Prairie dogs make great pets if you know what you're doing. For the past 3-4 years, after the monkey-pox scare (Which wasn't their fault. A Gambidan (African) Rat had given it to a bunch of prairie dogs. The people who had them were at fault. They should have NEVER kept one species so close to another until after the duration of quarantine was over.) (Also, all monkey-pox is, is a virus similar to chicken-pox. Just like chicken-pox can kill, the same is true for monkey-pox.) pet stores have been able to sell them again in the U.S. However, to make sure that you get a HEALTHY PD, there are several things you can do.

You can do one or all of the following.

1) Make sure that all of the hair on them is uniform (the same) blend of colors. If the PD is shedding, there should be an obvious line where the new hair is and the old. THERE SHOULD NOT BE ANY BLACK SPLOTCH'S ON IT!!!

2) Buy your PD from a reputable pet store, preferably one that has sold them in the past.

3) Ask the pet store BEFORE you buy you PD if when you take your PD to the vet, and if the vet says that your PD is ill, what will the pet store do? (They should offer to take the PD back, or pay for any vet bills.)

1st: Try to get your PD (Prairie Dog) Between Early April / Late July, If, and only if you don't want to breed your PD, you need to get your PD to a vet, who knows what he's doing, and get your PD fixed.

2nd: (*** Make sure you can find a vet who knows it is a PD, and not a beaver, squirrel chipmunk.... If you can't find one, look for a vet who sees 'exotics' ***) The reason for this is because around late September and mid to early October, your PD will act as if it were possessed and usually it gets really bad around Halloween. Which is why this is called "Ghost time".

3rd: If you can't, for whatever reason, You will have to wait until early spring and If you have to wait it out, I recommend getting VERY heavy duty gloves. If you can, see if you could 'rent' a pair from the cops who train the K9 dogs where and how to bite. Another thing that worked for me was to put on three pairs of heavy duty garden gloves.

4th: Getting them used to you. When you bring your PD home, put it into its cage immediately. Make sure the cage is in a quiet area. If you are putting a new PD with an old one, put them into separate cages but near enough together so that they can both smell and talk with each other. A good idea to do is cough a couple times until your old PD "Yeehaws" (Throwing up his arms and does a little yeehaw). Give them a couple of days to get used to there surroundings. Several times a day, sit and quietly talk to you PD, give it treats and CAREFULLY pet it through the cage. You can slowly open the cage and put your hand in there and pet them like that. Just make sure that they cannot get out of the cage unless you want them to. Then put in a shirt (one you don't mind destroying) that you've been wearing for more than two days into the cage. This will get them used to your smell and will help them bond with you.

5th: Food- trail mix ( Don't go overboard with the chocolate and yogurt pieces. If they like them, pick those out to use when you train your PD) Fruit (Fresh and flash frozen but fresh is better, but .... YOU MUST WASH FRESH FRUITS AND FRESH VEGGIES BEFORE GIVING TO YOUR PD.... , nuts, veggies, the kind you can get at the pet store is ok, make sure the one you get is basically 1/2 fruits + veggies and 1/2 nuts (LOTS of peanuts IN THERE SHELL) a 1/4 of seeds and no more than a handful or safflower seeds. The sunflower/safflower seeds should be treats. Those type of seeds is like potato chips to us. If you want to my hay, then get Timothy Hay... Nothing else. If you give your PD any other hay, like Alfalfa you will be slowly killing your PD.

6th: Cage- A 2 story cage is ok, just make sure that he won't get is feet caught when he jumps down. DO NOT leave a grate in the cage because it will hurt their feet. I let my PD make his own bedding. I will put between 3 to 4 sections in the cage and let my PD have a bunch of fun from ripping the paper up. Also, you can give him any CLEAN rag to make his bed. Socks are a big yes too. BUT YOU MUST SNIP ANY LOOSE THREAD. If you don't your PD might suffocate. So please be careful. better safe than sorry!!!

7th: Understanding what your PD is saying: A prairie dog talks both with its body and the sounds it makes. Here are a few things you should know...

A) When your PD had it's tail frizzed up and/or is grinding its teeth STAY FAR AWAY!!! It is telling you it's pissed off about something. Let it calm down.

B) When your PD throws its arms in the air and makes a "Yeehaw" sound, it could be saying anything from "Hey your home!!! Whatcha get for me" to "Bless you" (when you cough or sneeze) to "I am so happy I can't contain myself!!!"

C) When your PD pounces on you then jumps back it is saying "I am in a playful mood and want to 'play fight' with you!" This can be a fun activity. However, make sure that it stays in play mode. If your PD begins to hurt you, you can do one or more of the following:

a) Tap your PD on the nose and say "No" in a calm but firm voice.

b) While your PD is hurting you say "Ow!!! That hurts!" (Seriously! It works!!!)

c) Either put him back in his cage, or if he is already in the cage close the door.

D) DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES MAKE THE FOLLOWING NOISES AROUND YOUR PD!!! They include but are not limited to: chirping sounds, tsking sounds, kissing sounds, or anything similar. These are aggressive sounds to PD's and what you are saying to your PD is "I'm gonna kick you butt!" To do so is risking losing a finger or worse!!!

8th: Misc.: Be careful when you try trimming your PD's nails. I do two things. 1 Start with him within the first few days. What you need is something that he ONLY gets when you train him. Peanut butter (NOT the nuts and shell form but the creamy one.), cheese cake, or something he would beg for, and ONLY give to your PD while training. EXAMPLE: Open up the Peanut Butter, Sniff it and show great enjoyment. Bring the open jar and let your PD know it tastes SOOOO good. Then open the cage (ps... if he is running away when open the door just open the door a little bit give him SMALL dab of peanut butter. His cute little tail should be going a bit crazy. And just let his little nose smell the freedom, and he should be looking more at the peanut butter. When he sits in the door of the cage WITHOUT running away for about 5 minutes, let him know he did a good job by telling him and by putting a bid dab in his cage, either near or in his food bowl, when you've got to doing nail clips, it is gonna get difficult. When you can hold your PD in your hand, without him squirming. You may need to stop now and then.... DO NOT GIVE THE TRAINTING REWARD UNTIL YOU ARE DONE WITH WHAT YOU STARTING ON. You can use these technique to train him to do basically anything.

　

So, have fun!!! If you have a specific question feel free to write to me at: Leahla1979@yahoo.com.

May both you and your PD have many happy and loved years together!!!!

　

Leahla...

Prairie dogs are rodents - they have chisel-shaped teeth and eat plants. They also live in burrows.

True dogs are canines - they have pointed teeth to eat meat and live on top of the ground.

a tunnelThe entrance to the prairie dog's burrow is surrounded by a pile of soil. This mound serves as a lookout and protects the burrow against floods.

The tunnels go down about three metres ( or ten feet ) and can be 15 metres ( 50 feet) from one entrance to another.

a room underground

3. Appearance

These ground squirrels have brownish fur and white underparts. They have large eyes, short tails ( white or black tipped ) and small rounded ears. They are rodents. They have strong front teeth and sharp claws for digging. The prairie dog is about the size of a football (30 cm.).

a chubby prairie dog

© 2000 John White4. The Young

Baby prairie dogs are born with no hair. Once a year the female has litter of four pups. Pups stay in the burrows for about six or seven weeks.

Sherry Ballard © 2001 California Academy of Sciences

larger image

5. Adaptations

• The front paws have long claws for digging tunnels.
• They eat alot to store up fat for winter.
• They sleep in the winter.
• Prairie dogs do not need to drink water. They can get all of the water needed from the leafy foods they eat.

Many predators hunt these rodents including badgers, weasels, ferrets, hawks, owls, coyotes, foxes, bobcats and snakes.

an enemyBadgers try to catch prairie dogs in the daytime by rushing into a colony. At night, they dig into the entrance hoping to surprise the sleeping prairie dogs.

Diseases (from infected flea bites) have wiped out entire colonies.

Man has hunted and poisoned them.

7. Why some people hate the prairie dogs

Over the past 100 years much of the range of the black-tailed prairie dog has become cattle pastures and grain fields. Prairie dog poisoning programs are one way that people get rid of them. Why ? Farmers and ranchers do not see the prairie dog as a cute little animal. Prairie dogs eat the grasses that cattle and horses eat. Since they eat alot of grass this leaves less food for other animals. Prairie dogs can also destroy a farmer's crop of alfalfa, hay, wheat or corn.

8. Protection

Guard dogs keep watch by standing on a mound of dirt. They let out a warning yelp or bark .more about how they escape from their enemies

9. Food

Prairie dogs feed on leaves, grasses and grass roots, weeds, seeds and other plants (including crops like alfalfa and corn). They also eat grasshoppers, cutworms, bug and beetles.

10. Endangered animals

Some species of prairie dogs are endangered or threatened. The black-footed ferret, Burrowing Owl, and Prairie Rattlesnake are endangered because they rely on the prairie dog for food and shelter.

11. Interesting facts

The prairie dogs got their name from the sound that they make when danger is near. They give warning barks or yips.

There are five species of prairie dogs.

• Black-tailed Prairie Dog
• White-tailed Prairie Dog
• Gunnison's Prairie Dog
• Mexican Prairie Dog ( endangered )
• Utah Prairie Dog ( threatened )

Besides serving as food for many predators, their tunnels provide homes for burrowing owls, rabbits and hares, ground squirrels, mice, snakes and black-footed ferrets.

Prairie dogs are most active during the cool hours of daylight. Most of their time is spent eating . They also like to visit and groom each other.

Prairie dogs communicate with each other.how they talk to each other

In some states in the US shooting prairie dogs is a sport. Thousands of these animals are killed by hunting and trapping.

Black-tailed prairie dogs are sold in pet shops. Pet prairie dogs can live 8 to 10 years ( compared to 3 to 5 years in the wild. )

Prairie dogs feed on leaves, grasses and grass roots, weeds, seeds and other plants (including crops like alfalfa and corn). They also eat grasshoppers, cutworms, bug and beetles.

The prairie dog lives in the grassland biome in North American prairie and grassland where there are three distinct areas of prairie - Tallgrass prairie, Mixed-grass prairie and Shortgrass prairie. In the United States, the greatest stretch of grassland is the prairie, extending from the Appalachians in the East to the Rocky Mountains in the West. Being in the center of the North American land mass, far from the moderating influence of major bodies of water, there is a great range of annual temperature.The dominant vegetation in these biotic communities is blue grama, mixed with galleta grass, Indian rice grass, and other grasses.