Help! Adding dog to Cockatoo household!

Sarah IS a loud and curious male Umbrella cockatoo just like any other. he's wasteful, messy, snippy, and loud. We manage taking care of him, but since I want to work with dogs and cats one day, I was considering adding a dog to our household so I can be familiar with their ways.

Has any one had to introduce a dog into a cockatoo household? I imagine it has many many complications. What tricks were helpful in keeping the dog far from the bird? What helped them get used to each others presence?

I am NOT near buying a dog. This is the consider phase, and I want to go into this slowly and cautiously.

As per dog breed, my family wants a small dog for sure. This way we don't have to worry much about the dog meeting our bird face to face since she likes to be high up. We were gonna stay away from the predatory breeds, terriers and hounds and keeping more to the lap dogs- the toy breeds. Something like a Maltese or Yorkie. ~~the point being we want a calm little dog who won't bother a cockatoo its size~~

I think my bird has had previous experiences with dogs in her previous household as she does bark whenever the doorbell rings or when people she doesn't know walk in, of course this can be just a sign of stress.

Another concern is what a bird screaming can do to dog ears? I'm terrified the dog will go mad and start cringing at the noise.

One of my biggest concerns is that the dog will eat the pellets/poop sarah throws on the floor. Although I will try to clean in a timely manner I cannot be there physically to clean it EVERY second.

Things I understand:
Dog will be crated until I can come home or guidance is around.
Dog will be trained to sit and stay to keep away from bird if things get tough.
Bird will not have direct contact with dog except under EXTREME supervision


If there are ANY dog and cockatoo owners out there, can you share any advice you picked up on the way? Do you think this is plausible and possible?

Thanks sooooo much to anyone and EVERYONE who responds or even thinks about the topic. I'd love any and all help I can get in this planning phase.



Thank you for helping me collect some research!

A toy or even med size dog will be fine. I have a rotten lab that does not look at the birds. It comes down to how they are trained. As to food flinging. Pellets do not hurt dogs or poop, or anything else the Too will start feeding to the dog! As the noise. When my doxi was around she would join in in the evening flock calls by howling. To the point sometimes SHE started them LOL.

We have a lab puppy and a b&g. When he was smaller and we had his crate in the same room with Josie, she would throw pellets or nuts at him but he didn't show much interest. She is a bit of an instigator and does her best to get him going. She calls him by name...'rippy want to go out?!' When he came in as a small puppy, he sniffed around her cage while she was up on her swing and he has never showed any interest in her at all. I don't give them a chance to get near each other when she is out though...he is either in his crate or outside. I think it can be done. Good luck.

I'm surprised to know that the dogs didn't really seem to care much about the bird!
I don't think my dog can be in the crate when the bird comes out, but I can definitely keep a close eye on them two during that time though!

I'm glad to know the screaming doesn't really get to the dogs, because boy my U2 can SCREAMMM.

Did your dogs ever try to eat the pellets and poop? Did your birds mind sharing the spotlight?

Thanks to both of you for your advice!

"A Maltese or Yorkie", "a calm dog". Do you know Maltese & Yorkies? Just kidding. Though I've know several of each and would not describe any of them as "calm dogs". Dogs & Birds can be great with each other, but, they are still natural predator & prey. In my Animal Welfare work, I saw many birds that were hurt & even killed by dogs that they were together with for years. My "Snowflake" was a rescued 'too that had lost a leg & wing to a small dog that she had been best friends with for years. Accidents happen. Please make sure that there is NO time that they are unsupervised. 'toos can sometimes be the instigator, (a nip on the dogs nose) but, birds will NEVER win a battle with a dog.

The bird might get jealous and jump down to attack the dog hurting itself or the dog...it's a cockatoo... little attention hogs I wouldn't get a dog, volunteer at a shelter to get experience, because I wouldn't want you to risk breaking your bond with a great 'too or either one of them getting hurt by an accident!

@billsbards Ahaha ikr...all the calm dogs are big guys. I see what you mean though, unpredictable and crazy as they both are...plus this is our first dog in the family which is a big no-no. is there a breed you recommend, if any. Although I will keep searching for the sake of covering all bases, I am tilting in the negative direction thanks
@wings I'm starting to think that to. I don't want a dog rustling around at night to bother my bird. Or him picking at her cage at night either. Also, I dont want him to be hurt or to hurt Sarah. Plus, Sarah is kinda coo-coo in the head and I don't a dog to unsettle him into being uneasy and mean.

Although I don't think he'd fly attack her He may slip off and that may startle the dog.
Thanks again for your input.


So far my opinion is a no.

From my experience, 'toos and dogs are respectful of each other. The 'toos are actually more threatening to the dog. I have a Goffin's and an umbrella 'too, the Goffin's kicks ass when it comes to shooing away a dog! Amigo's presence demands respect!

You can never go wrong with a nice trained lab, stress the trained part. If you don't want to deal with idiot puppy I would look for a 3 to 4 year old fixed with little prey drive.

I agree with the prey drive aspect. I have a Newfoundland/GSD cross. He's huge but a total gentle giant. He loves everyone he meets and accepts anyone that I or my girls bring into this house. However, I also know that if we were in danger or being burgled he'd lay down his life for us. He's not bothered by my Quaker in any way of whatsoever. They've been nose to beak and Poppet the Quaker tried to nip his nose and then did a dirty laugh. Ted has decided to give him a wide berth. However, my son has a rescued staffie who was here at the weekend and he was fixated on the cage. I know without a shadow of doubt she'd kill the bird if given the chance.
A lab would be great choice as others have recommended. It's definitely not down to size of dog but rather the prey drive.

That sounds good!

So my plan is to keep the dog in a room with me at night (so its not in the crate) and the bird won't be bothered. And then keeping it in behind baby gates or in cage when no one is around at home (5-6 hours) with stimulating toys.

I was thinking about a pug. What do you guys think? I like labradors, but they are medium/big. I find it comforting to think the case of a confrontation I can just scoop up the pug and stop it. With a lab, I'd really need a lot of power to pull it apart. My mom has a slight fear of dogs. She is more comfortable with small dogs. My dad on the other hand LOOOVEESS dogs so we will be the main caretakers of the dog

Pugs are supposedly lazy, and sine I will spend 45 walking and tiring out the puppy, it shouldn't be a problem.

My biggest worry is still the screaming. When we are not home my bird makes a LOT of noise!

If you like pugs go for it. They are a hoot to train. I will warn you they are not as lazy as you think when they are in good shape!

Pugs are good-natured dogs, that's for sure, but, my dear, you can't keep a dog 9 or more hours in a cage ('crate' is just a euphemism), not a big one and much less a small one. It's cruel. Please volunteer in a private, no-kill shelter. You will learn A LOT about different breeds, training and such there. And you might even come across the perfect, already trained dog for your household.

@pajarita thanks so much for your honesty. We've worked our schedules out so that it will only be caged for 5-6 hours until it can be trusted near our bird, which may take a while. It will be loved on as soon as we come home.
Of course we are not jumping into this and will consider many dogs before we do so. We may not cage and just baby gate an area off. We will get it during a time where we can be home, getting used to the dog's schedule and habits and getting it used to ours.

A few people have suggested volunteering at a shelter, which I do, but it's just cleaning and helping around! Plus, not many are as close as we'd like for regular visits.

We will be able to walk it three times a day, and take it out in the middle of those walks. I am still researching every aspect, and a decision hasn't been made. we will have toys galore and food and water schedules. We already have a bird chewing up and pooping all around our home, and so we won't really mind a dog doing the same.

We are only crating because we don't want the puppy or dog to get at our bird. Even though my bird will be caged, we want to make sure the dog knows to not bother with Sarah before we give it free reign.

Also, just like everything, cages can be fun if dogs want them to be. We can treat the dog for going to the cage, and put special treats toys he/she will only get in the cage. This is just a consideration.

Please keep leaving your ideas and opinions. I find them all VERY VERY useful.

@shellyborg my friend has a little pug and I trained and babysat it as she went on vacation. It was a hoot! But thank you! we will make sure she is exercised (without over doing the little brachycephalic thing if we get it that is).

We have installed these seed saving things that come out of the base of the cage. That should also keep the dog from getting its paws bit as it could not reach into the cage.

Sarahtheumbrella said:

...So my plan is to keep the dog in a room with me at night (so its not in the crate) and the bird won't be bothered. And then keeping it in behind baby gates or in cage when no one is around at home (5-6 hours) with stimulating toys.

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Please reconsider getting a dog of ANY kind if you are seriously considering crating him/her for that amount of time.

I've loved and lost too many dogs, and they were all taught that my birds are off limits. My current pooches (American Bulldog & AmBull Pit Mix) were trained in the same way. NEVER crated either. Yes, a puppy WILL be curious about your bird, and his curiosity will only get worse if he's not even allowed to sniff the cage.

@jerseywendy that is one of the biggest problems as of now. A pit usually has very high energy levels, so you are clearly the expert on this topic If I were to get a dog, how would (or did) suggest I go about teaching them to stay away from the bird. There is not much advice for that on the internet or amongst dog training shows.

I can do the leave it or come command, but I will not be able to do so if I am not home. Anyone with experience please post! If I get a dog, ultimately, I want it to be happy and safe along with my bird.

I would appreciate any advice on doing so. I feel bad about it to to be honest. I don't want to leave it in the cage. Its not about the furniture or the poop/pee accidents. We can spend as much time as necessary puppy proofing our home. It's all about the safety of sarah and the dog!

So I have decided to not bring a dog into the house if crating for that extended amount of time for an extended period. The problem is I can't teach the dog to stay away from a room with the bird since her cage is basically a focal point of the home!

Any advice in training to keep a dog away from a bird is GREATLY appreciated. Or any stories about it happened.

Major thanks to all of those who posted Please excuse my limited knowledge. This is a learning experience for me, I'm really researching this and learning as I go. Please bear with me.

As I've said in my previous answer, birds & dogs can get along. You mention that a pug is a better choice because in the event of a confrontation, you can just scoop the dog up and separate them. While that's a hopeful thought, I feel it's unrealistic. If there is a confrontation, it will probably be too late. A small dogs' mouth is still a dogs' mouth. And birds do not fare well against that. Training is an answer, but, there are natural urges & reactions that will always pose a possible threat. Your vigilance and supervision are the key. Good luck whatever you choose.

The only birds I can trust my dogs with are my Macaws! I let Willie nip both of my huskies when they were young to remind them of the beak. My huskies does not hesitate to kill birds!!!! Matter of fact, anything that comes in the yard is a gonner. It is their natural instinct. Alexis almost killed Dixie years ago but I managed to fight to get Dixie out of her mouth. The only ones they truly respect are the macaws. Any other birds is fair game to them. Bucky the Chihuahua is terrified of the macaws. But doesn't hesitate to go after the small birds, the big dogs taught him that outside....We're pretty careful now days by going outside first to see if there's any baby birds or animals in the yard first before releasing them outside. And I will crate my dogs when I let my other birds out, that is a must! But I usually go to a different room if I do let them out. After loosing one of my escape artist birds to one of the dogs, it broke my heart in pieces that I learned to crate is a must.

Sarahtheumbrella said:

@jerseywendy that is one of the biggest problems as of now. A pit usually has very high energy levels, so you are clearly the expert on this topic If I were to get a dog, how would (or did) suggest I go about teaching them to stay away from the bird. There is not much advice for that on the internet or amongst dog training shows.
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I would get in touch with "Ravennessa". She trains and rehabilitates dogs.

I'm far from an expert, lol. My American Bulldog is a certified "Therapy Dog", and I do agility with Ziva (the mix) BECAUSE of her energy level.

I can tell you this: We had 2 Bernese Mountain Dogs at one point, and neither of them ever hurt any animal. They were SO gentle, they'd protect injured and/or fallen fledlings. AMAZING dogs, gentle by nature, but quite large.

Hello
What I first would recommend is, bring over a dog who is obedient that has been around bird and see your 2's reaction. Now that will tell you a little more on how comfortable he is with another dog or not.

No matter what dog you choice there has to be training, I have had my head ripped open by an American Bulldog, and my lip ripped off by a pekingese... Don't matter what size, when a dog bites the bird is likely to be very damaged as they are sensitive...

Your key is like someone else said training and desensitization. I got an 8 month old pit from the shelter. He was very interested in my lizards, but after a while they were no funno more.. When I got Jacob (birdbrain) he was curious, but once Jacob bit him he has now learned that Jacob is the boss... I had no issues, and will likely not have any issues, cause the dog yeilds the birds is happy... Now this don't mean I leave them unsupervised though..

But the dog loves then the bird comes out, cause if the birds on the bed, he's allowed on the bed. Its mutual snuggle time.

Pug is not a bad idea,they are intelligent, and snuggly, key would be to teach the dog leave it, and to teach the bird and the dog that they earn on being friends.. This can be done with clicker, treats, etc.. You can always bring in any positive reinforcement trainer, they may be shy of the bird first but could show you how to do the introductions..

Here is a good video for leave it by Kikopup
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNAOe1djDyc"]How to teach 'leave it'- without intimidation - YouTube[/ame]

I couldn't find a video for the bird dog interaction, but what I would do is I'd start with the bird, and tell him be good when dog approached, and as long as the dog approached I'd give treats.. make sure bird is safe.. then I'd have the dog sitting at my feet, bird on the shoulder and feed both treats. So basically when they are together it's a jack pot.. If bird tries to sneak a bite, you take the bird and say no, put back on the cage and only give the dog a treat and if the dog is jumping etc and don't listen to leave it he gets to go on a time out and now only bird gets treat. Time out is a passive punishment and he don't get to come back in until calm.

My bird will now jump down from the cage, climb over to Scooby on his bed and start preening his tail.. He loves playing with that, and Scooby just lays there.. I need to take a video of that one day. I am now also trying to train birdbrain how to ride Scooby outside.. Yes I have a lot of time on my hands..