So Tyler is 2 1/2 now. He has always been the dog about which folks would say "Wow, I've never met such a friendly basenji." Until recently; in the last couple months he has occasionally (which means unpredictably) started growling and snapping at dogs at the park, and now in our or other people's homes.
His history: He has a great pedigree (all healthy, well-tempered champions), has been socialized since a very early age, and was neutered at six months. He has always been very affectionate and cuddly, loving to meet all people and other dogs. He gets 1-2 hours of dog park and/or mountain hike exercise every day.
It's just the last couple months that he has been lashing out at well-behaved dogs in the park. He has not been aggressive on leash walks. Sometimes it seems he is "guarding" me. If I sit down, he will not let other dogs come near. Also, in the home he is fine at first, but after a guest has already been here a while, he will growl or snap at them if they come near. This weekend he had to be crated while guests were over because he was snarling and biting at anyone who paid attention to him. He's fine when they first enter the home.
Also, we were at a get-together with 6 different basenjis and Tyler was having a great time for the first 3 hours, then he just changed and was like "I am done." and turned on everyone.
This is a new behavior and I don't want to take the chance of it getting worse. I keep hearing the phrase "terrible two's" but that seems like a copout to me… having an aggressive dog is not acceptable. I have been paying close attention to him, praising him each time he has a good encounter and scolding him when he acts mean. Has anyone else been through this "phase" with their basenji?