he is a 3 year old chihuahua, and he has always been totally in love with my other pets. i have 2 cats, a bearded dragon, 2 guinea pigs, and a chinchilla. he hates one of my cats, and also the chinchilla, but he is best friends with my other cat. and whenever i hold my lizard (bearded dragon) he always comes next to her and licks her head really gently and lays down beside her. and whenever i hold my guinea pigs, he always runs up to them and licks them, and then cuddles next to me and them.
is this okay? that he cuddles with them and licks them? and also he protects them ALOT. he won't let anyone but me go near them.
is this normal? should i encourage it?
should i encourage the other behavior too (licking, cuddling etc.). my other pets don't seem to mind at all.
and he and my cat wrestle and chase each other and play all the time.
2006-12-06 06:13:31 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Dogs
The only thing I see as a potential problem is the licking of the lizard. As you are probably aware, reptiles are known for having lots of bacteria on their skin. So, it could make your dog sick, especially since chihuahuas are small. I'd call your vet and ask him/her if this is a potential problem.
2006-12-06 06:19:35 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
That's fine. Your dog loves your other pets and believe me that's normal. My two dogs would do that a lot. The only thing that could be a problem is the dog not letting others near your other pets. Dogs usually respond to positive reinforcements, so praise him when he allows a friend to play with your other pets. But his behavior sounds perfectly normal, I don't think you have anything to worry about.
2006-12-06 14:22:02 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
That behavior can result in a bite if someone tries to touch one of the other pets. If you do not worry about it don't encourage it but don't correct it. If you want it to stop, you have to correct you dog every time he acts aggressive to someone trying to pet the other pets. He believes they are his pack and that her is their leader, so he is protecting, if you correct him, he will understand that you are the leader and that you are in charge of protection.
Also it is good that your dog loves other animals.
2006-12-06 14:24:40 · answer #3 · answered by Yutow 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
That behavior is just fine. He is just showing his affection. I do agree with the other person about the lizard. That could be a potential danger but besides that it is all fine.
2006-12-06 14:22:06 · answer #4 · answered by super_freak8813 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have got 5 cats, 1 dog, 75 fish, 3 hamsters and 2 rabbits.My dog plays with the cats every day and it doesn't happen nothing.''DON'T WORRY BE HAPPY''!!!!!!!!
2006-12-06 15:15:53 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would have to agree with Jamie B. Your dog sees your other pets as "siblings" and it sounds like they have a great relationship. I would encourage it!
2006-12-06 14:23:58 · answer #6 · answered by Farmer Chic 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just be sure not to leave them alone unsupervised! Other than that, and the possibility of bacteria from the beardy, all sounds well! :o)
2006-12-06 14:25:04 · answer #7 · answered by Alicia 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋