Very bad behavior

Behavioral Issues
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  • renaultf1R

    Kelli - good post. Ultimately what got Ruby past her SA was adding Brando. She is a retired show dog and had never been alone. In my case though I had the time and resources and always planned on adding a second B. I think all the posts here give some great ideas - I think the behaviorist will be key.

    I agree, Kudos to the original poster for not throwing in the towel long ago. SA is such a tough issue especially when you are in the thick of it.

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  • bcraigB

    I am reluctant to even mention this suggestion because it is loaded, but our Ella was only briefly and unhappily crate trained and we just made the leap (over several days) of leaving her alone and free in the house. While her record has not been perfect, overall the change has been a huge improvement. She would rarely relax inside her crate but now that she has freedom inside the house I am pretty certain she spends 90% of her time alone curled up on her bed asleep. That is pretty much how I find her twice a day. We thought the problem was separation anxiety but it was crate anxiety. So we removed the crate. I am sure we will have regrets in the future that Ella cannot be easily placed in a crate, but on a daily basis I think it may be worth a try.

    My experience with Ella is that her destructive behavior occurs when WE ARE HOME and not paying enough attention to her. When she is alone she rarely causes trouble. My friend's Basenjis are the same way and are also not crated. She is the one that gave us the inspiration that a Basenji could be trusted. Of course, we do our best to basenji-proof the house before we leave to take care of known trouble spots. And no "goodbyes" and explanations of comfort and concern. Just walk out the door as simply as possible.

    I know this is the Basenji forum and not the Labrador forum but somebody had to suggest letting the dog free in the house.

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  • nobarkusN

    My last 2 I left alone in the house all their life as they hated the crate. I never had a problem with them as there's a dog door to get out to the backyard. The tri I have now will without problem stay in a crate 10 hours. I'm lucky as he's a go with the flow type and doesn't make a fuss or sound. I only did that for the first month as I now leave him in the backyard with the crate back there with the door open in case he wants to sleep in there.

    Buddy, Paolo and Dan

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  • thunderbird8588T

    Basenjiprince i feel for you and your poor Basenji, i do hope you manage to resolve things.
    We didnt use a crate with our Basenji, simply because we werent familiar with them. As bcraig says our Basenji slept while we were out and caused trouble when we were in and not paying enough attention. We will try a crate when we get her because i think they can be a good thing. However your Dog sounds realy distressed so it may be worth a try if you are brave enough, lol.

    Shelley

    Basenji Malaika

    Basenji Malaika
    Basenji Kwame

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  • agilebasenjiA

    I have a dog that I've always left out (my exceptional Brindlewonderkid), but if you read the first post, the dog is distructive after getting out of the crate. My bet is that the dog has separation anxiety and if that's the case, there's a high chance the dog will be distructive perhaps to the point of hurting himself.

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  • Shaye's MomS

    My girl is crate phobic and had bad separation anxiety - we gave up on the crate; started leaving her for a few minutes with run of the house, except bathroom and bedroom door closed - put the trash out of her reach, raised the venetian blinds, basically put everything up she could really damage, and little by little we have her now so we can leave her for a couple of hours, and she is fine. We run her first, and give her a busy bone to work on when we leave. Some dogs just cannot be crated. Mine's one. Five years though - that is a long long history of this behavior - best of luck to you - I think a professional trainer's advice is what you need.

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  • basenjiprinceB

    Thank you all for the info and comments. I have tried to start some of them. I have been playing alot more outside with him and also making the crate a "good" place. any time he does something good or gets a treat it goes in the crate. ive also pulled the crate out of the bathroom while we are home so that he can explore and realize it is always out besides just when he has to go inside when we leave. he has done ALOT better. no chewing on the crate and only a little bit of pee. things are getting better… thank goodness!!!

    Melissa and her "B" Buddi

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  • thunderbird8588T

    Great stuff Melissa, sounds like things are improving.

    Shelley

    Basenji Malaika

    Basenji Malaika
    Basenji Kwame

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  • renaultf1R

    Fantastic Melissa…it is so great that you really committed to helping him thru the problems. Please keep us posted. :):):)

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  • BasenjimammaB
    Houston

    Sounds like there is light at the end of the tunnel, great news. I am glad things are looking up. yes , please do keep us posted.

    Petra and Pippin

    with Otis in my heart…

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  • Buddys PalB
    First Basenji's

    Hey Melissa, How did it go over the weekend? Did you get it to where the enclosed area can be his place while you are at work? I have had a B for 71/2 months now. They are unique on the one hand with some breed specifics, but a dog none the less. Any dog needs exercise and mental stimulation(esp B's! A tired Basenji is a Happy One!) and since they are social animals, they need companionship. It sounds like you are strapped financially like us all, but I can only offer you three alternatives: 1)doggy day care or a sitter, 2)another dog, 3)get him to a home where his needs will be met. It's not to be mean or belittle you, it is just that being fustrated is not healthy for you mentally or physically, nor your little boy.

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  • C

    strange behavior

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    DebraDownSouthD
    First, yeah they do the flip and butt in face. I see it as invitation to play/chase mostly. Kind of shaking my head here over the rest. You already have a breed known for dominance and protectiveness of property/family with the Boerboel. Basenjis (I assume you mean 6.5 not 65 years old :) ) are not known for tolerating same sex. Sometimes they do, but not a sure bet. Plus, your Boerboel is still a puppy. By age 2 or 3, that compliance with the Basenji being alpha can go down the drain at a drop of a hat. That happens, and he hasn't killed the basenji... you have to keep 2 packs running, ensuring they never have contact. Then you bring in a mixed breed... which is all a Mastador is. No way on earth to know how much it will take after the lab side or the Mastiff. AND it's another male. So now you have potentially 3 dog aggressive male dogs, with 2 of them large enough to inhale the basenji. I am not sure about the breeders who placed the Boerboel, certainly not the owners letting you bring in the Mastador. I want my male dogs to have a chance of a peaceful, unstressful life. I think the chances in your home are already approaching really low numbers, and the Mastador is going to bring that closer to zero. The safety of that poor basenji is beyond precarious. I wouldn't want those 3 males in the most experienced of homes, one already fully ready to and experienced in running separate packs. I sincerely hope you reconsider the Mastador. And no, getting a female won't help. Until the Boerboel is fully mature and you have a handle on what your pack is, adding any dog is going to up the risk of issues.
  • Heinz57H

    Aggressive Behavior

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    NemoN
    A way to do what Debra is suggesting in a game format is Crate Games, which you can get on DVD. You said this happens when you are getting ready to leave. Pay attention to exactly what you are doing before you leave and then see how your dog is reacting. You should be able to pick up on the cues that your dog is picking up on. You can try changing the pattern of how you get ready and potentially remove the cue to lessen the behavior until you can build the good associations others described. visit BCOA on Facebook. http://facebook.com/basenji.org
  • V

    Basenji behaviors common ??

    Behavioral Issues
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    KipawaK
    I can only comment on my experiences with Kipawa, my first basenji, who is just shy of 2 years old. @viv58: 1. OBS #1: they were only affectionate on their terms and didnt like to be petted or picked up.Is this more common than not. They wanted to be by you, but hands off for the most part. 2. OBS#2: Off the leash - they are unpredictable and may not come when called. Had some wild roaming experiences at the off-leash beach. Always kept treats -and 95% of the timeit worked.Can you train them to counter this? or is this a stretch ? 3. OBS#3: Not snuggly 4. OBS#4: Only looked me in the eye when I had food- everything was a distraction. 1. Kipawa is just an extremely affectionate dog. His affection for me is special, but he recognizes all family members and care aides who come into the house and enjoys their attention and gives it back. He loves being petted and adores being massaged, but has a preference for it being from someone in his 'pack' (family members and care aides). He will tolerate being picked up by anyone, but prefers it when I do it. He is a little uncomfortable when turned on his back, however, we practice this quite a bit and he's getting better at it, especially if tummy rubs are included. 2. The only areas Kipawa is off leash is in our backyard or dog parks that are fully fenced. For these places, he is predictable, because he is very used to them. He usually comes when called, but if it doesn't work, I carry the squeaker part of a squeaker toy with me, and that most always brings him back. If he needs to come to me based on an emergency situation (say he got onto a street by accident), I have a word/sound that I only use in emergency situations. He is excellent at responding to that. All this said, if he spotted a bunny in the dog park, I don't think the emergency recall would work. Based on his breeders seeing him this summer, they have indicated he has a very high prey drive. 3. Kipawa is super snuggly all the time and is also a 'velcro dog'. We are tightly bonded. He is on my lap when I watch TV, or at least laying against me. He sleeps under the blankets on my side of the bed. 4. He easily looks me in the eye. If I am talking to him, we have full eye contact. He enjoys when we give each other 'soft eyes' - the slow blinking a person/dog might do when fully relaxed or before settling down for a nap. If he is distracted (only happens outside) I use the command 'watch me' to get eye contact. Usually 95% success rate, but that would go down to zero should he see a bunny. I can't answer your other questions. Kipawa will be a solo dog in our home. As for the breeders, his breeders were Therese and Kevin Leimback (FoPaws Basenjis) from Washington state. We researched for a year before selecting them. Their breeding program concentrates a great deal on temperament. Hope this helps.
  • S

    Behavior Worsens?

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    BasenjimammaB
    I can see that it is easier to read lighter colors, i.e reds, Otis is a very dark brindle, so unless you stand over him, you can hardly see his wrinkles/expression..
  • RedVelvetLynxR

    Bad B

    Behavioral Issues
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    tanzaT
    That is usually one of the biggest problems… someone in the house is NOT good about remember to pick up after themselves... or putting things out of reach of the "Basenji"...
  • C

    Obsessive Compulsive Behaviors!

    Behavioral Issues
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    MaxieM
    My B girl runs fast in 1000's of circles. When she's happy, or wants to go outside, feels "inconvenienced", if we stay up late, when we cook, or gets excited about her walk, etc. When she's upset or has separation anxiety, looks like 40 mph! None of my other b's ever circled. She's a rescue girl. Is that the basenji 500 or is this odd behavior?