I had one dog when I got my first ferret.  Merlin is a sheltie-mix and VERY
gentle.  When Meeko (ferret) was younger she would bite him, literally
hanging by her teeth from his flews (lips) while he just stood there and
whined at me ("Please mom, get it OFFFFFF!").  Now they were NEVER together
unsupervised.  When we got Percy, the second ferret, he too would chase and
bite Merlin but Merlin could handle it.  Most of the time the ferrets would
play with each other and leave him alone.  Then came the third ferret
Snoopy.  Merlin had had enough!  One day he was napping when Snoopy bit him
between the toes and hung on.  Merlin screamed and thrashed but he STILL
did not try to bite (I know I would have).  After that Merlin would wait
for me to put him out of the room during ferret play time.
 
Then came the second dog.  She was a German Shepherd (3y old) and I didn't
know what would happen so I left her kennel open in the bedroom and let
Percy (at this point the most gentle ferret) out while I held Jussy's
collar (she was also muzzled just in case...) Percy ran over to her, Jussy
took one look and RAN into her kennel dragging me with her.  Over time she
learned to love the ferrets (while they were in the cage or she was in the
kennel) but she knew she wasn't allowed to bite back so she stayed safe.
Now we have four ferrets and two dogs.  During ferret time the dogs are in
their comfy kennels with bones in the closet.  If I leave the kennels out
the ferrets surround the poor dogs and they can't nap because they are too
busy seeing which ferret is peeking in which window.
 
My advice, for the safety of all involved kennel train your dogs.  All I
have to say is "It's ferret time" and I have two dogs leaping joyously into
their comfy dens.
 
Melissa (Meeko, Percy, Snoopy and Bear - ferrets) (Merlin & Nimue - dogs)
[Posted in FML issue 2557]