I’ll admit that I’ve seen some pretty shifty-look prairie dogs out in the wild, so I was surprised to learn that attacks on humans are quite rare. According to news reports I’ve been able to find, an overwhelming majority happen when someone decides to go and mess around with a prairie dog that was otherwise just minding his or her own business!
Like all wild animals, prairie dogs should be left alone and only admired from a distance. They want to be treated with respect and allowed to do the things nature intended.
There are a fair number of reports of attacks from someone who takes a prairie dog and then suddenly tries to make the animal a pet. Most wild animals aren’t going to be tamed so easily.
Admittedly, there are those who have turned wild p-dogs, as they call them, into great pets. People who’re able to do that are generally excellent and experienced handlers, so you shouldn’t just expect that you can do the same.
In some cases, coming into contact with outside p-dogs in their natural habitat could be potentially dangerous!
FYI, here’s a fun video about prairie dogs and no, they don’t attack this guy. It’s just fun. Of course, things might change if he takes that bag of tortilla chips away, ha!
Are Prairie Dogs Dangerous to Humans?
In general, prairie dogs aren’t really dangerous. They’ll certainly fight back if you try to grab one out of their hole, but they’ll usually not instigate an attack if they’re left alone.
However, they can certainly draw blood when they bite and they could even feasibly take off a finger if they were given the freedom to do so. It’s best to not put yourself in a position that makes a prairie dog that angry.
Domestic animals are generally free of disease, but wild ones can carry rabies and other infections. Even though their bites aren’t always the most vicious, the fact that they could be carrying pathogens is a serious problem.
As long as you properly handle domestic prairie dogs, then they shouldn’t normally bite with any real ferocity. Make sure to follow all the best practices for animal care and bond with your pet so that you don’t end up with a dangerous one.
Depending on how a prairie dog is raised and what their current defensive position is, they might actually end up as pretty aggressive.
Are Prairie Dogs Aggressive?
In the wild, p-dogs usually flee from altercations. They’re not keen on fighting, though they’ll certainly defend themselves if they have to.
I’ve seen a pretty infamous video where a mother prairie dog defends her young against a pretty violent snake. They can certainly be aggressive when they want to be, especially if someone has done something to get them riled up.
One thing I’ve read from numerous accounts is that shoving anything down a prairie dog burrow is an excellent way to make an otherwise passive animal very angry!
As pets, they tend to be best if raised from babies. You’ll be able to teach your prairie dog to be a passive and content pet if you bond with him or her from a really young age and raise them.
The same would go for dogs, cats and any other pets really. If you make sure to raise them properly and bond with them the way that a parental animal might have, then this can help to dramatically reduce their long-term aggression.
At times, you’ll probably have to show your prairie dog who’s boss, but it’s not nearly as dramatic as training a canine and you will always want to be nice and get looked at as a provider.
P-dogs are extremely social animals and need to be kept constant company. Pet owners will sometimes get more than one in the hopes that their animals will keep each other company.
Unfortunately, I’ve read that this often backfires. Since they’re on the lookout for socialization, there’s a good chance that your prairie dogs will end up bonding to each other and not to you at all!
Unless you have plenty of space to comfortably raise more than one and you have a ton of time to bond wit hall of them, you’re probably better off keeping only one prairie dog at a time.
More than likely, you’ll have your hands full trying to raise a single animal let alone adding others to your group!
Is it Legal to Have a Prairie Dog as a Pet?
I was surprised to learn that it’s legal in most states to keep a prairie dog as a pet. Since I’ve seen some pretty restrictive lists surrounding some other animals, it was actually good to know that people are generally free to adopt one if they want.
Keep in mind that they’re not genuine dogs, so they won’t fall under the same laws that govern the care of domestic canines. Prairie dogs are really rodents, but their distinctive barking sound gave them the name.
Most states seem to consider them low-grade exotic pets, but these laws have a tendency to change all the time so you’ll want to check things out in your local jurisdiction before you adopt one. City and county regulations could restrict ownership in some areas, and you’ll probably required to file certain pieces of paperwork or even give them shots.
Hawaii, California and Arizona have banned them for conservation reasons. It seems like those states are concerned about the possibility of cruel people abandoning their animals and therefore messing with local ecosystems.
There’s always the possibility that some regulations may be relaxed at some point in the future, so it’s probably a good idea to keep an eye out. Legal experts seem to suggest that you don’t ever let your p-dog get into a position where he or she could bite anyone, though.
Local authorities might take this as a sign of aggression and move to have your animal destroyed regardless of ownership status. This is an extremely unfortunately situation, and certainly one that you’re going to want to avoid at any cost.
Properly separating your animals from the public might even be a requirement, so make sure you can house a prairie dog properly before you adopt one.