Thanks for all your suggestions regarding puppies and ferrets.  Butch and
Sundance (the pups) came in for dinner this evening (we've KEPT them outside
now that Beckett has had the run of the house) and I watched carefully with
their reaction to Beckett.  Beck was the only one out so it was a little
easier.  Anyway, Butch was curious and I suspect that if Beckett had run,
Butch would have chased him.  As it was, Butch just kind of looked at him in
this, "I'm ready to chase you," sort of way.  Sundance was a little more...
aggressive isn't the word, but she tried to pick Beckett up.  I smacked her
on the butt and then held Beckett letting them sniff each other.  Sundance
put her mouth over Beckett's body but not like a bite, like if she were
going to carry Beckett somewhere.  I smacked her on the nose and told her
NO.  She backed off and then sniffed Beckett some more without the mouth.
Neither of the pups seemed to want to HURT Beckett.  It was more like a new
toy.  I think ya'll are right and it's just going to take some time.  The
puppies need to grow out of their puppiness.  When I was in middle school,
we had ferrets and two dogs (a dachsund/terrier mix and a Shar-Pei).  The
ferrets and dogs got along wonderfully, but heck if I remember how they were
introduced.  Btw, we have another dog, Tasha who has no problems with the
ferrets at all.  She's a Samoyed.  Okay, she was one problem...  Gambit
bites the heck out of her legs.  She just lays there and takes it, with an
occasional bark.  I have to spray bitter apple on her legs when the ferrets
come out.  :( Well, enough for now.  Thanks again for your suggestions.  My
next step is to put the dogs on tight leashes when the whole crew comes out!
 
Anna and the too, too, TOO large crew (why'd Jonathan tell me we could get
hedgehogs? mean ol' husband)
[Posted in FML issue 1368]