Does anyone own dogs as well??

[lisanjake]

I have a dog that is half german shepherd half jack russel and she is absolutely obsessed with my guinea pig. Before I go any further I'd like to say that I think I'd get more help here than on a dog forum because its more common for a guinea pig owner to have a dog on THIS forum than on a dog forum; its just common sense. So please consider this before deleting/locking this topic please.

Basically what she does is whenever my cavy is walking about she gets real close to the cage and watches intently, putting her front paws on edge of the table and sniffing/watching. She has even hopped up to an adjacent couch to the cage and I had to put a top on it to prevent her from jumping into the cage. My dog also barks at it if theres no one else around and I can't have her doing it.

The guinea pig and the dog are both in a place where they will be forced to see one another as its the living room.I've tried discouraging her getting too close by firmly saying" no", squirting her with water, and putting her on a leash and tugging on it when she made deliberate attempts to go up to the cage. Doesn't hardly faze her.

So has anyone else had this specific problem? I REALLY need some advice as its been going on for a week and the dog is VERY interested in the guinea pig.

Ive quoted the above persons message from 2009

Im hoping the OP is still on this site! Im wondering how you got on with your dog and pigs?
Im not looking to introduce them but i have the pigs in the front room and currently have a baby gate on it to not let the dog in. but after work i feel bad leaving him again after being on his own all day, as he cant settle down in the living room
Im having EXACTLY the same issue with my new chihuahua cross jack russell (we think as he is a rescue) roughly 2 years old.
Its only been a week but we have tried bringing him in to the front room on a lead. as soon as the piggies move he instantly focuses on them and launches for them.
ive tired the 'distracting' technique but he looks away the straight back at them... Ive tried letting him off the leash to try and feel more comfortable to walk about and sniff around the cage but he nudges the cage and claws at it (hes tiny and can barely see over the cage) and he even hopped on the sofa and into the cage!! but luckily the pigs went in their house and he couldnt get them... i feel like that was the last straw for me. I didnt want a dog my bf did and he loves this little dog but i dont feel like he will ever be able to settle. its only been a week though so i guess i need to be patient, which is difficult for me as i feel we are spending more time apart because of the dog!
any help would be appreciated... i dont want to say to my bf its me or the dog!! as i couldnt say that to him about my pets... though he does say the gps were here first so its my choice :/

[Mymisters]

I had a jrt mix, luckily not at the same time I had guinea pigs. That's what they do. Obsessed. I'd probably just make sure the cage is high enough that your dog can't bother. Distraction works better than spray bottle. Maybe a stuffed animal and a kong? After a few years your dog should settle down a bit, keep working on it. Is the guinea pig a stressed ball of fear? Remember they are prey animals and can even get so scared of dogs they have a heart attack and die. They don't suggest keeping them in the same vicinity. Just pray they never get into the same cage again! Your dogo won't hesitate next time. A little guinea pig house won't stop a jrt a second time around!

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[Mymisters]

Oh I was going to say you could keep the small stuffed animal in the guinea pig cage for a bit, so it smells like them, jrt are driven by smells, however at the same time you would also be training your dog to hunt pig... I'd say get rid of the BF and he'll probably take the dog with him! Lol all kidding aside, possibly get a 2 bedroom place and have a dedicated guinea pig room.

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[lisanjake]

Oh I was going to say you could keep the small stuffed animal in the guinea pig cage for a bit, so it smells like them, jrt are driven by smells, however at the same time you would also be training your dog to hunt pig... I'd say get rid of the BF and he'll probably take the dog with him! Lol all kidding aside, possibly get a 2 bedroom place and have a dedicated guinea pig room.

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Im currently house sharing with my BF and his brother... his brothers house. and theres not room to raise the cage or anything.
Im thinking of getting a taller gate to put around them whenever he is in there?
I literally screamed at him when he jumped in the cage, and grabbed him out. Its annoying me as my bf and his brother both said when they had the dog in the room with the pigs that he left them alone but when im there he goes crazy at them?
is he picking up on my fear and tension??
never trusting the dog again off the lead. if anything happens to them when im not there im leaving.
I just dont want to kinda dump the pigs upstairs in my room as ill never be able to spend any time with them as i spend most of my evening in the living room. its so hard i put them in the front room so they would get interaction all evenings now im just stuck in the middle.
praying he calms down eventually but at the moment hes getting worse :S

[Mymisters]

So, I would actually suggest figuring out some way to raise the cage... What about a large table? I know you said not doable but guinea pigs like being up higher, so that their humans don't seem like such large towering giants. Brainstorm some more before saying it can't be done. But if it can't be done, you would be better off having them in your room. Sounds like you have multiple guinea pigs, so that is a good thing to make sure they don't get lonely! You can always make time, a little bit when you get up before going to work, then when you get home spend a hour tidying up the cage and playing with them. Your guinea pigs would probably actually rather be in a quiet environment away from a dog. Also you would rather they be safe, even if you have to switch up your routine... Accidents with dogs and guinea pigs are nothing you ever want to witness.

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[lisanjake]

The pigs seem calm when hes in the room and walking around but once he jumped in the cage and we shouted and scared them they didnt come out all evening.
they came out this morning and squaked for breakfast so they are all fine now. I
Like you say i dont want them to literally be frightened to death. may have to rethink our tactics.

[MerryFriarTuck]

We have three dachshunds and two guinea pigs--- so let me assure you right away that you can work this out We did! We've had many different pets and expierance with stopping them from wanting to eat each other

Dachshunds are hunters in a huge way: the breed was originally bred as hunting dogs; badger and small game hunters to be precise. Ours chase everything that moves outside; squirrels, moles, doves, etc. Jack russells weren't hunting dogs, but were bred as ratters so aren't really any different than a dachshund. Guinea pigs and and parakeets fall into those same categories for them...and we have both as pets as well. But everything works fine in our house, and if we can do it so can you!

The biggest thing to remember is " out of sight, out of mind " . Because your dog can get nose to nose with your piggies, he is tantalized by these living, moving, tasty smelling squeaky toys.

Our piggies cage is up on a table about waist high in the main part of the house. Up like that, our dachshunds can't see more than a glimpse of them, and despite being able to still hear and smell them, without being able to directly see them they don't go after them.

Plan A: If you can get your piggies up on a table it would probably solve all your problems! Piggies are happier up anyway. Are you absolutely sure there isn't a way you can figure it out? Can you describe the lay out of your living room and see if we can help brainstorm with you?

Plan B: If you absolutely can't put them up on a table, you can still stop your dog from being able to get so close to them. A taller baby gate around the piggies cage is a really good idea to try! Is there anywhere you can move the couch or cage to stop him from being able to jump in? For safety's sake it would be great if you put a lid on their cage as well... it's not worth the risk.

Plan C: The piggies could always live in your bedroom. As long as you still make time to give them attention they'll be happy there, especially since they have each other!

Another big thing to remember is it's only been a week! Only one week. Your dog hasn't had a chance to settle in and get used to everything yet, or learn to trust and obey you guys yet. To an extent, he is probably definitely picking up on your fear in tension--- I know our dachshunds undoubtedly pick up on and react to mine. It's hard, but do your best to stay calm. When you become fearful or tense whenever he's around the piggies, he'll think " she's tense and afraid, should I be? It all has to do with those pig things...Does that mean they're bad and I need to chase them away or eat them? "

The water/squirt bottle is a good idea, but won't be enough to distract him...nor will his boring squeaky toys when there's real, live, tasty smelling squeaky toys in the cage in front of him! The best thing to do is firmly and calmly tell him No when he goes after them, and pick him up and carry him away from the cage. When you set him down, try to get him to stay there. When he does, praise him and baby talk to him, and give him one of his favorite treats. It's what we did with our doxies. That way he'll associate staying away from the piggies with good things: yummy treats, and praise, and cuddles. You'll have to do it over and over and over again before he obeys, so don't give up!

When you're not home you should still have the piggies and dog separated to be safe.

Give everyone---human, piggy, and dog--- time to adjust, and you'll all be ok! Best of luck!

[bpatters]

Closet shelving makes an awesome cage lid, and will support even a heavy dog. A lid on the cage is far safer than a pet door to the room that may accidentally be left open.

Most dogs will eventually lose interest if they're distracted, but you absolutely have to keep the dog(s) away from the pigs.

[Spotakiss]

Ive quoted the above persons message from 2009

Im hoping the OP is still on this site! Im wondering how you got on with your dog and pigs?
Im not looking to introduce them but i have the pigs in the front room and currently have a baby gate on it to not let the dog in. but after work i feel bad leaving him again after being on his own all day, as he cant settle down in the living room
Im having EXACTLY the same issue with my new chihuahua cross jack russell (we think as he is a rescue) roughly 2 years old.
Its only been a week but we have tried bringing him in to the front room on a lead. as soon as the piggies move he instantly focuses on them and launches for them.
ive tired the 'distracting' technique but he looks away the straight back at them... Ive tried letting him off the leash to try and feel more comfortable to walk about and sniff around the cage but he nudges the cage and claws at it (hes tiny and can barely see over the cage) and he even hopped on the sofa and into the cage!! but luckily the pigs went in their house and he couldnt get them... i feel like that was the last straw for me. I didnt want a dog my bf did and he loves this little dog but i dont feel like he will ever be able to settle. its only been a week though so i guess i need to be patient, which is difficult for me as i feel we are spending more time apart because of the dog!
any help would be appreciated... i dont want to say to my bf its me or the dog!! as i couldnt say that to him about my pets... though he does say the gps were here first so its my choice :/

My guinea pig and dog get along great. I started out by introducing them to eachother and letting my dog smell him as much as my piggy was comfortable with. But my dog is more interested in the piggy poop then the piggy but the dog has been in the family for 10 years before the piggy came in. My piggy gets so happy and excited around the dog too. But my dog is half collie half german shepard. Hope this helps a little


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[ItsaZoo]

If you have dogs with a high prey drive, like terriers and hounds, that can get close to guinea pigs you are playing with fire. It is in the dogs DNA to get these little animals, and genetics will win out over training. I grew up with retrievers, my dad raised and trained them, and their instincts take over when they are excited or unsupervised.

Get the guinea pigs in a safe place that the dogs can’t reach. Given enough time alone, a dog will get into almost any cage you build. Even if the cage is up on something, if the dog can knock down on the floor, your guinea pigs will be injured because they are very fragile and can’t sustain a fall.

Another caution is healthy dogs can carry a form of bordatella that is not harmful to them but is deadly to guinea pigs. They should not come in contact with each other, and you should wash your hands between handling the dog and guinea pig. I know it sounds extreme, but I’ve asked a vet about this and she agreed. Guinea pigs can get upper respiratory infections from healthy, vaccinated dogs.

[Maplepig]

When I was younger, my sister had a beloved guinea pig named Nibbles, who she always tried to keep away from our dog, because we knew he and she would not get along. (The dog is a mutt of some sort. We know she has hound in her, not sure what else. She is also a rescue.) However, one day they were cleaning his cage and let's just say...mistakes were made. They put him in a cardboard box in a room with a closed door, but while they were looking for more aspen shavings, my little brother wandered in and left the door open. The dog got in and killed the guinea pig. I was the one who found him. There was no blood, she didn't try to eat him, she just killed him and left him there. It was traumatic for all parties involved.

That was several years ago. We still have the same dog, and now I have guinea pigs. They live in my bedroom, and the door is always and I mean ALWAYS closed. I didn't even bring them home until I had thoroughly gotten into the habit of keeping the door closed (mostly because said dog came in and ate my chocolate), and I had lectured everyone else in the house as well as all my friends on the importance of never leaving it open. The dog and the guinea pigs have now coexisted in the same house for around four years, but only because of that strict ritual. My little brother will literally come and close my door while I'm in the room if I leave it open for more than a few seconds.

All that said, I know some people who have a large black lab and a German shepherd/wolf crossbread, as well as a Havanese mousing dog, and they kept a rabbit (a very large rabbit, mind you). It would escape occasionally from its outside enclosure, and instead of attacking it, the dogs would protect it. The lab treated it like her baby. (And these are dogs that would attack nearly every non-rabbit non-human thing that moved.) So I guess it depends on your dog.

From what you've said, though, it doesn't sound like this dog and this guinea pig need to be living together. Jack Russells are feisty things, and they're bred for hunting, (like our hound that killed Nibbles). I wouldn't trust them together. Also, I'd thing his interest could be rather traumatizing for the guinea pigs. But that's just me.

[MerryFriarTuck]

Latest posts have very good points... No matter what, you must always be careful and never take any risks with your dog and piggies. But it's still very much doable!

Again, our dachshunds have extremely high prey drives. Our piggies are up on a sturdy table and their cage has a sturdy lid. The dachshunds never bother them that way, and there is always a closed and locked door between the piggies and them if the piggies are out. ( And our doxies are locked out of the room the piggies cages are in if we're not home ) Our piggies aren't at all afraid of the dogs--- they've never been face to face, but no matter how loud the dogs bark at a doorbell, etc, they don't even stop chewing their hay

One more idea that might work: you said you could put a tall baby gate around your piggies cage. IF you could make it secure enough with the tall baby gate, you could line or zip tie something solid ( preferably hard and sturdy ) to the baby gate so your dog can't see the piggies. Not being able to see them will help a lot! And a solid walled baby gate, as long as it wasn't pushed directly against the sides of their cage, wouldn't inhibit their airflow.

Putting them up on a sturdy table with a lidded cages is still the best solution! And there's still your bedroom. I hope everything works out for everyone either way

[Elialitem]

My dog and guinea pig get along well, they are good friends. Sometimes I can watch my dog whining if she can't play with piggy.

[Kelsie]

If you have dogs with a high prey drive, like terriers and hounds, that can get close to guinea pigs you are playing with fire. It is in the dogs DNA to get these little animals, and genetics will win out over training. I grew up with retrievers, my dad raised and trained them, and their instincts take over when they are excited or unsupervised.

Get the guinea pigs in a safe place that the dogs can’t reach. Given enough time alone, a dog will get into almost any cage you build. Even if the cage is up on something, if the dog can knock down on the floor, your guinea pigs will be injured because they are very fragile and can’t sustain a fall.

Another caution is healthy dogs can carry a form of bordatella that is not harmful to them but is deadly to guinea pigs. They should not come in contact with each other, and you should wash your hands between handling the dog and guinea pig. I know it sounds extreme, but I’ve asked a vet about this and she agreed. Guinea pigs can get upper respiratory infections from healthy, vaccinated dogs.

@ItsaZoo I thank you for your post and your excellent observations. I had two Yorkies for many years along with my guinea pigs and even though my Yorkies were very calm I never allowed them to be anywhere near my GP's. It just wasn't worth the chance to my pigs. I didn't want to carry that one moment of inattentiveness that might cause injury or death to my pig(s) throughout the rest of my life.

[ItsaZoo]

I hope my post didn’t sound like crazy paranoia. Before we had the guinea pig we had a number of wire fox terriers and they chase down anything small. Now we have a 15 lb. terrier-poodle mix. I have the GP cage on a solid base above his kennel. When the guinea pig has floor time, it’s in a hallway with solid dog gates in the doorways. He doesn’t show any interest except when I give her veggies - he likes veggies too.

However, he got along with an older cat we had at one time, until she came out from behind a chair one day and he didn’t know she was there. He flew at her and took her down by the neck. I couldn’t believe how fast he moved. Luckily the cat wasn’t hurt. So the dog can’t come by me when I hold the guinea pig, her cage is up where he can’t see or reach her, and he’s crated overnight and when we’re gone.

[rosspiggys]

As was pointed out already for some dogs it's in their DNA, it will never be safe. For your info here is an article on ratters.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratter_(dog)

I know it's wikipedia but on this they are more right than wrong.

[Candalalala]

My dog is a Boston terrier and she is very curious about my guinea pigs. She tries to lick them and loves to watch them. But knowing bostons were bred to be fighting dogs (and although they failed because they would rather cuddle), I always keep a gate between her and them. I dont think she would intentionally hurt them but her version of playing would hurt them. My previous Boston chased one of our rabbits as a form of playing. I dont trust them with small animals. Maybe if they were raised with piggies it would be different, but even then I would be ready to grab the dog up.

[spy9doc]

That picture is priceless! Your dog appears to be saying, "please come out and play with me. I'm jealous that you have each other, but I have no one".

[MerryFriarTuck]

It truly is an adorable picture! You could probably make a pet calendar somewhere with it... She's a super cute doggy to go with your super cute piggies

No dog is a bad or malicious hunter; it's just in their instincts--- and is nothing personal. I never really said that before and wanted to make sure I do now! Her curiosity sounds fun to watch. I wish our dachshunds were more like her and less of hunters--- but I don't hold it against them, because of that.

( P. S. I still can't get over how much Apple reminds me of my Friar Tuck--- the stance, the expression! It must be their shared breed )

[Candalalala]

Thank you @spy9doc and @MerryFriarTuck! Maud is a sweet dog and I can even trust her with an open top cage but not so much during floor time she's too close and way too curious. If I turn my back for even a second, one of the piggies with be soaked in dog spit because she licks them. I have to keep a close eye and not let that happen.

(It must be because of the crested breed! Apple even holds herself differently than her brother. Their personalities are so so different.)