Ouch. First bite and the dog should have been allowed out only with an adult and with a muzzle. That he has bitten 5 times and someone hasn't sued you, or the local authorities label him a dangerous dog. Homeowner cancellation or massive increase is also a concern.
For now, I agree with Don... end the door rush. Before you open a door, he's either crated, leashed, or locked in another room with the door closed.
Walks only with a muzzle on, with an adult holding the leash.
Ignoring your youngest? Make him the one and only giver of food, treats etc. Make him do tricks for said food. Tell him to sit, wait however long it takes. He keeps ignoring... put the food up; try again next meal time. It won't take long for him to see your child as worthy of obeying. Once that's down good, start letting the older child do part of the feeding. If you let him loose in a yard, the kids control that also.
As to why he's doing it--- no idea without evaluating the dog. Could be fear, could be protection, could be a lot of things. Could be vision or hearing. Could be thyroid causing aggression. Ask your vet to check for these. If his health is fine, then it may be maturity hitting and showing adult characteristics that you need to quickly fade as possible. Sit in the park and let people run by tossing a treat. Let them start further back, move closer.
And see the behaviorist.
Oh, and share pictures. )) As for the other part of him, a DNA test might help.
@elbrant They can filter all new posts and delete such things. But for many forums, that can be terribly taxing. So that leaves it to members to report.
Please be careful using even diluted essential oils. Dogs absorb it through the skin, inhale it when smelling it. Talk to your vet.
Peppermint is considered toxic to dogs by the ASPCA. In small doses, however, it is generally safe. That does not necessarily make it good for dogs. If you want to use a flea repellent that contains peppermint, talk to your veterinarian about which products are safe for dogs, how to apply them, and the correct dosage.Sep 5, 2017<<
https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/pet-safety-tips/essential-oils-dogs/
@elbrant Because the format is always the same... strange post, nonsensical often, new person, either one or several posts the same with same sales link. You never see them again.
Also, copy the link and put in google and viola tons of nonsensical posts with the ad link:
https://www.google.com/search?ei=hVIKXJniJ4qurgSS3bjACQ&q=http%3A%2F%2Fdogstrainingtools.com%2Fproduct%2Fdog-loose-stool%2F&oq=http%3A%2F%2Fdogstrainingtools.com%2Fproduct%2Fdog-loose-stool%2F&gs_l=psy-ab.12...20430.52394..55776...0.0..0.156.5592.0j42......2....1..gws-wiz.......0i71.vGFmeDLdCRM
"Not a good fit" is one thing. Having a dog who attacks for anything other than being hurt is a problem. Having a dog bite either from a fearful temperament or aggression, you have a problem that goes far beyond "a good fit". I hope the behaviorist helps, but please do not believe you are bad if this dog is not able to be safe. Medication might help, especially short term while he adjusts. But hopefully the behaviorist can evaluate if this dog is stable.
Sounds like allergies, but Chris could be right. Foxtail is a common problem and could cause similar symptoms. Unfortunately, scoping is necessary.
@zande It's a spammer, just report and ignore.
@pippi said in Basenji Obsessed with Cleaning Feet?:
I would NOT recommend baby wipes. Firstly, they're coated with chemicals (artificial fragrance, etc)
I should have said I use ONLY hypoallergenic wipes... no fragrance, no alcohol, etc. I've used baby wipes for my dogs -- Rotties, Chows, basenjis, samoyeds-- for 27 years, the same I used for my supersensitive baby.
Thanks, btw, it sent me on a quest for ratings. Sadly, since I'm in Israel, I have on found generic and Huggies. But it's nice to have an updated evaluation on them.
On "eco friendly"... I'll wait for the research. I know there was a lot of debate on cloth vs disposable diapers. I would need to see a study that the water usage, detergents, etc actually aren't worse on the environment than wipes, especially the faster biodegradable wipes.
Jenn, the next time should probably be next year after you have taken the time to find a mentor and learn more. Once you learn more, you'll realize how breeding a dog that is a mixbreed is incredibly irresponsible. There simply isn't any reason to created puppies for pets, put your girl at risk during pregnancy, put the puppies at risk of having all sorts of genetic diseases because you have no idea what she carries. And since no responsibly bred stud would let their dog breed with such a bitch, you're doubling up on questionable health. Please do the right thing and get her spayed.
::::I am 38 with a beautiful girl named Lola. She is a Basenji/Chihuahua mix. She is 4 yrs old and has been with us for almost 3 years. I also have a Rhodesian Ridge back cross named kaos. He is 10 and has been with us almost 10 years. They were both rescued from less than desirable situations. We love them both very much and look forward to learning more about Lola's breed. I have some great pictures to upload but it keeps telling me that they are to big so, I will add them as soon as I can.( Any suggestions on how to fix this would be much appreciated):::
You can use any photo program to decrease the size.
Get baby wipes, wipe his feet when he comes in from pottying or walking. It's good he isn't hurting himself but they also pick up all sorts of filth, including parasites/eggs. So wipe them off and enjoy that he' likes to be clean. 
Well there you have a dog to practice handling on. I understand the difficulties of having an intact dog, but it could be over a year until you get another puppy, and another few months for a female to be in heat, Therefore you have an option of putting off neutering at least until he is older. There are growing concerns about neutering and those opting to basically do a vasectomy.
I don't have a problem with handlers. Some good breeders have disabilities or simply hate being in the ring. But I'm totally with Sally about going to shows and meeting breeders, seeing dogs, getting a feel for who is around you. I've seen breeds with breeders that are as far from welcoming as is possible, unless you got a pup from them. When we got our first basenji, the other breeders could not have been nicer or more supportive.
You can check your local club and ask if there are handling classes. While you wait on getting a well bred puppy, you can be honing your skills. An all breed handling class is most common, but the local club may know who is sponsoring them. You can go, watch a few times, ask if someone is willing to bring an extra dog for you to work with... maybe even a retired champion who can show you the ropes.
Assuming you are in the US, breeders are listed by state on the right.
Honestly, with your schedule... to just be blunt, it would be selfish to take almost any dog other than a geriatric one. Even that is a bit sad to have them alone most of the time. Many dogs do not enjoy doggy daycare. The idea that dogs are children in dog suits and need lots of playmates isn't real.
I am glad you are asking, but it seems your WANTING a dog totally outweighs your willingness to hear that your life right now isn't really good for a dog.
I think it's just fun.
But be careful of foxtail. While there are various kinds, animals can get in their eyes, noses or even throat and cause pretty ugly consequences.
@rugosa
LOL on the pig ear.
But it's not just a basenji trait. One night it was storming and one of my rotts was fixated on one of the bedroom windows. I looked, there was a toad on the screen! The dog was so intense about wanting to get to it, my daughter went out in the rain and moved it from the window. From then until she died, day or night, I had to let her in the bedroom when it stormed to make sure the once-in-a-lifetime visitor wasn't there.
They think more than many people give them credit for.
While adult dogs sleep up to 17 hrs a day, Basenjis want to sleep with someone. My girl will sleep next to my computer or on the sofa where she can watch me. When my daughter is here, if she takes a nap, Cara follows her to bed. She goes with me to bed at night. She just needs a human. So 9 hrs a day work, more work when you get home... the only way you could make it work is to get up an hour early and really take her for a run, training and stimulation, same when you got home, another hour before bedtime. It wouldn't be ideal, but okay. But how can you commit 14 hrs a day to work/afterwork/dog 7 days a week, 365 a year and have any time for yourself?
If there is a shelter with a geriatric dog that needs a home, maybe. But it needs to be a less social and far less destructive one.
Eventually they seem to sort of name themselves. The right one will feel right. My daughter named our first one Sayblee. She took weeks to decide (9 yr old) and drove me nuts.
((Name: Sayblee 0
Gender: Girl
Meaning of Sayblee
Stay in Home; From Liberia))
2nd one I named Arwen (yeah Lord of the Rings). She didn't ROOOO properly, she said RRRRR. So the ARR wen fit.
Cara I named for a character from the Sword of Truth series.
Our Samoyed was harder... my daughter wanted to name him Moose (pamplemoose... french for grapefruit) but we had just lost Merlin and her dad and I kept calling him Merlin and being sad so she changed it to Spencer (Criminal Minds). Oddly, after a month, we just eased back into Moose.
So try a few out, see if they fit the dog, if they trigger happy or good responses. Dogs adjust... so if you go through a few names, they don't care. They are attached to being called, not what name you use.
Akila Grace is lovely.
Shadow is cute.
Skeeter reminds me of mosquitoes or the aliens from Fallen Sky.
The only one that will know the RIGHT name is you. Do we get pictures of her?