Sounds like transferred aggression to me. He knows not to bite the person, but is annoyed enough that he wants to take it out on something, and his tail is handy.
I wouldn't worry about it if it doesn't get worse. I also wouldn't provoke it. Avoid annoying him if you can and the behaviour may extinguish on its own.
Okay! Thanks for all your help!
I'm glad to hear he no longer bites people. That is a definite improvement! The tail biting can be a number of things. Are there specific circumstances when he does it, or is it random? Anal gland issues can be a factor. Frustration can be a factor, as in my dog. If he is spinning as well as tail biting there can be a genetic component. (Basenjis are not noted as spinners, but several other breeds have issues in this area). One of my girls used to "rat" her tail, but that appeared to be a contact allergy issue. So under what circumstances does he decide his tail offends him?
He will only bite his tail when he is tired if someone walks by or touches him. He will usually spin around two or three times and then he'll stop spinning and just nibble his tail for a few more minutes and then go back to sleep.
What does he get angry about that makes him start chasing his tail? Not a behavior that I have ever seen….
And from the time mine were babies, they were handled, especially when sleeping...... woken up at different times, so that all of that becomes normal activity.
However, since you got him at 6 wks, a lot of this is due (IMO) to him being taken away from his littermates and Mom way, way too young. In most states the law for selling puppies is that the must be 8wks old.
Well, he doesn't bite people. He only bites his own tail. And he never used to do this. Only the past couple of months. He started to bite his tail around March of this year. We held him while he slept as a puppy, like all the time. Like I said, it's kind of a new thing he's been doing.
Sounds like transferred aggression to me. My guy does something similar when frustrated, although he doesn't usually actually bite his tail. He also sometimes spins and tail chases when excited…...especially when running on windy days!
I find it's not unusual for Basenjis to resent being bothered when they are comfortable. How you react to it can make the difference between escalation and diminishing of the behaviour. Personally I try to avoid provoking a snarky reaction, but if it does occur I will not allow the dog to back me down. I would probably insist he move from his comfortable spot, but don't do this if it is likely to result in a bite. Ignoring the behaviour or making fun of it can work. Hard to know without seeing the dog in action. How old is Jack? How long have you had him?
O.K. I see you got him last year at six weeks old, and that he has had biting issues before. Sorry, I didn't remember but I just check the old threads. How are the biting issues other than when he is comfortable? Has he learned to inhibit his bite?
He's actually two and a half, but yeah, I got him when he was six weeks old. He doesn't bite people anymore. He only bites his tail, which is the weirdest thing ever. (IMO).
My basenji, Jack, has quite an odd behavioral issue. The first half of it is understandable, but the second half honestly makes no sense to me.
Jack doesn't like to be bothered at all while he is sleeping, when he just woke up, or if he is just plain tired. He'll snap at you, growl at you. You know, like a lot of dogs do. Even if you just walk by him while he's tired, he growl at you.
The odd part is what else he does. When Jack is angry, he'll stand up and chase his tail, biting it. He growls the whole time he does this, and he doesn't sound happy at all. It's like he bites himself instead of biting the "intruder".
Does anyone else's basenji do this? Is there anything I could do to get Jack to stop?
Thanks in advance!
To find a trainer who has had experience training a basenji, do I just Google search: Basenji Trainer?
You got him at six weeks old…...O.K., that may be part of the problem. Had he grown up with his mother and littermates to teach him, he would likely have an inhibited bite (know not to bite hard when playing) and a better idea of appropriate play. At his age it is going to take some work to teach him better manners. It does sound as if he has some "resource guarding" issues.....the rawhides and the couch. It is hard to advise without seeing him, or seeing your family interact with him. If you can find a trainer who is experienced with Basenjis, that would likely be your best solution.
In the meantime, if he bites in play the play should cease. Walk away, crate him, do whatever it takes, but don't allow him to continue his biting after you tell him "no". When he is being gentle and good, reinforce that with kind words, petting, and treats......whatever he finds most rewarding. You have had him long enough so that you must have a sense of when his behaviour will escalate, and what triggers the biting. Try to avoid that situation. If he can't play without being rough, don't play with him! If he approaches you with intent to "play bite", give him something else to do. Clicker training might be a good way to get his mind engaged, and it will be fun for both of you to teach him new tricks and behaviours. There is a lot of information about clicker training on line, including a lot of videos to help you get started.
I have a question about the "shock collar" you mentioned. Did your parents just buy the collar from a store, or did they take a course in the use of the collar? Did a trainer assess your dog? If you haven't been taught the proper use of an e-collar, you can cause a lot more problems than you can solve.
They bought the collar from PetSmart.
And with him being six weeks old when we got him, I agree that could at to the problem. But we got him in a place three hours away from our home and we were already headed down there, so that's one reason why we got him then. Another reason is because the breeder had people getting Jack's brothers on other days and he didn't want… well I can't really remember. Something about them missing the other. I truthfully don't know.
@Buddys:
Since he is a puppy, a dog, he will chew. He needs to, as this how he explores the world, how he alleviates teething, and just because. Supply lots of appropriate stuff: frozen favorite foods, like baby carrots, green beans, or chicken broth in the form of small ice cubes, Of course to eliminate mess, do so in the kitchen or his crate or outside(supervised), or in bathroom, on a 'chewy blanket' (I go to the thrift stores and get a used comforter as my dogs make little holes every once in awhile so no expensive beds….) The key is to provide for their needs and replace what is not appropriate in our world: couches, rugs, etc.... The exchange method for getting something out of his mouth is better than most methods as this allows him to trust you not to be the 'taker away of good stuff' but the provider of fun. What is the context of the biting(or chewing)? Is is teething or actual biting as in "get away from me" or lunging at you out of the blue to bite skin or clothes? this is a whole different can of worms and if you need help, do so now with a trainer in your area-ASAP!
He starts off play biting, then it hurts so we say, "No biting." He stops for a minute, starts play biting again, he then get rougher and rougher.
He naps on the couch during the day sometimes, and if you sit down on the same couch, even if it's the other side, he will growl at you. I don't know if this has any sort of connection to the biting or not, though.
Have you had this dog since he was a pup? If so, how old was he when you got him? It sounds like he has never learned to inhibit his bite, or that it is not appropriate to bite people. Likely he is just doing it in play, but he needs to understand that he mustn't bite or nip people. How much training have you done with him? Does he obey commands at all? Perhaps you can keep him busy or redirect his attention when he starts biting, or crate him when he can't be supervised? It sounds like something you may need outside help with. I think you should look for a trainer or behaviourist in your area.
We have owned Jack since he was exactly six weeks old. He obeys pretty much every command except, "No biting!" It annoys me sometimes because of that. He's a smart dog, I just think he likes to have things his own way.
He bites people. Most of the time it's play biting but it hurts a lot.
I live with my parents because I'm still in school. They do most of the exercising with him. I'm not really sure how long but it's everyday.
He is just over a year old. His mom and dad don't have biting issues. He has a kong which we put milk bones in to keep him busy. He tries at it for maybe 30seconds and then chews on other things.
I personally don't use the shock on the shock collar, I just use the good/bad beeper. He gets quite a bit of exercise…
My basenji has biting issues. We get him chew toys, but he rips them to bits or just ignores them. We also get him rawhides, but he get mad if anyone comes near him when he has one. We got him a shock collar, which I hate, but he only stops biting for a few minutes. We tried Bitter No-Chew spray for the couches, but I think he actually likes it. He especially likes to pull my hair because it's long. Does anyone know what we should do? Please help!
Welcome to you and Jack. I hope we'll have pictures soon.
If it worked right, I posted some pictures of him!
If you tested with the old marker test, you should consider retesting with the new Direct test. There have been dogs whose results have changed with the new test. There is a price break being offered for the next 2 years for retests.
Okie dokey!
Basenji club of America doesn't have a registery "per say"…. so if not AKC then most likely with some other off registery. Have you had him DNA tested for fanconi? You should if you have not. You order the cheek swab test yourself. You can read about it at www.basenji.org and you order the test from www.offa.org
Yeah, I'm not sure about the dad… And yes, we had tested for fanconi awhile ago.
Welcome to the forum! What part of northern Michigan do you live in? We go to the UP often but I think you might be talking about lower Michigan.
Yeah, I'm talking about the lower pen. but the northern half of it. The two get mixed up quite a bit.
Welcome
Wow 6 wks? That is really young to take a pup from their littermates and Mom…. Who did you get your pup from? Many of us are related by our Basenjis.
I can't remember the breeder's name, but I know that the place is in Grand Haven, Michigan and is called Sundance Kennels. I also know that his mom's name is Ambur and his dad's name is Harley.
EDIT: I know that his mom is registered with the AKC, while his dad is registered with something else, I think the basenji club of America.
Hi, I'm ErinElisabeth, but offline, I'm Erin. I have one dog, of course he's a basenji, named Jack. Jack is a male brindle, and he was born on December 12th, 2010. I love him so much, and he is amazingly smart. We live in Northern Michigan, which right now, is a winter wonderland! My parents' first basenji was a red and white male, named Bo, like Mr. Bo Jangles (I have no idea who that is, by the way.) Their second was a female tricolor, named Silky. She dies when I was only five months old (sadly.) I lived my whole life without a dog, until just over a year ago. We got Jack on January 23rd, 2011. He was exactly six weeks old when we got him, so he was still really tiny and had puppy breath. Boy, has he grown! He is full grown now, and loves to pull my hair! If there is anything you want to say, go right on ahead!