Considering a ferret

Question
I am considering a ferret and am nearly ready to buy one. I am wondering
whether my dogs, in your opinion will ever be able to get along with it. One
dog is poodle cross golden retriever and she is a hunter. She chases animals
especially lizards, rabbits and possums. She does actually kill things and can catch a rabbit if she tries really hard. She is quite aloof from the family. The
other dog is slow(he has joint problems) and very affectionate, although he is
bigger just he is a rottweiler cross sher pei and is a natural guard dog and is
generally friendly but will bark and strange people before meeting them. He
is nor generally bothered by animals unless the 1st dog is.

I am wondering if i will ever be able to introduce them so that they will be
friends; and i am prepared to work hard.  

Answer
Hi Jon:

I hate to burst your bubble, but that smaller dog of yours IS your project that you need to put your time and energy into if you're really prepared to work hard....BEFORE you ever think of bringing a ferret into that home.  To think of putting the two together is RIDICULOUS and very selfish of YOU!!

Let me put it to you this way - "I want my child to be an alligator wrestler when he grows up......so I'm going to put him into the alligator pen "to introduce tem so they will be friends and I am prepared to work hard"

Does that sound like a good idea to you?  Well, those were your very words in the last paragraph of your letter to me.....ridiculous. If you want a ferret, either find another home for the small dog who is so horribly aggressive (I think the older one will probably be fine as long as they are supervised while playing or in the same room), or you will simply be wasting your money on a very expensive meal for your out of control dog.

I am curious as to how and WHY this dog is so out of control if you say you spend so much time and energy with your animals?  That's NOT what we usually see when dogs get plenty of love and attention. Dogs who usually get lots of love, attention and are properly confined are usually well behaved and we don't see them being aggressive like you are describing.  What you're describing is a dog who has not had any discipling nor time spent with him, has run and done as he has pleased the majority of his life -  possibly even had to kill and fend for himself for food,  and who is positively frantic for attention and some kind direction and discipline. THERE's where you need to spend your time and energy; not with a ferret, who is a full time job.

I beg you to wait until your dog situation is taken care of.  I don't mean to make you feel bad, really I don't'  Just trying to be honest with you BEFORE it happens and hopefully prevent a horrible disaster from occuring.

Maybe you could consider volunteering at a ferret shelter - they always are desperate for help and would welcome someone to come in and spend time playing with the ferrets, helping with keeping the cages nice, letting ferrets out to play, etc.  Here's some lists of shelters - I hope you will call a few and use some of your time to go and get to know how much time and energy ferrets really do require; that in itself may be enough to get you a better understanding of what you're getting into:

SHELTERS - CANADA, GERMANY, NEW ZEALAND
 * http://www.ferretfacts.com/ferret-shelter-directory-international-ferret-shelter...

SHELTERS/RESCUES - UK (ENGLAND)
* http://www.everythingferret.com/ferret_shelters.htm
* http://homepage.ntlworld.com/ferreter/ferretrescues.htm
* http://www.ferretfacts.com/ferret-shelter-directory-international-ferret-shelter...

SHELTERS/RESCUES - U.S.
* http://www.ferret.org/links/shelters.shtm
* http://www.everythingferret.com/ferret_shelters.htm
* http://groups.msn.com/Ferret/yourwebpage5.msnw
* http://www.ferretcentral.org/for-others/db-products.html
* http://www.ferretfacts.com/ferret-shelter-directory-us-ferret-shelters.html

Sincerely,

Jacquie Rodgers