Tips How To Get Your Dog Used To Guinea Pigs.

[Choola]

Hi everyone!

As many of you might know, my family is preparing to rescue two little piggies and give them a loving forever home.
To ensure this we need to make sure that everyone is happy about new additions to the family.

In this thread I am going to write some tips that I am using / going to use on our pup.

Never leave your dog and any small animal unsupervised!
There tips are to help your dog to accept piggies (not to become best friends!)
Please share any tips you might have.

• Introduce your dog to new smells. Bring an item that contains guinea pigs smells (it can be something like hay, pellets, etc.)Encourage dog to have a sniff by keeping distance.
• Make clear rules about the room where guinea piggies are. Set their cage about a week or two before you are thinking to get piggies home. Once or twice per day let dog to come in to explore the cage and have a sniff around. Dog needs to leave the room whenever you decide . This should help to make some 'rules'.
• Visit pet store that sells small animals. Check your dog's reaction once he sees the animals. (We did this today, my pup wasn't interested in guinea pigs at all )
• Once guinea pigs arrives, let dog to sniff the carrier basket that you used to bring piggies home. Introduce dog to their smell. If dog becomes too rough - tell him off for doing so.
• DO NOT ALLOW dog to see guinea pigs for next couple of days. Let guinea pigs to settle down in their new home. BUT you can let dog to sniff their bedding, fleece, anything that can smell like their.
• Don't forget about the dog. New additions to the family is always exciting, but you can't leave anyone behind. Any pet going to need your daily attention to fulfil their needs. So, dog needs these walks and cuddles as much as new piggies needs fresh vegetables and companionship.
• Watch some YouTube videos of squeaking piggies with your dog. Get your dog use to new noises.

Picture of our furry kid

 

[Perfectpets11]

I wish i was part of the forum when u posted this.my dog hates my pigs and barks at them so they now live in a large hutch outside that stays in the garage at night. They are happy in this set up tho. Haha

 

[Perfectpets11]

Gorgeous dog btw x

 

[Daisydot]

I haven't got my piggies yet, but I'm looking after my daughter's piggies while she is away. The dogs don't pay much attention to them though, although they do look at them with the "ears up" thing when the piggies wheek. In the past I have kept rabbits and they both learned to leave the rabbits alone. Clancy (dog) and Pixie (rabbit) became good friends and would kiss through the bars of the rabbit run. Pixie would actively seek Clancy out and move over to him if he was lying near her run. I would never leave them unsupervised though and would never allow a loose rabbit or piggie around the dogs. They are very good about small animals, but they ARE rescue greyhounds and were trained to chase small furry things on the racetrack.

 

[Cavyhappy]

Ours is an old Staffy, but she treats the pigs like her children x

 

[Cookie16]

We had piggies before the dog! We had a bit of barking and over-enthusiastic sniffing etc to start with but no problems now. The dog and cat often sit around the cage!

We've just had a new baby boy, as he currently is waiting to be neutered he is quite lonely! But he's made a good bond with our dog! They both sit on the sofa with me in the evening and Alfie (GP) will run around and sniff the sleeping dog! Occasionally he'll open an eye! So cute when they are nose to nose!

Good luck!

 

[Shelby]

I have an Airedale terrier, for those who don't know the breed they were bred to catch rats. Anyway when we adopted the girls I expected lots of grief. but other than when I move them from their indoor home to their outdoor run he doesn't pay them much attention now. The first few days he would have his nose against their hutch but now they are indoors he just gets on with it. They don't seem to mind him too, though he can startle them occasionally when he barks. I did have to fuss him lots though when they came home as I think he felt a bit put out, but I think he's been reassured he is no less important.

 

[maxdawn]

I started by keeping some dog treats by GPS cage, so I always have some handy. Keep everything carm, have dog sitting or laying always reward when carm. If dog gets excited DONT SHOUT at him, that just adds to the excitement and will make dog worse. Just give the dog a CH CH sound to get attention then have him sit and reward. I got a recrue dog back in Oct he is now very carm with piggys but can take so work.