I don't know what to do :(

Behavioral Issues

  • @thunderbird8588:

    What triggers the agression towards you and the other people? and how do you deal with it?

    See thats the problem, I can't say for sure 100% of the time because it's very random when its triggered. I have alot of health problems so I live with my mom and sister right now since school is out. Most of the time it's when anyone in the house comes near me, especially when I'm on the couch. He hates strangers and won't let anyone come in the house so I have to crate him when people come over. He growls about toys alot so I have no other choice than to take them from him. Usually when they are not walking around then i let him play with his toys. He hates when his feet or neck are touched, he bit my sister twice when she grabbed him by the collar (on 2 different occasions) but I warned her after the first time and she didnt listen so in my opinion the second time was her fault. He humps my leg when people hug me, he gets upset when people hug me.

    When I am not at home but they are my mom tells me that the aggression greatly decreases. When everyone is gone he doesnt get crated. I usually just yell at him when he does something bad. I use to crate him when he did something bad and he hated that but then I was told your not suppose to do that so I don't anymore. He loves his crate but only on his terms lol

    I have a theory about some of this, I don't know.. When my brother was around I use to sleep on the couch alot and he was a huge jerk. He use to pull me off the couch when I wouldnt get off (he was abusive) so that would get pretty bad. There were times when he would grab me and not let go (which would look like hugging) and just general bad thing like that would lead to yelling and crying…and now the dog guards me all the time..Just a thought. My sisterdoesnt like my dog and she yells at him and gets annoyed by him but no one ever hits him.


  • I constantly try and get them on board 100% but they are only doing it sometimes and i have told them over and over that only doing it sometimes doesnt work and is only going to make it worse. My mom told me shes only taken his toys from him or crated him when im gone. (sometimes she has sometimes she hasnt)


  • @nkjvcjs:

    with a sudden behavior change, the health issue bells go off.

    Be sure to send samples to Dr. Dodds, because she takes breed, age and diet into account in interpreting the results as well as doing the complete panel. I liked the results we got from her better than MSU when I was working at a vet clinic.

    Also, be sure to have him tested for rikettsial diseases like lyme, erlichia and anaplasmosis, many of which can cause behavior changes in dogs. Last, consider hip and spine x-rays. Pain can cause aggressive behavior as well.

    Hope some of this helps.

    -Nicole

    Generally, how much would all that cost? Thats another bad thing I don't have the money to do more expensive things (I lost my job and paying for school)


  • Hi,
    i think all the suggestions to get him checked again medicaly are good, unfortunately it is expensive going to the vets, i know to my cost,lol.
    Sharond suggestion abour someone coming over from BRAT to obseve and advise is also good. Hopefuly they could help if you need to rehome him. You sound like you are realy trying with him and its such a shame your sister doesn't like him.
    It is important not to yell or grab a Basenji, often if they are lyed down they dont like you to put hands on them and will growl, you need to do the broken record technique of repeating "get down !" But KEEP CALM or you can escalate the situation.
    As you will realise Basenjis are a challenging breed and people misunderstand how to handle them, i certainly did when i first got mine, you cant treat them as normal Dogs, they are still close to wild dogs in temperament. Some of our friends were afraid of Benji because they saw him acting up, and your family sound as if they have been put off too. I do hope you get sorted and admire you for trying so hard:)


  • Sorry about all spelling mistakes etc in above post. In a hurry going out.


  • @basenjiboy20:

    Generally, how much would all that cost? Thats another bad thing I don't have the money to do more expensive things (I lost my job and paying for school)

    Call around to local vets and see if someone uses the IDEXX snap 4dx. It is a snap test that checks for heartworm, lyme, erlichia and anaplasmosis all in one, and shouldn't cost much more that a normal heartworm test.
    The thyroid panel with t3 and t4 autoantibody is $85 through hemopet. When the vet is doing the draw for the snap, just ask him to get 5-6 cc instead of just the few drops for the snap test, and you can send it to Hemopet yourself, or ask them to send it, which they shouldn't charge too much extra to do.
    When they are doing the physical exam, ask them to be especially sensitive to any signs of tenderness in the hip or spine, and only talk about x-rays if they find something. All told, I would expect about $200 without x-rays and $500-$1000 if x-rays are needed.

    Also, consider joining the yahoo group agbeh. http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/agbeh/
    They are very strict, but very good. Read through their files section. They have a lot of great info there.
    Also, Ian Dunbar has his book "After you get your puppy" available for free as a pdf at dogstardaily. http://www.dogstardaily.com/training/after-you-get-your-puppy . I realize your guy is not a puppy anymore, but this is a great book, and many of the exercises could be helpful.

    Again, hope some of this helps.

    -Nicole


  • Another issue is that you don't know what they are doing to your dog when you are not home. This is one of the big reasons why breeders will not place a dog into a home where not everyone is 100% behind having one. Lack of consistency can cause problems and training set backs but if someone doesn't like the dog or want the dog they can undermine the dog's success in the home.

    I would also recommend the booklet How To Be The Leader Of The Pack by Patricia McConnell.

    http://www.patriciamcconnell.com/product/how-to-be-the-leader-of-the-pack


  • @thunderbird8588:

    Hi,
    i think all the suggestions to get him checked again medicaly are good, unfortunately it is expensive going to the vets, i know to my cost,lol.
    Sharond suggestion abour someone coming over from BRAT to obseve and advise is also good. Hopefuly they could help if you need to rehome him. You sound like you are realy trying with him and its such a shame your sister doesn't like him.
    It is important not to yell or grab a Basenji, often if they are lyed down they dont like you to put hands on them and will growl, you need to do the broken record technique of repeating "get down !" But KEEP CALM or you can escalate the situation.
    As you will realise Basenjis are a challenging breed and people misunderstand how to handle them, i certainly did when i first got mine, you cant treat them as normal Dogs, they are still close to wild dogs in temperament. Some of our friends were afraid of Benji because they saw him acting up, and your family sound as if they have been put off too. I do hope you get sorted and admire you for trying so hard:)

    What is "BRAT" ?


  • BRAT is Basenji Rescue (www.basenjirescue.org)


  • nevermind this post lol


  • I read about thyroid problems and it says once they learn that bad behavior and get use to it meds usually cant correct the problem


  • I believe most behaviors can be corrected or modified if its done in a positive manner and everyone in the house is on board.
    If not, please think about what would be best for the basenji and you…
    There is a place for this b to go to.


  • @basenjiboy20:

    I read about thyroid problems and it says once they learn that bad behavior and get use to it meds usually cant correct the problem

    If the behaviors are coming from a medical condition, first you have to address that… I know of at least 2 Basenjis local that had Thyroid conditions and those dogs had many of the same issues as yours... they put the dog on Soloxine.. and within 3 days the behaviors changed... after a month they decided the dog was cured... and stopped the meds... within 24 hours the behaviors came back....

    So while it will not make a dog perfect... you still need to have all in the home on board with teaching, interacting, working with the dog... it will and can certainly change the "temperament".... look at it this way... if you don't feel well, what is your immediate reaction?

  • Houston

    I read about thyroid problems and it says once they learn that bad behavior and get use to it meds usually cant correct the problem

    I don't know if I believe that, at least not to the point of not trying to fix it..Yes you might have to reitterate to him what is Ok and not OK to do, but by all means if it truly is his thyroid, regardless of what you might need to do to retrain him, he still needs meds, as he is miserable in his own body..in my opinion.


  • I was quoted a price for a "6 thyroid panel" is that correct…? then the 4 panel below. and how do you know if your vet is really taking you to the cleaners with the price they are charging you?


  • is this a full panel? (TT4, FT4, TgAA,TSH) ….im confused


  • This article has the information you need about what the different panels test.

    http://www.apubasenjis.com/bhealth.html


  • T.T ….I still dont understand any of it


  • Go to http://www.hemopet.org/services.html

    There are links there, and also a very good audio file there that has some great history and good explanations.

    The full panel is $85 at Hemopet, so your vet should only be charging for the draw and shipping. If they want to send it to Antech, or Idexx, or MSU, you can ask them to ship it to Hemopet, or you can just ask them to draw and spin the blood, and ship the plasma yourself.

    Here is the link with Antech's profiles
    http://www.antechdiagnostics.com/antech1.shtml?n=ts&p=thyroid%20profiles

    you would definitely need the profile 5, but I would personally insist on Hemopet rather than Antech, because I don't see T3 or free T3 on that test, only T4, free T4, Thyroid stimulating hormone, and thyroglobulin autoantibody. Also, Jean Dodd's interpretations take a lot more into account, like breed and diet, which others do not.

    I would expect $20-30 for the blood draw alone, and I'm not sure how much for shipping, because it must be shipped overnight, but you should be able to get an idea from your Post Office.

    Were you able to find a vet that uses the Idexx Snap 4dx?

    -Nicole


  • Were you able to find a vet that uses the Idexx Snap 4dx?

    I have no idea what your talking about

Suggested Topics

  • 0 Votes
    14 Posts
    8k Views
    G
    @Nancy-Berry said I'm glad that it's getting so that their dew claws don't have to be removed! Yes. Having, or not having, dew claws is definitely not indicative of a good or bad breeder, or of the quality of the dog. I have had 2 different rescue Basenjis without dew claws who originated from "show" breeders; and I currently have a Basenji that I am showing who HAS dew claws. I would certainly hope that any judge would not base any decisions on whether or not a dog has dew claws. The only problem with leaving dew claws on a Basenji is that it increases the odds of their ability to use power tools! -Joanne
  • Why all this talk about 'unpredictable'?

    Behavioral Issues
    4
    0 Votes
    4 Posts
    2k Views
    K
    I got a big 'good' and 'unpredictable' surprise this morning: Binti was chased from view by a german shepherd and didn't come back. Usually they will walk around until we find each other again. This time she went all the way back to the car park, where she sat down next to our car, whining and moaning. I had no idea she knows which car is ours…
  • Basenjis that can't stand other basenjis

    Behavioral Issues
    7
    0 Votes
    7 Posts
    3k Views
    wizardW
    My previous males never had an opportunity to meet other basenjis (outside their breeder kennel) so don't know if the experience with my current female is "typical" or not. The first time she encountered another, it was a tri-color older female that was a real bitch and instantly got aggressive (now whenever they see each other its "hackles up"). The first time I took her to a lure coursing event, mine was friendly enough until a little blind female came up and bit her. The second time I took her to a LGRA event, a lady came up behind us (while mine was trying to potty) with her tricolor female and her dog attacked mine. So now hackles go up any time another female comes within shouting distance.
  • 'Beavering' problem

    Behavioral Issues
    20
    0 Votes
    20 Posts
    8k Views
    DebraDownSouthD
    My rottie removed the rockers from my rocking chair, lol. But that is very impressive for sure.
  • First 'hump' today

    Behavioral Issues
    11
    0 Votes
    11 Posts
    4k Views
    P
    In my opinion puppy humping is just a natural thing - lambs do it too. Yes it may be a dominance issue, I'm not sure. They usually grow out of it if and irt's quite easy to gently discourage them but above all don't make an issue of it.
  • 0 Votes
    28 Posts
    11k Views
    JazzysMomJ
    @luvsmy2bs: Have things gotten any better? Just curios,,,,,,I was reading your post and felt really sorry for you. Currently I have turned my dd's bedroom – thankfully she's away at college -- into a kennel. There is a 6 x 4' ex-pen w/top taking up the entire floor space of her room. Both Jazzy's and Keoki's crates are in there. At night he sleeps okay in that ONLY as long as BOTH crates remain open into the pen. If I close either crate, he flips out. During the day when we have to go out, as yesterday and today, I have to remove all "real" bedding and leave just paper toweling. Yesterday I made the mistake of leaving a small piece of carpet UNDER Jazzy's crate, and when we got home it had been pulled out and torn to shreds. It is obvious that he still wigs out, even in the large pen w/Jazz as today I noticed that the front of his crate {above the door, which was open} has been all chewed up, even though he was not shut in. Still working with the behaviorist; she and the vet are thinking long-term meds may be in order. That is still being discussed. He's going to hurt himself one day if we don't get a handle on this...and eventually dd is going to be home from college; then what? We can't travel with him like this either.