First of all, let’s start by introducing the peculiar prairie dog. Marta Bravo, our bedside biologist, tells us that this vivacious wild animal comes from North America and that it receives its name because it emits a sound very similar to the barking of a dog. The prairie dog is a gregarious animal, which means that it lives in a group. Do you know that in freedom it builds impressive burrows ? They have tunnels and rooms that are differentiated according to their intended use: bedroom, toilet, pantry … and a lot of little dogs live in them. Once the presentations are made, we will tell you the basic care to start up now.
When it comes to acquiring this animal, the ideal is to do it when it is young, with a few months of age to teach it to socialize with humans, so that it is not so scary or bite you when you pick it up. As it is a species that lives with its congeners in nature, it would be great if it lived with more prairie dogs . In this case, it is essential to adopt them at the same time since they are very territorial animals that could have quite intense fights and even the strongest individual would end the life of the weakest if he could not flee.
The home of the prairie dogs
To have a group of prairie dogs, it is best to have a fenced space outside the home . The floor of this surface must be covered with earth reaching at least 1 meter thick and will be decorated with stones or objects that act as watchtowers , on which they can see the horizon, you can also decorate your house with cacti, yuccas or similar, either protected from being bitten. Be careful with putting objects on which they can climb near the fence because they could jump and escape.
As we have said before, this animal digs burrows and uses this action to control the growth of its nails as well as it needs it to enjoy psychological well-being. You will have to provide a space or corner so that he can dig, for example in a box of earth.
Prairie dog feeding
We recommend that you follow these feeding tips so that your animals are healthy. If you have any questions, for review or if a problem arises, you know, head to the exotic vet.
