Hedgehogs and Poodles

[Evocative]

Hello all, I'm looking to get a hedgehog, but I've currently got a toy poodle. The poodle is very protective and territorial so I'm concerned how she'll react to a new pet. The hedgehog will be housed in a cage in a room the dog doesn't have access to when people aren't home, but I'm concerned the dog will be constantly scratching at the door trying to get at it, and am also concerned about how the dog will act when it meets the hedgehog. The dog is only 8lbs but I'm still very concerned. Anyone have any advice or ideas?

[Lilysmommy]

Personally I wouldn't introduce the two at all. It's not worth the risk, particularly if you know your dog had a very territorial attitude. It's very possible she'll hurt the hedgehog, so it'd be best to keep them apart at all times, whether you're there or not. Size doesn't matter much - sometimes the smaller dogs can be even more dangerous because they're so often underestimated for what damage they could do.

[Teddi4211]

I personally have four small dogs, but they never meet my hedgies at all. I keep them far away from each other. So my hedgehogs are in an upstairs room, while the dogs aren't allowed upstairs, and if they manage up there they cannot access the room.

If your might dog will be that aggressive toward it, it would be best to keep them completely separate. One of my dogs is four pounds and she is terrified of everything, even ants crawling toward her. I wouldn't expect problems with her, but I still worry how stressful it would be on the hedgehogs.

The scratching at the door might bother your hedgehog, it might not. If you can, maybe get a gate to block off the area so he/she cannot get to the door.

[*hogwild*]

I was worried my Yorkie, who sleeps in my room with me, would constantly want to terrorize my hedgie but she actually has little to no interest in him at all. The only time she's ever barked at him was when he was climbing his cage like a bad boy, lol. I still don't let them get near each other though. The only issue has been making sure to pay equal attention to them both because my Yorkie gets jealous!

[lilsurfergrlsp]

I agree with the above statements, that hedgehogs and other animals don't really get along. It's great that you're being cautious because you know your dog's personality. Also, some dogs have more of a "prey drive" than others, and poodles were originally bred to be hunting dogs. So even though they've been thought of as more of the show dog type, they're still very instinctual.

Personally, my small dog was the most interested in my hedgie when I first got her. My two big ones couldn't care less, one even lets her crawl on him sometimes (supervised, and I don't do that often - plus she came from a breeder than had her dogs around her hedgies as well). Lilysmommy is very right about small dogs being more dangerous, since they have a "Napoleon complex" haha. Good luck with everything though