Dogs and Guinea Pigs?--do they get along?

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sara1185

Post   » Tue Oct 16, 2007 11:00 pm


Hi,

I have three female guinea pigs ages 6 months, 6 months and 4-5? weeks. Right now I have plenty of space for them and everything is great. But I'm thinking about moving when my lease runs out in August (I know it's a ways off but in a college town you need to look very very early) and I'm thinking about moving to a larger place and getting a dog. I have a CandC cage and would animal-proof it, of course, but I was wondering if anyone had any experience with owning dogs and guinea pigs. Breed-wise I would probably be leaning toward a sheltie. Are there any breeds that are "nicer" to the piggies? Has anyone found they just can't keep both kinds of animals?

Thanks for any info

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lisam

Post   » Tue Oct 16, 2007 11:13 pm


I don't have any dogs. However, I've read some horrific stories on here about dogs getting to guinea pigs. Hopefully others who know dogs better will be able to advise you on better breeds and dog-proofing.

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WHEEKness

Post   » Wed Oct 17, 2007 12:24 am


I'd love to hear others' experience with dogs and gps too. We're considering fostering Boston Terriers.

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Mum
I GAVE, dammit!

Post   » Wed Oct 17, 2007 12:27 am


It's safest to assume that the two can never be on the ground together.

I have both, but I never let the guinea pigs down on the ground with the dogs around.

Terriers are known for being particularly bad with 'rodents.'

There are certainly some dogs who turn out to be ok, but you won't know except by experience. And there are some horrific stories of dogs who've broken into the guinea pig cage.

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mmercedesmom
Supporter in '09

Post   » Wed Oct 17, 2007 12:47 am


I have a Giant Schnauzer male who is good with the guinea pigs, rabbit, and slightly less good with the rats. BUT he is nuts for the tortoise!!! I can't get the tortoise out of his pen with the dog around.

My first GS was a female and she knew any other critters I brought in were my "babies" and was wonderful with them. She and the tortoise arrived the same week and if I lost track of the tortoise in the yard, I could ask her to find him for me.

I have fostered 5 or so other GS with varying prey drives. So even within any given breed you will have a variety. One of the other females I had was fine with all the small critters, but the puppy and a big male with a penchant for cats and anything that moved, was not even allowed in the same room with the guinea pigs without supervision. Even with secure cages.

Kind of a test to see if any dog is a "keeper" with us. It also helps me evaluate foster dogs, since I have all these other critters.

I would never leave my small furries on the floor unattended with the big furry around.

dribble

Post   » Wed Oct 17, 2007 1:24 am


I had a senior Springer Spaniel that I trusted absolutely with the pigs. She would clean up their poops and extra veggies every night, delicately making sure to step carefully as they swirled around her feet. Everyone was free ranging in the house and I never had a moment of trouble. It was abundantly clear that she didn't give a hoot about them. It was all about the poops, and they were the generous vendors. I did, however, cage the pigs when I was away.

Now I have two different dogs that I do not trust with the pigs. The Lab mix has the chase instinct and is never alone with them, and I won't let him stand between me and the pigs when they are on the floor.

The other dog, a Chow mix, wants the poops but she is not as blase about the pigs. She would chase if given a chance, so she doesn't get one. In general they ignore the pigs, but the dogs prick their ears when the pigs run, and I know they would chase if I wasn't vigilant.

I have a permanent baby gate at the door to the pig room, and I add another one above it before leaving the house. After a few years of co-habiting with the dogs I can leave the gate open when I wander around the house, but I never leave it open if I'm not within a few feet of their room.

TrekkiePiggies

Post   » Wed Oct 17, 2007 1:33 am


I've kept Shelties and Guinea Pigs together in the same house. Shelties, if bred for temperament and not purchased from a petshop, mill, or backyard breeder, have very little prey drive. They are a naturally gentle breed. They make excellent watch-dogs, but are hopeless as guard-dogs because aggressiveness was selectively bred out of them. There are exceptions, especially nowadays since the Sheltie has become overbred and is often used as a show dog, where looks are everything and temperament is often ignored in the pursuit of physical perfection.

That said, dogs are predators and guinea pigs are prey. The presence of the dog may frighten or stress the pigs, so it might be a good idea to keep the pigs in a separate room (such as the bedroom) with a door that can be shut . Keep your dog separated from the piggies during floor time, and never leave the two together unattended if the dog can gain access to the pigs. Shelties are very gentle, but also very curious and are good problem-solvers. Your pup may figure out how to lift lids or open doors, so weigh down or securely latch all cage openings. Make sure to obedience-train and socialize your Sheltie well, and train him or her to recognize the piggies as pack members rather than squeaky toys.

Speaking as an owner of three Shelties, please remember that the Sheltie is naturally a very vocal breed and may not be suitable for an apartment, unless it's a dog-friendly community. They also love their masters and do not like to be left home alone all day. Shelties often do best in groups of at least two, so they can play with each other while their masters are away. They really do best with wide-open spaces to run off-lead (once trained), and need a lot of exercise because they have so much energy. Try and find a good dog-park in your area for runs.

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Topaz

Post   » Wed Oct 17, 2007 6:44 am


I have two dogs and three guinea pigs. My one dog would probably be o.k. with them. The other, not so much. She's got terrier in her and I"m sure she'd love to eat them right up. I can tell by the way she looks at them when I'm holding them!

So, with that being said, the guineas are up on a table where they can't be reached, and when I clean them, I block off the room they're in so the dogs can't sneak in. I prefer to just keep the dogs away from them.

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JennG
In Memory of Mama

Post   » Wed Oct 17, 2007 8:23 am


I have a black lab/chow mix dog who doesn't bother the piggies unless I'm holding them. Then she wants to sniff their butts (poor piggies). I would never say never but she's got such a good temperment that she could really care less about them.

I think it will depend on the dog. Those dogs that like to herd or chase small animals (squirrels, rabbits, etc...) would not be a good match.

My advice would be to keep them separate when you're not home and make sure the piggies are in a safe room the dog cannot get into.

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mkkayla
Supporter in '14

Post   » Wed Oct 17, 2007 9:34 am


I have a friend who lost all three of her guinea pigs one awful day when her roomates dog not only escaped the crate he was in, but also got into the cat proof C&C and killed all of the pigs. I have dogs but they are never left in the same room with the pigs alone, even though the pigs are on a table and in a covered cage. I love both the dogs and the pigs-just not together.

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micmik326

Post   » Wed Oct 17, 2007 9:41 am


I have a Cocker Spaniel (Julia)and she has never bothered the cage, actually she doesn't even seem to notice they are there except when I give them veggies and then she tries to get the lettuce out.

When the piggies are out for floor time I do put the dog in another room or outside just to be safe.

I have to tell a cute story about this: I had put the dog in another room one day so I could put the piggies out on the floor. I guess I didn't get the door shut all the way because I turned around and she was in the area where the piggies were. I had 1 little girl who was not doing well (Lilly/eye injury thread on Medical-Emergency forum). I didn't freak out when I first saw Julia in there with them and I just watched her for a second. She was sniffing Lilly all over, just about the time I was going to take Julia out she circled around Lilly and layed down next to her, Lilly then buried herself under Julia's long hair. It was so cute. I sat down on the floor right next to them and just watched them. If any of the others came near them Julia would just raise her head and look at them and sniff around where Lilly was like she was making sure she was still there. They stayed like that until I got tired of watching them and put Julia outside. Lilly only lived a couple of more weeks after that.

The cat on the other hand...grrr! The cage is completely cat proofed but she still stresses the piggies (and me) out by batting at them through the grids. She may be going to visit a friend who just bought an old farm house (mice included) soon. My friend called the other day and wanted to know if they could borrow my cat for a while. Might give the piggies a little vacation for a while anyway.

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Mum
I GAVE, dammit!

Post   » Wed Oct 17, 2007 10:22 am


Funny you should say that: I have a friend with a cocker spaniel who thinks the pigs are her babies - she's very, very gentle with them.

My doxies just like piggie poop :-p

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