# P-Dawg!



## pouchedrat (Oct 31, 2009)

We picked up a prairie dog a few weeks back, he was 6 weeks old at the time, is going on 10 weeks old now.  Captive bred, his testicles haven't dropped yet either, and CUTE as can be!  

Basically I wanted a large rodent pet again.  I used to have an emin's pouched rat (the smaller cousin of the gambian pouched rat) and he was by far the greatest pet I ever had, super intelligent, loyal, and craved affection and attention, and VERY easy to train.  I've been keeping domestic rats for 15 years now and their short life expectancy lately has really gotten to me (especially after having a large group of siblings all at once pass away from the same genetic problems) so I wanted a pouched rat again.  Unfortunately, despite the monkeypox ban being lifted by the FDA last year, the CDC still has the import ban in effect, so I can't bring over some captive bred babies from the UK breeders.  

It'll probably be years before I get ahold of a gambian or emin's again, and since my last couple boy rats are realllllly old and on their way out, I figured it was time to move on to something else that was more long lived and super-social.  

The day we got our PDawg: 
















and last night:
















His name is Spud, because he smells like au gratin potatoes, lol.   He's already very bonded, and follows us around the house making little jump-yahoo noises, wanting to be picked up.  He will stretch up with his arms as high as he can trying to get us to pick him up and loves to fall asleep (and does frequently) curled up next to us on the couch.   Definitely a love!

/edit-  should probably mention that yes, I called my regular exotic animal vet and he's already said yes that he'll be Spud's vet and neuter him come 5 months.  He's the same vet who neuters my rats for me, and various exotic rescues see him regularly.


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## seanbond (Oct 31, 2009)

ncie pickup, looks awesome!


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## cbeard (Oct 31, 2009)

LOL I looked at the pics without reading anything first and was like "WTH is that?!" it looks awesome,  I did not realize those could become tame.


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## dtknow (Oct 31, 2009)

Cute! I assume that unneutered they become unmanageable?

His claws are pretty long.


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## pouchedrat (Nov 1, 2009)

I'm afraid to trim his nails right now because I'm not sure where the quick is, they're solid black.  They aren't sharp though.  

VERY tame.  Thing is they go through a rut season if unneutered, where they're unhandleable for a couple months out of the year.  Not pleasant


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## Hedorah99 (Nov 1, 2009)

I miss the days when these were banned as pets...


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## Mina (Nov 1, 2009)

What a cutie pie!!!!!  If his nail start to bother you, just get a small nail file and file off the very tip that is sharp.


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## BrettG (Nov 1, 2009)

Ok,how do I go about getting one. As soon as the wife comes home and sees this she is going to fall in love.


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## Teal (Nov 3, 2009)

*I've heard about a few people recently who have these... apparently they are pretty cool.

Cute! *


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## Mack&Cass (Nov 3, 2009)

Wow I didn't even know these could be kept domestically. He's absolutely adorable. 

-Cass


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## pouchedrat (Nov 4, 2009)

They're really amazing.  I'm fascinated by how quickly he bonded with us, and how social and loving he is.  I've always kept rats and have gone on about how great they are, but the PD really does go beyond a rat in many ways.  

His cage is my 3-tier ferret nation I had for my four old male rats (legs removed, three sections stacked together to create a massive cage).  They have some issues with hind leg paralysis and such, so they don't use the entire cage anyway (which is 6 feet tall, btw).  I have a single tier ferret nation for them.  

This is the cage when it was still for the four rat boys... need to take a new pic now that it's for the PD.  Added a couple tupperware containers with large holes cut out and fleece inside one, hay in another, to dig around in.  







They used to be kept as pets years ago, and I used to talk to a woman who had a few different color mutations 10 years ago.  We were thinking they were going to become the next fad exotic pet, and we were worried about that.  The ban definitely stopped interest in them entirely, until it was lifted last year.   The funny part is other countries have been keeping Prairie dogs as pets far longer than we have, and they're native to the US.


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## pouchedrat (Jan 25, 2010)

I finished Spud's cage, basically it's twice the size it was before.  This thing is a BEAST!!!  two ferret nation 142's with two ferret nation 143 addons set up side by side with the middle bars removed, so it's like a double-wide.  

I found a place that had white prairie dogs last year, so I contacted them to be added to their waiting list, and am hoping they get white ones again this spring.  I do want one or two more PD's.






























(my kid was sick and I told him to smile, he gave me that horrible look, lol)

Also, some videos of Spud:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4E0ax3qu0M
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2mPx2dVLgA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xw5ZRB9rnd0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqn7TiloKgg

edit-  OH yeah I clipped his nails today, poor guy kept burrowing into my shirt hiding because he was scared... *aww*...


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## Teal (Jan 25, 2010)

*He is too friggin cute.. and holy cow, *I* want a house like that! LOL

Looks like he has an awesome home with you 

Are the "white" ones just white, or albino? *


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## pouchedrat (Jan 26, 2010)

white with black eyes and nails, so black eyed white (leucistic..?), definitely not albino.


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## Teal (Jan 26, 2010)

*Very cool! Leucistic sounds good enough  
You'll definitely have to post pictures when you get one! *


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## pouchedrat (Jan 26, 2010)

Ah well the contacted me back and I guess this year there won't be any white PD's coming in *frown* but I emailed them back and hope to get on a waiting list for SOMEday getting one!  I can be very patient when I want to be!  

Our cage is big enough for three I'm sure, and it can split into three seperate levels in case one established doesn't get along with another.  We'll probably go with a baby this spring from where we got Spud, then hope next year a white one will be around.  I just don't want my little boy to be alone for too long, he gets lonely when we're gone and is fiercely bonded to us already.


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## Teal (Jan 26, 2010)

*I would imagine that having more than one of them would be best, since they do live together in the wild.

I could never have one, unfortunately, (the terriers would see to that! lol).. you you have to keep posting pictures so I can live vicariously through you in prairie dog ownership  *


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## sharpfang (Jan 26, 2010)

*That is the Most Impressive.....*

Ferret set-up that I have ever Seen.......I will remind people though....

.....That ferrets need much caring after, in the "smelly" category.

I have Always wanted one{Albino}......But my Cat,{Felice} virtually takes care of herself, and does Not like them.

That really is the Best set-up eVER though! :clap:


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## Adversary (Jan 26, 2010)

Do want!


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## <3exoticpets (Jan 26, 2010)

Good Luck with your new pet- it sounds like you did a ton of research!  Working in a vet practice for years, I have yet to meet one that doesn't leave the staff running! lol  They can be quite fiesty when they want to be, but they sure are cute!


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## erika357 (Jan 30, 2010)

Wow! That is so cool. I have never heard of anybody having a PD as a pet. How neat! Also, you have made a very wonderful home for it!


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## pouchedrat (Jan 31, 2010)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxB8TWD2Sn4   -new video.. a bit of rough play with the PD.

Anyway, thanks everyone!   I'm actually not new to exotic pets... most of what I've kept in the past has been weird and unusual exotics.  Spud here has actually been one of the EASIEST exotics I've ever kept.  That said, he's still far more than some people could handle, but I still have the belief that most people I meet IRL with pets don't even take care of dogs or cats, or even fish properly, so yeah.  

My emin's pouched rat when he was alive, now that was a pet who required a LOT of attention and special care.  Plus his high intelligence meant he got bored of new stimulation fast, and would begin destructive behavior if his mind wasn't occupied with something else.  I'd still love one again someday, lol.  best pet ever for me, but it was like having a monkey in a giant rat body, with a crazy sense of smell and scary intelligence.  He learned tricks FAST, though, as in within MINUTES he's pick up a new trick.


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## pouchedrat (Nov 17, 2010)

I never posted pics of the newbies when I got them, apparently!  These pics are from early spring/summer this year:



















http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uOe-ChXXmM 


And these photos are from Monday...  featuring my three TRIBBLES!!







....with teeth, and nails!!!   lol, mid yawn looks like RAWRZ!!
















They're doing wonderfully, still loving and playful and constantly craving attention!   i need to make a video of how much Rudy and Spud "Yahoo" upon seeing me and when I open the cage up.  They jump into my arms and "yahoo' nonstop!


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## Redneck (Nov 17, 2010)

Awe! They are so cute!

My LPS has some.. But I cant bring myself to supporting them.. They fail at taking care of any of their animals.. From fish, snakes, dogs, cats, rats, Ts, scorpions, ect., ect.,....

Congrats on your PDs...


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