Dogs and small pets...

[Cincy'sMom]

Last week I took Sadie ( my 1 1/2 yr old Black Lab/Dalmation mix) to the pet store, and as usual, she liked checking out the other animals. First she sniffed the 2 adorable toget cats they had, but they didn't move, so they weren't too interesting. Next, she and a ferret had a sniff-off, and I think she kinda liked him, but then she founf the Guinea Pig. This pig was so cool! She would hie in her igloo and pop in head out, then vveerryyy slowly, she would come all the out. She and Sadie would sniff, and then Sadie would put a paw up on the cage and she would run back in the igloo...but she would pop right back out! They did this 2 or 3 times. The last time she sorta squealed and little, so I took Sadie away cause I didn't want to scare her.

For those of you who have both dogs and small pets, do you allow any interaction between them? Does it work or do the dogs not understand how much bigger they are? Sadie has always been so gentle with small puppies/dogs and with children, i wonder if she would do the same with a small pet....but then there is Cincy....

[Logan]

I don't, Cincy's mom. The cats and dogs are together constantly and do fine. But my hamster and birds are just too tempting to the other four. The cats, especially Butter, think that birds are for catching. The dogs are Retrievers and they think the same thing. They are often in the same room, but when they are, the birds are safely in their cages away from the jaws and claws of the others. Right now, all cats and dogs are outside, and the birds are out for their daily stretch in the living room.

[Heather Wallace]

I don't have a dog but I do look after them. I have 4 rabbits and they hate dogs, it scares the rabbits a lot. Also the dogs get over excitted about seeing a new creature, this in turn makes the rabbits fear much worse.

The buns like my cats though

[tatsxxx11]

Both my dogs, Star and Cody and my kitties, Mr. B and Oliver love to be around my 2 piggies, Squeekers and Moon! The dogs will sit by their cages, and just as you described, the piggies come out of their igloos and put their noses to their cage bars. The dogs and kitties all sniff at the piggies and the piggies wheek away! Oliver especially loves the guinea pigs. He will lay next to their cages for hours, all stretched out, belly up and purrrr away. When the piggies hear him purrring, they start cooooing! It's so cute! And one piggie, Squeekers, LOVES to hear the dogs bark! He cooos and popcorns, even when he hears them barking downstairs!