Introducing a puppy to a chinchilla

[chelseaogilvie]

So I'm getting a black lab puppy in a few weeks and I have a 1 1/2 year old chinchilla at home. I've had black labs my entire life and they have always been sweet with all of my other pets I had growing up (cats, gerbils, guinea pigs, ducks), but this is my first chinchilla so I'm a little scared about how they will react to one another. My chinchilla lives in my room with me and ideally, I'd like for my puppy to be able to sleep in my room as well. I know that the two of them can never be loose together, but I would like for them to be able to coexist peacefully. So I was wondering if anyone had any advice on how to best introduce the two of them? I'm just so worried the puppy will scare my poor Tinkerbell half to death.

 

[ccchins]

When I first introduced my chin and dog I thought the chin was going to keel over from fright. But it was just the opposite. My chin(Raleigh) was more interested in my dog(Lucy). Lucy wanted nothing to do with Raleigh. I would say keep the chin in his/her cage and bring the dog up to it on a leash. Then you have control and the chin can escape to their house if need be.

 

[ljiayi]

I tried introducing a dog to my chin but it didn't work out at all. My chin kept on bouncing off the walls of the cage and dog kept barking at my chin. So for introduction between a dog and a chin, I think it really depends on both animals and it will be a case by case basis. Nothing is guaranteed so safety would be the most important when you're trying to introduce them.

 

[chinsNdobermans]

Slow and careful. I'd keep puppy on a leash and reward good behavior - calm sniffing, or focusing her attention elsewhere after sniffing the chin's cage, etc. Chinnie can get away from the dog this way and you're teaching the dog appropriate behavior around the cage. My dogs don't even notice the chinchillas anymore. They'd rather eat the poop that has been flung out of the cages anyway.

Just be careful - when I lived at home, my dad's lab, Odin, had the unfortunate experience of having a chin spray in his face. Poor guy's face swelled up.

 

[Godofgods]

I personally wouldn't be able to do that. It only takes one accident to wind up with an injured, or worse, pet. Id be far to scared to risk it.

 

[dayofhope]

My little dog who lives in my room with me is absolutely fine with my chin. The chinchilla was around before her and she's pretty good at leaving other animals alone. Our other dog who doesn't live in my room, though, will bark at my chin. It's actually not at all uncommon for my little dog to almost protect my chin from the barking dog by barking at him for barking at the chin. Anyway, it truly does depend on the dog.

 

[Mimichi]

My dog always comes to my room with me whenever I go upstairs, not to mention sleeps with me, so when I first got my chin I was pretty worried that he was going to bother her since he's been known to kill rabbits and chase squirrels. Though I have to say I was quite shocked that he didn't bark or even try to get at her. All he did was go up to her cage and sniff, he would occasionally whine, but after a few days he pretty much just acknowledge the fact that she lived there and now he had to share his room. Mimi doesn't seem to mind him either. So I guess it worked out well. Though I never let them play together or anything. They just kind of keep to themselves without bothering each other.

Though Mimi does like to do weird chin things and then stops to see if he's watching her.

 

[Ganing]

I have 2 dogs, one is a schnauzer and the other is a maltese. When I brought my chin home and got him in his cage and everything, he seemed pretty ok. But then my schnauzer came in the room when my mom came down to see him and the dog didn't even care about the chin, but boy did the chin care about the dog. The chin made the most awfulest noise I didn't like it cause he didn't make it at all until then and then he made it a little bit more throughout the night. So I'm keeping the dogs away from the chin. But it does sound like it is just a case by case thing. Perhaps my chin could warm up to the dogs if they were more common in my room, but I'd rather not hear that noise again

 

[eastcoastchins]

My little chihuahua was afraid of my chinchilla when I introduced them! I thought the chin would be scared but Sammy, my dog, was shaking and crying and trying to hide behind my mom. It was pretty funny actually

 

[Godofgods]

Chins are so fragile. Personally, i don't let any other pets near mine.