Okay, let the flaming begin :-)
 
To sum it all up, getting a dog when you have a ferret (or vice versa) is
a crapshoot.  That cute little dog that always plays so nice with your
ferrets might someday wakeup with the doggy equivalent of a migraine and
go after the ferret.  And not in a nice way.  Or the dog who previously
didn't like them may have an epiphany and become their best buddy.
 
There are things you can do to minimize the problem though.
 
Don't get a dog from from a shelter.  I don't mean puppies; I mean a
dog.  God only knows what happened to that dog before he arrived at the
shelter.
 
Don't get a dog from a pet store.  By doing so, you are only helping to
keep puppy mills in business and the puppy you get- Well, you have no
idea about his background.
 
Read about the breed you want.  Join chat groups and mailing lists.  Ask
questions.  Grill everyone about their experiences.  Ask about reputable
breeders.  Meet the breeders.  Any of the previous listed resources can
tell you what to look for in a good breeder.  Meet the puppy's parents.
Find out how socialized the puppy is- raised in a cage or in a house.
Some breeders might even let you return the puppy if it doesn't work out.
 
When you get your dog, there are things you can do to decrease the
stress.
 
In the beginning, ferrets have real potential to hurt a puppy.  Don't
let them.  It will scare the dog and make him feel the ferrets are the
enemy, not friends.
 
Some of your ferrets will hate the dog.  Some will be indifferent.  Some
will shout- Oh boy!.  Let each ferret have its comfort level.  Don't
force anything.  Always make sure your ferret can get away from the dog
if it wants to (under couches, dressers, in tubes)
 
For example, I have tubes in my living room where they can stare at the
dog and rive it crazy, but he can't get them.  There is a whole room
they can go in, if they feel the need to get away where the dog can't
go (there's a gap under the door big enough for the ferrets to come and
go, but not the dog)
 
Don't let them play too rough at first.  And I mean both the dogs and
the ferrets.  Let both know you're watching out for them.  If the ferret
doesn't want to be bothered, tell the dog to leave it (or some other
phrase) and take him away from the ferret.  Same with the ferrets
bothering the dog.  Eventually, the ferrets will let the dog know how
much they are willing to tolerate and so will the dog.
 
Don't let food become an issue.  Keep the dog food where the ferrets
can't get it and vice versa.
 
Never give treats like bones when the ferrets are out.  Louie gets bones,
but only when the ferrets are in their cages.  Anything else would be a
disaster waiting to happen.
 
The same rule applies to toys.  If the dog has a favorite toy, don't
let the ferrets near it.  And the same goes for a ferret and *their*
favorite toy.
 
Let the dog see you fuss and play with the ferrets.  He needs to know
that they will get attention and he will get attention and no one need
get jealous.
 
Don't leave them alone until you are one hundred percent sure everyone
knows the boundaries and the rules.
 
If the dog does go after a ferret (and not in a playful way), tell him
no and alpha roll him.  By that I mean flip him gently on his back and
say no.  He needs to know who is in charge.
 
And don't panic if they seem to be mauling each other.  I've got a
dachshund and he's two of the ferrets favorite toy.  They roll around
on the floor, kicking and biting and scratching and dooking and yipping.
Louie also treats them like little furry shot-puts, dragging them around
by their tails, spinning them in circles and then releasing them.  They
love it.  Me, well it gave me a heart attack at first.  Louie came
trotting by dragging a spread-eagled ferret behind him by the tail.  I
took the ferret away.  They both gave me a *look* and went right back
to it.  <shrug>  Pets.  Who can understand them <g>
 
Good luck.
 
anne
[Posted in FML issue 5094]