While they are out in the open, one of the females acts as sentry, who gives a warning bark if any danger presents itself. Thanks to their padded feet that exude sweat, dassies are capable of climbing up and down steep rock faces, and jumping from rock to rock. They are skilled at climbing trees, clambering out onto thin branches to reach young leaves, and dropping down to the ground when they need to run back to the rocks for cover. Dassies feed primarily in early morning and late afternoon, but on warm, sunny days can feed at any time. They try to remain near shelter at all times, but if they have consumed all food in the immediate vicinity, they can move up to 100 m away to find browse.
Food includes grasses, shrubs and even plants that are poisonous to other animals.
Dassies feed at a very fast pace, eating for less than an hour a day, so that they spend the majority of their time sunning themselves, usually sitting with their backs to each other. They also groom themselves and roll in dust during the cooler part of the day. Despite its cute and cuddly appearance, the dassie is a highly aggressive animal. Males fight viciously for possession of harems, stabbing at each other with their long incisors and biting at the other's head and neck - these fights sometimes end in death. Aggressive displays include growling and baring the sharp incisors, while a submissive individual presents its rump or side.