Ferret & Dog

[Welsh_red 4,309]

Ive had my hob a week now and hes been fine . Im taking it real slow at the moment . All new to me . Hes about 1 years old and apparently is fine with dogs . The guy that gifted him to me does a lot of hunting and has springers and he said they were great with the ferret and the ferret was great with them . My 2 dogs have never seen ferrets or had anything to do with them before . The hutch for the ferret is in my shed and ive allowed the dogs in there when im in there fiddling around and the small dog comes in and out and if she sees the ferret moving around she will stop and look at it but then go back to sniffing or doing whatever she is doing . Im confident she will be broken to the ferret relietevly easy altho im not counting chickens . The big dog i have sits by the cage and intensily stares at the ferret and sometimes chatters his teeth which im lead to believe is anxiety . He hasnt growled at the cage are been aggresive but is constantly buzzing around the shed door . Altho sometimes he ignores it . Weve just had the ferret running around the patio without the dogs and after we put him back and let the dogs out the big dog was buzzing around the patio sniffing everything . Now i dont want to make major mistakes at the beggining like pushing the ferret on to the big dog to soon and it ending in a disaster so im doing it bit by bit . I want to put one of my old t shirts in with the ferret for a day or so and leave the t shirt in the dogs bed to get used to the smell . Does that sound right to people ? Partly thinking about the ferrets claws getting snagged in the t shirt (not sure if im being way to overcautios ) . Any tips for a over anxious dog with the ferret? Hes a big dog and if he tried playing with the ferret he may do it damage or kill it . He was a habit of putting his big paws down on the other dog when they play around

 

forgot to mention neither have any experience of hunting or likely to either

Edited December 4, 2016 by Welsh_red

[Chaff 3,414]

Wouldn't want to give wrong advice here mate,as mine was a pup when introduced it seemed to me that the ferret's could take care of them selves and a couple slaps on the nose when he got ruff with them and told no. Plus he was bitten a few times so he soon learned to respect the ferret's.

Not sure about older dogs maybe one dog at a time on a lead in the garden couple times a day till your confidant with them together.

Once dogs realise just what the ferret's bring to the party while working it shouldn't be a problem.

Good luck mate

[rabbit demon 301]

Break the dogs in one at time as chaff says. you can put them on the leash and see how they get on. I had staff that would kill everything fluffy around him if he wasnt introduced properly. Id bring him out to the hutch when i got my ferrets and take them out the cage. Id do all the handling of the young ferrets in front of him and if he got too over excited id give him a good firm no and a tap, within a few weeks i could put the ferrets down and let them run around My beddy whippet had to get bitten on a good few occasions before she clicked to leave them alone.

[Micheala Robinson 400]

I personally would stick a muzzle on the dogs for their first couple of meeting, they are not expected to know it's not a rat or something they are used to hunting as they haven't been brought up with them.

Things can go wrong very quickly, our dogs were used to our ferret (pets) my cousin had come to visit with his dog who had seen the ferret several times before but was always very intrigued by it.

The hutch was in the house and the lid of the hutch was accidentally left up , the dog leapt over the dog gate which was a fair bit higher than baby gates.

Ferret didn't stand a chance as it didn't see it coming, the dogs were no threat in its eyes so before it realised the dog had mauled it and shook it and broke its back!

All very upsetting so I would personally rather be safe than sorry and take nothing by chance.

As for the t shirt it can't do any harm, mine have old dressinggowns in their sleeping compartment and a few bed sheets to keep them warm.

Their claws don't get caught on them.

[The one 8,398]

why would you stick a muzzle of the dogs ?. straight away they know somethings different let them meet the ferrets one at a time on a lead and you have to be on the ball anything you dont like pull the dog out the way , remember to praise your dogs they might see the ferrets taking your attention away from them and become jealous

[Sirblessed 2,511]

The lead and pulling away sounds good, if you use a muzzle to see how it goes (big dog I would) just take him for a walk with it on, so he doesn't associate it with the ferret let him calm to it first A.T.B

[Micheala Robinson 400]

why would you stick a muzzle of the dogs ?. straight away they know somethings different let them meet the ferrets one at a time on a lead and you have to be on the ball anything you dont like pull the dog out the way , remember to praise your dogs they might see the ferrets taking your attention away from them and become jealous

I just explained why and my personal experience. If I could avoid it happening to someone else's ferret by telling my story then I'd feel happy in doing so.

[Welsh_red 4,309]

I don't think my big one will take to a muzzle. He has a halti noseband which we has for walks and he's ok on walks with it but he does sometimes nuzzle people in the crotch with it because of it rubbing on his nose he's trying to get it off.

 

Plan is for me to have ferret in my hand and keep him while Mrs checks and keeps a eye on the dog . I've no worry bout Mrs with the big dog . She won't take no shit from him. Her mum's had big dogs all her life. 5 mins one day , 10 next and so on . Maybe get a few clothes in his nestbox to get aroma and when I've got ferret in hand rub the already smelly clothes on the ferret and hand it to Mrs to let the dog sniff at .

[The one 8,398]

You stick a muzzle on a dog thats no used to wearing it , right away it senses somethings different and raises its game , dogs no going to wear a muzzle out ferreting and the ferret could pop up anywhere and the action could be fast and furious and it might help if you had somebody else there to work the ferrets while you concentrate solely on the dog

[Chicken_man 1,651]

As above

[stones 23]

I'd take each dog out with the ferret on their own until they're both rock steady with the ferret... let them see you handling the ferret every day and remember you're the pack leader so no means no where the ferrets concerned... in time they'll gel into a team and the dogs'll see the ferret as a means to an end...

[iworkwhippets 12,247]

introduced pup to all of my ferrets, soon as she came through my front door

[Sirblessed 2,511]

introduced pup to all of my ferrets, soon as she came through my front door

Me too

[Dogger1066 0]

I think if your there and there is enough space for the dog to play everything should be fine. Ferrets biting ankles is more the problem but they love a play with a dog. Good luck.

[The one 8,398]

My older lurcher only has a problem when the ferrets at the dead rabbits outside the burrow she goes all protective of HER rabbits and growls at the ferret a harsh word sorts her out but it shows you can never let your guard down 8 years old and to start doing that ffs