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Escalating Aggressive Behaviour

Behavioral Issues
  • dmcartyD

    Now I'm going to go in another direction - there is something called Rage Syndrome - it is not just in basenjis. It is however neurological and it manifests itself by a dog being fine one minute and blindly attacking the next. If that's what it looks like - there really is only one outcome.

    However I think that your stress and discomfort in this whole issue is also a factor. You do have your health issues and quite honestly the basenji may not see you as a 'leader' hence his lack of compliance. I will also say that a 4 month old basenji is at least worth a chance and hopefully when he is able to move out both you and he can perhaps start over.

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  • tanzaT

    Exactly, Diana… I was thinking the same thing, and I have known Basenjis with this... hopefully it is just a case of needed socialization and training...
    My fear is that when your daughter moves out with her boyfriend that if they don't get a trainer or continue with positive reinforcement training (and especially if he bites him back, the worst thing he can do)... someone will be hurt....

    Pat Fragassi

    Tanza Basenjis

    www.tanzabasenjis.net

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  • lvossL

    @pastal:

    Thank you for the name of the dvd. I will certainly try to find it here.

    Here is a link to where you can purchase the video, http://bluedogtraining.com/videos-dvds.html

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  • P

    Happy Mother's Day to all mothers on the board. I took a break for dinner. I was thinking it was more more of a rage issue myself. But since I really don't know Basenji's all that well I wasn't sure. He does seem fine one moment, and then boom, it happens. Thank you for the link for the video.

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  • tanzaT

    It is not a common thing in Basenjis like some breeds, but it can happen…

    Pat Fragassi

    Tanza Basenjis

    www.tanzabasenjis.net

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  • P

    Achilles now sits and stays until I let him into his kennel to eat. Even when I fill his water bowl he sits beside me and he stays till I tell him okay. He is getting better with the rest of the family in doing this also.

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  • ciarasmomC

    Hi Pastal,
    I think you're a very alert person, it sounds like you will be very good working with Achilles until he goes to his new home. Keep up the good work having him work to earn his dinner, this is a very important lesson for a 4 month old boy who's trying to figure out his place in this home.

    I find dogs who are a little tightly wound calm substantially when they understand their place, and when they understand what to do to get what they want. For example, he sits and stays to get his dinner. You can have him earn other things: from now on he has to sit before going out the door, sit before coming out of the crate, sit before playing with a toy. And you will praise praise praise him every time he does that, which will reinforce that you are leader of the pack and he doesn't have to try to be.

    Another great thing you can do is in addition to using the house line for safety, you can start to teach him "come" and reward with cookies … make him start to think that you are the source of all things good and he'll hopefully pay less and less attention to the other dogs at all.

    Any other lessons / tricks will give him a positive outlet for his energy.

    Brenda Phillips

    at home with Ciara and Lucy in Renton, WA

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  • ciarasmomC

    You know, I thought of something else, flower essences. Last year when I was having some fights between my girls, two well bred, well trained basenjis, a consultant started making me a special blend that I put in their water or directly on their tongues. It might have nothing to do with it, but I think it's working. I went without it for about three weeks and Lucy started getting edgy again.
    You can probably find Bach's Rescue Remedy in a health food store near you tomorrow until you can get more first-hand, professional help.

    Brenda Phillips

    at home with Ciara and Lucy in Renton, WA

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  • P

    He is basically a pretty well behaved dog, except for his outbursts. I stemmed one just a few minutes ago. He just came in from a walk, Rosie was on the couch with me, and he came right up to her. I heard the low growl from Achilles and I picked up the water bottle, and banged it on the table. He stopped and walked away. Although, if he is doing anything he shouldn't be doing, no usually works well enough. I used to spray him with the water bottle, and after a couple of times I just had to pick it up and he would stop what he was doing. Sometimes I just have to touch it and he stops.

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  • P

    @ciarasmom:

    You know, I thought of something else, flower essences. Last year when I was having some fights between my girls, two well bred, well trained basenjis, a consultant started making me a special blend that I put in their water or directly on their tongues. It might have nothing to do with it, but I think it's working. I went without it for about three weeks and Lucy started getting edgy again.
    You can probably find Bach's Rescue Remedy in a health food store near you tomorrow until you can get more first-hand, professional help.

    Thanks I will look for that, if not tomorrow, then the next.

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  • ciarasmomC

    @pastal:

    I heard the low growl from Achilles and I picked up the water bottle, and banged it on the table. He stopped and walked away.

    I'm glad to hear that it's working. Whew! Now that you are having some success, I'd suggest you (or anyone in this situation) could go one step further: when he stops but before he walks away have him perform an easy behavior, like sit, then praise him. Better yet, when he comes in from the walk make eye contact with him before he approaches another dog, and whoo-hoo, praise for ignoring the other dog and looking at you.

    I guess I'm just a praising nut, but I like to find opportunities to praise all the time. (my cell phone even rings a happy song!)

    Brenda Phillips

    at home with Ciara and Lucy in Renton, WA

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  • P

    Tonight when my husband needed to take the other two dogs out for their evening pee, he had to take down the gate and get Honey from upstairs (Honey is afraid of the gate and even though she could, she won't jump over it). I called Achilles to the couch and the whole time he sat there, somewhat unhappily, I might add, I petted him telling him what a good boy he was. We all praise him alot. He really can be a very lovable little guy.

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  • jys1011J

    Sounds like you're doing a really good job all things considered. Your experience with the dogs sounds like you're spot on with little Achilles. Dogs are dogs..and Basenjis are extra special dogs :D as you can see!

    In my experience these dogs NEED & WANT rules & direction. They're happy when someone else calls the shots. My little girls tends to get a little crazy with my male dog so I know what you're going through & while I can't "fix" her mood swings I do try to manage as best we can. When she gets "that look" I'll get her attention or throw a treat at her & she quickly goes into "ooh gotta find the treat" mood…sometimes I'll just pick her up & put her in my lap with her back towards the dog & lots of good praises for being good.

    I'm afraid that your daughter & her fiance may not keep up with all the work that you've been doing with Achilles & that could be disasterous for him. He's only 4 months & they really need A LOT of structure at this young age (kinda like kids :) right?) to be well behaved adult dogs. I really hope she follows your lead & what you've been doing. LOTS of pups need to be on a house line for a few months so that they learn the rules & learn how to behave.

    Good luck & hang in there...I promise you for all the work you put into this little guy you will get back 100 times over in love & respect.

    Basenji Mom of C3PO & TOPAZ

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    Well, it sounds like you are on the right track in what you are doing-asking people to ignore her until she feels ready for the new person interaction, not threatened, and on her terms. She is a little insecure (not bad, I have a hound dog that will do the same thing if I am not there, otherwise she will lick you like you are part of the pack/family) She needs to have interactions slowly and on her terms and in time will possibly improve with maturity and self-confidence. She depends on you and your partner as protectors of her pack, and when she is ALONE, she is defensive. NORMAL to some degree. Maybe the next controlled situations where you have people over, instruct them to ignore her with not eye contact, no talk, no touch, and throw a treat. You both have to ignore her as well, let her gain confidence. The very fact that this person is here lets her know all is well. Leave the room, come back. In time she will accept. Now, mind you this is being typed without being there and observing the whole context. Hope this helps…..Deb
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  • B

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  • L

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    @JazzysMom: Let me ask you this, Pat {and all}….. I've always fed my dogs separately, esp. since Keoki came into the picture because he will scarf his food and run to see if he can get what the others have. I don't crate them, but they are fed in separate rooms which puts them about ten feet away from one another. Keoki has learned NOT to hover over the other dogs, but he does kind of watch and wait for either of them to finish and then he runs over to lick their bowls. I don't have a problem with that, as they all run from bowl to bowl at the end of the meals, licking whatever {icky} they can find there. It's funny because they all get the same food. Lately, in the mornings only, Jazz won't eat UNTIL Keoki finishes and and then she will growl and ruuuuun for her bowl. So, the last few days I have put her bowl near his {as an experiment}-- w/in maybe 2 feet -- and she will immediately eat while he does. He eats faster, and it's almost as if she slows down when she knows he's finished. She picks up one piece of food at a time to carefully chew it, with the occasional quiet growl to remind him that it is hers. What is up with that? Honestly…sounds like a fight in the making to me. Eating faster is the first level of resource (in this case food) guarding. She may be eating slower for any number of reasons...the first one I thought of was a calming signal to him? I doubt she is trying to tease him...but she may be trying to make a point...mine, calm down, mine, calm down... These kind of things tend to escalate, so IMO, I wouldn't even experiment with it. Why not feed them separately, like with doors in between? It has got to be less stressful for the dogs if they don't have to worry if the other dog is going to bully them for their food...or on the other hand, if they can bully the other dog.
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