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RE: Ferret/s and dog-shy boyfriend - which breed is right for us?

caninejan — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 12:47:01 GMT

Years ago, I had a Schipperke that was just fantastic. They used to kill rats on the barges, yet when I bought a pet rat, she loved it. She also used to play with my house rabbit, & just to see those two playing again would be a big treat! Look up the breed and read about them. They are wonderful little dogs!!!!!

Normally, I would try to talk you into checking out Rotties, but with the way your BF is, I'd say going with a smaller dog would be your best bet.

RE: Ferret/s and dog-shy boyfriend - which breed is right for us?

outcast13 — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 14:31:28 GMT

rainsmom (7/17/2008)

I would have to say a schnauzer poodle mix probably wouldnt be a good idea terriers were generally used to hunt rats so any small animal would be fair game poodles are water retrievers so they might be ok as long as it is trainrd from a young age

Although Poppy is Generally Good with smaller animals, I also DON"T Reccomend a Schnoodle to be around small animals. Any dog that is terrier or has terrier in him is not a good idea to let around small animals. and since the Schnauzer is a terrier this is not a good idea.

RE: Ferret/s and dog-shy boyfriend - which breed is right for us?

rainsmom — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 11:52:44 GMT

RE: Ferret/s and dog-shy boyfriend - which breed is right for us?

SchnauzerFan — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 10:40:18 GMT

My recommendation is for a Basset Hound. They are gentle, sweet dogs (at one point we had 3). They are not hyper, enjoy hanging out with the family and are very aware of their surroundings. They are really wonderful dogs. Bassets have a hunting background, but they are scent trackers only and were not bred for chasing. Our Bassets always ignore(d) the squirrels, chipmunks, etc that visit our yard. My son had a guinea pig for a while and other than mild interest, the Basset got up and moved away if it came near her.

Also, none of our Bassets were ever noisy. Daisy likes to sing to the harmonica and will bark when playing, but otherwise is a very quiet dog.

RE: Ferret/s and dog-shy boyfriend - which breed is right for us?

krazykikikat — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 23:39:18 GMT

That's good advice, except like I say, big dogs can accidentally kill a ferret even if they're not vicious. I know smaller dogs are often more violent... but it's just really hard to find a happy medium. I've had a few large dogs: some poodles, weimeraners, and a rottweiler. They were mostly sweet, but I know that even when playing they could easily kill a small animal. It happened once, in fact. My weimeraner and a poodle were play-fighting and accidentally stepped on and killed my grandparents' toy terrier.
I suppose I could just keep a close eye on them when they play... or never let them come into contact at all.
Or maybe I could try a medium breed? Over the weekend I visited a friend who lives on a ranch, and she has a heeler mix who used to herd cattle. She was the sweetest thing, and wasn't really big enough to do much damage on accident. She was part dingo, which surprised me; I didn't think they would be so sweet.

What about a schnoodle?
My boyfriend likes the welsh corgi, but I'm not sure it has the right temperament.
I also like what I read about chinese crested (the powderpuff variety). Are they yappy?

RE: Ferret/s and dog-shy boyfriend - which breed is right for us?

PudelGrl — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 11:26:30 GMT

dogsRme (7/10/2008)

My first suggestion would be a Golden Retriever. Now they come in 2 different sizes the "normal" and the "X-Large" as I like to call it. They are one of the calmer breeds and gentle.

Personally, I wouldn't suggest a little dog like a Chihuahua because they can be as vicious as a regular sized dog. I have met some big dogs for example "Great Danes" or "Boxers" who looks big and scary but really gentle. I have met little poodles that will bit you just to look at you.

The best that I can tell you is look in a shelter, they have some purebreds and they are gentle and kind because most of them have been abused most of their life and they just want to be loved.

I hope that gives you a little insight on my thoughts. Everyone has their own. Good luck in finding a dog!

The key to having a non-agressive dog is both from breeding and how you raise it. I have met many agressive dogs of small sizes as well, but the key is that the owners babied them and treated them like small children. My dogs may both be less than 15 lbs, but they wouldn't hurt a fly, they key is I raised them no different than I would a large dog.

As well, Goldren retrievers do not come in more than one size if you go to a reputable breeder. In most breeds, the standard states a fairly specific size, if people are advertising their dogs as "rare" and they are simply out of the breed standard, they are simply trying to trick you out of your money.

And thanks for correcting the typo Junior.... every so often my "englilish" (hehehe) skills get a little wacky :-P.

RE: Ferret/s and dog-shy boyfriend - which breed is right for us?

Junior_and_Me — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 13:16:52 GMT

PudelGrl (7/9/2008)

a Shih Tzu, a Pekeignese, a Hananese, a Lowchen or a Pug. Keep in mind though that the first four require some degree of grooming.

Hehehehe I'm sure you meant Havanese not Hananese.lol. But hey these sounds like great options for someone like you. Also try googling for dog quizzes that will help narrow down what kind of dogs that are suitable for you situation, then do research on those with the link that pudelgrl gave you: akc .org

RE: Ferret/s and dog-shy boyfriend - which breed is right for us?

dogsRme — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 13:13:15 GMT

My first suggestion would be a Golden Retriever. Now they come in 2 different sizes the "normal" and the "X-Large" as I like to call it. They are one of the calmer breeds and gentle.

The best that I can tell you is look in a shelter, they have some purebreds and they are gentle and kind because most of them have been abused most of their life and they just want to be loved.

I hope that gives you a little insight on my thoughts. Everyone has their own. Good luck in finding a dog!

RE: Ferret/s and dog-shy boyfriend - which breed is right for us?

PudelGrl — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 22:36:19 GMT

Hi there

First things first, make sure you go to and research reputable breeders. You should get a dog from a person with experience and genuine love for the breed they are working with. This means proper health testing, only a few litters here and there (puppies are work) and some sort of showing.

My thoughts that come to mind personally are a Shih Tzu, a Pekeignese, a Hananese, a Lowchen or a Pug. Keep in mind though that the first four require some degree of grooming.

Best of luck on your search!

RE: Ferret/s and dog-shy boyfriend - which breed is right for us?

rainsmom — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 16:49:31 GMT

how about a shetland sheepdog. I think they are the best! of course I do own 3 of them my shelties have been around cats, ferrets, rabbits, hampsters. they do fine with them they would even play with the ferret. the key is early socialization the learned at a young age that the small animals were mine and not to be hurt. of course they are herding dogs so they were not bred to hunt but to herd the animals which they love to do

RE: Ferret/s and dog-shy boyfriend - which breed is right for us?

dc-moderator — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 16:19:52 GMT

Hey there,

Other members here may be able to suggest a few dog breeds that might be suitable, but I wanted to contribute my two cents.

I would say that a small dog might be less compatible with a ferret, as many small breeds were originally bred to hunt badgers or other small animals. I know my mini Dachshund goes crazy if he sees a rabbit or other small furry guy. Hope that helps!

Ferret/s and dog-shy boyfriend - which breed is right for us?

krazykikikat — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 14:00:40 GMT

My boyfriend and I have been together for almost a year. We are already anticipating which pets we will have when we get our own place. We both love cats and ferrets; his problem is with dogs. He was attacked by a half-wolf when he was young, and never really got over it. As a result, most dogs are guilty until proven innocent with him; though if he does meet a family dog that is not too boisterous, he grows to like it. All the same, he prefers smaller dogs, as they present less danger. I love most breeds. My only problem with small dogs is that many of them are yappy, territorial, and just downright annoying.
So those are the first two requirements: relatively small, and calmer than most toy breeds. This makes things difficult enough.

The other day, we passed two Italian Greyhound puppies in a pet store. We thought they were the cutest things ever, and I proceeded to read up on them. The size seems appropriate enough, but the profile here doesn't really say if they are prone to barking or hyperness. If they're anything like standard Greyhounds, I'm sure they can be quite energetic. What I need to know is if they are calm when there are no provocations.

The ferret issue complicates things quite a bit. This is another reason we need a small dog: even a good-natured large dog might accidentally kill a ferret. We also need a dog that does not have the instinct to prey on such small animals. I worry that Italian Greyhounds might indeed have this instinct, but I don't know. I know standard greyhounds will chase fuzzies if they have been trained to race, but I don't know if they will otherwise.

We will probably also have a cat.
So basically, we need a small, relatively calm dog that can get along well with cats and ferrets, or at least learn to avoid the former. I do not want to have to hide my pets away from each other.
I once had a chihuahua and a cat that got along quite nicely; they'd play tag and hide-and-seek, and my cat even took to grooming the dog. I'd like to see my ferret bond just as well with my other pets.

I should say this, though: I love most animals tremendously, but small animals have a bit of an edge on me. I never imagined not having a dog, but I might sooner give up having one than I would give up a ferret.