Older Basenji aggressive towards 1.5 yo

[Patty]

This could be just hormonal - she may be realising that she needs to put him in his place.

I'm of the opinion that sterilisation doesn't work in these cases.

[lvoss]

I don't think spaying would work. My 10 year old spayed girl can be that way with her 1 year old grandson. She did it more when he was younger and less now. Still she does chastise him for playing fetch, for whatever reason it annoys her to no end and she feels the need to get up from where she is laying and tell him off. L'Ox is very deferential to his grandmother now and if she is annoyed with him she often can give a much lower level signal and get a response so that may also be why she doesn't make such a big deal anymore. When he was a pup he awful about jumping on her but she never honored his puppy license except for 15 minutes every day, other than those 15 minutes she expected polite behavior from him.

[DebraDownSouth]

Neutering him would decrease the hormones, so it MIGHT help. However, neutering just for this reason … not so much of a fan. He is in his teens... she mostly is just teaching him manners and his place. My bet is that if you stay out of it completely and let her manage it, things will eventually settle down. I do know if blood isn't involved and you interfere, you can make things much worse. Generally dogs are good at working things out.

[Barklessdog]

My mom has a 1.5 yo male Basenji (her nephew as it happens) which was treated like her own son for most of his life - he was allowed to "breastfeed" from her, he was never punished for biting or being too rough, and quite frankly us humans were much harsher with him than she was.

I am understanding this correctly?

Your mother breast fed her dog?

[MacPack]

I think she means her female (now grumpy) let this pup (who was her nephew), suckle as a pup. Now he is a year and a half, and she has decided "he needs manners".

Many adults do become very strict, usually when a pup is about 8 months, when the pups are 'teens', your girl has just been more patient than most. He is a young adult and she is telling him to grow up and behave, most likely.

Of course, being sure she is healthy, not in pain, is a first step. Ill or arthritic basenjis are often very grumpy. If he is sexually mature now, he may be sending a 'silent message' and she is making sure he understands she is not interested.

[DebraDownSouth]

@Barklessdog:

I am understanding this correctly?

Your mother breast fed her dog?

ROFLMAO, just so you don't feel bad, I read it that way too and had to reread it. :)

[tofagerl]

I agree, it'll go away in time. The problem is that my mom (who is not in a habit of nursing puppies, no) is sick and tired of the noise they make. I keep telling her to wait it out, and she keeps locking them in separate rooms to keep them from being noisy. Hopefully this thread will help her realize that this is not just my silly idea.

Including picture of the nubbins a little over a year ago.

[tlish]

^ if i had read it that way, there's no way i could have asked that question with such kindness. great show of restraint!

[tanza]

Regardless, you will still have the noise… I always tell people two Basenji can make the most horrible noises... you can never describe it.... you have to experience it and live with it

[DebraDownSouth]

LOL have your mom listen to Arwen on youtube. The noises, thank goodness, do not match the actions.