need advice

[AC~Akeyla]

I wasn't sure where to place this thread so I guess Puppy Socializing will work fine.
I need some advice from my Basenji pals. Well... we heard from our breeder today that she is considering selling her Basenji puppy (which is Akeyla's sister). And we are interested in the puppy, but I was wondering if having two females woud be a good idea? After all they are sisters maybe they can get along...right?? :)

[lvoss]

Not necessarily. Some of the worst fights can be between littermate sisters.

[Basenjimamma]

Would the fights be this young, or do they start as adults? My reason for the questions is maybe the breeder might consider you doing a trial run on keeping the litter sister to see how things would go. On the flip side, what does the breeder say? Being that she is the breeder and she has experience in the B breed, maybe she has an input as to how she feels about it? Is she colose to where you live? Could you visit the breeder?

[lvoss]

They are likely to occur at the same ages that you hit those rough patches raising your puppy so 6 month and 18 months also during the fall can be another rough spot especially if one or both is intact.

[Rita Jean]

If you do not get the sister are you always going to wonder did I do wrong or right? I am sure there will be bad times but I believe the good will be more then bad. I know some say two females are bad and some same two males are bad and some say it works. Let your heart guide you and you do what feels right and then you make it work and be right.

Rita Jean

[lvoss]

I am sure there will be bad times but I believe the good will be more then bad.

I am sorry but this awful advice. When two females fight, it is not a good day/bad day thing, it is you must die or the world is not right kind of thing. As was stated before if you plan to add another dog to the household especially one of the same sex, you need to have a plan for if it does not work not just hope for the best.

[Rita Jean]

No one said she should not have a plan but some people know in there heart if it is right. Basenji is not the only female that does not always get along with other female. It takes work on everyones part.

Rita Jean

[Schouiffy]

My 2 cents, ask the breeder if she will take the sister back if at some point the two dogs don't get along. Like Lisa said, keep in mind that some times it takes a good amount of time for 2 dogs to decide they will not function as pack. I mean, there is no problem in trying but be ready with a solid back up home if in a year or two the girls say no.


but some people know in there heart if it is right??? One's heart does not dictate the chemistry between two dogs.

[nomrbddgs]

Well, I can give my personal experience with a few bitches that fought. My two girls fought to kill each other. They were well supervised and I definitely went into the show ring with some interesting cuts. Damisi throat was slit from side to side once. This was the 'you must die' thing. There was no reprieve. Also another girl I know had the same thing happen to her two girls and they had to send the one back to the breeder. Also, Damisi hates, HATES her sister. Not getting along is one thing, but if you don't have the experience, I'm sorry, but I wouldn't go there. Just MO.

[AC~Akeyla]

Well...I hoped for better news than this. I will ask the breeder for a "trial" run. I want to see how they act together before we decide. We really wanted a male, but this opportunity just fell into our lap, so we have to see if it will even work. Akeyla really needs a playmate.

Please keep the advice coming. I want to hear everything ya'll have to say!

[lvoss]

Be sure to check that the breeder will take back one of the girls if it should become necessary. Can you separate your household if necessary? Watch the DVD The Language of Dogs and learn the early low level signals that dogs give each other because that can really help to head small things off before they escalate into big ones. And make sure to ask yourself if you are prepared to break up a serious fight should it occur.

[Schouiffy]

That's the spirit.. I hope in your case you prove the exception!

[renaultf1]

Well, I can give my personal experience with a few bitches that fought. My two girls fought to kill each other. They were well supervised and I definitely went into the show ring with some interesting cuts. Damisi throat was slit from side to side once. This was the 'you must die' thing. There was no reprieve. Also another girl I know had the same thing happen to her two girls and they had to send the one back to the breeder. Also, Damisi hates, HATES her sister. Not getting along is one thing, but if you don't have the experience, I'm sorry, but I wouldn't go there. Just MO.

To the original poster...if there is one post on here to read and take to heart...IMHO, it is this one. Here's how bad it can get. Even if it goes ok at first, are you prepared if it takes a turn like this...not only can the dog get injured but you (or your family) can as well - breaking up a fight.

[Quercus]

Yeah...I wouldn't do it, especially without a plan...and I mean a real plan involving exactly how the day to day house would run with two dogs who hate each other. Or, the ability to be able place one without breaking your heart. You might know right away that it won't work...or it might be months, or years. With the girls, it works until it doesn't. You can't really predict it, especially with sisters.

[sharronhurlbut]

They can get "along" for years..then one day, one will look at the other and they will try to hurt each other.
No warning, nothing like you would find with a male/female combo...
Really, male/female is the best way to go.

[tanza]

Well...I hoped for better news than this. I will ask the breeder for a "trial" run. I want to see how they act together before we decide. We really wanted a male, but this opportunity just fell into our lap, so we have to see if it will even work. Akeyla really needs a playmate.

Please keep the advice coming. I want to hear everything ya'll have to say!

My bitches have totally hated their litter sisters.... and there is nothing worse than a bitch fight... typically you can never get them back together either....

[RedVelvetLynx]

Wow - I never realized things got that ugly, esp. between litter sisters! That's depressing. AC~Akeyla - my advice, consider carefully that almost everyone is telling you the same thing...I waited a while (and yes, it seemed like FOREVER!) before I finally found Denver & it was worth it. And if you do decide to give it a whirl, I sincerely hope it all works out for everyone. Even though Denver tends to be a bit lazy, Trinity still is so much happier with a chum.

[Elscodobermann]

I have to agree with the majority of the posts - keeping litter sisters is not generally a good idea - i know from experience! And is taking a pup for a trial run really in the pups best interest? surely it is better to wait and let it get placed in a forever home, rather than have it getting passed from pillar to post just so you can try it out?

[Maya]

Well, i hope things work out whatever you decide to do. I tend to agree with the above post, it will only confuse the pup more to go for a "trial" with you that doesnt work out then be sent on somewhere else... I think you really need to give it some thought.

And just as an interesting addition, its not just basenjis that are like this! My two female pugs (not littersisters) cannot be in the same room as each other. They cant even be crated together. You wouldnt think pugs could do much damage but having been accidentally bitten whilst trying to split them up i can assure you they do - they drew blood and half my hand was very badly bruised! It got so bad that one now has to live with my mum. And these two were inseperable as pups, the best of friends! Until the youngest got to about 18 months. And they are both very friendly with other dogs, its just each other they dont like..

So, even if you did do the trial and all went well, theres no saying that in a few months time you wont have problems.

[AC~Akeyla]

Thank you everyone!! I guess since all the bad news, we won't even try it out. I would hate to have to remove one female from our home. Like I said we were really looking for a male puppy but we will not have time to care for a puppy like we did for Akeyla. We hope to find a male within the next few months. If anyone knows of any puppies for sell please let me know. Thanks again.

[noodle]

What about mother/daughter relationships? Can the same thing happen?

[Shaye's Mom]

What about separate breeds? Can a female Basenji get along with a female of another type, like one with the same energy level, a Jack Russell for instance?

[Rita Jean]

Our Basenji gets along very well with our Shiba. Yes they both are females.

Rita Jean

[lvoss]

What about mother/daughter relationships? Can the same thing happen?

It can happen but I think it happens less often. I think it is important to watch how the dam interacts with the pups. Rio and Rally get along wonderfully, but Rio was always very attached to both her mom and Nicky as a puppy and really always seemed like she was the right one to keep. Sophie and Rio also get along well, but Rally pretty much gave Sophie to Rio to raise at about 5 weeks old.

[Basenjimamma]

We have our foster Bana and our female schnauzer mix and they play like the best of friends..they might snark every now and then while playing but so does the males while playing with either each other or between the sexes.

[noodle]

Thanks for the advice Ivoss.
I have been watching them very closely. The 'pups' are 6 months old now. Elsa (mum) is a typical female in many ways, but has surprised us all by being quite a laid back mum. I also have a female lurcher (who was allowed to babysit the puppies) a staffie x and Dora's litter brother and everyone gets along fine at the moment. Fortunately, Dora (daughter) is submissive to Elsa and as I will not be breeding from her I shall be having her spayed.

[Patty]

I don't think that there is ever a hard and fast rule about mothers and daughters. Two of mine got on very well and were extremely loving until the older one tried to rescue her daughter's puppy when it was screaming because it had been separated from its mother. The daughter attacked the mother and they never got on again and eventually had to be separated.
The younger bitch now has a long lasting and loving relationship with her own daughter - so much so that the younger used to comfort suckle until she was three years old!!! They are now 12 and 9 and absolutely unseparable.
The older bitch now15, has a similar loving relationship with another granddaughter (Nakura's sister) which she raised when the mother died shortly after giving birth.

[MacPack]

As Quercus said, it works until it doesn't. We have had 2 females (unrelated) who got on very well, and were able to recover from minor "issues", but I would rather have 2 males any day than 2 females. As we fondly say, there is a reason they call them bitches. Male fights can be bad (we had 2 brothers that had 'real' fights a few times) but they stop and are licking each other's wounds the next day. Girls seem to hold a grudge.

[AC~Akeyla]

What if both females are spayed??? Any difference?

[tanza]

What if both females are spayed??? Any difference?

Usually No... IMO