Introducing myself

[Wondertwin]

Only myself, as our family is just starting to research bird ownership. I made an account here after going through many videos on care and training, lots of great information to be had. I'm the mom part of a 4 person family interested in having a pet bird. Our kids are 6 and 11, and we live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area of Texas.

We also have 2 dogs. I know a dog is not a cat is not a parrot, but since they're my pet owner experience baseline I feel it's fair to say something of how they're raised. I'm a stay at home mom with busy kids, so the dogs are always with us in some way. They're very well obedience and trick trained (I have time on my hands) and crate trained. They are not allowed in bedrooms or upstairs, which is where a bird we get would have its cage (at least initially) for some peace. The humans go upstairs a lot, but not the dogs. Both dogs are fed raw but will eat a back up grain free kibble for any boarding or "just in case" scenarios, and get regular grooming and vet care. Both were also rescues, one we got past the socialization stage, but the other was very well socialized. Both are still very well behaved, you do what you can with the time you get.

We're pretty homebound as far as travel goes with my husbands job as it is, but we do plenty of staycations. If we're gone, it's generally for the weekend. I've researched some avian vets, and boarding, though for a bird I would prefer a friends house provided the bird was comfortable and socialized. Those needs can be met easily however it plays out. I've looked at diets, training, behavior, and body language. Only one thing is left: what kind of bird? My husband likes birds a lot, but the commitment to a larger bird or long lived one scares him, as does one that is temperamental, moody, or naturally inclined to screaming/shrieking. I'm thinking budgie or lovebird? I'm leaning toward budgie though, everything I read about them has them as super sweet and trusting once they're comfy and settled.

Thanks for reading, any input on another parrot would be appreciated if it sounds like a good fit.

[pennyandrocky]

hi, a lot of bird people don't agree with dogs/cats living with birds but I have had both live with my birds. but there are exceptions depending on what kind of dog and whether you plan to keep your bird flighted. the reason I say this is because of penny he was my cousin's bird and he had a companion named kudder both birds were clipped and while playing one day penny pushed or chased kudder right into the jaws of my uncles 2 spaniels, bird dogs used for hunting. my cousin blamed penny and called me crying about how she couldn't take looking at penny anymore. so I brought my over for a play date to see how they got along. luckily they became fast friends so he came to live with us. my pitbull has been raised with birds since she was a puppy and enjoys their leftover chop/ pellets but when she hears flapping she runs away.

[Polly-anna97]

Welcome!

[Pajarita]

Well, with young children and dogs, your best bet is a non-interactive pair of a small species so, yes, either lovebirds or budgies are a great idea. Both species are beautiful, not hard to feed well and do great on their own as long as they have a large flight cage and company of their own species. I always recommend a male-female pair because it does for a happier life for them than a friend of the same gender but, if you are going to go with two of the same, you need to consider that you can't have two female lovebirds together, you need two males or male/female. Budgies are easier in that sense because they get along with the same gender and you can easily sex them visually while lovebirds require DNA'ing. Plus, budgies will not lay without a nest unless they are overly hormonal while lovies would. Both species need to be kept at a solar schedule because the risk of chronic laying is very high with them as they are both highly opportunistic breeders.

[Harpmaker]

Welcome to the forum, Wondertwin!

What do you want your bird(s) to do? Stay in the aviary with limited interaction through the bars? That might be the best thing with young children, but it requires more than one bird and a LARGE cage for the birds to be happy.

Talk? Budgies have the Guiness record for vocabulary, but not all of them talk. I kept them off and on for more than 20 years, and not one ever said a single human word. I loved them all anyway. But unless you adopt a budgie that is already talking, you don't know that they ever will. And talking budgies needing a new home are rare birds.

Do tricks? Budgies can be trained if you are smart enough to tell them what you want in a way they understand. So can all the larger parrots, but most of them will bond with one person and have a number that they tolerate. Lovebirds may only pay attention to each other--and they NEED another lovebird to bond with to avoid lifetime misery.

So you ought to tell us what you want a bird FOR so we can advise you well.

[Wondertwin]

Thanks so much for the input and welcome! I've been a reading a lot on how to introduce the dog/parrot(s?) to prepare. We do obedience training daily because it's fun, so I'm going to really lean into "leave it" and "stay" with distraction. Our dogs are a Great Pyrenees (livestock guardian) and our other is an older black lab. The only time I've ever seen them with birds is when the nesting Mockingbirds were divebombing the lab when we moved in, we didn't have the GP at the time. She was like "What did I do???!" but just ran to the door to come in and escape them. They don't do that anymore, but they're a brave bird in general, and once fed they hop right into the garage to see whats up if the door is open and the car is gone. The GP found what looked like a starling that had died somehow, maybe flying into a window of the house, it was lying on the grass. She laid down with it and wouldn't even let the lab sniff it. Just sat there with it until I got a trashbag and took it away. I have a picture of it, it was the darndest thing, like she lost one of backyard charges.

We're putting in new floors and I'm repainting the house (myself, the worst. But the downstairs is done.) which will be a process likely through September, so we have time. No VOC primer and paint, but will probably then buy a quality cage, continue with the dogs, settle on a parrot breed, and be ready to look at breeders after the holidays. I don't want to bring a new animal into HoLiDaY MaNiA time! So I have breed prospects and timeline which is nice.

Update of note: while I was typing the op last night, my husband was talking about it with some coworkers. One of them has a CAG and 2 Senegals. He went to his house after work because he also has 2 boxers, and got some insight into how he trained the dogs and how they react. We're going to meet them next this weekend, I'm kind of excited for that

[Wondertwin]

Harpmaker thanks for the reply! I'm okay with a talker or not, but I do want a parrot that will come out and hang out with the family. Like my husband I'd avoid innate shriekers/screamers though. I'm reading Sun Conures are into that, so if that's so they're out. Noise is a fact I know, and sometimes mood and environment related but I'd rather a whistler/singer/clicker/general noisemaker than a ear splitter. I like the little budgies, they're cute. We're vigilant with the dogs despite them being well trained on house boundaries and behavior, plus they've been crate trained for years and have places they can be secure to indoors on a leash. I think we're ok, but we don't lean on training itself, the dogs always have us here watching. The kids are much more trainable than the dogs, and the animals well being comes before kid happiness regarding interaction. My 11yr old I don't worry about, my 6yr old will need to learn to approach a cage and talk quietly regardless of the type we get before he even extends his hand with a treat let alone touch.

Anyway long story short, My husband and I are always home, often at the same time since he can work from home as well as go to the office. We've got time for a social bird, will know more after this weekend likely when we meet our friends birds.

[Lady]

Hi Wondertwin,

Nice to meet you. Planning for a new member of the family is exciting and yes, there is much to consider. It's great to know that you and your family are not in a rush and have plenty of time to explore all your options. I do not have enough experience to make a comment on your decision making but wanted to welcome you and let you know I am looking forward to reading what you and your family decide on getting, as well as how your lives become enriched by the new members presents.

[Wondertwin]

Thanks very much lady! I love the initial research part of deciding on anything from paint to plants to pets. My nerd shows at the prospect of something new haha. A living thing is a big deal, gotta go into it when your time and knowledge are best matched for success because even then things can happen and adapting from a point of prepared is best! A part of me is like "We'll totally be ready by November, jeez!" but I'm slowing my own roll because the holidays are kid time. A parrot will have a whole year to adapt, and by next season we'll know it well enough to not freak it out ideally. Lights and singing and parties and kitchen mania are not a good thing upon arrival on top of new people, house, and dogs. We're boring from January to October so it's ideal. Plus it allows for cage splurge!

[Pajarita]

OK, there are a couple of things you need to take into consideration:

1 - Whole family interaction. Most likely (and I am talking 95%), this won't happen. Parrots are monogamous birds and they tend to bond with only one person. Depending on the species, the bird will ignore or attack the rest of the family (senegals are known for this but greys, cockatoos, amazons, etc do it, too). Nature did not create them to bond with several individuals, she created them to bond with one and co-habit with the rest of the flock but (and this is a BIG but) their mate never interacts with the rest of the flock as we do with our husbands, children, dogs, etc. and this is where the problem arises.

2 - Low noise. Parrots vocalizations are meant to be heard over a large territory and over the vocalization of the other flock members so, when there is noise in the house, the respond by vocalizing at a louder level. Normally, children are noisy (TV, video games, arguments, etc) so expect your parrot to be noisy, too. Quiet birds only happen in certain species that are very content with their lives and living in a quiet home because even a 'quiet' species will scream when there is background noise. It's inevitable.

3 - Dogs and birds. It's not so much a matter of training the dogs, it's a matter of reflexive behaviors on their part (dogs is half-asleep, sees something flying out of the corner of his eye, jumps up and grabs it - it did not mean to hurt the bird, it just reacted reflexively) and stress for the bird. Parrots are prey animals, dogs are predators so, for a parrot to live with a dog that is not restricted to a space, it's the same as us living with a panther roaming inside the house. The panther might be very well fed, tame and old but we would still be wary of it, wouldn't we? And wary means stress which means a shorter life.

Lots of people will tell you that they have dogs and birds with no problem but I know of a macaw that had lived for years and years with two dogs with not a single problem until one day, one of the dogs grabbed his tail and pulled all the feathers out. No big deal, you might say. And it wouldn't have been except the macaw started mutilating himself there and it took two surgeries and wearing an e-collar for six months for him to get better and he never regained all his rectrices, either.