>From:    "[log in to unmask]" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Ferrets and Laborador Retrievers
 
>Although (name deleted to keep the peace) suggested that ferrets can be
>alpha over dogs, this kind of expectation is unrealistic and quite risky.
>Especially since pack hierarchy can change quick as a wink, sometimes with
>devastating results to the weaker animal.
 
Well anyone who has been reading the FMl will know that (name deleted) is
me, so to clarify may I say this:
 
When I insist there is an alpha situation in our house, that situation is
that *I* am the boss and my dogs obey *me* without question.  We made it
clear to the puppies from the beginning that ferrets are more important than
they are.  We eat first, the ferrets get a treat, then the dogs get fed.
When the ferrets are out playing, the dogs get up to play with them *when* I
have given them the command to do so, and if I think they are getting
rambunctious, they are taken away and out in their crates, or made to lie
down elsewhere.
 
As when a family has children and dogs, the dogs need to understand that in
the grander scheme of things, the children are more important than they are,
and we feel this is the same for dogs and ferrets.  Just as I wouldn't allow
my dogs to behave aggressively toward my children, nor do I allow them to
behave that way to my ferrets.  So we make sure that they understand this
right away.
 
Our ferrets are kept in escape-proof cages and are in a seperate room behind
a barrier.  The dogs are crated when we aren't home.  The ferrets are not
allowed in the dogs' crates, and are not allowed near the dogs when they are
eating or napping.  Their play is always supervised.  We want a harmonious
household, and we know that compromises are necessary to acomplish this.
 
Have all the pets you can realistically handle, and enjoy them all, but make
sure you are willing to take responsibilty for their safety and make
adjustments to your lifestyle as necessary.  Don't concentrate on the
negatives, or the "possibilities," as being forever a barrier to your ideal
pet situation, because as I explained to cadel already, accidents are
accidents, not probabilities.  I mean really, I have a friend whose ferret
almost died when it caught caught between a dresser and a wall, but I would
hardly suggest that dressers and walls are therefore bad for ferrets and
shouldn't be allowed near one another.  They just need to be properly
arranged and cared for, to minimize the potential dangers.
 
At any rate, I think it's been made pretty clear that dogs and ferrets can
co-exist harmoniously, if the owner handles the situation properly.  If you
want a dog, do your research, speak with some reputable breeders and
purchase a good, sound temperament, healthy dog.  Then raise them right.  If
you can't make it work, keep your ferrets and your dog seperated.  But don't
be frightened off by a few bad stories ... after all, if we all listened to
many of the bad things people had to say about ferrets themselves, there are
an awful lot of people who wouldn't have ferrets out there at all.
 
Sheena - [log in to unmask]  | "To Err is Ferret ... To Forgive|
VP - Greater Vancouver      | "... Well, That's Our Job"      |
     Ferret Association      (Wherret Web Pages Coming Soon!)
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[Posted in FML issue 1835]