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Do your dogs get along with your rats?

31K views 50 replies 42 participants last post by  hansloas 
#1 ·
I've just got two rats and I'm getting them acquainted with me. The dogs sniff and sniff and whine wanting to see them. We aren't letting them... but they are super curious.

Anyone have dogs and rats and maybe some pointers?
 
#2 ·
My lab loves the rats! At first, I let them sniff noses while the rats were on my lap and the dog was loose. Now they love to sneak in his crate while he is in it and the dog will just lay down while the rats crawl all over him. The only reason why I trust my dog with the rats is because he has no prey drive whatsoever. He sees every animal as a friend, not food. If your dogs have any interest in hunting other animals, I would be very cautious.
 
#3 ·
Thanks for your input. My dogs like to chase squirrels out of our yard, but I don't think they would know what to do with one if caught. They seem to know the difference between pet and wild.... they love kittens.

But I will wait to let them get acquainted until after my rats bond with me. It'll probably be quite some time.
 
#4 ·
I have one dog that is ok with them, the other one would try to eat them, and she sit next to their cage and whine as well. Id be VERY careful if I were you... chasing is a display of preydrive, whimpering is a display of lack of impulse control. Have your dogs ever got along with a smaller animal?? if not, they might go for them..
 
#6 ·
I have an 80 pound lab/pit mix that LOVES my rats. He plays with them like they're miniature dogs :)

He grew up with my first rat, Brett, and I've never thought twice about letting him be their big buddy. I have to be careful though because he's extremely protective of them and if one of the other dogs or the cat come near them he snaps at them as a warning.
 
#8 ·
I've got a beagle/basset hound mix named Ginger. She has never been aggressive to them, but she gets VERY nosy. She'll whine and bark and jump if she sees them moving, so I keep her away. Her basset/beagle instinct is not something I want to test with my rats. She gets jealous, as well. :p Although she gets jealous when I show ANYONE affection other than her! Even people. :p
 
#9 ·
My dog could care less about all my girls. He is a terrier, and I know his breed was bred to be a hunter, but he is not interested at all in our rats.

At first, he wanted to see them so we would hold them on our laps and show him what we were holding. And we made sure to hold onto HIM, just in case he decided to lunge and make a snack. But after about a week of that, and a few times of them climbing up his legs or jumping from the bed onto his back and going for a ride, he now ignores them. He doesn't mind them sniffing his legs or his nose, but he doesn't really care for them climbing his legs or going for rides. It is usually Sally who will do that, and Lucy will pretty much ignore Paddy like he ignores her. And Josie prefers to hide when Paddy is around.

We have not let Molly or Amy meet Paddy yet, and probably will not. Not that we don't trust Paddy, but he is now too old to climb the stairs to go into the room we use for the girls free-range time.

Anita
 
#13 ·
millieandnellie said:
Nellie is bad about escaping from my room, and when I go to find her, I often find her sitting on a dog and snuggling with a cat..... ::) My dogs want to see them, but they never hurt them. Maggie is scared of them :D
It is our responsibility that they are kept safe. It's actually that Nellie is good in escaping and you are not so good in containing her ;)
 
#15 ·
Okay, here's my pitbull story. I have an altered female pitbull. She has been exposed to rodents, mostly rats and guinea pigs, since she was a puppy.
Amadeus doesn't like her, but she likes him. If food is involved, the rat bites the dog and the dog snaps back..nothing serious so far..we try to keep food controlled when they're both out.
When I correct Amadeus, by clapping my hands or slapping my leg and saying his name, the dog, Lacy starts vocalizing.
If I say "where's that rat" the dog starts her "find" behaviour then barks when she spots him.
I don't trust them alone, but amadeus defends himself pretty well. I have left them in the car alone with no trouble, but they mostly ignore each other.
Lacy does chase, squirrels and cats...and kills wild rats if she finds them in the garage or yard. She seems to know the difference.
Again, it's all about how you approach it..and yeah any dog with a high chase drive is a risk. It depends on the tolerance of your dog. A dog can kill a rat obviously.
 
#16 ·
Our collie-mix got along with mu rats at first but after a few years of keeping unsocial cage rats so she didn´t have a chance to interact with them any other than through the cage, she has become unreliable and I don´t trust her around rats.

My doberman is just fine with them. She has pray drive that makes her snap teeth when they are running close to her but she never tries to bite the rats (it is funny how she just snaps by herself). She is the only dog that is allowed to be free around free-ranging rats.

The dachshunds however are true hunters and it probably would be a matter of seconds to kill the rats. The miniature one is not as intense and when I yell, she ducks, but the standard is fearless. They are hunting dogs that are expected to take on a fox or a badger and as I didn´t really think I will be owning rats that are allowed to free range again, they are not used to critters running around (the miniature is a rescue anyway). The standard is known to find critters in the woods and not only catch but eat them on the spot so really wouldn´t want to risk.
 
#17 ·
Ky_Zack said:
Terriers were mostly bred as rat killers. So those instincts are hard to break. Just an FYI.
Yes, I know what terriers were mostly bred as. Paddy is also 18 years old, blind and deaf, sleeps most of the day and night, loves everyone who comes over thinking they are all his friends, still gets very excited when it is time to eat and doesn't like car rides anymore. He has changed so much in the past year, growing old before our eyes, almost overnight. His best friend was a greyhound that we had to put down 2 years ago when her kidneys started failing. Paddy was a pound-hound that we adopted when we lived in Australia, and has been around kids, teens, babies, birds, cats, other dogs, and now rats. Terriers are known for being bitey dogs also, but he loves children and will now move away when they get to be too much for him. He has never bitten anyone.

The point is, you have to know and understand your other animals (dogs included) before allowing them to get aquainted with your rats. Paddy still loves my rats, but would much rather sleep than to do them harm.
 
#18 ·
amadeusmom said:
Okay, here's my pitbull story. I have an altered female pitbull. She has been exposed to rodents, mostly rats and guinea pigs, since she was a puppy.
Amadeus doesn't like her, but she likes him. If food is involved, the rat bites the dog and the dog snaps back..nothing serious so far..we try to keep food controlled when they're both out.
When I correct Amadeus, by clapping my hands or slapping my leg and saying his name, the dog, Lacy starts vocalizing.
If I say "where's that rat" the dog starts her "find" behaviour then barks when she spots him.
I don't trust them alone, but amadeus defends himself pretty well. I have left them in the car alone with no trouble, but they mostly ignore each other.
Lacy does chase, squirrels and cats...and kills wild rats if she finds them in the garage or yard. She seems to know the difference.
Again, it's all about how you approach it..and yeah any dog with a high chase drive is a risk. It depends on the tolerance of your dog. A dog can kill a rat obviously.
it doesn't sound like a fun social situation for either dog or rat. And a Pit who snaps back? Do you know what risk you are exposing your rat to?
 
#19 ·
My rat terrier has no drive to go after my rats at all.. gophers are a differnt thing.. i used let my old rat climb all over her on the bed.
 
#20 ·
??? :eek: I can't believe people take risks like that. Rats don't miss out on anything if you protect them from dogs. Dogs are domesticated predators and can snap in a second under your eyes. You know why? Because rats are prey animals in that relationship.

I am sure there have been accidents like these; just we don't hear about that.
 
#21 ·
i am right there by my dogs head when my rat used to run all over her.... daisey was more intresed in me than the rat... i dont do it anymore as my dog now sleeps with my little sister
 
#22 ·
My dogs are mostly well behaved, with a few minor issues here and there. They are very curious about the ratties, but they have been around cats, other dogs, and are well socialized females, so they don't want to eat my ratties.

If your dogs don't have a "killer" instinct toward other animals a slow introduction should be possible. Now my dogs will chase squirrels out of the back yard, but they understand that the rats are pets too. I suggest letting them sniff some of the rats toys while talking sweetly to them and when they do see the rats keep speaking softly and sweetly so they know that it's a sort of "family" situation, softly admonishing the dogs if they get too close for comfort. It would be bad to have a nipped pup nose!

Good luck!
 
#26 ·
Corpseflower said:
My chihuahua just wants to play, but the boys are scared to death of him! :D
Of all dogs it looks like the Chihuahuas are the ones to look out for. In OR one chased a cougar off after the big cat had pinned down the Chi's terrier brother. In another state a couple of Chis had cornered a cougar in a garage. :D
So yeah, if they can handle a cougar, rats should definitely look out for Chis ;)
 
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