we got him neutered he began to attack people. He dosen't do it when people come in the house, he only does it when they go to leave, or if they are in the house and make a sudden movement (ex. walking across the room, standing up)

    He has bit my husbands brothers, and his mom, and some of my husbands friends that have come to the house. He has broken the skin on my husbands brother and torn holes in his pants. I have resorted to putting him in the bedroom when people come over. I am afraid he is really going to hurt someone, and we're going to have to get rid of him. This has only been going on for like a year and half and i have no idea why he does it. And its been getting worse, he will run around the house and start panting really hard if there is someone outside that he cant get to. But like i said when people come in the house he's fine, he'll let people pet him and he'll sit next to them but as soon as they move he attacks. Please if anyone has suggestions they are greatly appreciated, I have no idea what to do! :(

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  • wizardW

    You might want ot contact a behavior specialist.
    But in the meantime I would suggest working extra hard on obedience, or reinforcing the obedience he once learned – get him to sit-stay before people leave or maybe use a head halter and leash while people are at the door. Maybe as people get up to leave they give him a treat. Have you talked with your vet about his behavior too?

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  • renaultf1R

    When was the last time he was checked by the vet. If the biting came on suddenly, it could be he has a medical problem of some sort.

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  • tanzaT

    Has he had a full medical check up? Especially a full Thyroid panel done? I really would doubt that his being neutered has anything to do with it… certainly I have never heard of that before.... but I would first get a full medical done (including an eye exam with a Ophth), with full blood work and full thyroid panel (which typically must be sent out separate from normal blood work that your Vet might do) and then contact a behaviorist to work with him (and the family).

    Pat Fragassi

    Tanza Basenjis

    www.tanzabasenjis.net

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    My Basenji attacked my poodle...

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    @shenzimaria I am sure you have your reason for the fight right there - "a boy who was at home was teasing them we think that they were nervous because of that. Apparently everything was very fast, so we don’t know very well what’s happened" And I agree with DonC, it is wrong to apportion blame to either dog if you didn't actually see the fracas start. I am sorry this happened and you may have to work hard to get them to trust each other again. Best is to keep the two dogs crated within sight and smell of each other as soon as you get them apart but in this case, with veterinary intervention necessary, it obviously wasn't possible. With time and patience, I have managed to re-unite Basenjis after a humdinger of a fight but wouldn't know if the same methods would work on different breeds. Good luck,
  • D

    Male basenji puppy attacking other male dogs

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    J
    I'm no Basenji expert since I've only had one. And, I don't want to start a dog park argument. I'll just share my experience. Jengo LOVED running free, but he's a Basenji. Can't do that cause... cars. The dog park near our house is HUGE. A big completely enclosed lawn area the size of a football field with towering oak trees. We were OCD about keeping Jengo's vaccinations up to date. He was chipped and wore a collar with contact and rabies tags 24/7. He loved the dog park, but not all the dogs there. He hated any dog of any size that would try to dominate him in any way. He rarely instigated it, but he never tolerated it meaning regardless of size... he wouldn't back down. He also hated if another dog approached him from behind and would snap immediately. My solution was to stay near him and to keep moving. We would walk laps around the perimeter and by about the second or third lap he'd been or had checked out all the other dogs. Then things were good. If I saw that he was getting anxious I'd usually catch it before he reacted and would tell him "Easy". 9 times out 10 that was enough. I'd also make sure that he was aware of dogs in our vicinity so that he wouldn't be surprised if they came from behind. We went to the park for years. He never caught anything that I was aware of. I did pick him up and leave if there was another dog he and/or I weren't comfortable with. And, I also recall walking away before ever entering the park if there was a dog we didn't like already there. I guess my point is that part of protecting your dog and others is knowing and focusing on them without over-reacting at the same time. I don't want to set him off. But, I want to know what he's going to do before he does. You have to read him. All dogs give signals one way or another. Tune in to your dog, not the other people at the park. I liked the other people at the park, but I wasn't there for them. My focus was always on Jengo.
  • N

    Posesivo Basenji attacking Rott pup she grew up with

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    @nikikob - Wish you luck, but I fear to say that things are going to go badly. When bitches fight, 99.9% of the time you will never get them back together and while it might work for a while, when the "mood" hits... the fights become worse and worse.
  • bellabasenjiB

    What about male dog fights over females in heat…do they try 2 attack "privates"?

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    @Quercus: …I can't imagine a dog in a real fight taking the chance of turning his back on the attacker. Though, I am used to seeing girl, girl fights...where neither girl is willing to surrender...it could be that a dog who really doesn't want to fight will try to protect his head and neck by offering other 'parts'...it would definitely indicate that the other dog wasn't reading his signs correctly...either by the dog offering surrender, or running away...it isn't really appropriate for the attacking dog to continue attacking... This is probably what may have happened. I don't think anyone actually saw the fight… So it's hard to tell, but my friend now thinks it is a part of male dominance fighting! I told them I would ask on here and see if it is common or not...
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  • L

    Vicious Attack

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    How far along is your dog? What is her due date? My female is very territorial about her "whelping space" with other animals in the house and will chase them from the room. Setting up the whelping pen and setting aside a quiet area for her whelping space helps to relieve anxiety and everyone seems happier. Do you have a whelping pen or box? Getting that set up and gathering your whelping supplies so they are all on hand for when they are needed is a good way to be prepared and to help your girl feel more comfortable. Also, have you planned on getting a pregnancy x-ray about 5 days before the pups are due. This will let you know how many puppies to expect so you know if there is a problem when she is whelping. Also, if any of the the puppies are too large, they can see that on the x-ray so you can plan for a c-section.