Do dogs eat hamsters?
This dog blog will answer the major question, “Do dogs eat hamsters?” we will also discuss the reasons why your dog eats hamsters, the factors which decide the response of your dog, and how you can save your hamster from your dog.
Do dogs eat hamsters?
Yes, dogs can eat hamsters. Hamsters are prey for your dog and your dog is the predator. Dogs have a natural instinct to hunt and kill prey. They have gained this instinct from their ancestors who are the wolves. Dogs will chase hamsters because they are curious. You should devise ways to keep your hamster safe from your dog.
What are the reasons for dogs eating hamsters?
Following are the reasons why your dog eats your hamster:
Basic Instinct
Your dog is a hunter. Even calm dogs can hunt because of their basic instinct. In the wild dogs follow the pack leader which is a wolf. Wolves are hunters so your dog has adapted this instinct from the wolves.
Your dog will chase down the hamster in the house and will eat it.
Curiosity
Your dog will chase hamsters due to curiosity. Dogs are curious animals. They want to explore their surroundings, and they love to be interested in humans and the animals around them.
They will sniff the hamster and will try to taste it because this is how dogs react to new stimuli in the house. Dogs are explorers. They love to explore new things. They will try to play with the hamsters by chasing them. They chase small animals around them.
What Are the factors that decide the response of your dog to the hamster?
Following are the factors that decide the response of your dog towards the hamster:
Temperament of the dog
Some dogs have a short temperament. They can chase down your hamster and eat it. They become aggressive when they see small animals around them. You should be well aware of the temperament of your dog.
Breed of the dog
Some breeds of dogs are guard dogs. They are active and professional hunters. If you are having such breed dogs in your house there is a chance that your dog will chase the hamster in the house and will eat it. Hunter dogs love to hunt and as we have discussed above, hamsters are the prey for your dog.
Training of the dog
If your dog is well trained, it won’t chase your hamster because your dog is well disciplined and will obey your command. The first thing you should do if you bring home your new dog is to train your dog not to chase small pets like hamsters in the house.
The first thing you should teach your dog is to obey the basic commands such as “sit” and “no ”. If your dog learns this basic command, you should further train your dog.
Introduction
If you have properly introduced both the pets in the house, your dog will not chase your hamster in the house. You should introduce your dog and the hamster when both are calm. If your dog is aggressive you should not introduce your dog.
The next thing is to keep a distance between the dog and the hamster. Allow your dog to sniff the hamster so that it can get the idea.
Your dog remembers the smell of the hamster and will not attack your hamster because your dog is already familiar with the smell of the hamster.
Socialization
If your dog has already been living with other pets, then there is less chance of your dog attacking your hamster. You should keep an eye on your dog when you introduce a hamster to your family.
Generally, those dogs living with other pets in the household are less aggressive.
Supervision
You shouldn’t leave your dog and hamster alone in the house otherwise it will have severe consequences. Always supervise Your dog and the hamster in the house. You shouldn’t leave your dog and the hamster alone even if your dog has proper training.
How can you keep your hamster safe from your dog?
It is better to cage your hamster in the house in order to protect your hamster. Dogs will chase hamsters because of their natural instinct. If you have to give a tour of the house to your hamster, you should keep your dog in a confined place where your dog cannot reach your hamster.
You can also train your dog to protect your hamster from aggressive behavior of your dog.
Conclusion
In this dog article, we briefly answered the question, “Do dogs eat hamsters?” we also discussed the reasons why your dog eats hamsters, the factors which decide the response of your dog, and how you can see your hamster from your dog.
References
https://wagwalking.com/sense/can-dogs-live-with-hamsters
