Dogs - I've had 2 border collie mixes, 2 chows, 2 labs, 5 great danes
and at present I have a 14 week old mini schauzer..  The only problems
I've had were with 1 great dane wanting to eat the ferrets, 1 great dane
not understanding the size difference (they are both gone) and one chow
(the female) who felt she needed to police them with a look in her eye
that I knew meant trouble (that was a LONG time ago and the ferret went
back to where I got him).
 
My labs and border collie mixes never hurt the ferrets in any way, One
girl gets upset when she gets bit, but while she will "yell" at them she
never hurts them; neither does my female dane.  I've seen her jump 3 feet
straight up to avoid stepping on them and I've seen her play all sorts of
games with them - and that's hillarious to watch.  The male Chow walked
in circles allowing them to hold onto his tail as he pulled them around
and around.  My labs would lie down to play with ferrets... just their
heads wrestling with a tiny ferret... My daughter brought in a blue
heeler that she found as a stray who was fine for a week but one day
grabbed my sweet Dot one morning while I was away and I found her passing
(she was probably gone but I would not admit it) when I returned.  The
dog was taken away immediately - they feared I would hurt the dog for
hurting my ferret - we'll never know what I would have done, probably
ordered her out of the house -- I sat on the back porch with Dot and
cried and cried... there was nothing else to do.  Both Bassett hounds and
Pit Bulls have moved through my home as my daughter fostered for a local
rescue and never did any of those furries attempt to hurt any fuzzy
(furry being the dogs and fuzzies being the ferrets).  The mini schauzer
I have now plays and plays with the 3 month old kitten and 4 month old
ferret that I have... they are my 3 musketeers....
 
So it's just like with people..  do you remember the reports of kids
doing horrible things to ferrets 10-15 years ago... some kids are bad
some are good ... some dogs are bad for ferrets and some are OK... it
is trial and error... and it's more a personality thing than anything
else... don't stereo type anyone or anything and be ever and ALWAYS
cautious -- one bad day can mean the difference between someone's life ..
and death.  Oh and I AM guilty of stereo typing..  I interview and
counsel heavily anyone wanting to adopt who has a TERRIER (I know the
schnauzer)... or a dauchsand, or even a poodle or chihauhau... Now
retreivers - like labs and setters, herders like collies I caution
potential adopters, but hunters... especially ratters... I strongly
warn against a ferret adoption or purchase; sometimes I won't adopt if
the people just don't really seem to get it...
 
Vicki
 
Vicki Montgomery
Tricks and Treats Rescue
Pasadena, TX 77506
713-472-6599
[Posted in FML issue 5098]