Getting a dog

[ParrotsForLife]

I'll do my best to be polite here!!!

I'm a bit of a nosey know it all when it comes to dogs. I've more or less had them in my life in one way or another. A dog and a bird in a house can be a bit of a difficult experience. The thing with dogs is that no matter how well they are trained and disciplined, they can "snap" in the presence of a bird and kind of just attack it. More than often they do this in a "playful" manner, not with the intention of harming them. However, dogs can underestimate their own strength and sudden kicks of instinct and end up injuring a parrot. Naturally, without MEANING to do so - this has happened with the most sweetest and obedient dogs.

Essentially, dogs are predator animals, while parrots are prey. Dogs can sometimes have that tiny instinct kick in and go "ITS A THING! I WANNA CHASE IT AND BITE IT! YEAH" and go and attack the bird without, as I said earlier, with the intent to harm it. My sister owns a Finnish Lapphund and everytime he comes for a visit, we don't let Simo out of his cage. They have a herding instinct of sorts and we don't really trust him around Simo when he's free. That having said I must mention that Simo loves to throw stuff at him from his cage and purposefully wakes him up from naps XD.

I keep repeating the phrase "I'M NEW HERE, I DON'T KNOW MUCH". This is the case with this opinion too, but I base it on my experience with dogs. If you do decide to get a dog, and you do let your parrots be free, ALWAYS, and ALWAYS be present when they are in the same space. Even if they are perched higher and out of the dog's reach. Make sure you don't leave them alone, even for a second.

I've heard many a sad story where a genuinely sweet puppy jumped an african grey because instinct simply kicked in. Some dogs have that instinct to a lesser degree, it's true - but they still have it. Please be very, very very cautious if you do get a dog. You could also simply keep them apart if you have doors and gates. Make sure the dogs are in a certain part of a house and the parrots in their own place.

Ultimately I have to be honest and say that the idea is a bit iffyish to me, but if you make sure they both don't have access to each other's places, it could perhaps, work out?

A cautionary tale (though it features no bird): I once took the doggy for a walk - and he saw a squirrel. He bolted with such incredible momentum that he pulled me with it, causing me to misstep and literally bending my foot in half from the force. And this is a puppy who is admittedly extremely dumb, and hardly EVER chases anything, birds or cats or squirrels. But something just snapped in his pea brain and caused him to bolt. I would have NEVER in a million years expected this - my sister, his owner, was also amazed when I told the story. He's never done anything like it before.

Summa summarum: even if a dog is ultra trustworthy like that, the remnants of instinct may kick in when you least expect it. (never for humans - but for small animals like that. especially terriers and herding dogs.) So uh... yeah! Just be careful, I'd say?

I didn't read all this because I am not getting a dog yet until my mam is ready for another dog, it will be a family dog and wont be in the birds room so thats not a problem and actually not all dogs just SNAP but anyways I have no worries I know my birds are in good hands and not ever paws.

[Chantilly]

I'll do my best to be polite here!!!

I'm a bit of a nosey know it all when it comes to dogs. I've more or less had them in my life in one way or another. A dog and a bird in a house can be a bit of a difficult experience. The thing with dogs is that no matter how well they are trained and disciplined, they can "snap" in the presence of a bird and kind of just attack it. More than often they do this in a "playful" manner, not with the intention of harming them. However, dogs can underestimate their own strength and sudden kicks of instinct and end up injuring a parrot. Naturally, without MEANING to do so - this has happened with the most sweetest and obedient dogs.

Essentially, dogs are predator animals, while parrots are prey. Dogs can sometimes have that tiny instinct kick in and go "ITS A THING! I WANNA CHASE IT AND BITE IT! YEAH" and go and attack the bird without, as I said earlier, with the intent to harm it. My sister owns a Finnish Lapphund and everytime he comes for a visit, we don't let Simo out of his cage. They have a herding instinct of sorts and we don't really trust him around Simo when he's free. That having said I must mention that Simo loves to throw stuff at him from his cage and purposefully wakes him up from naps XD.

I keep repeating the phrase "I'M NEW HERE, I DON'T KNOW MUCH". This is the case with this opinion too, but I base it on my experience with dogs. If you do decide to get a dog, and you do let your parrots be free, ALWAYS, and ALWAYS be present when they are in the same space. Even if they are perched higher and out of the dog's reach. Make sure you don't leave them alone, even for a second.

I've heard many a sad story where a genuinely sweet puppy jumped an african grey because instinct simply kicked in. Some dogs have that instinct to a lesser degree, it's true - but they still have it. Please be very, very very cautious if you do get a dog. You could also simply keep them apart if you have doors and gates. Make sure the dogs are in a certain part of a house and the parrots in their own place.

Ultimately I have to be honest and say that the idea is a bit iffyish to me, but if you make sure they both don't have access to each other's places, it could perhaps, work out?

A cautionary tale (though it features no bird): I once took the doggy for a walk - and he saw a squirrel. He bolted with such incredible momentum that he pulled me with it, causing me to misstep and literally bending my foot in half from the force. And this is a puppy who is admittedly extremely dumb, and hardly EVER chases anything, birds or cats or squirrels. But something just snapped in his pea brain and caused him to bolt. I would have NEVER in a million years expected this - my sister, his owner, was also amazed when I told the story. He's never done anything like it before.

Summa summarum: even if a dog is ultra trustworthy like that, the remnants of instinct may kick in when you least expect it. (never for humans - but for small animals like that. especially terriers and herding dogs.) So uh... yeah! Just be careful, I'd say?

I cant agree with you more Viatrixa! Our female Staffy is a really quick hunter with a good aim. The other day she killed a very vicious reptile as big as her because it was 'fun'... she has killed eastern browns and all. (huge 1.5 meter ones) ... If one of our ducks flies into the yard she noticably makes an effort not to attack because ahe knows she is not allowed, hence they last a little bit longer, but after a minute or two it kicks in, and she cant resist the game.
Our male is stupid (seriously, he is so... i feel bad saying this but he is very dumb) and same thing happens to him, even if he knows NO, he just cant help it.

[ParrotsForLife]

Some dogs have a higher prey drive than others

[liz]

The instinct is activated by quick movement. Even in my strange household the dogs react to fast movement. Riddick will bark at Myrtle when she flies by him even though these critters are always together.

I have to add "don't try this at home". I don't know why my critters get along but the family will welcome any new one that I tell them will be added to the family.

[Wolf]

I have both dogs and cats, one cat for each bird, if the birds ever get that hungry. But they are never unsupervised when out and the birds are all in their cages even if I just go into the bathroom. Still a bird is the natural prey for both dogs and cats and instinct can kick in at anytime especially when the dog or cat is just waking up and a bird flies by or if it is asleep and the bird flies over to it and startles it awake. I have also noted that the smaller birds attract the dog or cats attention the quickest, I think that this is due to the way that their wing flap during flight. They smaller birds wing beats sound more like a flutter of wings while the larger birds have more individual sounding wing beats. A larger bird that is injured or sick enough that it can't fly properly also flutters when it tries to fly and that means it is an easy meal for any predator.

It can work as long as the human remains vigilant, just be careful because humans are not fast enough, they must see, comprehend the danger and begin to act to prevent it by the time the dog or cat becomes interested in the bird, and separate them.