>Here is my question. How was I supposed to know that Allis would kill?
>> It is ridiculous to believe that having seen another dog kill a
>ferret years ago, she herself would someday kill. That's not just my
>assertion, > it is the assertion of many people here on the FML. Many
>of whom know lots more about dogs than I do.

As a dog owner/breeder/exhibitor for more than forty years, I agree
that your dog would not kill a ferret simply because she had seen
another dog kill a ferret. This would only happen when the prey drive
kicked in or the dog was teased/tormented beyond what it was willing
to tolerate at that particular time.

>How was I supposed to know? A completely different dog, no history of
>violence against any members of our peaceable kingdom in eleven years.
>So many of you claim that you would certainly have known.  How?

I was sent your email by one of my kit buyers and asked to comment,
since I am experienced with both dogs and ferrets. While I don't know
the specific circumstances that led to your ferret's death, it's safe
to assume that the ferret bit or teased the dog at a time when the dog
was stressed and/or in pain, and the dog instinctively reacted.

No dog, however tolerant and doing its best to please its owner, should
be expected to put up with being teased or tormented by a ferret (or
any other animal) without eventually retaliating in kind. Since Allis
is an older dog, she undoubtedly has the discomforts and pains which
go along with aging, so would be much less tolerant than she was in
her younger days. The key to recognizing that a dog is becoming less
tolerant is knowing how to "read" its body language and understanding
its reactions to various occurrences.

>I have done what I can here to protect Todd and Puma. There is no more
>unsupervised play time with Allis, ever. Allis does not get any bones
>or treats when the ferrets are out because she likes to eat them on the
>floor, and Todd wants to explore her food. Allis is no longer allowed
>to play with the ferrets, ever. This puzzles her. She is not used to
>being told "bad dog" when she wants a little paw play. If Todd bugs her
>by being inquisitive, I speak to her, call her a good dog, and then
>give her a treat for putting up with him. Allis is getting worked up
>for her pain issues. I think she was suffering a lot more than anyone
>knew...and then Ping bit her.

Even supervised play can end in tragedy, as you might not be able to
intervene in time to stop it happening again even if you were sitting
right next to the dog.

>But how could I reasonably have known that Allis was going to make her
>first kill in eleven years? What were the signs? What were the obvious
>indications? How would *you*, personally have known?  How was the
>answer so clear and in my face obvious that I should, withoutquestion,
>have known that Allis was going to kill a ferret?

I'd have been able to tell by the dog's body language, as well as its
changing reactions to various situations, that it was uncomfortable or
in pain, and taken steps to ensure that the ferret was not allowed to
tease or nip/bite it. For example, when my last Basenji was around 12
or so, it was clear that he was less willing to play with the ferrets,
especially the ones who enjoyed teasing him, so he was given a choice
to stay out or go into his crate. All I had to say was, "Jason, the
ferrets are coming out." He almost always ran for his crate immediately
and waited for me to latch the door before lying down. If he did decide
to stay out and play with them, I watched them very closely and put him
away as soon as he signaled that he'd had enough.

I am truly sorry about your ferret's death and I can only hope your
others don't meet the same fate. You are not the first person that this
has happened to, and I'm sure you won't be the last. Too many people
seem to think it's fun to watch a ferret tease a dog...it's not fun for
the dog if the ferret bites or nips. If this occurs more than once, the
ferret should not be allowed to interact with the dog at all. Most dogs
will accept a great deal of discomfort and pain if they think the owner
wants them to...they should not have to when it can easily be
prevented.

I had originally intended to send this just to you, but am copying it
to the FML as I suspect there are many other ferret owners who also own
dogs. I don't doubt that they're just as sure as you were that the dog
would never harm another pet. I'd hope that this has been a wakeup call
for them, as well as for you.

[Posted in FML 6096]