Are hedgehogs dangerous for dogs?

But come to think of it: isn’t it illegal to keep a "pet" hedgehog? A mate of mine cracks me up when she talks about her ordeal with her "hedgehog". She tried everything to bond with it, poor thing. I can't quite remember how the whole story started, but it’s usually a kid who wants one and then quickly realises they’re not much fun, so the parents are left stuck with it. She was telling me about the evenings she went to the effort of trying to give it a cuddle, but she absolutely hated it. Her husband just used to laugh at her. One time she had to go away for three days. She finally managed to find someone to look after it, but it wasn't easy (try finding a boarding place that accepts hedgehogs). She had to rely on the breeder in the end. But when she got back from her holiday, she called him to see if, by any chance, he’d take it back. She even offered him money just to take it off her hands! He was decent enough to take it back free of charge, and then sell it on to someone else.

Wait, I’ve just thought: isn’t it illegal to keep a "pet" hedgehog? 😧 I was under the impression that providing a shelter for a hedgehog that’s decided to move into your garden is fine, but that actually "adopting" one or taking one home is against the law—and keeping them indoors even more so (so a cage would be even worse)... 😧 I think that’s another thing to check before deciding to "adopt" a hedgehog. 🤦

Why would you take a hedgehog and put it in a cage? They’re wild animals; I think it’s a real shame to lock them away.

Well, he’s in a crate and my dog is a black Labrador.

Having had to pull hedgehog spines out of a dog’s chops before and dealing with the risk of infection (because even though they’re small, they really do leave a hole, believe me!), I can tell you it’s best to keep your dog well away, or at least make sure they don’t try to pick it up!