Skip to content

Aggression

Behavioral Issues
  • Abby tends to be food aggressive when we are eating dinner even though she doesn't get any table food if we try to move her away or take her out of the room she gets real snippy growling and trying to bite:mad: she also seems a bit aggressive when she is tired and we go to move her from "her" spot on the couch, this one she only tends to do when my stepchildren are there for the weekend, it's almost like this is her house and they are invading it, but i'm afraid she is really going to bite them:eek:. Any info anyone can give on this would really help alot.:confused:

  • My boy Tobias is very wierd when we move him while he is sleeping, he growls at us and it sounds really vicious but once he is moved he wants to lick the skin of my face as to say "IM SORRY MAMA", I dont know if your Abby will bite , best to tell the children to respect her space, it also works when you talk to them before tring to move them, this always works now with Tobias, I guess it changes his frame of mind.

  • please be aware that females in particular growl to talk….that snarfy sound.

    i have had a food aggressive dog, only towards those she wanted to dominate...the other basenji and my cats....she never growled at me because i was always the alpha female when they would get out of hand.

    i talked to a trainer about it and it is a dominance issue. he suggested feeding her separate in a kennel so she felt safe. she would still growl if a cat got close to her food, but I didnt have to worry.

    maybe you could feed her in the kennel when you eat.

    try a spray bottle when she growls and say no and see if that works.....

    good luck.....

    i found that the growling while sleeping and growling in general is a lot easier to understand when you are around other basenji owners in your community and they share similar behaviors...then it isnt so scary....

    if you are feeling uneasy and the basenji makes you feel uncomfortable in any way....try training classes without treats....that will help you communicate with your basenji...

    most stuff can be worked out with enough effort....and understanding. good luck!

  • Abby is participating in what is called "resource guarding" Your first step should be to set her up so that she can't practice the behavior….so put her in her crate before you eat.

    Limit and supervise the interactions that she and your stepkids have. If she is uncomfortable around them, which she very well may be..have them take turns feeding her treats. A lot of Basenjis that weren't raised around kids are very wary of them, and will try to warn them off by giving them a low growl...if it is ignored, or harshly corrected, many will bite.

    When she is sleeping condition her to quietly calling her name and when she gets up, give her a treat. It won't take long before she hops up as soon as you call her name, to get the treat.

    Good luck

  • My Basenji also growled when woken up or moved from her warm spot. Didn't have a food problem though.

    I've once seen her wake herself up from a doggie nightmare, she even snapped in the air a few times before she awoke.

    The only way we could persuade her to move without the fuss was with something she liked even more than her warm spot like a treat or the heater.

  • These are all really good tip thank you guys so much.

  • My Sahara likes to eat cat poo, can anyone tell me how to get her to stay out of my cat's litter box. I have 2 cats that live in the garage during the winter and so the litter box is out there as well. My washer and dryer is there also, so when I wash Sahara of course follows me out there. I do try to get her to stay inside, but sometimes she scoots by me, she is such an escape artist. She likes to chase my cats, bother them until they jump on top of the chest freezer. Well, then she goes over to the litter box, I caught her in the process, it was so gross, help!!!!!!! No sweet kisses for me for awhile!!!!!! haha!!!!

  • Every dog I've owned has had a thing for the cat poo…so nasty!!!

    We wound up having to get a covered litter box and turn it toward the wall, leaving just enough space for the cats to get in and out.
    At least it took the dogs longer to get to and we can could catch them in time!
    Since Jazzy moved in we've moved the litter boxes to part of the house where she cannot go. The poor cats were being daily tormented and it just didn't seem fair.

  • We built a platform for the cat boxes, that was high enough, and small enough, the dogs weren't that wild about trying jump up there.

  • yeah, its like chocolate or something fantastic for dogs. my one basenji was obsessed with the box.

    i have the automatic litterbox and it still didnt fix the problem. I eventually just added a baby gate for that room and it became the get away room for the cats when they didnt want to be chased….

  • I too have an automatic litter box but we built a platform almost like a cabinate and the poo goes down into a garbage can with a bag in it and abby or missy can not get into the poo.

Suggested Topics

  • Aggressive issues

    Moved Behavioral Issues
    18
    1 Votes
    18 Posts
    9k Views
    BigVB
    I don't want to sound personnel but if you are in control why does he keep showing aggression to other intact dogs. By taking him away from the other dog is not teaching him not to be aggressive . He may see you as boss but he wants to be second in charge and see,s all other intact dogs as a threat to his position. Don't be to proud to use a muzzle , and as I said take out to mix with intact dogs . As he can't hurt them and will soon relize,s this you need to stand up and let him know your displeasure using voice and physical presence and a small water pistol as he will hate being squirted. You should find the water pistol works a treat. I would do this every few days until his stops the aggressive behaviour , then I would try without the muzzle but always keep the water pistol with you and let him see it as he will remember what happens when he acts up. This is a method I have used to help mates control their pig dogs . I am by far an expert and are always prepared to Liston to others thoughts as this is how I learn.
  • Fear Aggression

    Behavioral Issues
    9
    0 Votes
    9 Posts
    4k Views
    kdubs518K
    Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I know I have a lot of work ahead of me, but she is definitely worth it. I'd do anything for my best friend! Oh! I think we're having some progress with her. My neighbor's granddaughter is staying the week. The first few days Pippin would bark at her anytime she got near the fence. I had the girl just sit at the fence and I would treat Pip every time she looked at the girl or walked near the fence. Eventually I had Pip eating treats out of her hand!!! (I told the girl not to try to give her treats or pet her unless I'm outside, of course. Just in case Pippin would get spooked.) But I'm super excited about this progress!
  • Vet aggression

    Behavioral Issues
    9
    0 Votes
    9 Posts
    4k Views
    MacPackM
    Take a small rubber backed rug, like a bathroom rug, to put on the metal table, then it won't slip and he will have good footing, and the smell of home to comfort him. Combined with all of the above positive reinforcement and lots of 'drop in' vet visits. Anne in Tampa
  • Bedtime aggression

    Behavioral Issues
    21
    0 Votes
    21 Posts
    8k Views
    youngandtiredY
    Sahara never gets grumpy when she has to move or I move her myself. When she was a puppy I always tried to get her use to being moved, and I just couldn't keep my hands off of her when she was sleeping. Just like a sweet little baby, I just had to sweet talk her and rub her, she looked so sweet and lovable. I still have a had time leaving her alone, hubby too when she is sleeping. She is great, when she is sleeping in my lap and I have to get up, I just say, "Sahara, Mommy has to get up". She immediately gets up and moves and goes to lay down in her bed or in the guest room where it is usually nice and dark (no lights on). I read on here when she was a puppy to get her use to being moved when she was sleeping and I thank this forum for that. I took the advice and Sahara is all the good for that. She still growls and puts my wrist in her mouth when I get in my car, she hates to see me leave. I am still working on this behavior, hope the water bottle stops it for good.:D
  • Leash aggression??

    Behavioral Issues
    13
    0 Votes
    13 Posts
    5k Views
    basenjibratzB
    @Quercus: That sounds ideal! I do love the head collars…the ONLY drawback is so many dogs have fits when they wear them. But the control is awesome, particularly for reactive dogs. Glad it is working for you! Oh yes, Talker had a fit when he was younger and I tried the collar. I gave up because I felt so bad for him. I don't know what changed this time–whether I was calmer or he mellowed out or what, but he accepted the halti this time around and I'm loving it. There were so many times that he would be so anxious to be out walking that getting him to stop pulling was tiresome and the walks were not enjoyable. We were constantly stopping and starting and stopping and starting to re-adjust ourselves. Now, we just walk. Loving the halti!:)
  • Sudden Aggressive Behaviour

    Behavioral Issues
    8
    0 Votes
    8 Posts
    3k Views
    P
    We have already started the positive reinforcement. My 12 year old daughter is very good with him, and she feeds him in the morning. He is always fed in his crate, and we always thought it was cute and funny that as we were putting the food in his dish he was crawling underneath us to get to it. That changed last night. When I was putting water in his dish I made him wait until I had finished. He was trying to drink it through the bars as I poured it. My hubby and daughter have both read the article I printed out. I think Paige will better follow it as my hubby is very softhearted and all our dogs run our life because he simply can't dominate them.