Odd behavior question…

Basenji Talk
  • Houston

    Does anyone else's basenji, when they sit, their butt doesn't hardly ever touch the ground, she is always on her haunches looking like in case she needs to take off, I think it's funny to see

  • Houston

    yes..they almost all do that..basenji sit..too cold, too wet, too this too that to sit on ..:)


  • Mine sit fine in the house, particularly if told to sit. If it is just playing, not an issue, but if your dog truly never really sits, you might want to have vet check to make sure she's okay. Some dogs with hip issues do not like to sit.


  • Mine only sit right on their butt when they are in the house. Anywhere else and, yes, it does look like they want to take off.

    I have 5 from two different lines, so I don't think it's genetic, but just a comfort/flight or fight response.


  • Here is Gambit practicing her sit stays at Tads house this weekend, I was giving him a demo on a few of her rally routines. She hovered a few times when I first started training her. I worked on leading her head backwards with a treat till she sat all the way down. Now she does it naturally, but yes they do go for comfort first. I failed to qualify last yr one time with Xander, because I thought he was in a perfect sit stay, walked all the way around him fine, then we moved forward only to have the judge tell me that there was a half inch between his butt and the concrete floor on his sit on each of the 3 sit stations grrr. Looking down on him at my side it looked like he was sitting, but he was obviously not going to put his buttt down all the way on the cold floor, first and last time he's done that as I bend over and check now.



  • ROFLMAO, sorry you didn't qualify but omg that's funny.

    I have a friend whose Rottie used to do terrible things to her in obedience. She did things like:
    leave the ring and go to the hotdog stand
    go sit next to the judge
    leave the ring and jump in the lap of a friend

    I think performance competitions are designed to provide the owner with strong opportunities to learn humility.


  • Shaye only sits right down on the carpet. Even on the tile kitchen floor she keeps her butt resting on (I think) her heels. The ground is definitely too icky for her butt, and she isn't much better on the porch. She does, however, sit completely down on our laps - God forbid we don't have the thrill of her butt on us!!!


  • Kipawa sits in the house, and outside as well, providing the ground is dry. If damp or wet, he prefers to 'perch'.


  • It depends on the situation…Scarlett will sit when she wants something (go out, attention or that nice smelling thing your eating). Outside she doesn't really sit...there is always something to stare at our check out!


  • all 3 of our Basenjis do this funny sit. My theory is because Basenjis originated in countries where the ground is hot they have evolved to sit like this to protect their delicate rear ends :D . Now that they live in different climates i believe they do it to avoid, heat, cold, mud. I also think there is something in the fight/flight theory.
    Lisa your description of Xander made me laugh. Malaika hovers about an inch from the ground when doing her down stays in class, in cold weather she is allowed to do it on a rug, however she still likes to hover if we don't insist she goes down completely.

Suggested Topics

  • 0 Votes
    7 Posts
    2k Views
    tanzaT
    Note that in my pups/Basenjis I have never seen this, so a picture of what you are referring to would be helpful
  • Wierd Behavior Question

    Basenji Talk
    9
    0 Votes
    9 Posts
    4k Views
    2baroos2
    Mine likes to sit on his head but yours is priceless!
  • Question

    Basenji Talk
    14
    0 Votes
    14 Posts
    3k Views
    tanzaT
    @saralars: This is off the subject of crate escape… I was told growing up that turkey and chicken bones were very dangerous for dogs. Are Basenjis different in this way too? Or am I missing something... Raw, uncooked bones are fine for any dog, not just Basenjis… it is "cooked" bones that are the problems
  • Question

    Basenji Talk
    11
    0 Votes
    11 Posts
    2k Views
    G
    No I haven't and I need to… I have taken some great ones of her lounging in the sunshine. She loves taking in those rays....
  • Basenji Questions

    Basenji Talk
    22
    0 Votes
    22 Posts
    12k Views
    M
    Chike loves to play fetch….but not when I want him too of course....just when he wants too....
  • Questions?

    Basenji Talk
    4
    0 Votes
    4 Posts
    2k Views
    L
    On tv this morning they showed some dogs that were to be adopted at Petsmart from the Humane Society. One of them they said was a basenji/terrier mix. That dog was huge and he didn't look anything like a basenji to me. No batwing ears but the tail was curled.