What Kind Of Dogs Are Good With Parrots Or Birds

Living with dogs and cats as part of your family is nice. Many people would also like to have birds, especially Parrots, alongside dogs. Good idea but it’s that simple. Animals like dogs are typically predators by nature.

Although after a series of cross-breeding, their wildness has been reduced much, the natural traits of being a hunter still exist in them. So, they are naturally tempted to attack the prey whenever they find one. The birds on the other hand have been a favorite prey for the wild animals.

So, there’s always a risk of your favorite parrots being attacked by your beloved dog. Therefore, it is not easy to train both the birds and the dogs to live calmly and friendly together in the same place. But it can be done. You only need to train both of them, especially the dogs to learn how to live together with the birds.

How To Train A Dog To Live With The Birds?

Historically, dogs and birds have a natural relationship of being hunter and victim. Quite unfortunate for the birds. But fortunately enough, it’s easy to train the dogs to accept the presence of birds in the same home. The only thing you need to do is to train your dog to live alongside the birds. Let’s explore how?

1. Appropriate Age To Start Training The Dogs

When to start training your dog to live with birds is debatable. Normally, it is believed that most of the training should be started right from his childhood but there are different points of view when it comes to getting him familiarized with the birds.

Well, the best time for a dog’s training to co-exist with parrots and other birds is when he’s grown up, not very young. So, the best age to start training the dog to live peacefully with the birds is when he is more than 8-10 months old.

2. Give Him Time To Be Familiarized With The Birds

Characteristically, a dog needs to learn how to live with birds because he’s a hunter. So, it is important to introduce him to the birds. It is a slow process, so you need to be patient. Give your dog reasonable time to learn.

It would be wise to keep the birds in cages. Bring your dog close to these cages but keep him leashed. Otherwise, he may get out of control and most likely will attack the cages. Repeat this interaction regularly.

Give ample opportunities to both the birds and the dog to get familiarized with each other. Slowly and gradually, let them interact without a cage and leash but with a close watch on them. This way they both will learn the concept of co-existence in a friendly environment.

3. Reward And Recognition

Never hesitate to reward your pets when they behave like what’s expected from them. It’s one of the basic elements of training a dog. During the initial stages of training, there must be some special moments when your dog behaves excellently with the birds.

That’s the time to reward them heavily. This will teach them what you want from them when in close contact with your birds. Birds can get scared when the dogs come so close to them. Teach them to learn that dogs are their friends.

You might opt to change your dog’s haircut to make him look lesser wild such as a kennel cut style for golden doodles haircut. Also, ensure that dogs must not get too close to birds, especially during the early stages of training. Keep them safe, but don’t forget to reward them for their nice behavior towards the birds.

4. Remember The Basics

Training the pets to live together is a time-taking affair. So, always remember the basics:

• Be patient.
• Give them ample time to get familiarized with each other.
• Keep a close watch on their interactions and behavior.
• Let them interact frequently but under your strict control.
• Keep a watch on their body language.

What Kind Of Dogs Are Good With Parrots And Birds?

Not all types of dogs are good with parrots and birds. Some are easy to be trained for living together with birds while others may not. For instance, if you have trained a dog to prey on birds, he will not be an appropriate choice for co-living with birds in your home.

So, you must be selective with the dogs when living with parrots and other birds in your home. Let’s see which kind of dogs are good to have with parrots and birds.

1. Herding Dogs

By temperament, herding dogs are the best to live with parrots and birds. They are primarily trained to guard livestock herds, so they are comfortable with other animals and birds.

However, sometimes their behavior towards animals might be dangerous for birds. They are accustomed to directly interacting with animals but it can be a scary experience for the birds. Birds are very delicate creatures. They have soft and thin skin.

Even a small cut may prove dangerous for them. So, the herding dogs must be perfectly trained to handle the birds. They should be able to differentiate between the animals and the birds. They should learn to change their attitude when interacting with the family birds.
The most common breeds of herd dogs that can live safely with birds include sheepdogs, Bernese Mountain dogs, Swiss mountain dogs, and border collies.

2. Sporting Dogs

Golden retrievers and Labradors are wonderful sporting dogs. By nature, they are human-friendly and love interacting with other pets. They are easy to train. However, you need to closely watch their behavior towards the birds during the initial phases of the training.

At times, you may notice that a particular sporting dog may show signs of aggression and wildness when he comes close to birds. It means this particular dog is not fit to live with the birds. You need to replace him. However, most Labradors and Retrievers would prove to be good companions of birds.

3. Grown-Up Dogs

Young dogs are more energetic and active. Moreover, their actual characteristics are yet to take shape. That’s why starting their interaction and training for co-living with birds is not advisable. You cannot predict how they will behave later on.

So, the best time to accustom a dog to birds is when he is grown up. This is the time when his true characteristics can be noticed. But still, you need to keep an eye on his behavior. Don’t let him get close to the birds if you notice any signs of aggression.

As a general rule, you need to be selective regarding co-existence in a friendly environment between dogs and birds.

Kinds Of Dogs That Are Not Fit To Live With Birds

As said, you need to be selective based on the actual behavior of a dog. But some breeds are entirely unfit for living with birds. These may include:

• The prey dogs or bird dogs. They are trained to hunt the birds. So, you cannot let them in when you have birds in your home.

• Terriers are never recommended for a family that has birds. These dogs are fierce by nature and are also trained to be aggressive. Hence not fit for a home that has parrots and birds.

Conclusion

Most dog lovers also like to have beautiful birds, such as parrots in their homes. Birds are cute and lovely creatures and are delicate as well. On the contrary, dogs are aggressive and wild, although most predatory traits are generally removed during breeding. But still, there are chances that any dog may react wildly at any time when birds are there.

So, you need to know which dogs suit your home when you have birds. One can suggest different kinds of dogs that are good with birds, but ultimately, your observation and analysis matter. That’s why you need to be careful and selective when it comes to the dogs that are aimed to live alongside birds as a family in your home.