New update: Tika is no longer in heat! Yay! Remy got neutered and is doing great! We got a dog trainer to come in assess the situation and she thinks it is starting to improve compared to how I described it when I booked her to come. Only Maia seems to need the muzzle, she seems to be very unsure of the puppy. We are working with her to build her confidence. The puppy doesn’t seem to have any stress with Maia around and won’t start anything. The muzzle is on just in case when I am home alone as I don’t want anything bad to happen when if I can’t separate them. The puppy is getting lots of training time to help her learn how to behave properly. With 2 people here we can have the girls on short leashes and they are fine together. They did have a small altercation of snarling but no biting and no one got hurt. The older female backed down and walked away. As much as I want her to be the top dog it seems that the puppy has a much more dominant personality. If they figure out the pack hierchy hopefully everything will settle down. The trainer says there are no pack instincts in domesticated dogs, but after having 6 basenjis I can’t agree with that in regards to basenjis. We can walk the girls together without muzzles now so I think things are more positive and they seem to be improving every day. When Remy is healed from his neuter I will get the puppy spayed and hope that calms things down even further. So far there is a lot more peace in the house. Please anyone let me know if there is anything else I should be doing to keep these girls on track. Thank you for all your advice and guidance! I am so grateful for this forum as what is normal for other dogs is not so much with these guys!
Basenji Obsessed with Cleaning Feet?
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Read all the information on the Basenji Rescue and Transport website.
Basenjis are different in nearly every way, so your life will definitely be a rich adventure!
There's plenty of helpful info there.
I still refer to it and I'm older than dirt!
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Get baby wipes, wipe his feet when he comes in from pottying or walking. It's good he isn't hurting himself but they also pick up all sorts of filth, including parasites/eggs. So wipe them off and enjoy that he' likes to be clean.
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@dinahsdada I will, thanks!
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@debradownsouth Good idea, thanks! I-d just been towling them off, and it sure wasn't satisfactory to him
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Do you see any redness or pinkish color between his toes or on the back of his legs just above his paws? If so he could have a yeast infection especially if you live in a wet climate.
Our Basenji mix is prone to this condition because we live in a damp climate and he is constantly liking his paws during rainy season. I have been giving him a probiotic and plain yogurt daily and this has helped keep the condition under control but he does have flareups every so often. When that has happened and I can't get him to stop licking I slip on a pair of baby socks and secure with a piece of bandage tape. And the cone of shame helps as well.
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Apart from the possible yeast infection mentioned by Dreamskape, it's probably normal Basenji behaviour. They are pretty obsessive with cleanliness. Mine always has pristine feet (top and under). I would NOT recommend baby wipes. Firstly, they're coated with chemicals (artificial fragrance, etc) which sensitive breeds like basenjis don't need, and secondly, they're extremely bad for the environment and plumbing. Just keep towelling yr basenjis feet off with a cotton towel if they're wet or dirty. Enjoy the many quirks of the basenji as you get to know your pooch!
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This is perfectly normal Basenji behaviour ! They clean themselves (and each other). I have a photo somewhere of a line of five Basenjis in a conga-line, each cleaning the one in front. We've been for a particularly muddy walk as I recall.
Daily, I get two filthy dirty Basenjis into the car in the woods, sometimes they appear to be wearing Wellington boots. But the drive home takes only about 20 minutes and two beautifully clean Bs leap out.
Keep an eye out for inter-digital cysts - but feet cleaning is nothing to worry about.
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@debradownsouth
I do the same thing - I keep a canister of baby wipes @ the entrance of our house and I wipe her feet and butt before we enter our home. -
I hose my b-boy's feet off in the kitchen sink everytime he comes inside to help fight his allergic reactions to the grass/environment. He's quite used to it now.
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@pippi said in Basenji Obsessed with Cleaning Feet?:
I would NOT recommend baby wipes. Firstly, they're coated with chemicals (artificial fragrance, etc)
I should have said I use ONLY hypoallergenic wipes... no fragrance, no alcohol, etc. I've used baby wipes for my dogs -- Rotties, Chows, basenjis, samoyeds-- for 27 years, the same I used for my supersensitive baby.
Thanks, btw, it sent me on a quest for ratings. Sadly, since I'm in Israel, I have on found generic and Huggies. But it's nice to have an updated evaluation on them.
On "eco friendly"... I'll wait for the research. I know there was a lot of debate on cloth vs disposable diapers. I would need to see a study that the water usage, detergents, etc actually aren't worse on the environment than wipes, especially the faster biodegradable wipes.
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@dreamskape I haven't seen any, but it has been an exceptionally wet season. I'll keep an eye out. Thanks!
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Basenjis are very catlike in that they groom themselves and they like to be clean and their beds clean.
BRAT.com has a lot of excellent information about the breed and their quirks. Be sure to check it out. -
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