Animal Proofing: Doggie & Piggies

[internetjunkey]

I will be getting my child hood Dog back into my life. The first week of December!
he's a wonderful Energized aussie. 8 years old And 55 pounds.

Since he's a rather larger dog, I am worried that He and my piggies would cause a lot of conflict in my apartment. He's always been in a single Dog household since he was a puppy. I am worried about having to share the time with both my piggies and my Dog. And he is not yet house broken (He was an outside Dog) Well... Never mind he's house broken at my parents house, but my apartment is a different story. Any tips would be greatly appreciated on house breaking -- and The whole Piggie-Doggie Time

We will be getting a Very LARGE Pin to keep him in so he doesn't mess in our apartment while my fiance and I are at work.

Anyway..Anything to help would be great!

[5guinea5pig5]

I don't know about the housebreaking thing because I've never lived in an apartment but I do know about the dog thing. If your apartment has more then one room and your piggies are in a room where there's a door then maybe keep the door closed all the time. If not, then maybe put a high gate around the piggies cage so the dog can't get to it. Also, put a lid on your piggies cage if you haven't already.

[AnimalHouse36]

I have a 60 pound lab who loves my piggies but I wouldn't trust her alone for a minute!

When I first got my piggies I let them settle in then would bring a blanket or toy that was in my piggies cage to my dog who sniffed and ignored. I left that around for a little then brought out a piggie. THey were between a gate and we had an extra person. She reacted with interest and thats it. We took away the gate (not the person) and let her nsiff and all was well. But we still have a closed door seperating the two at all times.

[lmarieaa]

My golden retriever loves my piggies. They climb all over him as he just lies there and stares at their antics , although i would never leave them in the same room together alone because I am just paranoid. I introduced them by securely holding my guinea pig in my lap while my boyfriend brought my dog in (leashed) and let him gently sniff an investigate them (i wasn't sure how this would go because he sees cats and squirrels as something to chase and eat ) Every time I thought an he began to get a little rough (like licking and nudging them) I would pull him back and tell him he is a "bad dog", he knows what that means.) So he knows that he must be gentle when interacting with him, but i always watch them when they are together to ensure he remains to be gentle with them.

I too live in a small apartment. We make many trips to the dog park and also many laps around the neighborhood to burn off his energy.

[lmarieaa]

Oh and make sure to take your dog on a looooong walk before introducing him to your piggies.

[internetjunkey]

ha ha ha ha thanks all!! I have loved all of the info!!

[Toadies]

IJ, I also have a 50 lb. female Aussie who is 13 yrs old. She is truly a momma dog, she loves little things. When I introduced her to the piggies, I had the piggie on my lap and I covered the piggie with my hands so that if she DID try to bite, she would nail me and not the piggie. Because she has been trained not to put her teeth on Mommy Pack Leader, she did fine. After a couple of sessions, she was cleaning piggie ears, much to the delight of the piggies-NOT! I still don't leave her unattended with the piggies though.

As far as house breaking, goes, confining him to a room, like the bathroom or laundry area, might be better as he might be able to knock the pen down/over. Being confined for a once outdoor dog may prove to be an issue. A door would better restrict his movements that a pen. If he is on a hard surface floor, puppy training pads may help him for the amount of time he will be confined. Don't forget, he's been able to pee at will up to this point and hasn't had to wait on people for wee-weef. You might also consider hiring a dog walker for a mid-day pee break. I wish you much success with you new "family" arrangements.