Bird harassing dog

My 10 week old lovebird won’t leave my dog alone. Follows her everywhere, keeps landing on her, and I think is trying to preen her but ends up nipping her tail or toes or skin.... my poor dog ends up going into her crate to find peace. I don’t know what to do! I try not to shoo him away because I don’t want him to be afraid of my hands.... but the poor dog is so tired of trying to avoid the bird! (My pup is very gentle and tolerant and would never nip or anything)

Anyone experienced this? What can I do? I don’t want to keep the bird caged up or have to rehome him

Relationships between Dogs and Birds are very difficult to judge, let alone control. Even a Dog, which displays fear of the Bird could and can bite or grab the Bird. The action could easily result in the quick or slow death of the Bird.

Normally, the Bird would be interested in developing a relationship with you. That is what I would recommend targeting at this time. That should transfer your Birds interest from the Dog to You.

Oh, my goodness... what Sailboat said!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm glad you asked!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, a lot of dogs react to fear with trying to distance themselves from it but if continuously pushed WILL snap. And from what you're telling us, the bird is constantly nagging the dog. So it's just a disaster waiting to happen.

Yes... I get all of that - that’s why I’m here - looking for practical advice.

And please know that my dog is more “annoyed” than scared. She just wants to be able to sit in one spot without the bird hopping on her back or snuggling up for a nap.

Of COURSE I am trying to get the bird to transfer his affections to me, but as right now I’m the one shooing him away from my pup, he’s less than happy with me right now.

I guess I’m just going to have to keep them in separate rooms for a while - which both will hate, but guess there’s no choice.

If anyone has any actual, specific tips to try, I’m all ears. I want both of my babies to live happily together.

Typical afternoon snuggle fest.

Don’t shoo, that only reinforces a bird’s natural OCD! Distract with a different activity.

Dogs and birds generally can not co-exist. That's the simple fact. Dogs are just way too incredibly dangerous to birds, even a little saliva could kill. It is 100% in your and your birds best interest to keep them away from each other. They can be in the same room but I advise not having them in the same room until your bird has bonded with you and is no longer interested in the dog.

edit: let me rephrase this a bit, a dog and a bird can happily coexist with each other, yes, but the bird will NEVER be 100% safe. As I said, a little saliva can kill the bird. If it so much as lands on or grooms the dog where it had recently licked itself, that can kill the bird.
On this forum we strive to give our birds the best chances at survival and never want to expose them to pointless risks. Letting a bird interact with a dog is a pointless risk. Neither gains anything beneficial out of it and it just puts the bird in harm's way.

Surely the last thing you would want is for your little bird to think more of the dog than you. Quite apart from the risk when the two are together I would want the bird's focus on me.
I lost my dog last year and he was trained to within an inch of his life bless him and so so obedient but even then I didn't have the dog in the same room very often when Syd was out of his cage. I could tell Bailey to leave but in fairness to him he used to lick his lips which is a sign of stress when Syd flew around and it simply wasn't fair.

If your bird doesn't learn a healthy fear of 4 legged creatures then he might just cosy up to an unfriendly animal with the inevitable result.

I currently babysit my daughter's 13 week old puppy, there is no way I would have them together even with the dog crated. Syd could get through his bars and at the very least get scratched. What if your two were sweetly snoozing together and your dog got an itch. Would he think before his claws met skin - or feathers?