General Do dogs hurt guinea pigs?

[Popcorn321]

okay, so if you read my other posts, you would know that I have 4 babies, and I can't keep them , so I'm finding friends who are looking to adopt pairs. I'm still not sure of the sexes (please help me sex them, pictures on previous post). One of my friends was looking into adopting a pair of babies. I'm a bit worried though because she has a dog, a pretty hyper one too. After what I've read, apparently it's manageable, so I'm looking for tips and advice to make sure the pigs don't get hurt. Does the cage need a top? Will it be unhealthy for the guinea pigs because of stress? What if we put them in a closed room? Thanks!

 

[Princess_Piggie]

The cage needs a very secure lid, and they will likely need more sheltered areas to hide from it. I'd recommend giving them some training tips to stop the dog jumping at the cage etc too. If it's a large dog, a closed room would be best, or a cage on a very high, sturdy surface.

 

[Popcorn321]

The cage needs a very secure lid, and they will likely need more sheltered areas to hide from it. I'd recommend giving them some training tips to stop the dog jumping at the cage etc too. If it's a large dog, a closed room would be best, or a cage on a very high, sturdy surface.

okay thanks. If it's a C&C cage, can I make a lid out of extra grids?

 

[mmas4]

Here is a pic of my dog proofed cage


The top is zip tied shut. Here is how it opens


And I use those clips that are on dog leashes to hold the doors shut. I used to use binder clips when their cage was in my room and I kept the door shut but those are not strong enough to keep a dog out.
My pigs are not bothered by the dogs at all.

 

[Popcorn321]

Here is a pic of my dog proofed cage


The top is zip tied shut. Here is how it opens


And I use those clips that are on dog leashes to hold the doors shut. I used to use binder clips when their cage was in my room and I kept the door shut but those are not strong enough to keep a dog out.
My pigs are not bothered by the dogs at all.

wow thanks so much this really helps!

 

[PeanutnCookie]

you can also keep the dog out of the room where the guinea pigs are. I have a pretty hyper dog, but the cage is on a table and he's rarely allowed to go into the room where they are.

 

[Popcorn321]

you can also keep the dog out of the room where the guinea pigs are. I have a pretty hyper dog, but the cage is on a table and he's rarely allowed to go into the room where they are.

Thanks, I'll make sure to tell my friend that!

 

[AnnikasMommy]

I have two labs and my female is obsessed with the pigs. While I was cage cleaning someone left the gate down and she snuck into the room with me. I didn't realize she was there til I tripped over her. She doesn't bark at them and actually whines at me if they are asking for food for too long. Peanut Butter seems to have developed a thing for her as he comes to the grid to talk to her. No chattering just friendly wheeks. Just so everyone knows I'm extremely careful with her in there and limit it.

 

[aqh88]

It depends on the dog. I have a foster right now that can't be around the small animals. He whines, barks, jumps on cages... and he's like 100lbs. He is improving but I keep him leashed and tied to something as well as me holding the excess so he can't get close enough to the cages. My other dogs that I raised I don't worry about too much. The shiba would kill them given the chance but she's too scared of getting in trouble and too small to open doors so we just have to keep them separated and supervised. My akita loves small animals and must tell me when there are babies. She follows me in to the blocked off areas with the cages. The husky puppy is learning quickly. She sometimes thinks she needs to be involved with the handling of small animals. Especially if people come over and are paying attention to them. I have to keep reminding her not to jump at the animals.

In all cases, no matter how good the dog is, we do not rely on just the cage. I have seen on here and other forums where dogs who were always good with the guinea pigs just ripped the c&c cages open one day. Zipties will only stop very small dogs if they are determined. When we are gone the dogs are in crates and all small animals are behind a solid door or we do have some chinchillas in very very sturdy cages that we don't always close the doors to the rooms. If we are home we know where the dogs are though and can hear if anything exciting is going on. The foster is doubly separated by having his own room so he'd have to break out of his solid hardwood door, break in to a solid hardwood door, and break in to a cage. I still worry.

There was an incident where my akita opened her crate (I have no idea how since it has the spring latch on the outside that we reinforced with wire after the last crate died), opened the room door, unlocked the basement door (again, how?), opened the basement door, got through the pen gate, and was partially standing in the cage licking the guinea pigs. I heard odd "wheeeek" *silence* "wheeeeek" *silence* .... I thought those are weird guinea pig sounds. I found them a bit spiky furred but unharmed. What do you do with a dog like that? She can even turn bolt locks and open the door. If you use a key she will take the frame off over the area of the lock and chew out the wall. We find her waiting on the porch for us about once every 6 months cause she got bored in her crate.

 

[ibeabluedevil]

I have a German Shepherd and as sweet and loving as he is, I wouldn't trust him with my Guinea pigs for nothing. He is all the time bringing me wild rabbits he's hunted and captured from around my property. He has even caught mice, I think to myself who needs a cat with a dog like that? It breaks my heart when he brings me his catches to show them off, but I know that it's in his nature to hunt, so I just try to ignore it and not let it get to me.

I have held one of my Guinea pigs tightly and let him sniff it to see what he thought of it and he showed no aggression whatsoever, but I know that the moment I were to put the pig down to play he would chase after it and most likely kill it. My sister has a Dachsund who is absolutely obsessed with my pigs, but she is still a puppy and is way too hyper and plays too rough with them. She thinks they are puppies and tries to rough house with them so she isn't allowed to be with them either. My other sister has a chiuaua and he is absolutely in love with them, he's more gentle and just likes to lay down beside them and let them lick him or crawl all over him. I still however would never go off and leave them alone and unattended with any dog no matter how well they get along. You just never know.

 

[80s_piggies]

Both of my dogs have always been in love with my guinea pigs. That being said I still have a lid on the cage and never allow them in the room when floor time is going on. Even a gentle play can be dangerous to a pig, they are just smaller and more fragile. Our one dog loves to guard them though and just lay in front of the cage. When our Fergus passed away she laid at that spot and whined for a few days

Now my sister's dachshunds on the other hand, they would eat through the brick walls of my house to get to them LOL.

It does depend on the dog for sure, but I would always plan for the safest option.

 

[ciaraelise]

It all depends on the dog. My dog doesn't care about the pigs anymore. I have am open cage on the floor of my bedroom and Lexie has never tried to get in it. Even when the pigs are doing floor time Lex is very careful and seems to enjoy the piggies company. But I farm sit for a family with three dogs along with multiple rodents and those cages MUST be closed or you will get a very overly interested puppy dog with his whole body shoved into the cage.

 

[StarTaleMaddnes]

It all depends on the dog, and the dog being introduced to guinea pigs for the first time may be very excitable but chill and mellow once he/she is used to this strange new creature in their house. My dog loves the guinea pigs (a Jack Russel-min. poodle mix with a high prey drive), but some people's dogs would likely kill a guinea pig as soon as look at them. It all depends on the animals personality and their owners training. So the important thing for your friend to do is to put a secure and sturdy lid on the cage, and I would recommend to start at least to have a raised cage as opposed to a floor cage. Then they can take it from there. My cage currently doesn't have a lid, but it is raised about two feet off the ground. Neither my cat nor dog have ever attempted to jump in, so I took my lid off.

By all rights my dog should want to kill the guinea pigs (we have wild rabbits, lizards, chipmunks running in our back yard and if she could catch them she'd kill them) but she is completely non aggressive with the piggies. She is able to differentiate pack as animals inside and prey as animals outside. This doesn't mean I leave her unsupervised with the guinea pigs during lap time or floor time because she's much bigger than they are and could easily unintentionally hurt them when she gets a little to curious. On the other hand when I block off my kitchen and let the piggies go nuts, she's right in there with us and she's tends to just lay by the gate and growl at the cat whenever he walks by.

 

[mufasa]

Another vote for "depends on the dog." Amy's original owners had her within reach of a husky who didn't care about her one bit. My girls are on the floor in a swimming pool, and I have a rat terrier/Jack Russell mix with a high prey drive. When I originally got him, they were in a lidded double cage up on a cabinet, and he went nuts whenever he heard them. Once we moved and they were put on the floor, he lost 99 percent of his interest in them. I still will never trust him alone with them because Russells are notorious for going after prey, but he comes in with me when I clean them and has even greeted them nose to nose (under CLOSE supervision). At all other times, the room is closed off, and when I'm not home he's behind a set of immovable dividers, too, as an extra precaution.

I also have four cats, and they mostly ignore the pigs, although one is best friends with Quinn and hops in to visit her every now and then.

 

[Rywen]

I recommend against just counting on a closed door to keep them safe. If there are cats/dogs/ferrets/snakes/etc. the cage should be covered and strong enough to keep the other pets out. There have been posts on here about people forgetting to shut the door, kids or guests leaving it open, etc. and it ends in tragedy for the piggies.

 

[surlypiggy]

We have dogs, but have a baby gate in the entrance of the hallway leading to the pigs' room. While pet sitting for us, our neighbor's son brought their dog in to meet our pigs while his mom was outside with our dogs. Their dog killed both pigs. Please be careful.

 

[mufasa]

I recommend against just counting on a closed door to keep them safe. If there are cats/dogs/ferrets/snakes/etc. the cage should be covered and strong enough to keep the other pets out. There have been posts on here about people forgetting to shut the door, kids or guests leaving it open, etc. and it ends in tragedy for the piggies.

I agree. That's why Bolt is behind a double set of restraints (door and dividers, which are the really huge, sturdy kind that are the equivalent of a second door) whenever we're not home. I'd never trust one single layer of defense when the lives of my pets are at stake.

 

[sallyvh]

I agree that it depends on the dog.

At home we have a Jack Russell who, if given the chance, would kill the guinea pigs in a second. He has caught us all sorts of outdoor critters throughout the years and I would NEVER trust him around my pigs at any time. He is never in the same room as the guinea pigs ever. My girls have a cat proofed stacked C&C in the basement family room and our dog has never been allowed in the basement at all because our cats food and litter boxes are down there.

Alternatively, I live away from home for 8 months of the year while I'm in school so my pigs come with me. My roommate had a dog, a cockapoo who was completely indifferent to the pigs. I have a stacked midwest set up there, the cages are open top but they are raised so he couldn't get at them even if he tried. He was an extremely docile dog though, I would frequently have one of my pigs out for lap time on the couch while I watched a movie and the dog would lay beside me sleeping and not pay any attention to the pig at all.

I will say, if your friend takes a pair of your babies as ling as she has a secure and safe set up, the pigs will get used to the normal sounds and activities of their home. I would not think dogs would bother them long term, although pigs are prey animals they can be surprisingly confident and adaptable. With my girls they have zero fear of cats. We have 6 cats who frequently climb all over the cages and stick their paws in but the pigs don't care at all, they will even come up to the sides of the cage to go nose to nose with the cats.