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Covers dog safety advice!?

guineapigmama14

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Okay so, I have two Chihuahuas and they do good with the pig as far as aggression and what not goes but lately they've got into a bad habit of jumping in the cage since the cage is right at the foot of my bed because that's the only place I could put it, they don't bite them or anything but the only thing that im afraid of is one day they jump in and accidently land on the pigs and hurt them or worse and im going to get a cage lid and I was wondering if any of you could give me advice because im not sure if I should get a lid for the loft as well.
 

Starthecavy123

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If there not able to get in the loft you should be fine without one but that's totally up to you.
 

guineapigmama14

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I was just wondering cause one of my dogs can jump pretty high sometimes
 

pinky

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Dogs are predators and chihuahuas have a high prey drive. You have an accident waiting to happen there. I'd cover the cage and loft and not allow your dogs any access to your guinea pigs. They could tear them apart in a second.
 

Princess_Piggie

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Ditto [MENTION=15081]pinky[/MENTION]. I'd also say you'd be wise to put in some time and effort to train your dogs to not jump up around the cage, and to just generally have very sedate behaviour in the room with the cage.
 

guineapigmama14

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okay thank you guys.. and how would I go about properly training them for that?
 

StarTaleMaddnes

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@pinky Not all dogs want to tear guinea pigs apart... yes the cage needs a lid, if the dogs are jumping in, and guineapigmama already knows that. Seriously though even if a dog has a high prey drive (an my little dog does she'd kill a rabbit if she could catch one) does NOT mean they will kill a guinea pig. There is something a dog does called pack differentiation and yes it often incorporates all animals in the home. I have no fear of letting my dog scout interact with my guinea pigs with supervision. She is always on the couch or floor with me and the guinea pigs when they are out and she adores them, she loves cleaning them, she's gentle when she licks them, never acts aggressive or even tries to play. She does the same when she's around an infant, she understands it's not a dog like her, but that doesn't mean she wants to kill the baby or my guinea pigs. I don't know if you've had a terrible experience with dogs and guinea pigs, but please stop automatically assuming our dogs want to kill our guinea pigs. Many domesticated breeds of dogs have had there prey drive unintentionally bred down or bred out of them.
[MENTION=16341]guineapigmama[/MENTION] it is better to be safe than sorry, if you think your dog might be able to jump into the cage and the loft, put lids on and see how it goes. You can always take them off, but you're right your dogs could seriously hurt them if they jump in the cage and land on someone, and I imagine dogs jumping in and out of there cage can be very stressful for your guinea pigs.
 

StarTaleMaddnes

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okay thank you guys.. and how would I go about properly training them for that?

Every time they jump up squirt them with a little spray of water and say DOWN. Don't yell at them, and always say the same word so they don't get confused. get multiple squirt bottles because mine always migrate to another room for some reason. If you find there not reacting to plain water, add in a little vinegar or mouthwash, either can be maximum 50/50 mix with the water and avoid squirting in there eyes. Be consistent, not only in your room, but all around the house.
 

pinky

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Even the most mild mannered dog can react if it's prey instinct kicks in when a guinea pig makes a sudden movement. Often, it's not an aggressive behavior but an attempt to interact or play that kills a guinea pig. I'm sure there are people on here who will tell you that their friendly dogs have turned aggressive towards their guinea pigs or reacted in a way that surprised them. My kid's sitter had a friendly lab. They let the dog have supervised time in the family room where their guinea pig was out. The dog picked it up and tossed it before anyone could react. It instantly killed the guinea pig. Dogs and guinea pigs are never a good mix. Chihuahuas are one of the most overbred breeds, often resulting in bad behavior. You should not assume your dogs won't react in a manner that's normal for a predator.
 

guineapigmama14

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@StarTaleMadness thank you for the advice and @pinky the MOST common "bad behavior" and aggression out of ANY dog typically comes from the OWNERS bad behavior towards that dog.. I have had my experience with this because a lot of the dogs I have owned in the past have been abused physically and verbally as well as one of my Chihuahuas was abused as a puppy we were lied to she was younger than they said she was around 4 weeks when she was weined 2 weeks younger than she should've been when we got her and when we got home I started to bath her and her neck with flees and her neck started bleeding. and she is themost sweetest thing I've ever seen and hasn't hurt anyone or thing
 

pinky

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@StarTaleMadness thank you for the advice and @pinky the MOST common "bad behavior" and aggression out of ANY dog typically comes from the OWNERS bad behavior towards that dog.. I have had my experience with this because a lot of the dogs I have owned in the past have been abused physically and verbally as well as one of my Chihuahuas was abused as a puppy we were lied to she was younger than they said she was around 4 weeks when she was weined 2 weeks younger than she should've been when we got her and when we got home I started to bath her and her neck with flees and her neck started bleeding. and she is themost sweetest thing I've ever seen and hasn't hurt anyone or thing

My sitter's dog was also really sweet and a breed know for good behavior. It takes a split second for a tragedy to happen. You probably wouldn't even have time to react if it did. I don't think it's worth putting your guinea pigs at risk. They get no benefit from being together.
 

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@MrWhistles is really the authority on dog training, but the general method is positive reinforcement. Your dog jumps, you shout "ah-ah", clap loudly, or even bang two pan lids together. They sit down, you give them a treat. You can also simply walk them to the cage on a lead, and when they don't jump, reinforce the good behaviour with a treat. I like to begin training like this on a lead so as when the dog jumps, not only can you reinforce the bad behaviour with a noise, but prevent them from getting the gratification from it by walking them away.

I'm not a big fan of spray bottles for little things like this and personally reserve them for very serious situations like extreme aggressive behaviour, though I'm certainly not saying it's wrong to use them or criticising those who do.

I think ruling out a carnivore/predatory animal as one that wouldn't hurt another living being is being a little close minded. My dog was a rescue who had been badly treated by owners, and had to have a surgery because of how viscously his brother attacked him. He was an absolute angel with me, and with training he was also exceptionally well behaved around my small animals cages. He even stopped getting on edge and defensive around other dogs eventually. Then one day, I'm out walking him, and for no apparent reason he was growling, snapping, raising his hackles and lunging at a tiny little highland terrier. Luckily no one was hurt, but still, dogs are capable of inflicting harm whether or not they show a consistent desire to.
 

guineapigmama14

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@pinky I am NOT putting my pigs at risk I was only making a point about a dogs behaviors in general defending my dog as dog owner should. I love my pigs more than I love anything as well as I do my dogs and would never put them at risk and I would never dream about putting them in danger. don't you dare sit there and say I am im am trying to protect them from an accident that could happen trust me I KNOW a dog can snap like that im saying it's not always a instinct don't accuse a breed just because it has a high prey drive.. it don't mean anything! I asked for help not criticism on how I take care of my pigs and on how my dogs are
 

guineapigmama14

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@MrWhistles is really the authority on dog training, but the general method is positive reinforcement. Your dog jumps, you shout "ah-ah", clap loudly, or even bang two pan lids together. They sit down, you give them a treat. You can also simply walk them to the cage on a lead, and when they don't jump, reinforce the good behaviour with a treat. I like to begin training like this on a lead so as when the dog jumps, not only can you reinforce the bad behaviour with a noise, but prevent them from getting the gratification from it by walking them away.

I'm not a big fan of spray bottles for little things like this and personally reserve them for very serious situations like extreme aggressive behaviour, though I'm certainly not saying it's wrong to use them or criticising those who do.

I think ruling out a carnivore/predatory animal as one that wouldn't hurt another living being is being a little close minded. My dog was a rescue who had been badly treated by owners, and had to have a surgery because of how viscously his brother attacked him. He was an absolute angel with me, and with training he was also exceptionally well behaved around my small animals cages. He even stopped getting on edge and defensive around other dogs eventually. Then one day, I'm out walking him, and for no apparent reason he was growling, snapping, raising his hackles and lunging at a tiny little highland terrier. Luckily no one was hurt, but still, dogs are capable of inflicting harm whether or not they show a consistent desire to.
I am not ruling anything out I know all this
im not an idiot ive had dogs bite because they were old dogs and became grumpy
 

pinky

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[MENTION=15081]pinky[/MENTION] I am NOT putting my pigs at risk I was only making a point about a dogs behaviors in general defending my dog as dog owner should. I love my pigs more than I love anything as well as I do my dogs and would never put them at risk and I would never dream about putting them in danger. don't you dare sit there and say I am im am trying to protect them from an accident that could happen trust me I KNOW a dog can snap like that im saying it's not always a instinct don't accuse a breed just because it has a high prey drive.. it don't mean anything! I asked for help not criticism on how I take care of my pigs and on how my dogs are
You asked for advice and my advice was to keep them apart so you don't risk having the guinea pigs harmed. Having the loft open might still expose them to the dogs. Guinea pigs are prey animals so they're instinctively afraid of dogs, anyway. I'm glad you understand that prey drive can kick in. A lot of dog owners don't know that or don't realize a friendly dog can kill a guinea pig. That was my point. As far as chihuahuas, they have a high prey drive so I'd never allow a chihauhua near guinea pigs.
 

guineapigmama14

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Yeah I get that...
 

PrincessAngel

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I would put a lid on every part of the cage and make sure it is secure with zipties and supported so the dog won't cause the lid to cave in. I agree with the people above about training your dog's to not jump in the cage. If they get in the cage and say one of the pigs gets curious and nibbled your dog's leg, your dog could freak out and nip the pig which could seriously injure or kill them. Even the sweetest dogs still have teeth and can use them as a warning.

My dog was fine with my pigs long ago. Something changed, now he would kill the pigs if he got the chance. He's a Yorkie, I would never leave him alone with my pigs. Dogs don't necessarily distinguish your other pets as part of the "pack". Guinea pigs are prey, and dogs are predators. My dog is not at all old and grumpy and has bit me trying to get to another animal. Small dogs were mostly trained to catch small rodents, they are bred to have a high prey drive, just because it's not showing now doesn't mean it won't pop up. Like I said my dog was NEVER aggressive toward the pigs and one day something changed.
 

guineapigmama14

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Plan on putting a lid on it always have...
 

guineapigmama14

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I'm done with this advice thread please no one else reply..getting very annoyed with the people replying
 

Princess_Piggie

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Why would you post a thread seeking advice about something if you already have preconceived ideas of what should/should not be done? It seems to me that you're perhaps a little offended and feel we're being unfair and judgemental about your dog/general pet ownership. I understand that, and see how it could come off like that, but please understand you asked a question that was to do with dog-pig interaction and all we've done is give you our opinions on how best to keep both animals safe and happy. I highly doubt anyone intended to upset or annoy you.
 
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