[nosferatuuk]

Hello. I need some advice if at all possible please. I have a 10 month old puppy - a chocolate lab/weimaraner cross - and we also have four ferrets. The ferrets are used to being out of their cages and having the run of the house for most of the day, but since we got the puppy, they have had to remain confined in their cages because the puppy chases them. He also thinks he's a cat I think, because the tries to bat at the ferrets with, what are now, rather large paws. I'm very worried the ferrets might get hurt with this behaviour from the puppy, although I realise he's only trying to play with them, not deliberately hurt them. How do I socialise him with the ferrets so they may resume their freedom in the house again? Please help!!

[lilfyre]

I am not good with ferrets, but I have had dogs and cats together almost all my life, I currently have one dog, she is a Pit-bull and two cats in my home, she was an adult dog when she arrived at our home, and the two cats I had at the time had never seen a dog in their life. The first few days we had Miss Piggy I kept her on a leash, she was a rescue dog from a shelter, even if they said she was safe with cats I was not going to trust her. It took about a week for them to adjust to one another but they did, I do not know who is rougher the cats or the dog, they play some time so hard, I have to get up and look at them and say in a stern voice Excuse Me!! It is funny because they all scatter.

In October I found a lopped eared bunny emaciated and dehydrated hiding under a car tire in town. I took him in and cared for him, tried franticly to find his owners. To no avail I could not. So the bunny lives with us now waiting to be adopted, as he got better and better, we realized that our funny bunny was litter trained. We started to let him out of his enclosure, for floor time, Miss piggy showed great interest in him and I was concerned because, she had been cat tested not bunny tested, we again leashed her and allowed the two together at times it was trying, because she was forever trying to pin him to the ground to lick him, I was afraid she would squish the life out of him, I have learned that when funny bunny had, had enough he would bang his foot on the floor and give the dog a good kick and they would end it on their own. We again did this with the guinea pigs on the leash and just watched, I have found that they all will get along and are capable of settling things on their own in time, the more time they spend together the better, I have also learned that the more worked up you get the worse things are, the dog feeds off your emotions, and anxiety, my house is funny because I have a dog 2 cats and 1 bunny free roaming the house, all racing and playing ripping and tearing around my floors and you never know which one it was that trashed the plants.

[MEDIstaff4u]

You would just have them play together and interact the same as you would any other animal. Sit with them while they play, and if it gets out of control tell them NO!

Ferrets are also very fast, so if they needed to get out of there they probably could! I have had a bunch of ferrets, around 20 or so. We had 2 that would gang up on the dog and make him whine, it was the saddest/funniest thing ever. Little rodents vs. big dog!