Skip to content

AJ Just Bit a Basset

Behavioral Issues
  • Even though we can't change every owner of every rude dog, I think understanding why our dogs react they way they do is important. When people use the "My dog is friendly" line on my husband when he is walking the dogs his response is "I'm NOT!" Which seems to get people's attention more than when he says the dogs are not.

    I usually shout that we are either in the middle training or that my dog was recently attacked and was traumatized. That works for some. Sometimes I end up having to just put myself between my dog and the rude dog and sternly tell it to "Go home". My dogs are reactive, several have been attacked by so called "friendly" dogs and even if they hadn't my experience is that adult basenjis have zero tolerance for rude behavior. Mine use body language and their voice to tell the other dogs in no uncertain terms to "move out of my space, you bleeping bleep bleep". Basenjis curse like sailors when they are PO'd. I am sure that some people think my dogs are aggressive and probably think I'm no peach either but sometimes politeness gets no response from the owner nor the dog.

  • And I am not above yelling… "The owner bites"!!! to people that are like that.... So I love lvoss's husbands response... it is too perfect

  • @lvoss:

    Basenjis curse like sailors when they are PO'd.

    Sorry, this is off topic, but it always amuses me to hear of how people imagine their dog's "voice." Dogs with pottymouths are funny to me, not that I imagine either of my own having that kind of vocabulary. My shiba can be grumpy and prone to "yelling" in a loud and offensive manner, but I never imagine him swearing… at least nothing beyond what one would hear on the radio. And my B-girl has been far too much of a lady so far for me to to imagine her swearing at all! =)

  • Sorry to hear about AJ's incident. Needless to say I wish I had the perfect advice..but I don't. That article sure was interesting and good though.

  • @tanza:

    And I am not above yelling… "The owner bites"!!! to people that are like that.... So I love lvoss's husbands response... it is too perfect

    I love that too!! I am gonna start using it! I hate to say my dogs aren't friendly, because they are…but me...not so much ;)

  • @Quercus:

    I love that too!! I am gonna start using it! I hate to say my dogs aren't friendly, because they are…but me...not so much ;)

    Wow, there's some mean a.. women on this forum,. :D

  • Now Dan. :) I think basenji lovers love the breed because basenjis can do perfectly fine on their own (playing). I tend to think of myself as someone who can totally find comfort in my alone time. Any others on here the same?

  • @curlytails:

    Sorry, this is off topic, but it always amuses me to hear of how people imagine their dog's "voice." Dogs with pottymouths are funny to me, not that I imagine either of my own having that kind of vocabulary. My shiba can be grumpy and prone to "yelling" in a loud and offensive manner, but I never imagine him swearing… at least nothing beyond what one would hear on the radio. And my B-girl has been far too much of a lady so far for me to to imagine her swearing at all! =)

    My Kristii was a "swearing" Basenji… to the point of "spitting"... I always told people you "don't" want to know what she is saying!

  • There used to be this guy and he had this rude GSD mix where I took my last 2 off leash. It used to bother my female bw Nika and she hated him as he was not fixed and well, her being a female. He would totally not even notice his dog pestering mine. Now add in one mean SOB rw named Ringo I adopted a year after getting Nika. Ringo would jump and scare the hell outta that dog to where the guy would put his dog between his legs when we went by. He used to point at Ringo and say with a heavy German accent "that's the devil dog" then point to Nika and say "that's the good dog". I'd would say "no, the devil dog is the good dog too".

  • I like the idea of me taking responsibility for being the grouch. Truck drivers are a rather thick lot. When I tell them my dog is not good with other dogs, they almost inevitably insist on bringing their ratty, filthy, scruffy mutts over to spread the mange wealth around to AJ. They almost always say the same thing: "He won't do anything to my dog. My dog can play with anyone."
    Yeah, but what if I don't want my Basenji to catch mange, fleas or cooties from your dog?

    Unfortunately, that wasn't the case last night. That Basset was really sweet…with people. She just came in a bit too aggressively for AJ and I didn't give him anywhere to go.

    With the information I've received here, I think I can be a bit more proactive and confident with him. That will be good. Thank you to everyone.

Suggested Topics

  • Snarling and Bitting

    Behavioral Issues
    10
    0 Votes
    10 Posts
    3k Views
    K
    @DebraDownSouth Swedish Animal Welfare Regulations Section 13 of Sweden’s regulations on keeping dogs and cats states that, “dogs and cats may not be kept in cages” unless they’re used for transport, hunting, or a competition or show. Even then, pet owners are required to let their dogs out of their crates at least every two to three hours.
  • My dog bit me.

    Behavioral Issues
    7
    0 Votes
    7 Posts
    7k Views
    DebraDownSouthD
    :::Note: I’m not a professional trainer, I have a degree in psychology and im a teacher; a dog is like a 2-4 year old. Every dog is different though, maybe I’ve just gotten lucky, but what I’ve been doing has been working for me; maybe it will for you.::: LOL, not luck... good common sense. We do basic training to get solid responses in controlled environments, which gives a good base for expanding it to other situations. Like eeeefarm, I don't thing animal aggressive dogs need to socialize with strange dogs. I keep them separated. For the unexpected, working at home on basic commands (Leave It!, "look at me" to focus on you and understand the other dog is off limits, solid 100 percent down-stay) can help you avoid your dog getting revved enough to bite. That means you have to stay on top of things, change directions if necessary, and be firm and loud in asking others to not approach with their dog. Training is wonderful bonding, and it exercises their brains. http://www.clickerlessons.com/index.htm
  • Help! My basenji is bitting

    Behavioral Issues
    11
    0 Votes
    11 Posts
    7k Views
    DebraDownSouthD
    @kjdonkers said in Help! My basenji is bitting: @DebraDownSouth No use for further discussion, if everyone outside your sphere of reference is a quack, a nut job, a con artist. Different planets. Stay healthy! Everyone outside of provable or at least probably science, especially when they peddle for money, does fit my definition of quack and cons. But I slept with a bar of soap in desperation with restless leg syndrome. I have tried things that have almost as little scientific basis, but I do so armed with knowing that. My issue is people selling things as science/proven when they aren't. My issue is vulnerable, desperate or uneducated people getting taken in by hustlers. Not a different planet, just the science based and honest part of the same one. Having seen too many people hurt, or their animals hurt, or children hurt, by false science/medicine/therapies... I am sorry that you think belief in scientific proof and honesty about what is or is not proven is wrong. If someone says to me, "I drink vinegar and it helps my arthritis, but there's no research proving it works"... good. I might even try it. But when some quack says "pay me $100 and I'll tell you why your dog bites or where your missing child is or if your husband is cheating on you or whatever"... they deserve to be horsewhipped. I am sorry if I sounded dismissive to you personally. It wasn't my intent. It was reaction to what you wrote. In general, we're on common ground. We don't have to agree on things to stay on the same planet. :)
  • Just wondering - do dogs leave home to die?

    Behavioral Issues
    3
    0 Votes
    3 Posts
    3k Views
    BDawgB
    I know our family dog growing up made several attempts to go off as the end grew near. It was very sad. But I think there is something to that survival of the fittest thing- that animals accept their fate easier (and dare I saw with more pride) than we as humans do. I don't think they see death as this "terrible ending"…
  • A little bit of this and that

    Behavioral Issues
    15
    0 Votes
    15 Posts
    5k Views
    tashaT
    Sounds like that is his personality. No different than my beagle/dalmation mix who does not like to have his feet touched. If he doesn't like it, let him not like it. My cat does the same thing now that I think of it. She'll plop herself on my foot and as soon as I touch her with my other foot she takes off.
  • Bitting issues leading to tough decision

    Behavioral Issues
    10
    0 Votes
    10 Posts
    6k Views
    BarklessdogB
    Is thread is sooo in line to what we have been through and the suggestions are spot on with what we have done to correct it. You eliminate the situations. We put our dogs in crates if someones coming over. We never leave them out unsupervised with anyone, except our direct family. They never get loose at anytime. Our dogs love our kids, but they respect the dogs and know how to handle them. The dogs love the kids as well, but strangers they want nothing to do with. We treat our house like a submarine, we have several doors or 'hatches" that must ALWAYS be closed coming or going, this includes our garage door as well. We also put up beware of dog signs, which keep kids & strangers (meter readers) out and also provides some safety from burglers which have hit our area from time to time. No ones going to mess with a basenji!