Do any of you have dogs and small animals, like guinea pigs, gerbils, rabbits, etc.? I have three guinea pigs and four dogs, and they all get along with my guinea pigs marvellously (so does the cat!). One of them, the terrier, does get a bit excited sometimes, but he always likes them. Tiffany, our rottweiler, I've had through many small pets -- she has been friends with a hamster, a rabbit, and four rats in the past as well. The one who we call the best friend to all animals though, is Kody, the through-and-through mutt. He loves the guinea pig, and gets so happy whenever they are out. He likes to just lay down and let them run all around him and groom him. He thinks they are fun to watch as well.

Do your dogs get along with your smaller animals? Would you trust them together?

I've never heard of dogs getting along with small animals like that. LOL I know I definately wouldn't let my dogs around small animals. I don't know that they would kill them on purpose, but they would definately kill them.

We had a GSD black lab mix, and my daughter brought home without our knowledge a gerbil. It lasted one night. Our cat let it out, and our dog killed it and left it in front of the fireplace for us to find. I had no idea that we had one in the house, so I praised the dog for finding a rodent and leaving it for us. Needless to say my daughter was heartbroken, but if she had informed us, we could have helped,,,, or maybe not, dogs and cats do this stuff without training.

Originally Posted by Poohbear

We had a GSD black lab mix, and my daughter brought home without our knowledge a gerbil. It lasted one night. Our cat let it out, and our dog killed it and left it in front of the fireplace for us to find. I had no idea that we had one in the house, so I praised the dog for finding a rodent and leaving it for us. Needless to say my daughter was heartbroken, but if she had informed us, we could have helped,,,, or maybe not, dogs and cats do this stuff without training.

I think a deciding factor is how the creatures were introduced. If there was a rodent running loose through the house, I have no doubt one of the dogs would kill it (maybe not the cat, he's pretty lazy :mrgreen: ). However, the dogs were all introduced to the guinea pigs under close conditions and our watchful eyes, and it was made very clear to them the pigs are friends, like they are, and not to be hurt. Only two of our dogs would I trust ALONE with the guinea pigs (one who is too old and small to do any damage to them, and the other who is Kody, I mentioned before we call him the friend to all animals), and indeed while I clean their cage I often leave Kody to pigsit. The other two, the rottweiler and the terrier, well the rottie has never done anything to make me think she would attack, but she's very old and shakes badly when they are around, so I'm not sure if they make her too excited or too nervous, but I don't want to take any chances. And the terrier, well, that should go without saying!

In addition to my GSP I am mom to two African Pgymy Hedgehogs. They are housed separately and Bo can't get at them. Bo has been introduced to one of them a couple of times, but a hedgy being a hedgy automatically gets defensive, huffs (makes this noise) and rolls into a ball. Bo gets his feelings hurt!

LOL Aww! Poor Bo. He just wants to be friends with the hedgehogs.

Our dogs get along with ANY animal. I never had to be afraid of their reaction. They have gotten along with ferrets and guinea pigs, along with other animals. They never snapped or growled.

My dog gets along well with my rats if anything they tell him where to go well did Trinket(my fat girl) just passed away a few weeks ago and Sprocket the other girl is feeling a bit down so she's not her normal sparky self but they are very bold with him I'd never leave them on their own with Chip though cause sometimes it all gets to much for him and he wants to play(the cat has had to be rescued haha) not that I think he'd hurt them intentionally but I don't mind if I'm there in the room with them. As for the cat with the rats ummm...no haha

My dogs do not like rodents. They have helped me hunt the things in the kitchen before.