The guinea pigs are cute little pets that are awesome and even friendly in nature but lots of question arises that how they will react or behave to other animals. As we know that dogs are social animals and are also friendly in nature and it would be interesting to know whether they can stay with the guinea pigs or not.
So as we know that whenever we are housing more than one pet in a house we should know whether they can stay with each other or not, otherwise it can be quite dangerous for your pets if they are not well with each other’s company. You need to understand both the pets and then make sure are fit to live with one another or not.
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Can dogs live with guinea pigs?
The answer is yes the guineas pigs and the dogs can stay together with each other at peace and also they will live a happy and wonderful life in one another’s company. But as a responsible owner, you need to keep in mind lots of things so that they can become good friends and also so that there is no problem while they live together.
As dogs are predators for small rodents they can attack them any time and you need to make sure that something like this does not happen and your guinea pig is not harmed in any case.
The guinea pigs can live with dogs though it can be quite risky still they can only if the dogs are introduced properly to the guinea pigs. If the dogs are introduced properly to the guinea pig the dogs will not hunt or hurt the guinea pig and they can become good friends of one another and also they will not create any problem for each other.
Ways to properly introduce dogs and guinea pigs
You should be aware of the fact that it is very important to properly introduce the guinea pig and the dogs so that they can live together without causing any issues or problems.
Also so that the dogs do not think that the guinea pigs are prey to them. So few ways are listed below which can tell us how to properly introduce the guinea pigs and dogs:-
1. Know the behavior
When you are about to introduce nay two pets the first thing that you should know is their behavior, most importantly the behavior of the dog because it can prove a predator to the guinea pig if not handled properly. So you should know the soft points of your canine so that you can take them and introduce them to the guinea pig and make sure that they do not hurt them.
You need to take them to the guinea pig when they are calm. In good mood and they have already had their food and tell them to gently meet their new piggy friend. The dogs will eventually listen to you when they are in your control and they will not hurt anyone without your permission.
Once the canines get used to the guinea pig they will not create any problem for them and will enjoy the company of their little fellow. So it is very important to know the behavior of your pets and then act accordingly and then find the right time to introduce your pets.
2. Keep them separated
When you are bringing the guinea pig home for the first time so it is very important that you need to keep the dog and the guinea pig separated for some days at least in the beginning.
As you need to give time to them to get used to their new environment and also make sure until the pets are comfortable in the new house you need to keep them separated. The same rule applies to the guinea pig and the dog so that no problem occurs.
You need to give space to both the pets and once they are comfortable then you can find the correct time to introduce each other and also the guinea pig should not get scared of them so your dog needs to be taught calmness and also they should be aware of their boundaries or limits.
3. Train the pets
In this case, you need to train your dog so that they can easily accept the guinea pig in the house and also so that they obey the commands of their owners. The dogs should be trained in such a manner that they do not hurt anyone and should also have the fear of their owners.
If you have trained your dog properly and if they are in full control of their owners then you will not have to face any sort of problem in introducing your dog and the guinea pig. Your canine should be social and friendly enough that they can easily become friends with the guinea pigs and make them comfortable in the house.
As we know that the guinea pigs are sensitive in nature and they can get stressed or even sick when they are scared. So it is the duty of the dogs to make them comfortable and gain their trust that they will not hurt their cute little piggy fellow and there is no need for them to get stressed or scared.
4. Scents can play a major role
The dogs and the guinea pig both are good at smelling so it is also an important way in which you can introduce both the animals to each other. They can easily get the scent of other pets in the house so this is an easy way to introduce them.
They will be familiar with the scent of one another and if they do not react weirdly and are comfortable with the scents of each other, then this is an indication that they can stay with one another and will not cause any sort of problem.
The scents play a major role for both of them and with time they will become used to the scent of one another and when you will introduce them then there will be no issue and they will get along quite well with each other.
5. Meetings through barriers
When the dog and the guinea pigs are meeting each other there should be a barrier between the two so that the guinea pig is safe and there is by no means that the guinea pig can get attacked by the dogs.
You can observe them carefully over there whether they are fine with one another’s a company or they are not accepting each other. If they are fine then you can soon take off the barrier otherwise you can keep the barriers on for the safety of the guinea pig and let it be like that till the dog become friendly with the guinea pig and is no threat for them anymore.
These are some of the ways in which you can properly introduce the guinea pig and the dog and they can become good friends. Also, it is proof that both of them can stay with each other only if they are introduced in a proper manner to one another.
Final thoughts:
The guinea pig is an awesome pet and so is the dog and both can get along very well and the owners need not worry, but still, you need to keep both the pets under observation for safety purposes and also so that no issues or accidents occur.
You need to understand both the pets and also their needs so that both of them can live happily with one another and also are comfortable with each other and also do not create any sort of problems for their owners.
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