rant ig? dogs vs parrots

[mrs.pants]

so i kinda feel like there is this quiet war going on against people who own parrots and people who own dogs.

like if taking them out, feeding them, and occasional attention are all someone thinks is required of owning a dog like...idk maybe a dog isnt the right pet to get. that may sound harsh, but ive had and worked with both at this point and honestly i feel like its a disservice to dogs to shoot them down just to illiterate the different needs of parrot ownership.

like, most people underestimate the amount of effort it takes to properly own a dog. im sorry to get miffy but that kinda thinking is a big part of why so many dogs end up in shelters.

i once had a woman who owned a toy poodle balk at me when i told her yes, you have to walk, socialize, and train your dog. every. day.

some breeds require less. some dogs are happy to sit on a couch all day. some are naturally easygoing. but ALL dogs need the basics of training (indoors and outdoors) socialization with people, places, and things, mental and emotional stimulation, and exercise.

parrots are DIFFERENT to dogs in that we know much less about them and they have less ability to tolerate what a dog can. parrots are a wild animal where dogs are domesticated. but they are also very similar. both require daily stimulation from their family, both require structure and a schedule, and both require mental enrichment. but by no means at all would i consider one "easier" than the other. just different.

again i dont mean to get passionate. dogs are the thing i know and have worked with for many years. and its exhausting to see so many good dogs in shelters or put down because people think they are easy and end up with a misunderstood and confused animal.

the only pets ive ever owned that i would call easy are hamsters and to a large degree cats.

again im not trying to put down parrots, or parronts. im one myself! i love my bird and my dog equally, and both require something different from me.

it just saddens me when i see things like "dogs are so easy" smeared all over the place when the reality is different.

for the sake of the millions of dogs put down annually, i hope we can stop belitteling one and instead of saying "dogs are easy, parrots are hard", detail the ways in which parrots need and require our attention and love.

 

[charmedbyekkie]

Mrs. Pants, I think you might be alluding to my comment on a different Off Topic thread. And I just want to apologise.

It's not my intention to say integrating dogs into the family is easy. I've had a dog myself, and I've witnessed the amazing bond that happens with others as well. I've seen the time and dedication go into former stray dogs, rehomed dogs, and even guide dogs.

I did not intend my comment to be a competition between dogs and parrots. My terribly phrased comment I had hoped would highlight that they have very different needs and purely based on my personal experience, which isn't much. Just one sample of 1 human, 1 dog, and 1 parrot isn't much to base a whole stereotype on. I was fortunate to have a chill little mutt who loved lazing on the couch, who expended most of his energy running from room to room and chasing his tail, who didn't care much for tricks or toys. He learned the rules of the house, was nonchalant when kids wanted to play with him, and just wanted to relax with his family. On the flip side of my personal experience, I currently have a high maintenance parrot who toe-taps when I mix in too much pomegranate, who is constantly demanding my attention, whose species is known for plucking, who cannot get enough mental stimulation. And sometimes I miss having my old dog who was just happy to sit with me and get petted. Cairo, on the other hand, hates being touched and only wants to fly or train (occasionally preen), but with me he doesn't quite think chilling is an option. From the moment I come home, I've a bird who is too smart, bending house rules, and sasses back at me. Once I just locked myself in the bathroom because work demands, household responsibilities, partner needs, and bird wants just got too mentally overwhelming, and I never had that feeling with our little mutt boy.

I do agree with you - too many people think dogs are an "easy" pet and that does result in too many dogs in the shelter. My own dog was a shelter dog, and it breaks my heart to see people be so thoughtless - feeding their dogs things they cannot eat, letting the dogs get obese or have other health issues without getting a vet to address it, ignoring signs of skin problems, not caring if they get enough exercise or stimulation.. It's upsetting to see innocent creatures get hurt from human ignorance.

So I apologise for my misstatement. What meant to be a simplified statement for non-parrot owners turned out to be an oversimplification that doesn't accurately weigh both parties.

I'll try to right this by editing the comment.

 

[noodles123]

When done the right way, dogs aren't super easy, BUT they are 100% less complicated--- yes, many people suck at owning them (hence the yapping messes that run around biting ankles, peeing in the house and being carted around by their owners...or pacing on an outdoor "run"...or just biting people out of fear/anxiety or staying outdoors and jumping all over people). There are many terrible dog owners in the world (just in my own neighborhood--upper-middle class people who can't create a routine to save their lives...That is another rant). That having been said, it just sucks because owning a parrot is way harder and, sadly, lots of people who know they can't handle dogs get birds under a crazy assumption that it will be like a hamster with a human vocabulary. If you can't get a dog, don't get a bird, and if you think dogs are hard, birds are way harder--if you can't train your dog not to tear up your stuff and bark non-stop, you have no business getting a bird, period. That is my point. Dogs are smart, excellent animals who deserve respect and training etc, but they more accepting and familiar for most people in some ways (and they have similar respiratory systems and don't hide illness or freak out of minor things)...With so many crappy dog-owners, it is terrifying to think that many people who can't train a dog etc resort to birds. Birds dance to the beat of their own timeline/drum...and since dogs/cats are most people's pet experience, the parallel is drawn...

 

[mrs.pants]

it was definitely more like yourse was the latest i've seen, but you definitely aren't the only person i've seen compare parrots to other animals in terms of ease of care.

i also didn't think it was right for me to hijack another thread to post something that i felt needed some more detail. and i sincerely appreciate your coming here and saying this! I didn't want to call you or anyone else out and i really hope it didn't feel like i was placing all the blame on you or anything. when it comes to dogs, i probably go a bit overkill lol.

like i said, i'm definitely not meaning to attack anyone or shame or anything. i've worked with dogs for a long time, at shelters, the show circuit, rescued, pet retail stores etc. and it's so heartbreaking to see what happens to some of them because people don't realize that they are a commitment. old dogs in shelters cuz "too old", like jeez someone returned a dog once because he was "too nice". like agh....its like they can't win

for myself personally i have a high maintenance dog lol, and a parrot i consider to be high maintenance as well. caiques have a strong personality, are playfully aggressive, and require a lot of stimulation and boundaries and enrichment. my GSD is a high-drive working line dog and she too needs plenty of stimulation, training, and regular socialization to make sure she doesn't become anxious or aggressive. ever since she was 7 weeks old (got her early for Sporting reasons) we've been working on training, socializing, and bonding and it has paid off in ways i can't even describe.

there's a lady at my job who has given her puppy no boundaries because it's a Shih Tzu and she doesn't believe small dogs really need training. well she complains at me every single day how her dog chewed this and chewed that and ate her glasses and she's like "it's hilarious but how do i get him to stop?" and i give her advice about managment and monitoring and redirecting and she just will. not. listen. because most people don't think you need to do those things with small dogs, and then wonder why they become destructive or why they have issues with strangers. i hate when owners laugh at their chihuahuas who shake and snap at everyone "oh he loves me so much" uhm, no your dog is terrified. he's acting out of fear. he's not saying "don't touch my human", he's saying "don't hurt me! if you come near me i will bite!" because his person hasn't taught him to realize people aren't a danger.

some dogs are so fantastic! But yeah like you said it's always best to treat every animal with respect and provide them a stimulating life the same way we'd provide for kids or other loved ones. one dog isn't the norm for all of them. same with birds, and even cats and other pets. some will be high maintenance, some will be easier to take care of, but i feel we owe it to all of them to give them an enriching and loving environment.

i really appreciate you posting here, and really hope no hard feelings about anything!

noodles i definitely agree people tend to think of birds as talking ornaments which is tragic. (if i had a dollar for every "oh you have a bird? does it talk?" i'd be rich) it's partially the fault of pet stores as well that sell parakeets and cockatiels as beginner birds. if you look at some of those "care sheets" it's abysmally inaccurate and lacks what i would consider to be basic care. i do feel that it's a case by case basis, but that yes if you can't handle a dog, you can't handle a bird, but i also feel the same is in reverse.

i feel like easier or harder are misleading terms when they are very different animals. as a wild animal, a parrot will always be more challenging in terms of behavior and lifestyle. a dog as a domesticated animal can, at times, be expected to act a certain way. they can be very easy to predict if you know what you are doing, but parrots are still wild and there is still a lot we don't know about them that makes them a challenging pet overall. i feel like that's understated a lot with parrots when people try to sell them. they are not domesticated. a dog requires a lot of someone physically and mentally. a parrot requires a lot of someone mentally. but both need us to give them a good quality of life and we owe it to them.

regardless, nobody should own a pet they aren't ready to commit to. i think we can all agree on that

 

[noodles123]

it was definitely more like yourse was the latest i've seen, but you definitely aren't the only person i've seen compare parrots to other animals in terms of ease of care.

i also didn't think it was right for me to hijack another thread to post something that i felt needed some more detail. and i sincerely appreciate your coming here and saying this! I didn't want to call you or anyone else out and i really hope it didn't feel like i was placing all the blame on you or anything. when it comes to dogs, i probably go a bit overkill lol.

like i said, i'm definitely not meaning to attack anyone or shame or anything. i've worked with dogs for a long time, at shelters, the show circuit, rescued, pet retail stores etc. and it's so heartbreaking to see what happens to some of them because people don't realize that they are a commitment. old dogs in shelters cuz "too old", like jeez someone returned a dog once because he was "too nice". like agh....its like they can't win

for myself personally i have a high maintenance dog lol, and a parrot i consider to be high maintenance as well. caiques have a strong personality, are playfully aggressive, and require a lot of stimulation and boundaries and enrichment. my GSD is a high-drive working line dog and she too needs plenty of stimulation, training, and regular socialization to make sure she doesn't become anxious or aggressive. ever since she was 7 weeks old (got her early for Sporting reasons) we've been working on training, socializing, and bonding and it has paid off in ways i can't even describe.

there's a lady at my job who has given her puppy no boundaries because it's a Shih Tzu and she doesn't believe small dogs really need training. well she complains at me every single day how her dog chewed this and chewed that and ate her glasses and she's like "it's hilarious but how do i get him to stop?" and i give her advice about managment and monitoring and redirecting and she just will. not. listen. because most people don't think you need to do those things with small dogs, and then wonder why they become destructive or why they have issues with strangers. i hate when owners laugh at their chihuahuas who shake and snap at everyone "oh he loves me so much" uhm, no your dog is terrified. he's acting out of fear. he's not saying "don't touch my human", he's saying "don't hurt me! if you come near me i will bite!" because his person hasn't taught him to realize people aren't a danger.

some dogs are so fantastic! But yeah like you said it's always best to treat every animal with respect and provide them a stimulating life the same way we'd provide for kids or other loved ones. one dog isn't the norm for all of them. same with birds, and even cats and other pets. some will be high maintenance, some will be easier to take care of, but i feel we owe it to all of them to give them an enriching and loving environment.

i really appreciate you posting here, and really hope no hard feelings about anything!

I agree--- like I said above---many people have these terribly neglected dogs that they cart around etc..but...the thing is, training a dog is way easier as long as you are consistent. We have never had issues with our dogs biting, jumping, chewing or peeing...and that is because when they did, it was immediately addressed and it was consistent every time. The way you talk to a dog is different from how you talk to a parrot in a similar situation...Saying NO firmly and taking the dog outside would be like a reward to a bird...I have trained many dogs, but parrots are a bigger challenge. At the end of the day, dogs just like people more because they are into the whole "dominance" thing...and birds, not so much. I am not saying all dogs are submissive-- sometimes they feel dominant in a home (edit---I too am a believer in positive reinforcement etc--you know I love ABA for dogs or birds), but dogs seem to respond to it faster than parrots.

 

[mrs.pants]

I agree--- like I said above---many people have these terribly neglected dogs that they cart around etc..but...the thing is, training a dog is way easier as long as you are consistent. We have never had issues with our dogs biting, jumping, chewing or peeing...and that is because when they did, it was immediately addressed and it was consistent every time. The way you talk to a dog is different from how you talk to a parrot in a similar situation...Saying NO firmly and taking the dog outside would be like a reward to a bird...I have trained many dogs, but parrots are a bigger challenge. At the end of the day, dogs just like people more because they are into the whole "dominance" thing...and birds, not so much. I am not saying all dogs are submissive-- sometimes they feel dominant in a home, but I do not see this with parrots.

tbh i approach dog and bird ownership in a similar way. the specifics may be different, but they are similar animals in principle. a lot of advice i see here for birds is almost identical to what i would tell someone working with a dog having the same issues.

dog training can be a highly debated and heated topic. which is definitely not something i'd want to have happen here since we may or may not have the same training methods or ideals. my own experiences and guidance of other trainers have lead me to believe many things.

i am mostly positive reinforcement, and a huge supporter of management training (aka undivided supervision to prevent the development of bad behaviors or accidents). the idea of "dominance" in dogs is very misplaced. dogs are social animals, not pack animals. they have an instinctive need to provide for themselves. theoretically and arguably, dogs love people because they are social, but also we satisfy core survival needs (newer theories suggest dogs domesticated themselves).

when dogs test boundaries they are acting as they would naturally and/or trying to satisfy a primal need like chewing, foraging, or chasing. they aren't being dominate, they're having a disagreement with us. unfortunately the way they file complaints is very different lol.

a lot of what people have issues with are natural and healthy behaviors in their own right. we basically rewire them to fit our lifestyle, but we are fighting their natural instincts.

idk if you've ever seen those videos where someone will get mad at people for speaking a different language and yell "speak english!" that's exactly what we do with dogs. we tell them not to do something that is natural for them, because it is not natural for us. it's literally a culture clash. and like the people in those videos being chastised, dog's don't always appreciate that. in most cases dogs learn to obey because they get things that satisfy their core survival instincts - food, social interaction, etc. some dogs aren't so easily convinced our way is best, which is why it's important to show them that compliance with us is much more rewarding than the opposite. sadly, sometimes people use pain, force, or punishment.

birds have different social norms than dogs.

birds are also more delicate than dogs and are susceptible to many more hazards that we deem benign.

part of a birds social instinct is oral communication, and they are loud. dogs don't bark for communication with each other. dogs who bark excessively don't need to be corrected, they need their owners to realize they are not providing adequate stimulation and possibly an improper diet. birds however, that's just how they are, we can't change that. it's a different sort of challenge. one requires us to change, one requires us to accept.

dogs can also learn - through training and management early on - how to live unattended in our home. birds are natural foragers and very curious creatures that always need management when out. one requires early continuous training for long term rewards, one requires long term management for continuous rewards.

but both have an instinctive need to provide for themselves. both can be trained. and both can reject training for the same reasons.

we believe dogs are supposed to listen, even if what we expect realistically goes against many of their natural instincts and even if some of their behavioral issues are the result of us not providing for them adequately.

in the bird community i notice many people say "it's not the bird, it's you." whereas sadly in the dog world i hear a lot of people say "here is how you change the dog." we need more "it's not the dog, it's you" in this world. thankfully i have seen more trainers realizing this lately.

a lot of my beliefs regarding both are why i feel this way. but i admit i have much more experience with dogs than birds. i have a lot to learn about them still.

birds absolutely have their own unique challenges and needs that require special attention to detail. i will not deny that whatsoever. but i've never found either one to be harder or easier than the other. only different.

i like the idea that if you can't own a dog you can't own a bird better than "dogs are easy compared to birds." because that is incredibly misleading and not always true. me personally, i would never recommend a dog to someone who can't handle a bird.

i did not want this to be as long as it was! i am so sorry!

 

[charmedbyekkie]

I think you nailed it on the head what we (or least I) so awkwardly try to get to:

i like the idea that if you can't own a dog you can't own a bird better than "dogs are easy compared to birds."

 

[noodles123]

I didn't mean to imply that showing displays of dominance is the way to train a dog. I agree with what you said about positive reinforcement etc as well. Yes, dogs require work and training and time. I have never kept my dog in a cage all day, but I imagine that I would have some issues with behaviors if I did. You are totally correct that both require patience, understanding of behavior, time and energy. I don't mean to downplay dogs.

I guess what I am trying to say is that, to a lot of people, dogs feel more intuitive and they seem to blend more seamlessly into human life...Not without work or time of course! If you forget the training part of things, there are still some quirky complications that come with birds (just due to their physiology etc).

Training excluded, here are some of the major perks of dog ownership vs bird ownership--totally unrelated to intelligence etc:
-Dogs come without Teflon issues
- no major temperature sensitivities (if your dog is inside with you by a vent, it isn't going to get sick, and if you walk your dog in the summer or winter, it will be fine within reason)
-cleaning products aren't as big of an issue around dogs (they are safe enough),
- dogs can't fly.
-scented products and candles can be used around them (within reason).
- You can walk a leash-trained dog for exercise or run one in a fenced area...but with birds, to get the same impact, you are looking at controversial practices, such as free-flight training.
- transportation is simpler (especially by car)
-they can be trained to go to the bathroom outside--while a bird can be potty-trained, it happens inside the house (unless you have an aviary, temperate climate etc).
-You can get a fenced yard and use that while playing with your dog---only zoos have aviaries that would be semi-comparable for birds.
-boarding a dog is less risky in terms of disease....as are doggy play-dates (assuming all members are vaccinated and wormed)
-you can leave a trained dog to roam your home without issue while you are out...but I wouldn't trust the best of birds to roam my home all day safely. I very rarely have ever caged our dogs over the years (except super early on at night w/ puppies).
-putting a leash on a dog for the first time might be a difficult feat, but putting a harness on a bird without warning will likely result in a bite and extreme fear.
-Dogs are calmer about change and new things 90% of the time...
-You can get a dog a toy and generally, unless it has some crazy trauma, it will either A) play with it happily or B) ignore it completely. You don't have to introduce it slowly and make sure you don't terrify the dog with the toy...or if you change a dog's water dish, it isn't going to be terrified and refuse to drink.
-Dogs sleep when they are tired and don't get all bent out of shape over bed-time routines and sleep requirements.
-Dogs are more hearty (in terms of illness, microbes etc)-If a dog picks up a stick outside, you don't have to worry about bacteria or the history of pesticides in the area ...and you certainly don't have to be as cautious about finding stainless steel everything.
- Dog vets are plentiful.
-It's easier to tell when a dog is sick or in pain.
- While dogs can and do bite (or even kill) if improperly trained or mistreated, birds use their beaks to communicate to a greater extent..I mean, have spent all of my life around dogs and I have never been bitten... even by poorly behaved dogs. I can't imagine having to tell someone "don't touch my dog- he might bite you." (unless I was rehabilitating an abused dog or something). Birds on the other hand are far less predictable and even the well-behaved ones occasionally bite.
- Dogs generally will like their owners as long as they treat them kindly and feed them...they go with the flow and their preferences are less black and white.
- They don't live as long (sadly), but that is also less complicated.
- Dogs are LESS prone towards self-injurious behavior (not saying it never happens though).
- It is easier to include dogs in daily activities, as they can follow you around the house with ease and a well-trained adult dog isn't generally going to chew wires or tear up carpet once. Our trained adult dogs never chew on anything besides bones, their toys, and paper-towel tubes. While both need to chew, a bird's need to shred etc is stronger and I wouldn't trust training to stop them from getting into things if left unattended.
-Finally, if visiting friends/family, a trained dog doesn't have to travel with a massive cage. Nor do you have to warn them about what cooking/cleaning products are safe. If you bring a bird to a friend's house and they use a bunch of Teflon, you are in a bad situation.

 

[LordTriggs]

I think in regards to the "allergens" as I'll describe them dogs are a lot easier, also in terms of reading their emotions as we've evolved to read each other's emotions. Lastly toys and supplies are far more readily available for a dog.

but Ultimately, having had dogs, cats, birds, fish, hamsters, rabbits I would say dogs are the hardest to look after. You need to put time aside to walk them, they need to be socialized far more to avoid injuring people when out for a walk, they can be far more destructive if they wish, and the mess they can leave if not toilet trained can be horrific! (plus the smell, god)

Fish I also find hard to look after (tropical fish mostly) due to the sheer amount of cleaning required in their tanks and their ability to suddenly cannibalize each other. Hamsters aren't too hard IMO mainly due to their size making them easy to let run around an enclosure. I would then say Cats are fairly easy (though potential vet bills can be costly) I've always had roaming cats so sometimes they come back having been in a fight but with them it was just a case of food and water and changing flea collars (I was the one left in charge as the cats were perfectly happy only with me changing the collars, and some good cuddling and tickling of them.

Rabbits on the whole I don't find too hard, slightly more than cats due to them needing some exercise requiring a rabbit run and the vet bills due to the problems they can develop

Birds I find the hardest part is the initial adjustment of allergens and observation of behavior. Once you find a good place for toys and food that's easy, once you get a vet that's sorted, but ultimately birds require the least change in day to day life IMO, they're happy to hang out, or they fly off the do their own thing, they have an enclosure to keep them out of trouble, their leavings are fairly inoffensive.

Each pet comes up with their ups and downs. You just gotta look at each pet realistically to decide what's best for you

 

[itzjbean]

A great topic for discussion!

I own both a dog (a huge 100 lb. Doberman) and birds.

Both require a lot of work! But different kinds of work.

We did more training with our dog. He's house trained, very obedient and knows birds are part of the family. When we aren't at work he is with us all the time. But when I have my birds out he knows it's time to lay down and not bother mom and dad while they play with the birds.

Depending on the bird, and depending on the breed of dog, there's some fluctuation in levels of work with both. But same general rules... our dog needs daily walks and our birds need daily flying in the living room to be happy. Both require grooming (depending on dog) and nail clipping. Both require vet visits, though there are no vaccinations for birds, but birds can get sick very suddenly.

Dogs get you up moving and exercising, whereas you can sort of sit in the room with the birds and let them out of the cage and they're happy like that. But some people also take their bids out on leashes and let them exercise that way outside.

Maybe my point is... I can't live without either! Both are different in their own ways and similar in others.

 

[Terry57]

This is a great discussion, and I love how everyone is stating their opinions with respect.
I love this statement:

i like the idea that if you can't own a dog you can't own a bird better than "dogs are easy compared to birds."

I have had dogs who are harder, and birds who are harder. I don't find either to be what I would call easy, if they are treated as they should be.
They are all individuals, some with more baggage or health concerns than others.

 

[mrs.pants]

yes love all of this!!

i think thats what i was most worried about and what most troubled me, is that the term easier can be very misleading to people.

dogs are very hearty by comparison to most pets and the resources for them are arguably better. i only say arguably because for every 10 vets in our area there is maybe 1 who is actually good. vets get away with a lot because of owner ignorance or their own pride. i knew a woman once who a vet killed their entire litter because he didnt listen to the breeder and kept waiting and ignoring her advice/experience. idk why she didnt oeave immediately to go to another vet but not everyone has the option.

i think also easier or harder is very subjective.itsjbean made a great point too. all of my birds needs can relatively be satisfied in my own home. he needs supervision because hes a glass child lol, but i can sit on the couch or bed and play with him. my dog is high drive, so i need to be up and out with her and GSDs require regular socialization outside the house to prevent a slew of issues. my dog exhausts me, my bird doesnt. and thats mostly why i dont like the term easier. i like lord triggs phrasing, the initial investment and prep for a bird can be extensive, but once you have that its relatively routine.

fish, oh goodness fish! nothing has stumped me more in my entire life than aquarium care. do everything by the book and watch your tank nose dive. and sometimes the culprit is something as simple as hard water! its been quite a few years since my last tank but i would own 10 parrots before i owned another fish tank. but thats just me lol.

hamsters have been the easiest pet for me overall. i bred dwarf hamsters and at the largest my hamstery was in the 30s. maintenance is involved but you can spread it out. the hamsters themselves only need a relatively small amount of out of cage time a day and are small enough to be handled with ease. i used to enclose an area on my computer desk and let them run wild. its pretty interesting trying to type around a scurrying hammy lol.

im def glad to hear other peoples opinions and experience. ive had dogs, cats, fish, hamsters, and birds and worked with all including reptiles (shudder, they spook me!) but dogs i have the most experience with.

 

[riddick07]

I’ve never kept anything I find overly difficult & I’ve had snakes, lizards, birds, tarantulas, roach colonies, ferrets, rabbits, hamsters, sugar gliders, Guinea pigs, horses, gerbils, rats, dogs, cats, fish, & probably some stuff I’m not remembering when I was younger lol

I probably find dogs the most annoying but that’s because I have a pretty bad temper. I started being able to control it around when I was around 9 & most people wouldnt even guess I had one anymore but for some reason dogs spark it. So I generally don’t stay around them long. Cats sometimes spark it too but they generally leave me alone quicker so it’s no big deal. Don’t get me wrong I love dogs and visiting them is great fun but I’m not their person so they aren’t up my butt in my space nonstop. I’d need a dog who isn’t up my butt every two seconds if I got one haha. It’s weird since my macaw follows me around nonstop and that doesn’t bother me but dogs & cats following me around & laying on me or sticking their nose in my face drives me crazy. It’s probably a space thing or something.

The hardest animals I owned were the horses when I was primary caregiver. Had 5 horses at the time & was in charge of the barn. So food, water, cleaning, exercise, maintence all mine to handle. That was harder. It’s much easier when you just pay someone else to board & care for them at their place lol

Right now the hardest part is the sheer number of animals I own, so it takes a lot of time. I’m always cleaning & feeding something or other. Reptiles are only hard in the sense you have to monitor their temps & humidity so they don’t get sick. Or if you have an eater that won’t take stuff that’s easy to find.

I think a lot of people just don’t take into account their own personalities too when looking to get an animal. It’s not always that something that’s hard to care for is the problem. It’s more about what they can tolerate themselves. Like I have a lot of animals & they amount to way more work than a dog but they don’t need me to interact with them to be happy so I don’t have a problem with it. To me the one dog is way more work than 100 other various animals even though I know that isn’t actually true lol.

 

[Kiwibird]

Personally, I think the statement “birds aren’t dogs” isn’t really eluding to the fact dogs are “easy” pets, more that dogs are so common and have been part of human cultures for so long most people, even those who’ve never owned a dog, have a good idea of what to expect from them behaviorally and a general idea of how to train them. They are also similar to us as mammals who have few natural predators that live in large groups with a social hierarchy we can easily understand/relate to. Not to mention most breeds have been selectively bred by our species for thousands of years to have traits our species prefer/find desirable.

Parrots, on the other hand, are effectively wild prey animals of an entirely different class of animals , making them much more ‘mysterious’ as they are so different from us. It’s not necessarily as “intuitive” to the majority of people what to expect and how to properly interact with them.

 

[SailBoat]

Excellent discussion!

Warning, excessive dry humor follows!

I have been finding myself recommending the grossly miss-understood and under-appreciated Pet Rock. A Pet that just finds our modern time of excessively limited time for anything beyond oneself, a perfect fit.

The members of this Forum would clearly find the Pet Rock likely too simple, requiring just too little time and likely not providing any real return of any companionship! But it would be perfectly happy sitting next to the computer or electronic gaming device of those individuals that find our seemly excessive efforts over the top craziness.

So, when you find yourself at a loss to explaining your Pet craziness, just recommend the not so famous Pet Rock.

For the rest of us Pet Crazy People; its a big family and like any family it includes all kinds of crazy people.

 

[Allee]

This is a great thread topic! I’ve also noticed the animosity between dog owners versus bird owners even among those who own both. I’ve always been curious why admiring a parrot’s intelligence requires some people to question the intelligence of dogs or the difficulty of caring for either one or both.

My view on dogs may be a bit different, I’ve lived with dogs for more than thirty years, three dogs or more. I worked for a vet for a couple of years and learned grooming because a lot of his customers wanted the service. Most of our family photos include at least one dog, usually more. Currently we have a pack of five, our two year old English cream golden retriever spends his time with my husband at his city apartment during the week and comes home with his dad for weekends, my husband has spent more than a year training Reedus in bikejoring, most would consider Reedus a very well trained dog. I have an eleven year old female Yorkie who is almost blind but she’s enjoying her senior status and golden years. My son is a disabled American veteran, after sixteen years of service he and his ESA dog live with me for now, he rescued Jane from beneath a car in a parking lot in Vegas before his accident and major back surgery, she was close to death, then this tiny shorkie rescued him. Then we have Dani, my husband found her on his father’s ranch, a filthy bag of bones, she’s been with us for a year, she’s a mixed breed with a lot of border collie and she has the sweetest personality. Our youngest pack member, Murphy’s Law is a shorkie from an unwanted litter, he spends his time annoying his family, my son calls him turd nugget or goofy nuts more than he calls him Murphy. Dani adopted Murphy the night I brought him home, she’s potty trained him, taught him to control his inner puppy and plays with him constantly. All that to say, dogs have personalities, they are highly intelligent and some of us can’t imagine the world without them in it. I adore my parrots, every one of them but if I need a hug, I grab one of the dogs that are almost always within reach.

I’ve had several demanding jobs and a very demanding career, the most difficult by far was being a mom, no owner’s manual, ugh, I can’t imagine anything more difficult to care for than human children, after that, everything else was for the most part, a walk in the park on a sunny day, okay, I’m exaggerating, pet care presents a plethora of challenges, parrots are no exception, the learning curve was tremendous until I found this forum, shared experiences and knowledge make all the difference. I’m not nearly as gifted at parrot care after five years as I am with dogs after thirty but I like to think we’re all comfortable in each other’s company.

Maybe it isn’t the IQ of the pets or the skills of the caregiver, maybe it’s more the learning curve and the combination of personalities involved, patience, tolerance, acceptance, resourcefulness, time, effort and mostly love, it makes us family.

This is a family project we decided to take on and one I had little experience with, we have all been sciencing this project in our spare moments, the info is out there to sort through. So many opinions and so much information, it makes my head hurt, parrots are far easier simply because chicks are a brand new experience. Then I sit cross legged on the floor and play with the little peeps and I know we’ll get it all figured out. We’re building them an outside habitat while they grow in the guest room.









Sorry, didn’t mean to ramble but the topic was too intriguing to resist.

 

[sadpomoich]

I have 2 dogs (actually one dog is mine, and one is parents) and I never had a parrot, only my friend did. From the deep childhood I was a dog lover because they are cute, kind and strong enough to secure your house. They can be angry and nice, happy and sad, you see the full specter of their emotions and you can find out how your dog feels just by looking at him. One thing is that, you have to really be responsible with dogs because they can go where they shouldn’t, they can eat the things that are bad for their health (for example, your puppy eats clothes or dishes), and it is obviously very dangerous for them. In parrots I see only one advantage comparing to the dogs – they can learn some words or sometimes even phrases, and it seems super fun.