If you believe the internet memes, capybaras are chill and get along with every other species on the planet. It’s not true, of course. Capybaras are prey animals- bottom of the food chain- but their immense size gives them a pass. Dogs are predators, but raised with capybaras, the mutual respect works in the capybara’s favor. JoeJoe loved his dogs. He even loved baby dogs, and they can be trying.
Cheesecake is arguably the most famous puppy capysitter. She’s been featured in an Animal Planet video. She never had baby capybaras, but she’s always been willing to take on needy puppies.
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- Cheesecake the capybara, so patient, so gentle. (photo credit- Janice Wolf)
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- Cheesecake is nine years old, an elder among captive capybaras. She’s seen it all. (photo credit- Janice Wolf)
Here’s Cheesecake in action.
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- Cheesecake the capybara has spent most of her life at Rocky Ridge Refuge. (photo credit- Janice Wolf)
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- Cheesecake and Cobbler share capysitting duties. (photo credit- Janice Wolf)
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- Cobbler just turned six years old. He came to Rocky Ridge Refuge as a rescue when he was one month old. (photo credit- Janice Wolf)
Do all capybaras like dogs? No! Dobby was scared to death of dogs. I think it was the barking. Here‘s a blog I wrote about an injury he sustained when he was surprised by a canine visitor.
Poor Dobby. Mortally wounded by a flower pot after a chance encounter with a barking dog. Where did that dog come from, anyway? (It was invited, but whatever.)
JoeJoe wasn’t nearly the scaredy cat that Dobby was. He actually loved his dogs.
Garibaldi ROUS was the sweetest, most gentle capybara I ever met. He did well with some dog visitors, not so well with others. He tolerated these little Boston Terriers (there’s a video in the linked blog post) but after a couple visits he got to know them and liked playing with them.
Here’s one more video with JoeJoe. Carpincho is another word for capybara. Here’s JoeJoe the Carpincho trying his darnedest to get his dog friends to play with him.
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Photos and video of Cheesecake and Cobbler the capybaras were stolen without permission from Rocky Ridge Refuge, a 501c3 non-profit animal rescue organization in Arkansas. After a decade of mutual support, I don’t think Janice will mind.
As always, many thanks to Cody Kennedy for the use of his photos and videos. Check out Cody’s shop, Crazy Cody’s Creatures YouTube channel, and Patreon.
Garibaldi ROUS came from Melanie Typaldos’s Capybara Madness website. You can help capybaras by donating to The ROUS Fund for Capybara Veterinary Medicine at Texas A&M.
Don’t forget about Georgia Dee’s Gift Shop. You can also donate directly to Stacy’s Funny Farm, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
Dobby the Capybara 