# My dogs are obsessed with my hedgehog!



## Kayayaya (Jan 17, 2012)

I've had my hedgehog, Big Mike, for just a week now and I introduced him to my two dogs a couple days after getting him. Both dogs are very kind and friendly usually but as soon as I take him out they start whining and begging to see him. Then when I sit on the couch with him on my lap the dogs keep sniffing him and every time they do they just get poked by the quills. But for some reason that doesn't make them stop they just keep sniffing and it scares the crap out of Big Mike. So now every time I take him out I have to put the dogs outside. Does anyone have any tips on how I can get my dogs to calm down? 
Thanks,

Kaya


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## katylin1 (Jan 15, 2012)

Sorry if what I'm about to say may be of no help. The closest this reminds me of is when my daughter had hamsters. We allowed our dog to check them out, and Miya was very non-aggressive towards them. However, after awhile she too started whining. The only thing I can figure out is that MY dog, Miya, wants to play with the hamsters, however, due to size differences naturally she's not allowed to. 

I'm thinking if it could be done safely she'll eventually stop whining, but since it can't we just settle for letting her sniff at them for a minute or two and make her go lie down somewhere. :mrgreen:

Our hedgie will be coming home in a few days. We'll see how this new household member will interact with the family!


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## HedgieGirl519 (Oct 21, 2011)

If your dogs are trained it shouldn't really be an issue. Naturally your dogs are going to be curious about the strange animal that is in * their* house. When ever I've brought a different animal into my house I just tell my dogs "no" and thats the end of it. They are excited for a few minutes, once they smell the animal they calm down. But then again my dogs are really well trained, better than people! :lol:

My dogs want to investigate the animal at first but don't just because they know what "no" means. They look at me like "But mooooooommmmmmm!" After they smell it and get use to it, their fine. They just have to get use to the animal.


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## whispy1990 (Oct 19, 2011)

My boyfriends parents dog is as obsessed as a dog can be. She's a little teacup terrier. I have the cage on a table in his bedroom, and his dog usually is never in there. Ever since I got the hedgehog, the dog will sit in front of the cage and stare at it for hours (even though It can't see the hedgehog). Then, if she hears a movement she starts barking! If I actually try to show the hedgehog to her, she starts literally shaking with excitement and barks at him, so I have to put him back.

It's gotten so bad that she will sit in there and stare at the cage rather than beg for food when someone is in the kitchen or spend time with the family at all. Luckily, I'm not at his parents house very often. The worst part- When I take the cage home with me, the dog STILL sits in the same spot and stares where the cage USED to be! She's mental!


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## CrazyDogLady (Oct 21, 2011)

It's normal for dogs to be curious and excited about a new animal in their house, especially a small prey animal. I would suggest that you teach a solid down-stay, and once your dogs can reliably stay around distractions you can put them in a down-stay with your hedgie out. You can also teach them to go to a bed on cue, and have them stay there when it is Big Mike's time to be out. A 'leave-it' cue can also help them get the message that they should not be putting their faces near your hedgie. All of these behaviors should be trained with positive reinforcement, so your dogs learn that leaving your hedgie alone is in their best interest. If you make it a battle where you're trying to tell them "no" without teaching them what to do instead, it's going to take forever for them to get it. You can find procedures for teaching stay and leave-it on the web.


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## shawnwk1 (Jul 8, 2011)

Elderly german shepard grabs hedgie outta play pen before owner could recact causing puncture wounds to the liver, lungs, and heart killing the hedgie. 

Terrier jumps on couch and grabs hedgie outta owners hand and darts under the bed to start chewing on the hedgies head before the owner could pull him out. 

These are just a couple of the horror stories that I know have happened personally to hedgie owners I know. It doesn't matter the age or size of the dog in a split second any dog can kill a hedgie before you can react. Curious dogs are not good for hediges. Neither of the above dogs were mean dogs or aggressive, but just "curious". 

Most curious dogs think hedgies are play toys and they don't know any different so all they wanna do is play which obviously means a tragic end to the innocent hedgie. 

Please leave your dogs outside when the hedgie is out and if possible do not allow the dog in the room the hedgie cage is in. Dogs can, will, and have torn apart a cage to get to a huffy hedgie. 

Not at all saying all dogs are going to kill hedgies because that's not true. Not all dogs are going to be a problem. I have 2 dogs now that barely will even look at the play pen when the hedgies are out because they know that's a forbidden area, but I'd never leave them alone with the hedgie or allow them in the hedgie room. As I said all it takes is a split second for something to happen so please protect not only the hedgie, but also yourself from a vicious dog bite which may happen if they have the hedgehog, they are going to do all they can to protect their "toy" as gruesome as it is until its all eaten or it stops moving and they get bored. Sorry to be so graphic, but its not a pretty sight when a dog get a hedgie. Protect all involved and keep the dogs out. 

Hedgies are solitary animals anyway and don't need nor want the company of a dog or any other animal. They are perfectly content alone.


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

Predator and prey is never a good idea even if the dog/cat/ferret etc is well behaved and has never shown the least aggressive issues before. All it takes is one little movement or sound from the prey animal to trigger a long forgotten instinct. As shawnwk1 has mentioned, there are tragedies all the time of a small animal being killed or severely injured by another pet that had never before shown any aggression. 

It honestly drives me nuts when people say that their cat/dog/whatever won't mess with a hedgehog because it will get poked. Sure the cat/dog/whatever will get poked but that first bite can mean fatal injury for the hedgehog. Also, our friendly little hedgehogs aren't going to quill up until after the first bite. 

There was a case on here not that long ago where another pet killed the persons hedgehog.


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## lehaley (Jun 25, 2011)

As Nancy mentioned, dogs are natural born predators. No matter how docile or gentle your dog might be, you can never be 100% certain of how they will act. From a hedgie's point of view, I would think that being sniffed by an animal much larger than me would be downright terrifying. I'm even paranoid about leaving my bedroom door open at my dad's house when I'm not there. His yellow lab hasn't shown much interest in Felix, but I always worry that she'll start poking around the cage. Like shawnwk1 pointed out, most dogs would be fairly capable of breaking into a cage if something they REALLY want is inside. I think it's probably best to keep predatory animals (dogs, cats, etc.) away from hedgies, just to be on the safe side.


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## CrazyDogLady (Oct 21, 2011)

Just to clarify, I didn't mean that the OP should let his hedgehog walk around the room with his dogs present. He asked what to do to keep them away when he has the hedgehog in his lap and is supervising the situation. Just don't want anyone to think I was suggesting the OP expect the dogs to stay away with the hedgie on the floor or moving freely. I will be honest in the fact that I let my own dog be present in the room when I have my hedgehog out, but she's always in my lap or being held by me and I send the dog away if he approaches. I don't let my hedgie walk around the room, and the dog is not allowed to sniff her or approach her. I'm always supervising.


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## Holly-Jean (Feb 2, 2015)

I got my little hedgie just last night. She is 3 months old and quite shy at the moment. I have two dogs, a large Yorkie and a yorkie cross jack russell. The Yorkie Cross is scared of little Primrose as she got pricked earlier on and now is taking no chances!! However, my usually docile yorkie will not leave her. He is at her cage a lot and is only sometimes leaving it and when she was out he kept pawing at her, i am very worried however will not leave them alone together (obviously). I was planning on just keeping getting them to meet in a controlled situation and just see if any progress is made, however, if anybody has any tips on anything which could help, then please please share them with me. Obviously i am being patient as this must take a while! This is my first hedgie!!


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## Prickerz (Sep 17, 2014)

My beagle was scared too, I have strong "leave it" commands and she listens. But try tiring your dogs out beforehand, then take the hedgehog out when they are asleep.


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## MomLady (Aug 14, 2010)

You have to watch contact with any animal and your hedgie, since they are prey animals.

Also I would be very wary of exposing a hedgie to any animal that went outside. Too much possibility of disease or parasites being transmitted. 

Better safe than sorry.


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