Skip to content
Basenji Forums
  1. Home
  2. Behavioral Issues
  3. Help

Help

Behavioral Issues
  • H

    Hi all. I have a 3 yrs old B&W male basenji. I have noticed that (for the last month) he appears to be catching invisible flies. Does that make sense? He will just set there and try to catch something in the air. Sometimes, he will chase something thats not there. He looks cute and funny doing it BUT im getting concerned.
    Has anyone else witnessed it? Is it normal?

    Joti & Karen

    Surrey, BC

    Canada

    0
  • P

    I would get him checked out by your vet if there is truly nothing there that he's trying to catch.. I have seen a this behavour in a dog which was eventually diagnosed as a neurological problem.

    0
  • MothM

    There is a seizure disorder in dogs that expresses itself in this way. I would take him to a vet.

    That being said I have had dogs with epilepsy and seizure disorders are often quite manageable with good vet care :)

    Visit the Curly Tailed Brigade

    http://curly-tailed.blogspot.com/

    0
  • DebraDownSouthD

    Yep, it is even called fly catching syndrome.
    http://www.cavalierhealth.org/flycatchers.htm

    Debra

    0
  • D

    I have read that certain eye problems can cause this also. You will probably have to go to an opthalmologist for a complete exam.

    Does he have any other neurological symptoms?

    I would contact the breeder and see if seizures are in the lines.

    Here is a vet website with general seizure information including psychomotor seizures which is the kind that causes the flybiting. I do not know this vet.

    http://www.drjwv.com/faq/?view=37&name=Seizures%20(Epilepsy

    Jennifer

    0
  • Shaye's MomS

    Have your vet check his eyes, and if he sees anything, he'll probably refer you to a vet opthalmologist. The same thing was happening with Shaye. We took her to the specialist and he found she has astigmatism right in the center of her right eye. When she is just sitting around not doing anything else, she sees that dead spot in the middle of her eye and keeps trying to catch things that are not there as well. We were afraid it was a cataract, but it is not, and should stay the way it is forever - nothing to be done about it, but maybe she will get accustomed to ignoring it after a while. We wondered about the problem being seizures as well, but that was not the problem. Do have it checked out thoroughly.

    0
  • S

    Do let us know what you found out from the vets.

    Sharron Hurlbut

    BRAT, basenji rescue

    Evergreen basenji club

    Seattle Purebred Dog Rescue

    0

Suggested Topics

  • B

    Help please!

    Behavioral Issues
    16
    0 Votes
    16 Posts
    4k Views
    D
    @basenji_life said in Help please!: Oh and yesterday evening she started peeing on the sofa while looking straight at him... and she normally goes outside to pee... maybe she was upset that he was home? Did you solve this issue? I had a dog who didnt like kids. Someone told me it could be because the previous owner had kids who scared the dog. So it could be a traumatic experience for the dog. And when kids were around, the dog would bark a lot always.
  • B

    Desperately need your help!

    Moved Behavioral Issues
    3
    0 Votes
    3 Posts
    2k Views
    DebraDownSouthD
    Sudden behavior change at this age is almost always medical. I am glad you are now keeping him separated, but honestly you should have the first incident. After the first bite, most courts or judges would rule you knew he was a danger and he could not only have been seized, but you sued for significant damages. You are lucky no one is filing. Thyroid is the primary cause that I am aware of for sudden change. Yes, brain tumors are possible, but more likely thyroid. Some forms of epilepsy also can cause a dog to attack, but typically this is truly out of nowhere-- not like what you describe when a dog is told no about something. Pain can also do it.. sadly cancer had been found in similar situations of sudden growing aggression. The ENCOURAGING part is you had several months without problems... so again, look at the most simple... thyroid. Make sure you get a full panel, not just an in-house partial. In the meantime, understand you didn't cause this, and it may be fixable. If thyroid, it's inexpensive medication. But you won't know until you get tests runs. Hopefully those wanting him put down will feel better knowing you are acting to find out if there is a medical issue.
  • S

    Help! My basenji is bitting

    Behavioral Issues
    11
    0 Votes
    11 Posts
    7k Views
    DebraDownSouthD
    @kjdonkers said in Help! My basenji is bitting: @DebraDownSouth No use for further discussion, if everyone outside your sphere of reference is a quack, a nut job, a con artist. Different planets. Stay healthy! Everyone outside of provable or at least probably science, especially when they peddle for money, does fit my definition of quack and cons. But I slept with a bar of soap in desperation with restless leg syndrome. I have tried things that have almost as little scientific basis, but I do so armed with knowing that. My issue is people selling things as science/proven when they aren't. My issue is vulnerable, desperate or uneducated people getting taken in by hustlers. Not a different planet, just the science based and honest part of the same one. Having seen too many people hurt, or their animals hurt, or children hurt, by false science/medicine/therapies... I am sorry that you think belief in scientific proof and honesty about what is or is not proven is wrong. If someone says to me, "I drink vinegar and it helps my arthritis, but there's no research proving it works"... good. I might even try it. But when some quack says "pay me $100 and I'll tell you why your dog bites or where your missing child is or if your husband is cheating on you or whatever"... they deserve to be horsewhipped. I am sorry if I sounded dismissive to you personally. It wasn't my intent. It was reaction to what you wrote. In general, we're on common ground. We don't have to agree on things to stay on the same planet. :)
  • P

    Help! Not sure about a trainer to help with a kid-nipping basenji

    Behavioral Issues
    32
    0 Votes
    32 Posts
    16k Views
    Buddys PalB
    Wow! this is one of many, many threads that I have responded to and I am very interested in the outcome of Poopydog and the nipping. As I was going through the Thread, I really had to bypass any of the responses of those who enjoy attacking one another. I sure hope this behavior did not thwart our member who really needed help. The majority are replies to one another trying to impart important knowledge or experience to someone who did not ask for it in the first place. Don't try to sound important. Everyone is, just give happy good-hearted advice and let us just not dig into the other who has a different opinion. Just dig, digs, and more digs. Really getting old….........................I know you won't miss me, but this is just too much.................................................................
  • mybestfriendM

    Help for Max

    Behavioral Issues
    12
    0 Votes
    12 Posts
    4k Views
    AJs HumanA
    @lvoss: These behaviors are not necessarily "wanting to be the boss". Several of them seem to be resource gaurding behaviors, like what he is doing with your husband. I agree…and from what I'm seeing here, YOU are the resource. I'm not sure whether to train the Terrier part of him or the Basenji part of him. A behaviorist or professional trainer would have a better idea.
  • wizardW

    Anxiety help

    Behavioral Issues
    36
    0 Votes
    36 Posts
    8k Views
    renaultf1R
    @sharronhurlbut: Re car rides, this is going to sound odd, but it does work for me and my 2 dogs. Even if you have walked your dogs before a car trip, I find the excitement of the "get into the car" and going makes there guts act up. So, here is what we do. We take the dogs a lot on vacation when we go by car. We walk the dogs in the am, feed and water. Get them into the car. Drive about 2 miles and stop and let them out to walk. Both always pee and poo when we stop. Once back in the car, they settle and are quiet. About a hr or so into the ride, they start to get "ACTIVE" again…we stop at a rest area, they go, and then they sleep the rest of the way. Could be the excitement of leaving home, the motion of the car or whatever, but these stops, even tho you want to get going...make the trip much easier on all involved. Give it a try. All you can lose is a bit of time... Sharron…I've had friends use that method as well...so I think you (and them) are on to something. Wizard...It is a tough road, separation anxiety. I never had much success with the DAP - spray or plug-in...and I used both for about half a year. I finally gave up on it. Although, my vet and the pet store I bought it at said they knew of people that had had success with it. Good for you for working with a behaviorist...they definitely will have better ideas about things to try. The second beastie was the golden ticket for Ruby though...and seriously, I've found that 2 b's are so much easier than one. So much so that I'm thinking of adding another either this year or next...and for that I might need my head examined.