Birds & Dogs?

[Caitnah]

I have been an animal lover since I was a kid. Am 65 now and have had mainly dogs (not now). But have also had cats, cockatoo, cockatiels and now a 3 year old Conure.
I am retired so have lots of time and rarely travel.

I am seriously considering doing a rescue dog from a shelter but although I strongly feel compelled to help a needy dog, I am concerned about my Conure.

I realize there are no guarantees, but am concerned about having the two together. My Conure is out of his cage a lot and is fully flighted. I’m afraid a dog might screw things up.

Last couple years, I had a GF that had an elderly cat... and bird and cat got along perfectly.

Am reaching out to people here that may have bird(s) and dogs for advice. Understandably if I brought the baby Conure home and already HAD a dog then the transition might be easy. But now not sure.

 

[bug_n_flock]

We have 5 dogs and a large number of small parrots. I absolutely, completely, 100% and absolutely do NOT trust a single one of them around the birds. Ever. Dogs are more deadly to parrots than cats are in my experience.



They are kept separate at all times, but do coexist in the same house. Again, absolutely ZERO time spent in each other's company. I even go so far as to crate and cover crates of dogs if we have burds out in a room with dogs in for any reason. Even with crippled little Hima, if a dog on a leash is walked thru the other side of a room she is in, one of us will take physical hold of her to make sure nothing happens. Hima cannot walk, stand, or fly like normal. But we usually do not have both bird and dog out in the same room even if bird is held and dog is on leash. Too much of a gamble! Even my mom's geriatric 4 lb mutt froofy lapdog with only 2 teeth in her tiny mouth has participated in the killing and eating of some of my mom's pet parrots. Dogs are very much predators.

 

[T00tsyd]

I would agree with all of the above.
I have had dogs all my adult life always 99.9% obedience trained. I would trust them anywhere. When I got Syd, my last dog was a rescue and had been with me for 6 years. He was German ShepherdxWeinmaraner so BIG and fast, but after the first year I had him where I wanted him and he had changed from a dog that everyone avoided to one that was loved by all. It was Syd (GCC) that I didn't trust!
He thought the dog was his older brother and although the dog would quietly leave the room if I went to open the cage Syd thought the dog was a cheap ride and twice landed on the dog's back.

With the best will in the world there is no real way of properly assessing what problems a rescue might have until you put them in your home situation. Keeping them apart would be my number one priority but then if your bird is out all the time what happens to the poor dog? Dogs need company too especially when they don't know you well. I well remember the look of self pity that my dog threw me as he left the room!

I would think very carefully before I took on another dog now and to be honest I would no longer want the aggro.

 

[Scott]

I've had many dogs over the years with birds, and managed to keep them totally separated except for one dreadful accident in my absence. Many believe intermixing parrots with dogs/cats absent rigorous caution is acceptable. Our Bereavement Forum teaches all is well.... until it isn't. Doesn't mean every combination is destined for disaster, but prevention better than a lifetime of regret and guilt.

I generally have breeds with very low prey drive, though each dog is individual. What works best for me are simple, repeatable precautions designed for the long-haul and imperfect humans. No dogs ever permitted free access with a bird, even when "supervised." Always "check your six" before taking a bird out of cage. Given my 35 years with parrots, generations of dogs have come to my home seeing them as "established family." Makes a difference with some dogs, not so much with others.

 

[Laurasea]

Agree with all posts.
I have fluffy low prey drive small dogs. That I got as pups abs already had a GCC.

I never trust them. They are well trained to leave it, to stay, to give parrots space. I also never let parrots near them. Recently my 13 year old peek who has been with me since a pup, has developed a fascination with the parakeets! I'm refreshing his training.

Always a predator can be triggered by a prey species. At any unexpected moment.

 

[Tman]

I will add to this I am retired I have a parrot and an English bulldog. I enjoy both but what happens is you have to choose is the parrot out or dog out. What ends up happen when one is the the other is upset.
It just takes on time and it's over. My to are never together. My parrot will look to make sure my dog is up before he will come out.
Enjoy your birds trick train them. No need to get a dog. If you want to rescue something make it a parrot.
Just my two cents.

 

[Jen5200]

Agree with everything above. I have 2 labs and neither are ever around the birds. I have gates up in the house so that the dogs can’t get to where the birds are and stress them out. When the birds are out partying, the dogs are napping in their crates - ALWAYS with no exceptions. My dogs wouldn’t intentionally hurt the birds, but I’ve seen too many birds brought in to the rescue recovering from a dog attack from a dog that the owner thought “would never hurt my bird” to take that chance. I work part of the day in the birds’ area and they have a few hours of fly time every day while the dogs nap. We’ve struck a balance that works for us, but I don’t recommend it.