Dogs killed our hamster

[Daisy&Dixie]

Yesterday afternoon, my daugter went to her bedroom to find her hamster cage in pieces and our 13 month old boxer females on the floor with her hamster soaking wet, barely breathing inbetween them. She was devestated. We thought the hamster was safe in his cage, back in her bedroom. Although we know they have the power to destroy anything, we assumed her hamster was safe, but should have known better. She wants another small animal, maybe a kitten on bunny, but I am uneasy about it. We had 2 adult cats when we got our boxers @ 8 wks, the male proved to the dogs that he had dominence in our home so they left him alone. But our female is terrified of them and runs whenever she sees them, and as we all know, anything that runs, boxers chase. They chase her to the table or desk, then walk away. They don't really try to get her, because she never gets out of their reach. It's like they're trying to play with her. She just won't play with them. So I guess my question is, are boxers the type of dogs to go after all small animals, or was the case with the hamster just a "rodent" instinct? Should I be worried about my boxers going after a kitten or rabbit? I would hate to see another incident like yesterday.

 

[boxer]

Depends on what you mean by "normally". If they see the cat or bunny as a prey item, then yes, absolutely.

But it is also quite possible for them to understand that other animals are part of the household, and not prey items at all. But it comes down to training, and also to interactions between the animals. If you just leave the cat and dog to sort things out, for example, then it's quite possible that the dog will decide the cat is there to be chased, and chasing can lead to worse things.

So you need to set some very clear ground rules, and those should include never allowing the dogs to chase your cat or rabbit (that's especially true with multiple dogs - they become a pack then), to teach them when they need to back off (which is anytime the cat or rabbit show signs of discomfort or annoyance), but also to socialise them around your other pets. They should, for preference, actually just ignore them - and that only happens with contsant exposure and never having the opportunity to chase.

 

[Stacy W.]

What about getting another small animal but keeping it in an area of the house where the dogs don't have access. For example if she gets another hampster, gerbel, guiny pig, etc... put it in her room and keep the door closed unless someone is in the room to supervise.

 

[Daisy&Dixie]

That is what we're thinking we'll have to do. I'm just daydreaming in a world where they can hang out in the same room and not have to worry about the dogs using the bunny as a chew toy.

 

[3dognight]

We have a fish pond in the back yard where frogs love to gather, of course the frogs jump and our boxer chases. Most of the time our boxer makes a game out of it, but between his nails and the size of the little frogs the frogs usually end up on the losing end of the game and more often then not I am finding the lifeless bodies and slinging them into the woods. I don't think Cooper intends to kill the poor little frogs I just think he is too rough for how tiny they are.

Good luck with whatever you decide.