Fearless dogs?

[Julie]

I have heard alot of people call Basenji's the fearless breed

I took my 2 three month old B's to the dog park & they were running around & playing & then Bella (my female) found an akita that was laying down chewing on a ball & she decided she wanted that ball so she just ran right up to the akita & tried taking the ball from her well while Bella was trying to get the ball from the akita & jumping all over her Astro (my male) ran up to the akita & started humping it..that is a HUGE size difference..I went & got Astro & apologized to the owners but they thought it was the funniest thing they have ever seen

so really my B's seem to not be afraid of anything even though they are so much smaller than all the other dogs people are always amazed at how my 2 not even full grown puppies run up to any other dog no matter what the size & try to jump all over them & chase them

So does anyone else have any fearless stories?

[JazzysMom]

Jazzy is pretty fearless – even as a puppy, sudden loud noises made her want to run and investigate. She doesn't like other dogs, and is willing to take on any breed, regardless of size.

Keoki's first response to just about anything new and unusual is to hide behind something and peek out to see if it's safe.

[etzbseder]

Medjai is not afraid of anything dog related, he will growl at a dog he sees as a threat and entice it to fight. I have only seen him afraid of two things, 1 guy at my appartment complex and the fishtanks at petsmart (although he lives next to one in my room).

The biggest problem I have come across with his fearlessness yet is the large american bulldog at my complex. Medjai enticed it enough to drag its owner along the ground trying to hold him back. Needless to say, we don't stay in view of that dog long. If he were loos, Medjai would try to eat everything.

[senji]

I would agree. Deke's not afraid of anything. He hates trucks but he doesn't act afraid just bothered by them. The vet always reminds his tech "if he growls it's not for show…he means it." I usually have to muzzle him. I can't think of one time he acted afraid of anything. If he is he won't show it!!!

[JazzysMom]

Jazz, my brave one, is a peach at the vet's. She'll take whatever they throw at her – shots, blood draw, micro-chipping, etc. w/out flinching or growling.

Keoki, my chicken-dog, is the unpredictable one there. He cops more attitude out of his fear than anything else.

[Basenji_Boy]

When it comes to large strange dogs at the fence, all of our's display courage, even the mutt Rat terrier mix. We have a rotty living next store that's huge…......even our smallest will just run right out there and challenge the big oaf.:D Home turf I guess.

I do notice that the two 5/8 Af's seem a little more cautious and don't just jump off the porch unless they survey the situation.....the others just run out blindly. I don't know if it's their Af roots or not that makes them cautious, just an observation I've noticed.

[TuckerVA]

Tucker has never shied away from any person or dog. But take him out for a toilet break after dark and the faintest creak sends him running. It's actually quite hilarious! He is especially comical when we're walking at night and a car passes or a light source passes across us and casts a shadow (most often our OWN shadows) on a nearby wall or something and he BOLTS like he's being chased by the devil herself! LOL!

[torchsong]

Balloons and (apparently) Fireworks.

Walking She-Ra awhile back in our neighborhood, somone had had a birthday party or something and one of the non-helium balloons was floating from yard to yard…She-Ra did NOT like that balloon. Ran from it, growled, when I kicked it she looked at me like I was crazy or God or both.

Fireworks...well, Julie can attest to She-Ra's ability to run fast. Go read the Fireworks thread for more info on that one.

Other than that, nothing seems to phase her.

[Quercus]

@JazzysMom:

Jazz, my brave one, is a peach at the vet's. She'll take whatever they throw at her – shots, blood draw, micro-chipping, etc. w/out flinching or growling.

Keoki, my chicken-dog, is the unpredictable one there. He cops more attitude out of his fear than anything else.

See, I agree with this…dogs that AREN'T fearful are likely to calmly take things in stride. Dogs that ARE fearful will growl, snap or bite at other dogs, people, whatever...

I am convinced that most Basenji aggression towards other dogs, is actually anxiety cause by the more domesticated dogs having lost most of their ability to "speak" clearly to more primative dogs. It is mostly a miscommunication that spirals out of control to defensiveness.

In the case of the OP the Akita most likely tolerated this fearless behavior from the dogs because they are babies. When the turn about four to six months old they will lose their "puppy license" and other dogs will take offense to their "innocent" games I would say that is an incredibly tolerant and stable Akita to not overreact to baby games

[WBL]

Tiggy I have discovered is very "interested from a distance" of things that everyone else discribes like other dogs and such. If I have Reggie with us also Tiggy will have no fear at all and "act" tuff from Reggie's side or behind Reggie. If Reggie's not there then he'll be stand-offish at first then investigate. Now other things that puppies usually are unsure of at first he is completely ignorant of thier existance, LMAO. Like the vacuum, he just stands in the way and gets a shocked look on his face if you bump him. Sweeping, almost impossible, he just stands in the way and won't move even if you sweep his feet.

[Quercus]

If you think about the evolution of Basenjis from wild dogs, you will agree that it is the wary dog, or the one that worries about new situations that lives on to procreate. Wariness isn't something we encourage in pet dogs, so to some extent we have bred away from it…but it does seem to be strong in Basenjis still, being primative dogs. You will find that the native stock dogs are universally more wary, and less "brave" than the domestics. Not necessarily aggressive, but definitely more ready to worry about what might eat them

[JazzysMom]

@Quercus:

If you think about the evolution of Basenjis from wild dogs, you will agree that it is the wary dog, or the one that worries about new situations that lives on to procreate. Wariness isn't something we encourage in pet dogs, so to some extent we have bred away from it…but it does seem to be strong in Basenjis still, being primative dogs. You will find that the native stock dogs are universally more wary, and less "brave" than the domestics. Not necessarily aggressive, but definitely more ready to worry about what might eat them

As explained to me by the behaviorist working with Keoki {and remember, this comes from her experience of living amongst wolves}there's a difference between "wary" and "fearful". The wary dog will be cautious when approaching new and different situations; prepared to fight or fly, depending on its assessment of the situation.

The fearful dog just flies, setting itself up to be viewed as weak in the wild, and therefore NOT as asset to the pack. The fearful dog is more likely to be attacked by adversaries encountered in the wild, but also by pack members who recognize the danger presented to the pack.
The fearful dog is also the dog most likely to bite a human when in an unfamiliar situation because it reacts as though it is in immediate danger, rather than assess the degree of danger which may be present.

[senji]

@Basenji_Boy:

I do notice that the two 5/8 Af's seem a little more cautious and don't just jump off the porch unless they survey the situation…..the others just run out blindly. I don't know if it's their Af roots or not that makes them cautious, just an observation I've noticed.

Deke is 1/4 Af. So maybe what I see in him is being more cautious, He always seems to give warning…he puts his head down, ears back and watches..than he gives a long slow growl. He just continues to talk like that the entire time we're at the vet. Other situations he does approach cautiously. He doesn't just run in but I never saw it as fear either he's slow but continues to investigate.

[Quercus]

@JazzysMom:

As explained to me by the behaviorist working with Keoki {and remember, this comes from her experience of living amongst wolves}there's a difference between "wary" and "fearful". The wary dog will be cautious when approaching new and different situations; prepared to fight or fly, depending on its assessment of the situation.

The fearful dog just flies, setting itself up to be viewed as weak in the wild, and therefore NOT as asset to the pack. The fearful dog is more likely to be attacked by adversaries encountered in the wild, but also by pack members who recognize the danger presented to the pack.
The fearful dog is also the dog most likely to bite a human when in an unfamiliar situation because it reacts as though it is in immediate danger, rather than assess the degree of danger which may be present.

Great points! I completely agree!

[gemurray]

It seems that the glorious B is usually both wary and brave. My Samantha is always wary at night of things in peoples yard that she doesn't understand, like the halloween display with legs sticking up out of the ground or even a ball in a yard casting a shadow. But then when she hears and sees a car coming past, she wants to do her sharp growl (almost a single bark - but it still sounds more like a growl) and chase it. And then their was the other night, a larger chocolate lab was hanging around her - she growled and snarked at the dog to give it a warning that she was not to be messed with.

I remember reading about how B's are particularly brave in defending their young in Africa, even taking on larger predatory cats to protect the pups - and most often doing it successfully! Now that's courage.

[myran]

Myran is fearless and cheeky couple a nights a go we met this huge Riesen Shnauzer male .Myran went over and saw his beard which must have looked tempting cause he grabbed it with his teeth and started to violently shaking it much to the amazment of the Riesen.I´m so glad he was a friendly natured giant Myran being not any more a puppy but 10 months good have gotten a heck of spanking.

[BasenjiDiva]

@myran:

Myran is fearless and cheeky couple a nights a go we met this huge Riesen Shnauzer male .Myran went over and saw his beard which must have looked tempting cause he grabbed it with his teeth and started to violently shaking it much to the amazment of the Riesen.I´m so glad he was a friendly natured giant Myran being not any more a puppy but 10 months good have gotten a heck of spanking.

What a funny mental picture. We had a Schnauzer when I was a teenager and I can just picture his expression if a puppy had grabbed his beard.

Two days ago Cory suddenly dove into a bush by our back patio and a wild calico cat came tearing out swatting at Cory. When the cat held its position rather than running away, I KNEW what I was going to find. I grabbed Cory and peeked behind the bush. My suspicions were right…..she had a litter of brand new kittens under the bush in a little protected corner where our chimney meets the wall. :eek: We've had Cory for almost 2 months now and the cat should have smelled that we have a dog. She had to be the world's stupidest cat to pick a basenji's yard to have a litter of new kittens. She was smart enough to move the kittens by mid morning and I haven't seen her around. Cory still checks the bush every time she goes out into the yard. I know someone who is active in the local feral cat program. In a few weeks, if we can figure out where Momma Cat has moved, we'll try to trap her and her babies. Then they'll put the babies up for adoption before they have time to become wild. They'll spay and immunize the momma and release her in the same area. When they spay her, they'll cut the tip off the top of one ear so she won't be captured again.

Pat

[myran]

Well picture this then Myran loves to tease 3yr old newfoundland bitch called Tindra and when she´s had enough of him she growls deeply.Does it stop Myran no last time he snuk under her belly it took some minutes before she realized where he had hid:)But it looked sooo funny with him standing there his head looking through her fur with a cheeky grin…..I must admit he´s got this thing for furry dog´s he just has to tear at their fur and have a mouthful.I´m glad I don´t have a furry dog or the poor dog would be bald after Myrans treatments.
Cat´s are a animal to be chased and finished he almost caught a poor kitten accidentally got into my backyard.I saved the kitten in the last minute cause the dog´s would have killed it but boy did I get clawed by playing the saviour ungrateful cretin.....LOL

[Nexa]

Nexa is full af. and she is very cautious in new situations. She is curious and wants to say hi to every dog or person we see, but if they approach her she will back away. The introductions have to go at her pace. We were on a walk the other day and she was desperate to investigate a cat laying in someone’s driveway. She just stood there staring at the cat from 5-6 feet away, as soon the cat came towards her she tucked her tail and ran like it was a lion after her. The cat might have weighed 8 pounds wet. She is wary, but with her curiosity she just can’t let things go.