Any Tips On Introducing A Visiting Dog To My Guins?

[Cucumber Club]

So I've got a new boyfriend and he's a big animal-lover (yaaay!) he loves the piggies and thinks they're really cute. I'd like him to be able to stay over, and that means bringing his rescued Weimaraner dog with him, as he lives an hour's drive away.

Shaun and Macallan live free range in the open-plan lounge/kitchen of my flat. The bedroom, bathroom and hallway are separated by a secure door. Shaun in particular runs around a lot and loves hanging out behind my futon sofa.

The dog lives with two cats and doesn't seem to have a strong hunting instinct, which goes against what I've read about the breed. The Fella seems to think he'd be fine with the guins, however, we're not going to take any chances. So obviously, the first time the dog visits, the guins will be caged.

I'd like to know whether anybody has any suggestions for how we can introduce dog and guins, so that they lose interest in each other quickly and disregard each other?

 

[Nicola_]

I'm afraid I don't have any advice on this - I do think though it is very dependent on the individual dog. I often look after my brother's dog and he sleeps in my bed with me when he stays over. The first time he ran over to the cage and jumped up to have a look in but I called him away and ever since then he's learned that he's not allowed on that side of the room - having said that he's not allowed unattended in my room as a just in case (he needs carried up the stairs anyway so couldn't get in on his own) other than for 2 mins in the middle of the night when I need the loo! He's usually too zonked to go hunting by then!

Is there anyway you could segregate the dog and the piggies even when you're not around or overnight when you're sleeping? That way you'll always be around when they're in the same vicinity as each other just in case.

 

[Cookie&Cream]

I dog sat a yorkshire terrier when I had my hamster, she showed interest in him and we let her see him (he didn't care about her being there he bared his teeth at her) but we never left her in the room unattended when he was awake as she didn't take any notice when he was sleeping. but even then the longest she was left alone in the room was like a minute!
so just monitor the dog with the guinea pigs to be on the safe side and don't have him sleeping in the same room as them as you wouldn't know if he does end up going for them when you're sleeping!
hopefully as time goes on then you'll be able to get them to bond!

 

[GloriousGuineaGirl]

My dog Melfi would kill my boys in a heartbeat unfortunately. As said before very much depends on the personality/temperament of the dog. Hopefully you will have a pleasant surprise. Good luck with it.

 

[gizmo01]

Weirmarners are hunt point retrieve dogs. so naturally i would expect there to be some hunting instinct there. introduce the pooch on the guineas terms and somwhere they can hide if they feel over whelmed. we have 3 dogs and 2 guineas and the dogs are scared of them. so they avoid each other. you will perhaps find the guineas with display aggression to this new intruder to start with. Ours still chatter at the dogs

 

[the boys]

I haven't got a dog but I do have a cat. My cat has never gone for my pigs or my fish. It's her personality. You know how your pet behaves.
When I introduced my pigs to my cat I held other one at a time so they could sniff each other. Then put them back.
my boys have escaped the pen in the lounge when my cat was there she just sat and watched them.
I can trust my cat...which is one thing I love about her. She's my baby.
The pigs love her they follow her in the pen lol

 

[Cucumber Club]

Thanks for your replies. To clarify, the dog will not sleep in the lounge/piggy room, and will only go in there if we are in there. We also won't go out and leave the dog alone in the flat.

I just would like to get to a situation where the guins don't have to be cooped up in a cage if the dog is in the room with us.

 

[Cookie&Cream]

Thanks for your replies. To clarify, the dog will not sleep in the lounge/piggy room, and will only go in there if we are in there. We also won't go out and leave the dog alone in the flat.

I just would like to get to a situation where the guins don't have to be cooped up in a cage if the dog is in the room with us.

Is there possibly another room your piggies can go in for example a spare bedroom that they can walk freely in? Then everyone's happy then

 

[Hermes]

Thanks for your replies. To clarify, the dog will not sleep in the lounge/piggy room, and will only go in there if we are in there. We also won't go out and leave the dog alone in the flat.

I just would like to get to a situation where the guins don't have to be cooped up in a cage if the dog is in the room with us.

I personally wouldn't attempt it, even if the dog seems disinterested. It would be all to easy for it to kill one, even accidentally, and you probably wouldn't have time to react.