# Need advice about dog and rat



## EmS (Feb 10, 2015)

So, I have a young rat that I just recently brought home. He's solo at the moment due to the sudden loss of his brother shortly after I brought them home. Hes still in quarantine, so until I can introduce him to my trio, Im trying to spend as much time as possible with him so he isn't too lonely. This means that he's going around the house with me a lot of the time.
Now, my dog is a beagle and she's obsessive about my rats. The rats have their own room so normally i just keep the beagle shut out of there and its not a problem. But with this baby being out and about in the house, she's constantly staring at him, whining, and clicking her teeth together. I've trained her not to come close to the rats, so she knows to maintain a good distance but this behavior is getting old really quickly... how can i get her to calm down??


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## InuLing (Dec 26, 2015)

Might not be able to. Beagles are hunting dogs bred to chase small animals. It's in her nature to go after them and you're trying to make her go against her nature. That's got to be hard on her just like the nervous energy caused by her trying to hold back is hard on you. She may also be a bit jealous but unable to do anything about it.

I would suggest you try giving her extra attention when the rat isn't with you and give her extra exercise as much as you can and see if that helps. If she's worn out then the rat might become less important.


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