While My Basenji Gently Wails…

[renaultf1]

So Liyah is about halfway thru her season…overall, easier than I thought so far. Liyah's an easy one...no change at all in her personality that I can see. Still the active goofball that she normally is, eating well - you wouldn't know anything is any different with her. Looks a tiny bit heavier - but she could use a little weight so no concerns there either.

Poor Brando on the other hand is having one heck of a time of it. Sobbing constantly - even when being petted (although much softer sobbing when being touched :rolleyes:). And if you go out of his sight at all he lets out the most sorrowful wail. He's been more nibbly than normal to the humans - because Ruby (spayed) mostly puts him in his place if he tries to do it to her. Although the last couple of days Ruby has been flirting with him...I break it up when he starts paying too much attention to her because knowing Ruby she'd change her mind if he actually took her up on her offer :rolleyes:.

Anyway, for those of you with intact males & females in the house, what things do you do to help the boys thru it...or do you just try to ignore it (mostly what I've been doing, along with rolling my eyes at the "horndog"). I have DAP diffusers both upstairs and down but I can't say they are doing much if you heard the noise at the house. He is such a slave to his hormones...he's only eating his evening meal these days - he's too worked up for his breakfast or treats - although cheese he'll take in the evening.

It probably doesn't help that my father (who has alzheimers) thinks it is funny to howl and then gets Brando going - although I think it is funny that my father has come up with this game.

[AJs Human]

Wish I could help. All I can do is commiserate. I have heard it is physically painful for the boys and that's why they carry on. Mine's neutered. Please don't think I'm telling you to do this. You have your reasons for keeping them intact. (Showing?)

Does he kennel okay or is that an option?

Poor baby…(Him and all of you)

[Elscodobermann]

@renaultf1:

Anyway, for those of you with intact males & females in the house, what things do you do to help the boys thru it…or do you just try to ignore it (mostly what I've been doing, along with rolling my eyes at the "horndog"). I have DAP diffusers both upstairs and down but I can't say they are doing much if you heard the noise at the house.:D

I have always had intact males & females - i never neuter my males. When they start to get interested i make sure they are completely separate from the bitch in season i.e. not just in a crate nearby. We tend to put one (usually the male) at the other end of the house - so there are at least 3 doors separating them. we spray Cromesol (dont know if this is a uk only brand) round the doors, and try to avoid them passing directly through the same room at any time - or if they do then give everywhere a good spray before we bring the boy through to let him out in garden. But to be honest on one or two occasions the howls during the night can get so bad we just have to send the male down to my mums for a week to calm down - in the past our current male Humphrey has stopped eating his dinner for at least a week - although he would tend to eat in the mornings, so i would give him the bulk of his food then.

Sorry theres no magic answer - to neuter would certainly make things easier so those of us who choose not to just have to put up with the consequences.

[noodle]

Rocco is my first entire dog. His sister Dora has just had her first season. We seem to have got through it quite easily by the sound of things. Fortunately, my mum lives upstairs and looked after Dora most of the time along with Elsa for company. It helped that Dora didn't encourage him and Rocco settled fine in his crate as usual. All we got was some whingeing but nothing major so it was just a case of keeping him occupied and lots of extra special fuss. I suppose he is still quite young though.
Elsa, his mother, has now come into season. This could be a whole different story as she is a complete tart!

[renaultf1]

@AJs:

Wish I could help. All I can do is commiserate. I have heard it is physically painful for the boys and that's why they carry on. Mine's neutered. Please don't think I'm telling you to do this. You have your reasons for keeping them intact. (Showing?)

Does he kennel okay or is that an option?

Poor baby…(Him and all of you)

Don't worry, I didn't take it like you were telling me to neuter him.

He is co-owned by a couple of basenji breeders (he was imported from Finland) and is still at stud for those breeders - I'm his long term (permanent) foster home - so no, he won't be neutered. And honestly, I've had him 2 years and you'd hardly know he was intact…maybe a nibble here and there prior :D. He'll be left intact...once Liyah is finished with showing and if her breeder doesn't decide to use her in their breeding program, she will be spayed.

I probably feel worse about him being a bit of a mess as he only had the cast off his leg (broke his leg 11 weeks ago) for about 2 weeks before Liyah went into heat. So he's had a rough little go of it for a while now. Honestly this feels like nothing compared to keeping him quiet for 8 weeks with his broken leg. Thankfully Liyah waited to come into season until his cast was off.

[renaultf1]

@Elscodobermann:

I have always had intact males & females - i never neuter my males. When they start to get interested i make sure they are completely separate from the bitch in season i.e. not just in a crate nearby. We tend to put one (usually the male) at the other end of the house - so there are at least 3 doors separating them. we spray Cromesol (dont know if this is a uk only brand) round the doors, and try to avoid them passing directly through the same room at any time - or if they do then give everywhere a good spray before we bring the boy through to let him out in garden. But to be honest on one or two occasions the howls during the night can get so bad we just have to send the male down to my mums for a week to calm down - in the past our current male Humphrey has stopped eating his dinner for at least a week - although he would tend to eat in the mornings, so i would give him the bulk of his food then.

Sorry theres no magic answer - to neuter would certainly make things easier so those of us who choose not to just have to put up with the consequences.

Thanks for this. I could easily put him in another room at the other end of our house, only problem is that when he is separated from both me and Ruby, the noise is worse ;). He's always been a bit dramatic! I will start trying to give him more food at dinner time seeing as he does finish that meal, that is a great suggestion.

It isn't THAT bad…yet...I just feel bad for the little guy...and I know it probably will get worse (only on day 13), I just didn't know if anyone had some age old technique that I could try to help him thru it.

[renaultf1]

@noodle:

Elsa, his mother, has now come into season. This could be a whole different story as she is a complete tart!

Ha, ha, ha…:D:D:D

[AJs Human]

I thought that was funny too.

There are lots of good reasons to keep a dog intact. I just choose to alter my animals because I don't show and have no intention of breeding. (no patience for puppies)
It's all personal preference, even if I am a proponent of altering if the animal he or she will be a pet rather than show/breed dog.

[tanza]

So as not to get into the whole spay/neuter since there are strong opinions especially from across the "pond" to our here in the USA and the reason that we recommend spay/neuter…. lets' just leave it as personal decision and what is best for each person's situation.

And IMO, unless you can separate him from the bitch(s) in season by "miles" gggg.... just moving the crate to a different part of the house is going to make it worse... My OJ was a total basket case if he was not at least crated next to the girls.. and I do mean Basket case. And a word of warning, the last week is the worst.. as the boys know when they have "missed" the prime "time".....

[renaultf1]

@tanza:

So as not to get into the whole spay/neuter since there are strong opinions especially from across the "pond" to our here in the USA and the reason that we recommend spay/neuter…. lets' just leave it as personal decision and what is best for each person's situation.

And IMO, unless you can separate him from the bitch(s) in season by "miles" gggg.... just moving the crate to a different part of the house is going to make it worse... My OJ was a total basket case if he was not at least crated next to the girls.. and I do mean Basket case. And a word of warning, the last week is the worst.. as the boys know when they have "missed" the prime "time".....

+1 on the first paragraph. In my case, the situation is workable for all of us involved. The only thing I would add is that it takes a commitment to make it work, as well as some decent organization ;).

Brando definitely does more howling if Ruby & Liyah are outside and he is inside…almost like he is calling to them. And when he goes out after Liyah is back inside, his love of the yard is like nothing I've ever seen. I think a wild animal could easily run 2 ft in front of him and he'd never notice as his nose is glued to the ground.

I've been warned about the last week :eek::eek: - I can only imagine. Luckily I'll be away with Liyah at a dog show - my brother will get all the enjoyment. :D:D:D

[noodle]

Mine were allowed limited access to each other and for all but 4/5 nights at the peak of her season slept in the kitchen together (Rocco was crated). I could tell that Dora really missed her 'partner in crime' but they have been making up for it since and have been knocking seven bells out of each other.
It's such a relief when you can run them altogether again.

[tanza]

Well then… while you are gone, he should somewhat settle down....

[renaultf1]

Noodle, unfortunately in my house I can't let them be together at all during this time. Both Brando and Liyah are Fanconi Carriers - so for safety sake, they're apart for 30 days. They are crated in the same room(s) (when they are in their crates), but Ruby is in a crate in between Aaliyah and Brando. Aaliyah is in a vari-kennel and Brando & Ruby are in wire crates.

It will be a huge relief to have them all back together again. Brando was separated from the girls while his leg was broken. Back together with them for 2 weeks. And now separated from Aaliyah for the last 13 days. I let he and Ruby play together but am watchful of them because he's quite smitten with her at the moment (any port in a storm :D). Like I said in my original post, Ruby has been flirting with him but unfortunately it will have to be an unrequited love - I don't entirely trust that Ruby isn't leading him on. :rolleyes:

See Ruby had the opportunity in the past (not with Brando), but when it came right down to it, she refused - so her one litter was AI (worked out better in the long run). I guess you could say she is a little bit of a tease.

[renaultf1]

@tanza:

Well then… while you are gone, he should somewhat settle down....

Pat, the standing joke in my house is that he would prefer my brother over Aaliyah anyway :D:D:D:D, so maybe not!

[tanza]

@renaultf1:

Pat, the standing joke in my house is that he would prefer my brother over Aaliyah anyway :D:D:D:D!

LOL… I totally understand that one!!!

[thunderbird8588]

Naughty Ruby Poor Brando

[AJs Human]

If Liyah is out of the picture during her last week, it'll subside for Brando. He'll just cry because you and Liyah are not there. Part of his pack gone, you know.

Good luck at the show!:)

[jonny b.]

Question: do fixed male dogs still go thru " issues" during Season, or just intact dogs? my hansel (5 yrs.) who was fixed over a year ago is acting a little more aggressive than normal. to every one and every thing and just started the beginning of the month… Jonny has been more out going and frisky (fixed to but since a very early age) he is 2 now. thanks

[AJs Human]

I haven't noticed any issues with AJ. He's been neutered for almost 5 years. Maybe he forgot what that thing was for. He knows when there's a bitch in season around, but doesn't get excited about it. Kind of like "ho-hum…go bother someone else, will ya?"
He did have one litter with the lead bitch he lived with at the time, so he did have his jollies once in his life. Let himself out of his crate to get to her. (And lost the tips of his canine teeth in the process) I understand they were pretty pups, but after the second attempted go-round, he was snipped. Previous owner didn't want more AJ's running around.

[tanza]

@jonny:

Question: do fixed male dogs still go thru " issues" during Season, or just intact dogs? my hansel (5 yrs.) who was fixed over a year ago is acting a little more aggressive than normal. to every one and every thing and just started the beginning of the month… Jonny has been more out going and frisky (fixed to but since a very early age) he is 2 now. thanks

My OJ was neutered at 4yrs, he was never used for breeding… he for sure knew when breeding season was... regardless if he was in-tact or after he was neutered...