Dog conures will get along with

[steveandbeckyrussell]

My wife wants a dog
Which are best for conures

 

[Skarila]

My wife wants a dog
Which are best for conures

A stuffed (plushy) one.

Joke aside, dog is really the last animal you'd want to keep in same household as a bird... Any kind of terrier is an enormous no-no. Even those super cute fuzzy innocent looking maltesers... A person I was in contact with before had let me know that their cute pet dog who loved playing with his quaker very much killed the same quaker while he was not home.

Having a cat is more feasable, dogs much less so, IMO. I know my dog never learned not to touch our bird and almost killed it, caught him mid flight, and she was the best behaving dog we ever had. Sure there are people who have both of the species, but it's like a russian roulette, you cannot know the personality the dog might have. The dog and the bird should never be in the same room (free roaming). Just a friendly advice, it's a recipe for a disaster, in the end, it shall be your decision.

 

[steveandbeckyrussell]

What breed do you suggest
They will never be out together

 

[chris-md]

You’re asking the wrong question.

what dog is “good for conure”? None of them.

what dog can I have while simultaneously having a parrot? Any of them, though preferably you stack the deck in your favor starting with a breed known for low prey drive (it’s no guarantee any individual won’t have a high prey drive, but it’s a starting point).

I would disagree that a cat is more feasible. It’s simply just different. Dogs can be more easily controlled (baby gates, etc), but can do greater damage in a shorter period of time due to brute strength.

in the end, it actually can be done safely. I run a doggy boarding business out of my home, though I restrict the number of clients to two at a time for an easier time on our end. At most I’ll have five-six dogs at once, inclding terriers and birding dogs (ironically none of the birding breeds showed any interest, a relief to be sure!) and Parker is always kept safe and sound because there are strict rules and protocols we have in place, which at times has meant, for example putting dogs in a bedroom for 30 seconds while we move pur bird across the house.

it just requires active risk management, making sure birds and dogs are never left alone together. Far too many of us have predators in our home to take any “it’s too risky, you shouldn’t do it” admonition seriously. Knowing it can be done, it’s up to you if you want to assume that responsibility.

 

[Kentuckienne]

I would not have a bird and dog in the same house. You never know when a dog’s instinct will kick in. That said, one of the bird retrieval dogs might be best - a lab, maybe. They have been bred to take SHOT KILLED birds in their mouths without biting and bring them back. So they MIGHT not bite a parrot the instant the cage door accidentally opens and the bird flies out. Or they might. You’re talking about taking one species of animal evolved to hunt and kill, and one species of animal which is food to the first, and keep them in a house together.

it’s a real gamble, that could have devastating consequences for the bird and for the humans that love the bird. Part of the deal of taking on responsibility of having a bird is accepting the limitations this brings. It means no more weekends away leaving the bird home alone, it means finding an avian vet and paying for regular checkups, it means clearing the home of dangers like non-stick cookware and most cleaning products. And it usually means no dogs or cats. This forum is full of stories of animals who got along fine for years, until one day they didn’t.

 

[Terry57]

You’re asking the wrong question.

what dog is “good for conure”? None of them.

what dog can I have while simultaneously having a parrot? Any of them, though preferably you stack the deck in your favor starting with a breed known for low prey drive (it’s no guarantee any individual won’t have a high prey drive, but it’s a starting point).

I would disagree that a cat is more feasible. It’s simply just different. Dogs can be more easily controlled (baby gates, etc), but can do greater damage in a shorter period of time due to brute strength.

in the end, it actually can be done safely. I run a doggy boarding business out of my home, though I restrict the number of clients to two at a time for an easier time on our end. At most I’ll have five-six dogs at once, inclding terriers and birding dogs (ironically none of the birding breeds showed any interest, a relief to be sure!) and Parker is always kept safe and sound because there are strict rules and protocols we have in place, which at times has meant, for example putting dogs in a bedroom for 30 seconds while we move pur bird across the house.

it just requires active risk management, making sure birds and dogs are never left alone together. Far too many of us have predators in our home to take any “it’s too risky, you shouldn’t do it” admonition seriously. Knowing it can be done, it’s up to you if you want to assume that responsibility.

I completely agree with everything you said, Chris. My last pups passed away last year, but we had them in the same house with our birds with zero issues. Just like our cats, we never allowed the dogs and birds to be in the same room.
While yes there are stories of a bird being attacked by a predator, but there are also many of us who have never had an issue, because we are careful.
In the end it is up to each person to decide if they can safely keep dogs or cats, and be willing to always keep them apart.

 

[T00tsyd]

It can be done but your dog training skills need to be pretty good and then never have the dog and the parrot in the same room loose. In fact a dog will just as happily jump up and bowl the cage over and kill the parrot with fright so it's still dodgy. Having said that I had Alsation/Weimaraner x pretty large but beautifully trained. I would trust him anywhere. I didn't trust Syd! I would not know how the dog would react if Syd attacked him. See the problem? I kept the dog out of the room while Syd was out but you have to upset one or the other if you are not going to take risks.

 

[2conures]

I have 3 dogs, a German Shepard, a rescue dog ( mix), and a mini dachshund and a conure . They are all very aware that the our bird is off limits and have never tried anything funny. We have trained them as puppies to leave the birds alone. We also have chickens the free range and they all share the garden together. I believe that it takes constant training but can be accomplished. I would wait at least until the dog is several years old, and well trained , to trust it near a bird.

 

[chris-md]

I would wait at least until the dog is several years old, and well trained , to trust it near a bird.

You should NEVER trust a dog near a parrot, period. There are too many stories all over this forum, unfortunately, about even the best trained dogs’ moment of weakness where instinct overtakes training. They should always be kept apart.

 

[Laurasea]

Never 100% trust, always dillegent, always there is risks.

I have pekingese , shuhtzu lower prey drive ( individuals can vary ) they always can be triggered. I worked and continue to work on commands and rules . They know wait ( freeze) , leave it, stay, back away, and go to your bed, and more They know they can't get within 5 feet of the cages. The cages are way taller and out of reach even if they stood on hind legs. Still I never ever trust them.

Recently one at age 7 , been raised with parrots, has become jealous. And I've got work to do.

Personally, cats are buit to kill birds and have instinctual prey trigger with them. And aren't as domesticated and trainable. So I think they are riskier. Though as mentioned above, people have them and are diligent.

Any predator can see a bird as prey. A dog, cat, ferret, rat, snake.

 

[Owlet]

I have a service dog, shes beautifully trained and is wonderful in public. she doesnt chase anything, bark, whatever. She has a beautiful "leave it" to the point where she will drop food in her mouth mid chew. She is rarely ever around the birds. The only time she is is when they are on me or I am stepping into the bird room to grab something and even then she just waits by the door till I leave a second later. My other pet dogs are absolutely never around the birds even though they are also well trained and have never showed any interest in the birds in the yard. It's just really not worth the risk. you can safely have dogs and birds in the same household regardless of breed you just have to be careful of them not coming in contact.

 

[kme3388]

I understand that this is a very serious subject. I do empathize with anyone who's lost their feathered friends to predators as birds are prey animals. I myself have dogs, and birds in the same home (always supervised). However this question is like asking which swamp we should go swimming in, and in Florida 🐊 Ha ha I'm sorry but the question is kind of funny.