Decisions decisions...

[Psittaciformes]

I'm considering a dog, I'm still not feeling ready for another bird after Kiwiberry even though it's been almost a year now, and this might sound a little silly but I feel kind of bad for considering a dog.
I feel like I HAVE to get a bird because they're my favourite animals, I'll get a bird in the future though for sure, I just wanna make sure I'm ready.
After Floofers (my eclectus parrot I had to rehome 'cause it was just not working out at ALL) I'm actually a little scared of getting another pet.

But anyway, I've never had a dog before, I have friends that either have or have had dogs so if I do get a dog and I need help in person, I can ask them.

I guess the point of this thread is I guess I need reassurance? I'm not even sure it makes sense, I'm having a hard time explaining what I'm feeling, if I'm being unclear, please let me know and I'll try my best again to explain myself properly.
Do I have to feel bad and like I'm letting myself, birds and this forum down for thinking about getting a non-feathered pet?

 

[plumsmum2005]

ABSOLUTELY NOT!

okay?

Ps all that went before is life experience, use it wisely.

 

[Psittaciformes]

Yeah, I guess I have to try to get over it? It feels funny thinking about it though

 

[plumsmum2005]

I dont know the stories of what went before but feel you are a good soul and will use what you have been taught wisely.

Go forward, be happy.

 

[Psittaciformes]

Thank you
Gonna take some time and just think over it properly I suppose, gotta make sure I'm 100% sure, there's no need to rush the decision.

 

[plumsmum2005]

Yes good idea, how it will fit in with your life, if it will fit.

Will it make having a bird again more difficult ie can that work, can you cope with two demanding pets?

Just some simple questions to ponder. Wish you luck

 

[Psittaciformes]

I don't think time would be an issue, I love to be outside anyway.
The plan, if I get a dog, would be that it should be protective of me and the bird, that's the idea anyway. I'm not sure how to implement that though.
Hopefully I could cope with both, I'd have to definitely think about that a lot harder.

Getting a bird in this apartment would be hard too, it's just a little inconvenient, although there might be ways around it, which I'll also think about and try to figure out.

Thank you, I appreciate it

 

[JerseyWendy]

Sebastian, what type of dog are you thinking of? Small, medium, large? Puppy or adult? Rescue or from a breeder?

 

[Psittaciformes]

Not sure of breed yet, but I was thinking a medium sized dog with a low prey drive. I like the size of pitbulls etc, but I want another breed (nothing against them though).
Preferably an adult, rescue if possible but they're sort of scarce around here, so it'll either be a rescue or I'll help re-home one.

 

[RavensGryf]

Big decision for sure. Sebastian, just so you realize, and you might already know, but I have to mention it... to properly take care of a dog who is a bonded pet, it can be very demanding. Dogs are pretty needy. Not saying that in a bad way, but they're pack animals and expect a certain level of interaction. Since they aren't in a cage, you have to make provisions for that to safeguard your home when you're away. Many dogs with a single human in the home, won't dig you being away from home a lot, and (like birds but in a different way) some individuals can act out and become destructive or develop behavior problems. Either that or become depressed. Not implying that you'd ignore the dog, that's not what I'm saying , just that they need a lot of attention, and can be tons needier than an independent bird species. Also, a medium size dog in a one bedroom apartment, personally, if it were me, I'd think twice. That's just me, I would tend to think about the size of the dog vs square foot space to run and exercise and play in without a yard you know? Then, especially since you won't have a yard for the dog to run and exercise in while you're gone, you'd need to dedicate to taking the dog for walks daily. Even when well trained, they need those outdoor bathroom breaks lol!

Lots to think about... Good luck with whatever you choose for a companion . I know you'll make a responsible decision for any future pet.

 

[wrench13]

Get a dog.

 

[Psittaciformes]

Yeah I have a lot of thinking to do...
I'd take the dog out in the early morning hours before I workout, then at lunch and after school and in terms evening, and on Wednesdays and Fridays I get off school early so we could go to the BIIIIG park, same thing for weekends.
Gotta read up about their behavior, body language and stuff too.

 

[Maple128]

Being in a family with five dogs I can definitely vouch for them also! rough collies are awesome (what we own)! they may be herding dogs, but they seem to have no interest in our birds, also, they are very obedient when trained but can be a little....dumb. Another good well mannered dog breeds that i'm fond of are golden retrievers, its very hard to go wrong with one of these, also a big fan of standard poodles (they don't need a fro fro cut) One breed i don't recommend due to extremely high prey drive is a border collie, (different then rough) they are very sweet dogs, but very rangy and hyperactive, need an extremely firm hand. I think i can also say the same about Irish setters. Now the world of dogs is just as large and awesome as fids, and each dog is different, so researching potential breeds is very important. Always, lots to think about when considering a new family member don't stress too much, who knows, the right dog may find you

 

[Psittaciformes]

Rough collies are really cute! In what way are they dumb? Lol
Yeah, but then there are all these cross breeds which doesn't make it easier...
I've been considering herding dogs actually, would you say they're generally a good idea if you want or already have another pet, like a bird? If that's the case I'll look deeper into those. I like the Australian shepherds but they seem to be REALLY hard to come across in my city.

 

[Maple128]

Personally, I love herding dogs, but for a house with birds i can't recommend them all, breeds like aussies that you mentioned tend to be more rangy and have a higher prey drive than say a bearded collie. Its that way with most breed categories, there are the rangy ones, and then there are the nice calm ones, its more about individual breeds then a group. Though, if i heard right your in an apartment? Then I will biasedly recommend a rough collie or at least a cross. they love their walks, and are happy active dogs, but if you need to leave for the day, they do fine lounging around on the furniture. And their fur isn't unreasonable to deal with, people often think that dealing with a collie's fur is horrible, but they only shed twice annually, of course, when they do shed its almost daily grooming and removing plastic bags worth of fur, but the rest of the year no shedding at all. Researching a dog breed that fits is fun look through all different categories and pick a dog breed that you, there are a lot of resources that help, or even take a trip to the shelter and meet some of the shelter dogs, lots you can do when thinking of getting a doge.

*edit*- The reason why their dumb, we own show collies, they were bred for the looks, not the brains lol. When they're not paying attention to stuff, you can often find them bumping into walls, or being overall lovable idiots <3

 

[Psittaciformes]

Yeah, what categories of dogs would you suggest I look into? What's the difference between herding and working dogs?
Anything to think about when looking at cross breeds?

LOL sounds adorable!

 

[JerseyWendy]

Sebastian, here's some info on the 'Herding' group, as classed by the AKC: Herding Group - American Kennel Club They ALL used to be under 'Working Group'.

For comparison, here's the 'Working Group' Working Group - American Kennel Club

 

[Surfincr]

One thing i would recommend if possible is see if you could be a foster home for a dog breed your interested in. its a safe way to find a dog that will work for your life style. most will let you adopt if you really want that dog and if you dont fit the dog will (hopefully) only be with you for a short time until they find a permanent home for the pup.

you made mention of a working dog so i'm going to throw in my two cents (though very much shortened). we have 2 GSD's (German Shepherd Dog) one police flunky (after going through 4 homes) and one that was abandoned, we also have a black lab. There are many different levels of "working", there are the type like police dogs that need a "job" for ~10 hours a day and there are others that just need routine. my female was first in long story short she needed structure and a firm hand, we had some serious power struggles for top dog (please note there was never a need for abuse or harm). She is one of the sweetest dogs ever and god help you if hurt one of her people but to this day she still does a power test. To add before she settled in because there was no stimulation in the house so she'd take her frustration out on my woodwork. the second shep came in and was a lot easier my first put him in his place and learned the structure, though he will still test.

the reason i say this is GSD's and similar dogs need to respect your decision and you as alpha if you cant they see themselves as the leader and will make what they see as the best course of action. The outcome is people get bit and you have an out of control dog. I know this first hand as my friends dog did this to me. If they are properly trained and socialized they are amazing dogs.

With these types as well i've found they do far better with a pack especially when you work a normal 8-10 hour day as they can entertain each other. i should also add my joke with this is (since mine hate fetch but love to run) i cant run as fast as a dog so having 2 they can have a lot more fun and wear each other out better than i could.

two breeds that would do well that i've had experience with are border collie and shiba inu both can do great as an only dog and left alone for the day. the latter is one of my favorites for small dogs since they are a lot of fun and can be very protective. They very much have a sense of humor.

 

[Psittaciformes]

Thank you so much Wendy!

Surf: That's really interesting... I'm gonna have to read up a lot more, obviously lol

 

[Surfincr]

Surf: That's really interesting... I'm gonna have to read up a lot more, obviously lol

i didnt want to overwhelm you with stories/info so i wound up giving a quite condensed version of everything. if you have any questions or want to run something by me about the breeds i mentioned or even others feel free to reach out, i only mentioned the ones above as i've done a lot of work with them. i've worked with/researched a lot of other medium to giant breed dogs and would be happy to help where i can. i hate seeing animals re-homed due to being a wrong fit so i always enjoy making sure that doesnt happen.

the original owner of my female shep was a xmas gift from the kids to their mother.... the mother really wanted a chihuahua.....