I don't know anything about donkeys really. I presume they are pretty much like horses. My horses and my dogs have always been pretty good together. The problems develop for the most part, I think, when dogs are allowed to play "chase the horse" or "bark at the horse" without correction. If that gets started you could wind up with a donkey that will run at the dogs and try to strike at them or dogs that chase the donkey. Neither situation is good if you like your animals. I know some people say their dogs and horses/ponies play this way and maybe they do. Even if they are playing I think it is an accident looking for a place to happen. Just my opinion.

I read where they know which dogs live there and which do not.My 2 donkeys try to get all my dogs.They will stump the dogs.My one donkey kicked my russell in the mouth once knocked some teeth out.I dont know if it grows up with the dog.But thats thier nature to attack animals in the pasture.

Really? Well okay thanks! Also, is 2 acres enough room for a donkey?

donkeys (minature or standard) and dogs do not mix....donkeys are naturally dangerous to dogs! the donkeys are often placed in pasture with cattle to ward off wild dog attacks. Speaking from personal experience, donkeys are somewhat aggressive to their own, our jack has to be seperated from the females before they give birth....he has killed his own young...and although ours are not aggressive to us......flattened ears are a dead give away to "get away"....your on the right track though....research your options before making that purchase....they are difficult to give away like a kitten or puppy, believe me...we've been tempted to try!

2 acres is plenty,you will have to do like horses and watch how much greens they get they can founder also.

Wow, okay eveyone thanks all this gives me a lot to think about. I have wanted a donkey for about 7 or 8 years now and finally am thinking about getting one and I have done a lot of research on them but there isn't too many web sites that tell about how donkeys get along with other kinds of animals. So, this helps..Thanks!

My 2 jennys didnt want to know my labs and russell,they never bothered the donkeys.They would follow us through pasture and sure enough theyd try to stump them.
I got kicked at least 3 times.They would run by kick me in leg,
They say a great number of people die every year from kicks from donkeys.I see why I bent over one time,the one donkey ran by made like she was gonna kick but didnt.Wow.If I would have gotten kicked in the head......

My donkeys let my dogs lick their faces through the fence. See, everyone has different experiences ... so many generalizations! My mini donk Cosmo was 8 months old when I got him, and seperated from the large horses for his safety. So he bonded with me and my dogs. Now my sisters small dogs are another story .. the donks don't like them at all.

My dogs are not allowed in the pasture with the donks, so never have the opportunity to chase the donks, which the donks would hate.

And unlike some of the other people I absolutely LOVE my mini donks. And you shouldn't have a jack unless you are planning on breeeding him, get him gelded. I have 2 geldings and a jenny, and they are great fun and very affectionate.

One donkey is going to be a lonely donkey though .... and that leads to all kinds of problems.

Feel free to email me privately if you want more info.

Pam

Here is a link that might be useful: My Farm and Animals

Pam, you seem to really enjoy yours. My 2 dogs love animals so I am thinking the dogs won't be a problem.. I I have read donkey's should have something to keep them company if you only have one.. Would a sheep be enough company for a donkey? I also thought if you just had one donkey it would probably bond with you a lot more than one would if it had another donkey friend.

Bulldinkie, are your donkeys not too tame and thats why they kicked you or are they just aggressive??

Also, which is a better pet..a male or a female? My neighbors use to have a male and he was real sweet. But, I have always liked girl animals the best..I think a female would probably make the best pet.. Am I right? Thanks..

My weanling colt is currently kept with a mini-donkey, and as far as I know, the donkey has never acted aggressively towards me or the dogs that live there on the farm (and there are about 20 dogs). This donk usually lives in a big herd of mixed breeds and sizes of horses, but was recruited to babysit my colt. He tolerates the colt, but doesn't let him jump and play on him like the colt was used to doing to his mama. He is a "pet" donkey, and is gentle and likes to be petted, have his hair styled, and will let children sit on him.

The donkey in the next field over from them is a "watch-donkey." He is in a herd of cows for the purpose of protection from predators. He runs away from you if you go near him, and I've been told her doesn't like children, and will chase them. I haven't seen the dogs go in his field, so I think maybe he chases dogs and the dogs are smart enough to know this.

I think animals are a lot like people. It's wrong to make generalizations about them, because they do have different personalities. If you want a pet donkey, you should buy it from a breeder who sells them as pets--they will know which of their stock is right for you. If you just go buy one from a stockyards, or from someone who doesn't seem to know the personality of the animal they're selling, you are taking a risk.

On a related note, the guy I work with was telling me that they had a donkey they used to use to pull a tobacco wagon or some kind of equipment like that. One day the donk decided he didn't want to work anymore, and that was that. He sat down in the middle of the field, and wouldn't budge. He sat there for 3 days until he finally went for water. Then whenever someone approached him, he would sit down. They finally turned him out with some cows, and he never did a day of work again!

I have a mini donkey (jenny...female),2 Great Pyrenees, 1 Heinz 57 dog, and two Min Pins. The little donkey tolerates the dogs in her paddock at times but not at others. Same with the chickens and guineas!

Jasmine, our mini donkey, is only one year old and follows me around the paddock like a puppy. She loves vanilla wafers & graham crackers. She can be wicked at times, too. One day I was brushing her and she "cow kicked" me (kicked to the side). All of a sudden, "POP!". It sounded like a gunshot. She kicked my arm without warning. Left a sore spot and a bit of a bruise but I was just thankful it was nothing worse.

Have been told that male donkeys (jacks) get quite aggressive so it would be my feeling that you should not get a male unless you are going to have it gelded (neutered).

As for the dogs, I have seen her run at both the Pyrenees and the medium sized Heinz 57 that we have. The Pyrs are almost as big as she is and kind of ignore her so that works well but the young medium sized dog made the mistake of running from her and she really went after that dog! She barely made it through the fence before Jasmine got to her. One of my little min pins wanders out into the field from time to time and so far the donkey has not taken any notice of her at all. Have seen the donkey "charge" the chickens and send them flying and squawking! She has also tried it with the guineas and they just scoot out of the way (in as many directions as there are guineas) and after a while she gives up and leaves them alone.

The donkey is absolutely best "buds" with our undersized POA pony. The pony is 40" at the withers and the donkey is 34". They are cute together.

Hope some of this helps! Good luck with your donkey.

Hi Genny,

Yes I really do enjoy my mini donks, they are just pets. Some day, when they make an 8 day week probably, I want to teach them to drive. Both my geldings are Choc brown and would like to have them drive as a team.

None of them have ever kicked me.

About whether to get a jack (gelding I hope) or jenny ... I can't answer that for you. I had my jack first (Cosmo), and he followed me around like a puppy dog ... then the horses I was boarding were leaving so I got a jenny (Sambina, "Sam"). He got her pregnant, and when she wouldn't tolerate him around her anymore, I had him gelded.

Little Merlin, now gelded, is their baby. Cosmo is the most affectionate of the 3, Merlin is coming around ... I don't think I created enough of a bond with him at his birth probably because I was in awe of the whole thing. Sam has always been stand-offish .... but I got her when she was 5 years old, and who knows if anyone bonded with her before that.

I don't really think a sheep would be a good companion ... donkeys play rough and they play by grabbing onto each others necks. A sheep couldn't handle that.

A single donkey WILL probably bond with you better, but will get bored quickly. That's when problems start, when they are bored.

Good questions!

The

Thanks again Everybody! Broodyjen, it is a good idea to get one from someone who knows their personalities..but the baby donkey I am going to get (if I get one) are neighbors with me :) And I feed them every day and pet them and they are all so sweet. They have never come in concact with dogs or any other animal. They do live with goats though...
So, not too sure how she might do with a dog...we have 4 dogs...a bloodhound a greatdane..and I am sure they could run away if a donkey got after them...but our maltese and poodle might get injured, they are very small..But thanks everyone for your answers it has helped a lot! I'll let you all know if I need to know anything else! And, if anyone has any advice for me..please let me know!

Why don't you ask the people if you can "lease" the donkey for a month or two. That way, if the donkey hates the dogs (and it doesn't seem to get any better after a few weeks and the pecking order is established), you can give the donkey back to the neighbors, no hard feelings, and you don't have to worry about finding a new home for it, and losing your money. If you love the donkey, you can pay off the rest of its cost, and welcome little donkey into your family.

I forgot to mention that the mini donkey I was telling you about, is exposed to dogs that range from Great Dane size to pug puppy size. He actually tolerates the little ones better--I think they are not seen as a threat. One of the pugs goes for "rides" on the donkey (assisted by the daughter of the farmer).

Donkeys are a wonderful animal to have. I would highly recommend getting TWO donkeys. Donkeys create very strong bonds with their buddy. Even in the wild they tend to pair off and keep that relationship. Your donkeys will still bond with you from working and grooming them.

A young donkey can be a real brat without its Mom around. It may kick, charge and/or bite. An older donkey as a companion would teach it some manners. Try the book "Caring for your Miniature Donkey" by Bonnie Gross. It costs about $35.00 but is worth it. Its great you are asking questions first to give it the best life possible.

My donkey will attempt to kill, not scare but kill any stray dog. Works for me because I have a bunch of foxes and coyotes but even my own dogs have to give him a wide birth. Any stray pet is in danger.

When I was searching for a livestock guardian there were several articles regarding donkeys being used with/instead of dogs for protection. Results were controvertial but the gist I got was that if the donkey was raised with dogs/other animals they had a better chance of getting along. A google search should bring up several interesting articles.

Wow, thanks a lot everyone! This has helped a lot.

My 2 were brought up with 2 labs here ,They still tried to stump them.a friend of ours had his dog killed by a mini donkey

female donkeys do bray,I have 2 that let me know if Im not moving fast enough at feeding time

My miniature mule has grown very close to my boxer lab mix and so far hasn't gone to hurt her at all that I know of and we have only had my mule here since July 4th. My mule is a rescue so we don't exactly know how old he is but we think he is about 3 and is still very jumpy at people but not when our dog is around she basically calms him down so much he lets me touch his feet as long as my dog is there. I hope this helped considering I was wondering the same thing when we got our mule.