Hello, We Just got a Siberian Husky this last weekend. He is 3 Months old. We also have a cat and 4 ferrets. Im not to worried about him interacting with the cat so much as with our 4 ferrets. So far we have not interduced them to each other. I dont want to rish Jax tring to snack on a ferret
What would you reccomed on a way to introduce them to each other?

Congrats on your new pup. It's good to socalize them with small prey animals early on, but I would urge you to use the utmost of caution with the ferrets. My dogs are OK with our cats as most of them have been raised with cats. But if I had ferrets... I would be worried. I think i've seen people with Huskies and ferrets but I know my dogs would see that as way too tempting.

What is the setup with the ferrets? I wouldn't allow free roam to continue if that's what you're doing currently. My dogs are separated from the cats when we aren't home and I'd suggest you do the same. Crating the dog is the easiest solution to that.

I don't allow any part of the dogs mouths to go on the cats from day one. No rough play at all. It's made clear early on the cats are NOT to chew/bite/mouth and they need to be avoided. It's worked for us.

oh i miss my ferrets so much, they all passed before we got huskies. i know i would never trust my adults with them as they failed with the chinchillas we had. since ferrets make fun noises and can be fast and sneaky im not sure i would ever trust the 2 to be out in the same area. maybe you can get a inside play fence to block the area between the 2, that way jax can see them but not get to them, he will need to learn NO and to not jump over the fence. http://www.amazon.com/North-States-Superyard-Classic-Gate/dp/B00020L78M
we tried one of these with our Chins but all that ours wanted to do was to pace the fence and try to get them. since Jax is still young you might be able to train him. how old are your ferrets? mine lived between 4-5 so depending on the age of yours and if you plan on adding more after them passing it might not have to be an issue for very long.

They do Not free roam anymore. When we were in the apartment they had free roam and little poo piles stopped that quick. And since we just bought our home they are in a 12sqft pen with a 24" tall wire gate. They also have a canvas liner as a floor.

So i should basically hold a ferret and have my wife hold Jax and let them sniff each other? My ferrets are fearless. As soon as we brought our cat home they all attacked her and tried to play, so i can only immagine what they would do with Jax. Remy (Silverback) is 4 years ols, Bianca (Sable) is 3 years old, Fievel (Albino) 3 years old and Brisbie (Sable) 2 year old.

We have decided that if our ferrets pass on we may always have atleast 1 or 2.

Mr Smiley wrote:

So i should basically hold a ferret and have my wife hold Jax and let them sniff each other?

since you still have a puppy this might work, but i will tell you my husband and i tried this with our one chinchilla and it back fired and sierra lunged out of my husbands grasp and it ended with us at the emergency vet for our Chin
just be careful

Huskies are a high prey drive breed. Be prepared that the likelihood that they will get along is very very small. In fact, with a 3 month old dog, it might be too late to properly socialize. I would have started as young as possible.

For now, I would put the ferrets in a pet carrier or a crate and let it sit on the floor with your pup loose. Everytime your pup looks away from the ferret, give him a treat. You can try to distract him too. Eventually, start saying "Leave it!" when he looks away as well so that he can start to associate the term.

I would keep the ferret safely in a pet carrier for at least a week until your pup can walk around the room and barely notice him. Then put your pup on a leash and let the ferret roam. Same thing... treat everytime your puppy looks away and issue a STERN correct if he ever tries to put his mouth on the ferret. I'd pull him away with the leash quickly and make him sit (and pick up the ferret to separate the two so the ferret doesn't try to invade puppy's space).

Good luck, but please have a Plan B in place. Again, there is a high possibility that they will never get along. My parent's ferrets need to be in their cage barricaded in a spare room when my two come to visit and because of it, I almost never bring them down to my parents' house.

Ill try introducing them tonight and ill report back.

Lets try this again......

I had a chance to introduce Jax to our 4 ferrets. The ferrets love Jax and smelling him. Hovwever while they were in the pen Jax was trying as hard as he could to get in there and get to the ferrets. He was pawing at the gates, running into the pannels, and trying to jump over the gates. When the ferrets would come over to him he would try to nip at them.

So at that point I went over to pull him away and he nipped at me, so i held his snout closed. As he tried pulling away i flipped him over to his back and pinned him down and cupped his throught till he calmed down. Than after a few min he rolled over and just layed there watching the ferrets. After i got up and a few min later he went back to trying to get into the pen to get at the ferrets. Outside we went for a short walk. Came back and he got a pigs ear.

I kept him on his lead and about 10' away, and he lost intrest and went to chewing his ear. If they ever find their way out of that pen they will become snacks

That's what I was afraid of. Huskies and small animals are not a good combination unless started super young. Did you try the training at all? If he's that fixated, try leashing him and only approaching the room when he is calm. As soon as he gets excited, turn around and walk out. When he is calm, try again. This will be a test of patience but if you're serious about this, its worth it.

BUT, they will never be safe in a room alone together.

I love ferrets and desperately wish I could get one again, but my husky would tear it apart in the blink of the eye.

I could never have both a husky and ferrets, I would constantly be too worried of him somehow getting to them. I know Lindsay from the old, olllllllllld forum had ferrets + huskies and they all roamed together actually but sadly she is not on any forums anymore to say how int he world she accomplished this and I would never take that chance.

Im not sure what Training your Refering to. Right now all were trying to train is Sit, Drop, Outside and House breaking. So far we can walk him with Minor issues where he tries to eat plants rocks sticks and the such. A Pug (?) (Dog with the lower teeth that stick out) Came and ran up to Jax and I told him to sit and he did. Then he tried to play with the other dog. And he Just Sits and wont follow you till you either drag him or he decids hes ready to keep going.

I dont want to have to worry about walking out of the room when i have the ferrets in their play pen and Jax trying to eat them so I will leash him and try walking him in and out.

Our house is so old there is no way we can ferret proof it so they will not be allowed to roam freely again. They have a pen and all the toys they could ever want. So they wont be an issue with free roaming.

ETA: FWIW, I would try the leash training first. Get him calm in the same room if you can before trying the other training.

But I'm afraid you will never be able to trust your husky with your ferrets unsupervised. I would always keep the ferrets in their own room with a shut door if it were me.

Koda wrote:

Mr Smiley wrote:

Im not sure what Training your Refering to.

Koda wrote:

For now, I would put the ferrets in a pet carrier or a crate and let it sit on the floor with your pup loose. Everytime your pup looks away from the ferret, give him a treat. You can try to distract him too. Eventually, start saying "Leave it!" when he looks away as well so that he can start to associate the term.

I would keep the ferret safely in a pet carrier for at least a week until your pup can walk around the room and barely notice him. Then put your pup on a leash and let the ferret roam. Same thing... treat everytime your puppy looks away and issue a STERN correct if he ever tries to put his mouth on the ferret. I'd pull him away with the leash quickly and make him sit (and pick up the ferret to separate the two so the ferret doesn't try to invade puppy's space).

Ahh yes, This is a must that I will work on.