Let me preface this that my dog is a shelter dog we have had for 9 months and he is almost 2 years old. He is a mix, but he has that the Basenji look and behavioral qualities. He has the size, markings, the curled tail, yodels and doesn't bark often, loves to chase squirrels, energetic, learns quickly but can be stubborn to obey, etc....
In the last 9 months he has nipped 4 people and recently bit a person and broke the skin and left a wound. He is the sweetest dog...almost a lap dog. He is great with kids and 99% of the people he meets. You would never guess he had this behavior in him.
The people he nipped:
- 3 were sales guys going door to door....1 approached us in the front yard, 2 came to the door where he slipped out and tagged them
- 1 was a female neighbor he has met before just coming back from a run
- 1 was a teenager running up to the neighbors door
The person he bit:
- was just walking by in public, but approached him from his backside. My 9 year old him on a leash.
So can anybody shed some light on this type of behavior from a Basenji perspective? I know, it might be the other part of him or something from his youth, but i thought I would start here.
We love our dog and he is a family dog, but it sucks having to be so alert especially when my kids are manning the leash.
He seems to really respect my wife and I. We think he thinks my 12 year old is his brother because he likes to growl and mouth him (trying to break him of that) very aggressively but never bites down on him. My 9 year old gets no respect....he typically just ignores most of his request. We say he tolerates him : ).
Any insight before we see a behaviorist (per the vet) is appreciated.
Thanks!
JGuz
