Male/Season question

[BasenjiDiva]

Cory, who will be 2 in Dec, was spayed last year right right after her first birthday. Jayden, our unneutered male, will be two in February. We didn't get Jayden until after Cory's one and only time being in season. Now Jayden has suddenly become a horny little dickens and last night he almost drove us all crazy trying to mount her. He even tried nibbling on her neck and ears and whispering sweet nothings. She was having no part of that malarky! She repeatedly threatened to neuter him with her teeth and I finally had to resort to using a spray bottle of water every time he tried to grab her. (The threat of a cold shower did cool down his ardor quite a bit.) Now, I'm trying to be delicate here: He wraps his legs around her and goes through the motions but there is no visible anatomical evidence of his excitement. None of our immediate neighbors have dogs but I don't know if any further away have females in heat. So my questions are:

Do male basenjis have a "season" that corresponds to the expected female basenji season? Do they just get horny in the Fall?? Even though Cory has been spayed, could she still be putting out a scent of some sort around now since that is when she would normally be in season? Or, since he is just going through the motions with no physical changes, is he just trying to play….in an extremely annoying manner?

We have an agreement with our breeder to not rush into having him neutered and we really haven't seen any agressive behavor or other reason to rush into doing so. He is a pretty mild mannered guy and usually defers to Cory's wishes.

Pat

[tanza]

Yes, males know when it is breeding season, in-tact bitches or not… and yes the do get "horny" in the Fall!!!

She is not (Cory) putting out any scent... Jayden just knows that this is Basenji Breeder season...

OJ would "cry" for the entire month of October even after he was neutered and with no in-tact bitches in the house....

[YodelDogs]

I concur with Pat/tanza. It is common for intact male Basenjis to go through a "phase" this time of year regardless of whether there are in-season bitches around or not. In my household, Baron is "in season" long before the girls are. I call him the "randy old fart" lol.

Of course there could be something else going on that is not clearly visible. It is called vaginitis. Vaginitis is a mild infection of the vagina that apparently creates a scent that is very much like a bitch in heat aroma. Males become excited and mount the bitch. Vaginitis is more common in puppy girls than adults (puppies sometimes squat so low they actually touch the ground thus introducing bacteria into the vagina) but it can happen at any age. Your veterinarian can do a culture to check for bacteria or yeast and treat with antibiotics. Or, you can bypass the vet bill and give the bitch one ecchinacia/goldenseal capsule a day for one week. Ecchinacia and goldenseal are herbs that work on infection and to boost immunity and they work well on this type of infection.

If vaginitis is the cause of the male's behavior, you will see a difference in him within a couple days. If vaginitis is not the problem, the capsules will not harm the dog in any way. All you will have done is temporarily boost the bitch's immune system.

[BasenjiDiva]

@YodelDogs:

In my household, Baron is "in season" long before the girls are. I call him the "randy old fart" lol. QUOTE]

Hmmm…..Like father like son! It is nice to have an explanation. Cory is just going to have to spend her evenings lying in my lap with Jayden looking at her with a gleam in his eye.

I'll probably give the Ecchinacia and goldenseal a try. Where do you find it?

Thanks,
Pat

[LiveWWSD]

@BasenjiDiva:

I'll probably give the Ecchinacia and goldenseal a try. Where do you find it?

Any place you can get herbal supplements in your area. I know in OR we can find it even at grocery stores. It is a REALLY common herbal supplement, so it should be almost anywhere.

[YodelDogs]

@BasenjiDiva:

I'll probably give the Ecchinacia and goldenseal a try. Where do you find it?

I get mine at Wal-Mart.