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Is it normal for females to mark territory

Behavioral Issues
  • I have noticed that when Sandie is let out front or even when we are walking the neighborhood that she loves to smell the mail boxes, and remark the places i know are places males have been. Its not even a full squat like females do just a half way squat and a short squirt.
    She also does this in the hall way to my husbands shop ( thank god that area is tile) if he locks her out from going with him. She does not do this in any other part of the house. I was just wondering if its a act of dominanace.
    Also kinna off subject but it there a foot spay out to use to clean feet, I wash her feet but they stink still, hate to say it again but it smella like fritos.

  • As for the frito toes, it is just a dog thing. I have no idea, it's not just Basenji's my boxer has frito toes and I know other breeds have the same thing. I think it has soemthing to do with the sweating from the feet????

    As for the marking, I have seen females mark, even a few lift thier legs. I'm not sure about her doing outside your husbands shop though.

  • My female golden retrieve mix does the same thing, quick squat and squirt, anywhere another dog may have been.

    I STILL don't get the frito feet thing, thank God! My dogs feet just smell like the dirt in the yard – which smells nothing like fritos, LOL.

  • Yes, it is normal for bitches to mark… my girls (I have three at home) mark all the time... and usually over top where the last one went... on walks or at shows/lure trials, they will mark over top other Basenjis....

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  • Is this marking???

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    DebraDownSouthD
    LOL, okay baby marking. Just cause he can't hike his leg yet, doesn't mean the pee isn't for the same purpose– to say HRRMPFTH to that OTHER DOG and let it know it might SLEEP there but the bed is his. LOL, gotta love attitude.
  • Marking?

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    B
    @tanza: There is a saying…. if your puppy has an accident in the house, roll up a newspaper and smack yourself 10 times over the head.... and repeat.. "I must not forget, I must not forget"... because it is your error that led to the accident... not the pup Haha, that's great
  • Marking problem

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    KipawaK
    @Therese: I avoid calling him dominant because that word seems to draw fire in the dog world with new training methods and I don't really know that describes what he is. Sober is also a therapy dog and exceptionally good with small children and the tiniest of dogs. He completely respects me and my husband and without much formal training is probably one of my best trained dogs. That said he (who Kipawa is very much like) is very strong willed. When Fran took Kipawa we warned her consistant fair ongoing training would give her a Sober in her house, but letting him take over or encouraging it will likely give him license to challenge situations. I think she and Darrell understand this and are doing a great job. I think continuing what they plan will be great and they will have an amazing adult dog when he is finished. Kipawa is out of a line that matures very slowly and for his health and well being we believe in his case it would be good to wait to neuter him when he is fully mature. I think the key is changing the behavior, by peeing Kipawa out (maybe only a dribble will remain as would with my boys) it will likely not cause as much embarassment or damage while the behavior is corrected. If Kipawa has his dad's bladder (which he did when he lived here) he can pee quite a lake if left to his own.Therese I am so thankful, Therese, for you and Kevin guiding us with Kipawa. As you mention Sober's peeing ability, Kipawa is definitely the same. He does have a healthy, big bladder. He gets a good pee right before we go to bed around 10:30 p.m., and upon rising at 7:30 a.m., he is not interested in going out right away to pee. He needs/wants his 'loves' in the morning. We do that 'within' our morning routine. I have a coffee first, at which time he sits with me, and after that he goes out for his first morning sniffs of the day and a pee. Then he is fed. We are using the technique of 'peeing him out', and that is really working for us. After about 4 good long leg lifts, he usually only has drops left. Then when those go, the problem of peeing on people is 'eliminated'. Kipawa is also going to be a therapy dog like his Dad Sober (meet and greet paraplegic and quadriplegic folks). He is very loving to any human he meets. We are working very hard on the 'good neighbour' requirements and we have accomplished many of them. And we have decided to leave Kipawa intact until he is fully mature. Over the last week I have spoken to and read so much information on the detriments of neutering. As Therese said, being fair and firm lets Kipawa know who the leader is. Perhaps that is a better word than dominant - just indicate your dog is a 'lead dog'.
  • Why does Tayda do this? Marking? Dominance?

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    AJs HumanA
    Thank you, Ms. Pat. I will look at that.
  • Aggression to another female.

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    mauigirlM
    My concern with this situation is that the issues these two are having is something that should have come about during a trial period. Were they introduced on neutral ground? Were they in the same space for HOURS before you decided to adopt the lab? I think that maybe the decision to adopt the lab wasn't thought through as completely as it could have been and it's unfair that as a result Lady will have to go through another major life change. If you're going to add another animal to the household, and this is as big a life change for Lady as it is for you, I think you owed it to her to make sure this other dog could be her friend and integrate into the pack. Maybe your assumption was that all dogs do (should?) get along, no questions asked. Not all humans get along, that is for sure, so why do we expect this of dogs? I agree with other comments that in no way should Lady be labeled aggresive for how she interacts with Raven. Also Lady's growling when you pick up her possibly suggests that she sees herself as leader of the pack. Basenjis need a very strong alpha human to keep things in order. If she sees herself as ruler of the household she's dealing with an intruder who became part of the family without any of her input and certainly not her approval.
  • Resourceful/Territorial??

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    JazzysMomJ
    We have two cats, a 13 yr old and a 2.5 yr old. They have lived in harmony with Gypsy their entire lives. They used to snuggle together to sleep. In fact, the old guy has outlived two other dogs! Then Jazzy moved in. Two years later, it's STILL a battle. We worked hard –HARD -- on "Leave it!!", and Jazzy has EXCELLENT obedience for that , except where the cats are concerned. IF I see the cat first and say, "Leave it", she almost always will. But if the cat catches her eye first, she's gone before I even know what happened, and she won't stop once she's in run-mode. We keep a gate across the hall that leads to the kids' bedrooms and bathroom. The litter boxes, which used to be in the garage, are now in that bathroom {I HATE that!!}, as is the cat food/water. The gate is removed at night after Jazzy is tucked into her kennel and replaced in the morning. The cats have learned to stay in the bedrooms during the day, and roam the house at night. They don't seem to mind; all they really used to do was sleep on the couch all day. Now they sleep on the beds all day. Sometimes the younger cat comes down while Jazzy is sleeping and gets up on the back of the couch because she knows she is safe as long as she stays there {Jazzy is not allowed on the furniture and honestly never breaks that rule, even when the cat is there}. I feel bad about it, but what else could we do? Ah well. maybe it's a more natural lifestyle{?} Some dogs just don't get along with cats. And some cats just can't get along with dogs. Sometimes you just have to take personality into account and make accomodations.