a spray bottle filled with listerine will work like the vicks too. It also makes your house smell fresh.

I got ziggee thru brat and he came with august magic, i let my nephew borrow it. I didn't know about the other one, now I will check it out see if my library still has one.

my first basenji was a handful. destructive, chewer, crazy than crazy things I would come home to tore up. a few tricks that worked for him, was a spraybottle filled with listerine, they dont like the smell, and spray it where you don't want him to chew. and it makes your house smell fresh…lol and another one was mouse traps. I would line my kitchen counters with them and furniture, and it stings when it snaps but not to hurt him, Till the day that boy died, I had them mousetraps, after a while I didn't have to set them anymore but once they were removed he would go back and tear it up. Just the sight of them kept him away. People would come over see them traps all over my house and ask if I had mice.... nope just a crazy basenji. I know if you can crate train him, that would be the best, my first basenji it was impossible. He would buck until the screws were stripped, I would put a guinea pig bottle in so he would have water while i was at work, he would manuever his jaw and alway put a hole in it. I gave in and he had some of the house to run, the livingroom and kitchen. and with the mousetraps and listerine nothing more got destroyed.

yep last time it looked like that…. Ziggee was angry... beyond words to describe, but after a minute, he focused again on me, and came back to his loving self, thank god.

well, if you have the time to be so accurate to spray right in their face and nose… have at it...lol I will take my chance and get bit, my hands and legs work pretty quickly to block a shot to the other dog. The water thing didn't work for me, and as I said, 5 gallons got dumped on both of them, in my case I had a tile floor, and it just made it harder to get a grip now with out slipping on all that water... that was really dumb on my part...lol

@Patty:

Yes, I think that 'dog biting person' does get that reaction but people often say it because they don't understand that it can be purely accidental and incidental when stopping a fight.
The same thing can happen and has happened to me when a dog is in pain because they have got limbs etc trapped and attack the person who is trying to release them. When it happened to me and I had to go to hospital to get stitched I wouldn't admit that it was a dog bite as in the present climate in the UKthe incident may get reported and have serious consequences for the dog.
It sounds as though your success is a combination of the doggie shrink's advice and your ability to learn from what you were advised.

Yes unfortunately here in NY also, a dog bite must be reported even under the circumstances and it was my own. One of the times, they hit a tendon and I needed to seek help for myself… but just the fact that watching these 2 animals I love dearly, rip at each other, I had to seriously learn the advice of our behaviorist. Some of the training was hard and tedious... but I was committed to 15minutes 3times a day. I had to become the pack leader, We don't follow all the rules, the one about not on the furniture, and no sleeping in bed.... they mostly lay on thier doggie beds anyways, but if I am on the sofa watching tv, I more than love the cuddling of my two basenjis.

also try a few 5-10 minutes leaves… leave your house, come back, don't make a fuss over him when you get in, and always return with a treat. This sometimes worked for ziggee, when there was other people there. When I would take him for a walk, is when I fussed over him. We would run, and play, and when we walked in, it was quiet time. He is very smart, he still does this, but really until I got Scarlett, the blood curdling screaming never did actually stop.

as I said, everyone I know said I should get rid of one, and obviously that would have been Scarlett, she already had a history of almost being put to sleep. It was the point of both of them biting me, which people were concerned…you know... "don't bite the hand that feeds you" But I got bit by blocking shots at the other dog, not that they were attacking me. Yes, for the most part, we all get along, and those incidents were waaaaay outta control. Its funny, when my dad "babysits" just one of them while the healing processes is going on, each one is looking for the other. whimper and running about.... they do need each other too.

holy cow!!!! The last time they had the death grip on each other.Each had a good chunk of neck, I have had ziggee since he was young and we have a bond. Scarlett was 3 when I got her, sooo I just went in there grabbed them and told ziggee to drop, oh he wasn't happy, both were livid and hell yeah my arms and hands got totally nailed. But I seperated them, Got scarlett in her crate, Ziggee was a bloody mess, she tore his ear. He got a few hits in and her front leg by the elbow, was a huge tore open wound. After the incident, they were both shaking and wounded, I am not sure if the 'retraining' with what I learned from the doggie shrink has helped or that incident really hit them both beyond where they wanted to go. But that was a huge expense, and nothing since then. I am going to look into pet insurance. lol And thanks for that, it really means alot when I find someone who understands about the breed. Scarlett was put into the rescue because she bit a new handler when she was sent out on a show. She was either to be adopted out or put to sleep….. sheeeesh she was only 3. I never had any issues with her and other dogs or people. She is very friendly. Those incidents with Ziggee, well the territorial thing and I didn't have control, they didn't think of me as the pack leader.... Now they do, well they are basenjis, so they let me think I do...lol

just like spoiled children they would get into tear apart fights over me, usually. If one is on my lap and the other wanted to join us, the growling and nipping would start. Ziggee is laid back, great personality, he let this go for sometime, until one day he just growled back and snapped, before I knew it, they were ripping each other up. I just got a water delivery and got one of those 5 gallon jugs and dumped it on them… this did not break them up.... I went in there and got nailed a few times but got them apart. My house was like pyscho, blood splatters everywhere. I took the worse one first to the vet... and the crates were a staple again... although ziggee would always bust out. I have had both together now about 5 years, and thru those 5 years about 4 serious fights until I found a doggie shrink that knew the breed. The last time, was about 1500bucks for x-rays and stitches.... they were both a mess. I had to find a way to stop this, because for the most part we all got along great. We went on rides together, camping, walks...everything. These fights were not often but brutal enough everyone told me to get rid of one... I got nailed plenty too. My doctor bills are cheaper, I would gladly take the hit for either one, just to seperate them and calm them down. But all has been well the past year... once the eyeing each other and growling across the room starts, we have time out. I have chains in oposite sides of the room, they each get hooked up to thier corners, and I leave. Whether to take a shower, or run to the store... but when I get back before I unhook them they get a treat. Then together they both get praised. When I feel they need to be in time out, in a firm voice I say, "necklaces now!!" and they both go to thier designated corner and wait to get hooked up. They dont cry while they are there, they learned the rules. This works for us.