Wallabies and Dogs

I have been considering adding an exotic to the mix. Its been something I've been thinking about for a couple of years, not impulse. I've worked with exotics, including big cats, so I do have experience with large and small exotics from tigers to sugar gliders.

However, I honestly have had no long term experience with wallabies. I've petted and fed them at zoos, but that was my extent of experience with them.

I do have 4 dogs. They have been raised among many types of animals, including "prey" animals such as rodents, birds, rabbits, etc. I've never left them alone with these prey animals, but on supervised playtimes, they have had no issues.

I came to the idea of the wallaby because: I want a herbivore. I don't want an exotic that is potentially very dangerous. The city I live in considers my first choices (pigs and goats) to be livestock, but with the permit, I can have a wallaby (go figure!). I am prepared to make an enclosure. So far most of what I read said 50x50. But I would prefer it be a "house wallaby", using the enclosure mostly for safe off leash exercise, when we can't supervise it, and sunbathing. I read their poop is like deer or goat pellets, and I read there is a chance I can paper train it. But if that does not happen, we got tile throughout most the house.

My biggest concern is...dogs and wallabies. Anyone have experience with the two together? I know in most cases, when you raise animals together, they get along. I would never leave the roo and dogs alone. I have two shepherd mixes, a pit bull mix, and a chihuahua.

I'm not as concerned with the dog's reaction to it, but more actually...the differences in how these two animals play. I don't want my dogs to get torn up by the wallaby's nails and I don't want the wallaby to freak out should the dogs play bite it as they do each other when they play. My dogs do understand the need to play differently with other species. As they never bite at the rabbit. The rabbit plays with them, chasing them, jumping on them, kicking them and the dogs hop around the rabbit trying to get the bunny to chase them (I do so need to video tape this). I think they will see the wallaby as a big rabbit. Least that's my hope. And thus down play the play-bite and go more with the "chase me" hopping around.

Any other info from wallaby owners would be appreciated. I don't plan to do any purchase any time soon. I am thinking more 6 months to a year (maybe more). I do need to check out the permit process. And want the enclosure built before it gets here. I do know a vet who is just 30 minutes away who sees exotics, and said he can be my vet for a wallaby.