We have an 8-year-old male lab. Very friendly .. lovely dog. Supposing I went and brought home a pet mouse.. how would he re-act to it? He's an indoor dog, so has almost no experience interacting with other animals aside from dogs. Would he treat it as a friend or foe? He wouldn't try to kill/eat it, would he?
2007-10-15 20:29:49 · 16 answers · asked by Dave 1 in Pets ➔ Dogs
I thought I would try it as an experiment of sorts. Let the mouse loose and see how dog reacts. I wouldn't be buying it as a pet, although if they get along it might be a good toy substitute.
2007-10-15 21:13:45 · update #1
If it killed it, it would be cruel, but then don't people buy these pet mice as snake food?
2007-10-15 21:23:44 · update #2
Labs were breed to retrieve game without causing much damage to the kill. They are hunting dogs. My golden lab is great around ferrets, but mice are so small, they are all to irresistible to chase.
Why would you want a mouse running free in your house?
2007-10-15 20:58:34 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
An "experiment"? So what if he kills the mouse? Or chases it and scares the hell of it? That's really cruel.
If you did want to introduce your dog to a pet mouse you wouldn't do so by letting it loose in your home and letting your dog go after it. A dog as big as a Labrador could easily kill it by accident just from stepping on it.
One person would control the dog (leashed would be easiest) and the other would hold the mouse. Let the dog gently sniff the mouse and if he gets aggressive correct him with a "NO" and a tug on the collar.
2007-10-15 21:21:07 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
I'd say he'd probably ignore it after a while. But it depends on your dogs attitude to smaller animals. For instance I have a male shi-tzu who loves small animals. I had a hamster a couple of years ago and he just loved her. And anytime she got out of her cage he'd go find her and make her stay in a corner until I came to get her. I think that if you were to get a mouse that you should let him smell of it and if he reacts ok towards it continue to let him have interaction ( a sniff or a lick) everyday until they get used to one another. If he reacts negatively towards the mouse you should just keep it up out of his reach, although I doubt he'll really bother it.
2007-10-15 20:48:04 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would not think so, but you never know. It would depend on the dog, he may not like it and bite it, who are we to say, every dog is different. I would maybe get the mouse, bring it home, and slowly introduce it to your dog. First let the dog get used to him in the cage, then slowly start bringing him out, increase the amount of time every week..
Stay close.. just in case.
Good Luck..
2007-10-15 20:34:42 · answer #4 · answered by angelalee76 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My Lab loves my Guinea Pig but wants to eat my hamster. He will play with the Guinea Pig through the cage for hours, I would let him have free play with him only because my Lab may accidently hurt him, not realizing his size. But the hamster is awhole nother story for whatever reason my Lab has it out for that hamster. I would say let your Lab meet your mouse through the cage, he may like him or at least tolerate him but if he decides he his a play mate will could accidently kill the mouse. I know my Lab use to try to play with smaller animals but would end up hurting them because he just did not understand
2007-10-16 01:22:18 · answer #5 · answered by TritanBear 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Dogs are can be very.. funny.. when it comes to the 'placing' of people in their family. To him, everyone has a place and if it looks like this rodent is effecting his rank then he may become aggressive towards it. It depends on the dog really.
2007-10-15 20:52:26 · answer #6 · answered by smehdjgla 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If doggy saw the mouse in a cage, he would be interested, but not violent. If doggy saw the mouse loose, it would be a toy and a treat.
2007-10-15 20:41:39 · answer #7 · answered by Flatpaw 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
he would definitely try to meddle with the mouse atleast when you are not around. So forget about getting the mouse home and making him a victim of your lab.
2007-10-15 20:34:42 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
We lifted a log in the yard and there was a rat nest under it. My dog ever so gently picked up each rat and placed them in a different spot I guess she was trying to save them. They didn't survive but not through the dog my husbands foot was the culprit. So you never know she definately wasn't going to hurt them.
2007-10-15 20:43:00 · answer #9 · answered by True Blue 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
depends.
I have a once rescued 10 yr.old Lab. I was warned by the previous abusive owners that they trained him to "get cats" on their property ("borrowed" him at 8 mths. old,.. ).
Anyways, he now and has from the start of my having him lived in a household of ASSORTMENTS!!!
Multiple, multiple cats, dogs,.. recued rats, mice, hamsters, and birds.
The birds he allows to roost on him,.. the cats he ignores and avoids the one cat that swats and paid no mind to the rodents.
He is mellow and re-conditioned to this menagerie.
2007-10-15 20:37:23 · answer #10 · answered by deltadawn 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋