parrot friendly dogs?

[bigfellasdad]

Hi there,

Ive got a 13yr old female CAG and my new girlfriend is thinking of getting a pet dog. She hasnt moved in yet but before she finally decides whether to get a dog id just like to ask if there are any particular breeds best avoided when eventually bringing in to the flock?

Her first choice is a lassy, what ever that breed is

Cheers all.

 

[chris-md]

Lassie was a collie

I strongly recommend if you intend to introduce a dog, research dogs with low prey drive. So no hunting breeds, not herding breeds (collies!), no ratter breeds (Yorkers). You’re mostly looking as smaller lap dogs. Breeds meant as companion dogs not working dogs. Frenchies, bulldogs, most white fluffy dogs except poodles (Maltese, Bishon frise, etc)

Understand that the dog should always be separated from the bird. One moment of instinct overcoming training and the bird is a goner. Take no chances. But by choosing a low prey drive dog, you are stacking the genetic deck in favor of “less likely to cause problems”.

 

[Kiwibird]

I would personally never have a predatory animal in the same house as a prey animal. It begs for trouble. As pointed out above, if it is non-negotiable for her to get one, get a low prey drive one. If she wants a fluffy pet, I've heard rabbits make excellent pets, can be litter box trained like a cat and would pose absolutely no threat to a parrot.

 

[bigfellasdad]

cheers Chris, as i feared. Might be time to change g/f's mind, or indeed g/f if that fails then. The last thing i want is to introduce risk or danger into my home, my place to unwind.

 

[bigfellasdad]

I would personally never have a predatory animal in the same house as a prey animal. It begs for trouble. As pointed out above, if it is non-negotiable for her to get one, get a low prey drive one. If she wants a fluffy pet, I've heard rabbits make excellent pets, can be litter box trained like a cat and would pose absolutely no threat to a parrot.

A rabbit, that would work..... as a hunter my colleagues may pull my leg a little though. :18:

 

[bigfellasdad]

Thanks guys

me: been asking parrot guru's about dogs, ever thought of a rabbit?
me: not advisable to bring a predatory animal into a home with a bird
kelly: ok love, doesn't matter , Enzo needs to feel safe x
me: awesome

So that's it sorted then and the g/f stays.

 

[itzjbean]

I respect those who say 'never keep a predator with prey' but I politely disagree. I have a dog, two cats and two birds. I'm one of those people that fell in love with many different animals, so only limiting myself to owning one species is simply not an option. I plan to get another dog in the future, and will continue to keep cats as they pass away and birds too. It is not impossible. But there are risks.

JUST TAKE PRECAUTIONS. Birds are not out of their cage if cats are in the room. They have their own little room in the front of the house where they can lounge on their cat tower while I let the birds out. The birds are never allowed to walk on the floor (because the dog is huge and may step on them) so they enjoy flying around the living room, walking along the curtain and sitting on their plsystand. Always supervised, I never leave them alone.

If you want a dog with low prey drive.... consider a Newfoundland! Very docile (but large) dog. I may get one in the future...

 

[T00tsyd]

Never never add a dog unless you are fluent in dog language. That means that you are more than experienced with dogs, know how to train them and understand how they function, think and feel.

It only takes one mistake/misunderstanding! A puppy pretty much takes 2 years to calm down and in some breeds longer. They all go through their teenage tantrums from about 6 months onwards no matter how well you think you have done they will kick back big time.

Worth knowing too that when a dog is in high drive only the very best trained mature dog will even hear you. They will have a one track mind and that's the chase.

I was out with my chap the other week and a cat popped out of a hedge. He is so well trained but in that instant he took off. There was a group of us and I gave the command and he stopped in his tracks. I was nearly as surprised as those with me, but that is years of daily training. It's not easy.

 

[SilverSage]

I'm also one who can't live without all my pets, predators and prey included. BUT it's a lot of complicated of a life because everyone needs to be safe. Rabbits make AWESOME pets and you could get a Flemish Giant which can be the size of a dog anyway!

And I'm glad the girlfriend gets it!


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[bigfellasdad]

thanks again guys.

Neither of us have ever owned a pet dog or understand them at all really, i've only ever had birds.
My house is small so having a dedicated room for each species is just not an option

It still sounds like to me that no dog is the safest and best option.

 

[Sandy19]

My experience is that dogs and birds can live in the same household if sensible precautions are taken. I have a Newfoundland, basset hound and a pit bull that live with my parrot. I don't trust the pit bull around her at all so my bird is never around her supervised or not. I've allowed the bird to have supervised meet and greets with the newfoundland and basset hound because they're gentle and have no prey drive for small animals whatsoever. But it's supervised and I don't allow them to play freely because the dogs could easily step on her. Plus I've heard something about the dog's saliva could make the bird sick if she comes into contact with it. So they sniff each other briefly and that's about it.

The advantage I have, however, is that I have a screened porch where the bird can roam freely without the dogs around. If you don't have separate spots for the dog and bird then that is going to be difficult.

 

[Sandy19]

Also don't trust rabbits either with a small bird. I have two rabbits and Lady is a sweetheart and Lewis is the devil, he'll bite the crap out of you. I tried to introduce him to my Senegal parrot and he immediately went after her. I trust the dogs more than him. His cute little bunny looks are deceiving.

 

[Scott]

I must echo all of the previous admonitions to safeguard your birds and never let your guard down!!

That said, some dog breeds are less interested in avians than others. There is a breed and temperament component, one is lucky to find a dog with a low prey drive on both counts. My personal experience is as follows:

Great Danes: For all their ballyhooed size, they really are gentle giants. I've had about 6 since having companion birds, and none have ever showed the slightest interest beyond awareness.

Schnauzer: A sampling of one, she barely notices their presence.

Brussels Griffon: Just one, and he is more interested in human affection than birds.

Bouvier des Flandres: In my experiences *not* a good mix with birds. Have had two, and the second one is why I'll never have another. :5_sad:

 

[SilverSage]

Also huskies are EXTREMELY high prey drive dogs and I would avoid those, even though it saddens me to say so since I adore them.


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[CKP]

I think that precautions and safety should ALWAYS be prioritized... however...

When we first brought Mav home I had a large fluffy 95 pound Chow/German Shepherd mix. He's a rescue mutt and LOVES kittens. I did a lot of cat rescue, and I found one 4 ish week kitten on the side of the road and my dog would cuddle that kitten and let him groom him. SO PRECIOUS seeing this huge beast next to a golfball size kitten.

Anyways, I was careful on the introductions and neither were permitted to be out of their cage/kennel without close supervision. I put them across from each other so they could get used to each other's presence. Then slowly let them be out one at a time. Mav would crawl down from his cage, go crawl up the dog kennel, and sit and watch the dog who... was terrified of the 300 gram bird.

All of that to say... I think it comes down to the individual animals.

If you both want a dog, I would recommend trying out a few humane societies/rescues and seeing how the two interact. If the dog seems aggressive, it's a hard no. And if it seems like it would work out then TAKE YOUR TIME introducing them. An older (>2 years) rescue dog is usually pretty set in their personality and out of the neurotic puppy stage.

I think multiple animals can coexist. Just have to be safe.