Skip to content

Chewing on each other - playing or fighting?

Behavioral Issues
  • Typically when you hear "noise"… you don't need to step in... a silent fight is one that is usually the problem...
    The situation you present... I would not step in

  • Silent fights like what? I've observed them rough-housing without much noise, which then turns into a yelping situation….

  • Silent fights.. there is no noise at all… just fighting..... it is easily seen as not rough-housing.... yelping is a reflex and used to let the other know that they have gone too far... silent fights are typically between same sex, in-tact dogs.... and draws lots of blood... and if you see a dog go after another it is for no real reason... and just look at their eyes... glazed and determined to "kill" the other.... that is so different then rough-housing...

  • Blood - that I've not seen, nor do I want to. So, Trinity will get a crazy-wild look in her eyes while she is breathing hard, long breaths - much different than the glazed look you spoke of? I don't mean to sound slow, but I've not been around animals much my whole life & have ever owned only these 2…

  • I know an intervention is at hand when the tone of their voices change. It's not just a change in volume, it's like a half octave leap up and what you could almost say is a major chord change to a minor chord. My 2 always have the voice change when one or the other has gone too far when rough housing.

  • @snorky998:

    I know an intervention is at , it's like a half octave leap up and what you could almost say is a major chord change to a minor chord. My 2 always have the voice change when one or the other has gone too far when rough housing.

    I agree with this. My bad fights (where I thought they wanted to kill each other) haven't been silent…but it is a different kind of noise than warning, or playing or complaining...it just sound SERIOUS....it might be hard to know what we are talking about until you experience it, unfortunately....

  • The silent is when there is ongoing "hate" between two or more dogs… and is usually a build up after a fight when you did have the change in voice.... but sometimes, such as with two bitches it is just all out for blood... when one thinks the other should be gone...

  • Once you see a 'real' fight, there is no question. It is not rough play, it is deadly serious. Basenjis can play so rough it is amazing, but as long as tails are wagging and they keep going back for more, let 'em have at it. Scratches are bound to happen, just think of a yard full of 2 or 3 year old kids, they play and yell and scuffle and get a scrape or two, then are best friends in 2 minutes. When the tone changes, or one seems to be getting serious, it's time to distract them with a walk or something.

  • Well, ok - thank you all for your replies. Since I have no idea what any of you are talking about, I'm assuming I've yet to experience a real fight. I'm protective of Denver because he's little (at times he still falls over when he tries to reach somewhere on his backside or far underside :)). Sometimes I can't wait until he's bigger than Trinity - then we'll see who romps on who! What goes around comes around! - that's the mamma's boy side of me coming out… ;)

  • I know this is an old thread, but it seems to be what we are experiencing…so rather than start a new one, I thought building on an old one would be best.

    We adopted a brother/sister pair of 5 month old Bs. They do well with other dogs, rarely nip at other dogs (unless they are overly excited and the other dog is a little too friendly - nothing serious so far), but my goodness do they roughhouse with each other.

    They will start the B-500 while taking them for a walk, and wrestle and tackle, nibble, grab each other by the throat, ear, leg, etc. Sometimes there's noise, sometimes not, lots of legs flying everywhere as they wrestle each other to the ground. By what I've read so far using the search feature, this seems pretty normal B behavior. But occasionally we fear someone's going to call the police and tell them we have a dog fighting ring going! Luckily for us it's only with each other that they wrestle. Other dogs don't interest them except to prove they can run faster.

    So the $64,000 question is...should we try to train this out of them, or do we just need to learn to live with it - as long as they keep it to themselves and don't involve other dogs.

    Many thanks!

Suggested Topics

  • Chewing problems

    Behavioral Issues
    9
    0 Votes
    9 Posts
    5k Views
    Shaye's MomS
    @Rocky1: Basenjis chew,this s a fact of life. It might sound like a crazy thing to do,but I bite my pups back. It teaches them that I'M THE BOSS ! It has worked for me for the almost 36 years that I've lived with the little beastys. You can call me crazy,or wrong I don't care Works for me,and my dogs all respect me,and love me. Kathryn Wow, Kathryn - that's funny! I'm sure you just nibble a little. Their feet smell like Tostitos, so just wondering -does the rest of the dog taste like a snack??? LOL
  • Big fight

    Behavioral Issues
    12
    0 Votes
    12 Posts
    5k Views
    nobarkusN
    @EskiLovr: Dan, That's super funny. It's like he's saying, "LOOK!!! Nyah Nyah, gotchyer ball!" He's a real clown at the dog park. Makes everybody laugh and wonder how he runs and runs and runs tiring out their dogs.:D
  • Carpet Chewing

    Behavioral Issues
    13
    0 Votes
    13 Posts
    5k Views
    RedVelvetLynxR
    @Shaye's: Shaye has never chewed on stuff she shouldn't until the last week or so - she's almost 6 months though, and lots of her behavior has gotten worse - if we go into the bathroom she starts chewing at the door jambs - she has also discovered carpet is a good toy - and if we are not paying attention to her, she purposely starts doing something she knows she shouldn't - my friend b owners tell me it's her "teen phase," pushing all the limits - hope she grows out of that soon…..maybe that's what your dog is up to - Exactly. Trinity was so good about not chewing on things she isn't supposed to until a few months ago - I thought I must have been blessed with the best behaved chewer ever! Ah-haha! It started with the base board corners & has moved to carpet threads. I would like to believe she doesn't realize what she's chewing on, but this isn't so. When I catch her in the act, there are no no toys around her, unless she's carried one over for a decoy. Otherwise, she sniffs around until she finds a spot. As soon as she stops & starts digging her nose in the threads, I know the chewing is not far behind, so at least I have an opportunity to nip it in the bud. I happen to think the chewing has also become an attention-getting mechanism. She wants to play ALLLLL of the time - it gets ridiculous! :eek:
  • Harness chewing

    Behavioral Issues
    12
    0 Votes
    12 Posts
    5k Views
    ELERICKSON40E
    @Mia: Yes it is in the backyard, and no it's not fenced :( I wished it was. He is fine when we are going on walks, but as soon as he is left alone for more than 5 min he chews it up in a matter of a few minutes! Would a martingale collar work? I think the reason teh harness doesn't work is because he wedges his jaw on the shoulder part of the harness, and I figured that maybe a martinglae collar would work better since he can't get to it. Ahhh why can't he be more like his calm sister Mia lol… Welcome to the club! Trixie chewed her way thru at least 5 - 6 harnesses and yes also in a matter of minutes. The only time she has a harness on is when she is going for a walk or if we are taking her in the car. She has had her current one for at least 3 months ! It's a miracle, but I feel your pain!
  • Rough play with a toddler

    Behavioral Issues
    10
    0 Votes
    10 Posts
    5k Views
    lovemybarooL
    These articles were very helpful. I had never looked at it like that, but it makes sense. I will have to try it.
  • Nipping while Playing??

    Behavioral Issues
    7
    0 Votes
    7 Posts
    3k Views
    jys1011J
    I've tried this a few times. I think he's getting it. Although my husband is having a tougher time with it. I'm not sure he's using the right body language. I immediately stop my attnetion. And when he starts to play nicer I give him my attention again. I think C3PO is too rough for everyone in the house. Even Topaz my female B sometimes walks away from him when he's too rowdy. The stranger thing is that SHE (2yrs) is actually younger than him (3yrs). She'll sometimes get upset & growl & nip at him.