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Most of the prairie dogs available for sale are wild caught by hand in Texas. This has become a popular alternative to eradication by poisoning, drowning etc.. Many types of prairie dogs are now either extinct or near extinction due to these types of inhumane eradication. Although they do not reproduce well in captivity there are those who are attempting and hopefully soon ( in a few years) home raised pups will be available. Please note that we strongly recommend spaying/neutering your pup by September of the year it is born. Unaltered Prairie dogs become extremely aggressive during mating season and can become completely un-handleable and in most cases will not revert back even after spaying and neutering
They are incredibly social creatures that bond easily with humans and other animals. They learn their name and tricks readily but if kept confined to a limited area and people they can become rather territorial. You should spend at least 2 hours a day of devoted time to your pup, as they can get very lonely, their cage should be located where you spend most of your time or should be moveable. Try to keep your pup very outgoing by keeping it very social with new people and situations. Bonding with your pup is relatively easy, by using small treats you can encourage him/her to come to you and can keep him/her distracted while you are petting its cheeks and tummy. You can also carry your pup inside a doubled shirt rubbing and petting him/her as you move about your daily routine. They are very scent oriented creatures and smell things with a wide open mouth, teeth showing. This can be a little scary the first few times you see it, as their teeth are extremely long. Be forewarned though that a bite by one of these guys, when scared, is very quick and very deep. If your pup is scared do not attempt to grab it by the body ( they can turn and bite you), you must carefully grab the head between your thumb and forefinger and with the other hand support the body. When your pup is very scared it is usually best to leave it alone for a minute or two and allow it to calm down. Never physically discipline your prairie dog, instead place your pup back in the cage for 15-20 minutes of "time-out". They do not respond well to physical discipline and like most animals they will defend themselves and start to mistrust you.
At this time there are no shots for prairie dogs and there have been no reported cases of prairie dogs having rabies in Texas. All pups are quarantined for an appropriate amount of time before being shipped and once they reach us they are quarantined again for at least a week, some even longer depending on size and development.
Their cage should be at least 18 x 30 and made of wire or metal as they are avid chewers. We recommend our 18 x 30 guinea pig cage as it has a solid bottom so that their legs do not fall through and it gives them enough room for a bed and a few toys although bigger is always better. Although they love to run loose in your home they are very destructive and mischievous and should be kept confined when they cannot be supervised. Pine or white shavings (never cedar) can be used on the bottom. The cage should be placed away from direct sunlight, drafts, heat vents or air-conditioning. Although normal room temperatures 68-70 degrees) are fine for adults we recommend a warmer area for pups (72-74 degrees), in a burrow they have a group of pups to huddle with. An inverted large clay pot with a enlarged drain hole placed in the cage makes a wonderful bed with a terry cloth towel. They can be litter box trained by using a pie plate and some cat litter. The cage should be cleaned and disinfected at least once a week using bleach and water and then thoroughly rinsed. Dog floss toys make a wonderful chew toy and act as dental floss for their ever growing teeth. Lots of chew toys should be available and/or rotated in/out of the cage, just like kids they get bored with the same old thing. Just like kids supervise how and what your pup does with its toys, they are very mischievous and can sometimes injure themselves with even the safest toys.
The diet as a young pup should consist of a good quality dry puppy food such as Iams or Science diet, alfalfa hay, rodent blocks, small animal food mix, apples, dandelion greens and fresh clean grasses free of toxins and chemicals. As the pup matures (6 months to a year) the diet should start to slowly move over to Timothy hay, fresh green grasses, dandelion greens, Oxbow Prairie Dog Delight pellets and very limited quantities of the other foods. The number one health hazard for a prairie dog is obesity. Berries, peanuts (unsalted)) and given as special treats and for training. Clean freshwater should be available at all times either by using a heavy crock or a rabbit water bottle suspended on the outside of the cage (they can chew through plastic quickly). The food can be placed in another heavy crock or from a rabbit gravity feeder. The food and water dishes should be sterilized along with the cage each week.
SCIENTIFIC DATA:
Genus: Cynomys (Greek for dog)
Order: Rodentia
Family: Scuridae (Squirrel family, closely related to marmots, ground squirrels and chipmunks)
Seven sub-species (most prairie dogs sold as pets are of the sub-species Black tailed)
Cynomys ludovicanus ludovicanus- black-tailed prairie dog. Range, a belt east of the Rockies, from Mexico to Southern Canada, living in arid desert and plains grass lands.
Cynomys ludovicanus arizonesnsis- Arizona prairie dog. Formerly ranged along both sides of the Mexican border with Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas. Now thought to be extinct.
Cynomys mexicanus- Mexican prairie dog. Certain ranges in Mexico
Cynomys lecurus- White-tailed prairie dog. Range: Mountainous parts of Montana, Wyoming, Utah, and Colorado. Almost extinct. These have been observed at elevations as high as twelve thousand feet.
Cynomys parvidens- Utah prairie dog. Range: A few counties in Utah. Almost extinct from poisoning. Now
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