I Think Thane Wants To Eat The Piggies :'(

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cyanidebaby

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My dog, Thane, was perfectly fine around the guinea pigs until he saw them in the run, he would just come and listen to them curiously. Now, he whines and barks at the cage and tries to get to them as soon as they start scurrying about. He can't get into the cage, but he can stand on 2 legs and peer through. and I'm going to block it off further so there's no way he can get near. I've also found that 40 minute walks a few times a day settle him as well, but I am worried.

The ginger pig in particular actively tries to put his nose on Thane's, which is odd for a prey animal. The black one ignores him.What's the best way to prevent dangers other than to warn him off? I've never noticed his prey drive before, he used to live with 3 cats and never once attempted to chase them.
 
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cyanidebaby said:
My dog, Thane, was perfectly fine around the guinea pigs until he saw them in the run, he would just come and listen to them curiously. Now, he whines at the cage and tries to get to them as soon as they start scurrying about. He can't get into the cage, but he can stand on 2 legs and peer through. and I'm going to block it off further so there's no way he can get near. I've also found that 40 minute walks a few times a day settle him as well, but I am worried.

The ginger pig in particular actively tries to put his nose on Thane's, which is odd for a prey animal. What's the best way to prevent dangers other than to warn him off? I've never noticed his prey drive before, he used to live with 3 cats and never once attempted to chase them.
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What kind of dog is he? He better be careful they don't give him a nip on the nose! :)
 
He's a Japanese Spitz, like this one, only don't think I could leave him roaming with the piggies like this owner has

 
Is their cage out of his reach? Is there any way that you could keep the pigs in a separate room to him while they are in the run?
He probably thinks their new fun toys :)
Best to just keep them separate as much as you can I'm afraid. Not a lot can really be done about how he reacts to them.
 
He is put in the garden when the piggies are being handled. I'd feel better if I could stick with my living room cage because the living room is never left unattended, whereas he could easily open any of the other room doors and sneak in


gus+walter said:
Is their cage out of his reach? Is there any way that you could keep the pigs in a separate room to him while they are in the run?
He probably thinks their new fun toys :)
Best to just keep them separate as much as you can I'm afraid. Not a lot can really be done about how he reacts to them.
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My rescue dog Douglas, had to be trained how to behave around gps. And training will go on for the rest of his life. He is now fab around pigs but if pig start running around squeaking he can get excited if you let him. What I first started doing was don't let dog go into the room where gp are make him sit in door way ,you must go in first(you will need lots of dog treats to start with)don't let him in until he is karm. When carm call him in,have him sit, I find Douglas is better laying down. Give he treats and buckets of gental praise. If he gets excited put him back out in door away. Douglas is amazing with the gps . but he still sometime need a time out. As he is only 1yr old and he is a spaniel x terroir, AND piggy's are the best sqeeky toy in the world to a dog. Always reward him when hes carm.
I also have 1little piggy that away runs up to Douglas , Douglas will give piggy a lick pg runs away but come back for another lick. I try and stroke piggy and he runs away and hides :mal:
 
Forgot to say I never leave a dog alone with guinea pigs. Like I said piggy are a awesome qweaky toy to a dog.
 
Thanks @maxinedawn and @gus+walter

Training has started today, I was worried that at nearly 9 he'd be too stubborn to give up, but the advantage is I have a very food-orientated dog who I've known from pup so I can do positive re-enforcement rather than a punishment thing where he has to leave the family room all the time and basically gets vilified. I adore my dog and the idea of him being pushed out because of new pets breaks my heart.

I think he sort of saw them as vermin that I shouldn't want in the house. He's a very alert, protective dog and he was SO anxious about them yesterday. I got him to stop after a 20min session. Even when he wants to whine and stalk the guinea pigs, as soon as I produce a treat, his attention is mine. I stroke the guinea pigs nosesthrough the cage, and talk to 'them. If he sits by the cage and whines he gets an 'AH-AH!' and sent away, if he lays in the room or away from the room and he ignores them, he gets a treat and a 'GOOD BOY! MY THANEY'S A BEAUTIFUL BOY ETC' I throw the treat into the family room so he knows that the issue isn't that he's laying in here.Now he's laying in the hall completely ignoring the cage. I'm going to get ham and chicken in so that the reward is even higher. He's still locked out of the room when no-one's in here though, and always will be.
 
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Do you think he will hate me for bringing them here? The noise really irritates him :( he's not constantly bothering them now, but you can tell they annoy him. It's only been since Friday, will he settle do you think? He'll be sleeping, then he'll get up, look at me and cry :(
 
cyanidebaby said:
Thanks @maxinedawn and @gus+walter

Training has started today, I was worried that at nearly 9 he'd be too stubborn to give up, but the advantage is I have a very food-orientated dog who I've known from pup so I can do positive re-enforcement rather than a punishment thing where he has to leave the family room all the time and basically gets vilified. I adore my dog and the idea of him being pushed out because of new pets breaks my heart.

I think he sort of saw them as vermin that I shouldn't want in the house. He's a very alert, protective dog and he was SO anxious about them yesterday. I got him to stop after a 20min session. Even when he wants to whine and stalk the guinea pigs, as soon as I produce a treat, his attention is mine. I stroke the guinea pigs nosesthrough the cage, and talk to 'them. If he sits by the cage and whines he gets an 'AH-AH!' and sent away, if he lays in the room or away from the room and he ignores them, he gets a treat and a 'GOOD BOY! MY THANEY'S A BEAUTIFUL BOY ETC' I throw the treat into the family room so he knows that the issue isn't that he's laying in here.Now he's laying in the hall completely ignoring the cage. I'm going to get ham and chicken in so that the reward is even higher. He's still locked out of the room when no-one's in here though, and always will be.
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I think you miss understood me. What we are both doing is almost the same. I only use positive training as my dog was a very scare dog when I first recrued him. By you having him carm first is not a punishment this can take a second or longer. To start with my dog sit in the door way and I was sat next to him just inside the door, inches away from him giving him a ch when he needed it and a good boy and treat when carm. Believe it or not my dog was scared of gp to start with he was scare of every thing then. If he goes into to the room carm he can and you enjoy piggy time. Pg time is a hole family time here piggy's mummy doggy too. No one is left out. My dog loves family time because he get so much attention as do piggy's be piggy's are safe to. This way you can make him more apart of it. He will love that. Don't make him sit a door and go fuss piggy's Nooooo. That's not what I saying that would be mean. Just sit and wait for him to be carm then have him in and when he in sit be cage but still don't give gp a fuss. The AH-AH is very good I use ch.-ch
 
Oh no, I'm sorry, I understood your advice, the vilified thing was what I was feeling like I was doing before, yelling at him etc. I thought I was going to have to shout at him all day long.
 
cyanidebaby said:
Do you think he will hate me for bringing them here? The noise really irritates him :( he's not constantly bothering them now, but you can tell they annoy him. It's only been since Friday, will he settle do you think? He'll be sleeping, then he'll get up, look at me and cry :(
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No he will leave that he gets even more attention and treats with the piggys. Include him in gp time but have him carm. But like I said don't go straight in fussing gps wait so he can be part of it too, this could take a time. Its baby steps. Sit at door with him, that at cage, and that holding gps. It was sat at the door with Douglas for 3 days before I could get to cage. Baby steps. Look at my av you can see that he is not carm and piggy Albie looks to come see him. X
 
cyanidebaby said:
Oh no, I'm sorry, I understood your advice, the vilified thing was what I was feeling like I was doing before, yelling at him etc. I thought I was going to have to shout at him all day long.
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Oh bless you, we all have done it. What your doing now is really good. You said you take him for a long walk first, that's great that will help no end. Keep going and enjoy the time with Thane he's learning something new. X
 
Great advice. I need to start doing this with our two dogs. Any advice on cats? We have one that would probably let them crawl on him like he did our gerbil. The other car Stella is a hunter! But these are a little bigger than the gerbils were so she hasn't bothered them at all as of yet.
 
My dog is fascinated by my rats and my mom piggies.She is constantly at the rat cages Will have to start training her.
 
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