Not sure where to post this, but Dog-Bird problem.

[Vampiric_Conure]

Okay... Here's the problem: My at-home service dog, Winter, has developed the most annoying habit ever: Pulling the papers out of the inside of the community bird cage. She takes the papers with her front teeth, working the pages slowly out of the space between the grill and the top of the cage, pulllllllls it out and next thing you know I have confetti everywhere. Of course, there being dog drool on the paper, I have to replace the paper. Yelling doesn't work, directing her to something else hasn't worked. I broke my spray bottle so that doesn't work, LOL! I go for a piddle and come back to her chowing on bird poop on the cage papers that's she's merrily spread out across the floor. Now repeat this 4 times a day (or more).

MY question to you is: ANy ideas on how to protect the papers? I was thinking of taping them in place, or using tape to protect the papers, where Winter grabs the sheets.

Thanks for any advice you can give

And pet tax: Cha
ra, Moon and Redshift

And the troublesome brat:

 

[saxguy64]

One of my dogs does the same thing. Making it worse, my grey loves to run around the bottom of the cage and get under the papers, which pushes them out through that crack. Easy pickings for the dog. I've taken to putting a few strips of tape over that slot, enough to make it so the whole sheet of paper can't fit through anymore. It's placed so it's not so tempting for Avery to try to chew it, and he hasn't even noticed it's there. Paper stays in, dog leaves it alone now.

BTW, Winter is adorable! ❤️

 

[Inti's woman]

You need to understand the needs of your dog breed.
That dog needs to get his run/walks and mental training. And it might be rhat he misses his owners too much.
Afther that whippets are couchpotatoos for hours.

 

[Tempest]

Our Newfoundlands do that, but they pull out the entire tray! Once they even knocked the entire cage over, and it is a big cage! Have you thought of using an alternative to paper? Some people dislike it, but I have used stuff like corn pops... it is bedding made for birds, is heavy enough not to get tossed about when they flap their wings, and is pretty easy to keep clean. I am back to using paper, but I didn't mind using that either.

 

[Jcas]

Cute birds and dog 😊. I always try to get at the root cause: is the dog getting enough exercise and mental stimulation? About 80 percent of behavioral problems stem from lack of physical and mental exercise. Is the dog’s diet good? If she’s going after the poop or spilled seeds/ pellets that can sometimes indicate an attempt to fill in a dietary inadequacy. Does she have enough chew toys? Some dogs just like to chew and the best way to make sure they’re chewing appropriate objects is by having LOTS of bones, stuffed toys, rubber toys etc. readily available.

If all of these boxes are checked, then consistently blocking the dog from engaging in the behavior ( like using saxguy64’s suggestion, or placing a gate in front of the cages) should eventually break the habit. Italian Greyhounds can be cat-like sneaky so I’m dubious that punishing her would work; it might stop
her from engaging in the behavior in front of you but she’ll do it as soon as your back is turned 😅.

 

[SailBoat]

Consider installing sides guards on the cage, thus eliminating the dog's access to the paper!

 

[wrench13]

Put a strip of GOrilla tape over the slot where the bottom papers stick out. I bet the dog gets the idea after a few dats.

 

[Vampiric_Conure]

Thanks for all the advice, folks! I will certainly try your ideas! Winter loves her walks, but is a complete drama queen once it gets cold, even with jackets and booties.. if she'll even let me put the booties on . I think I will have to start walking her up and down the stairs on a regular basis until it gets nice again to walk her decently!

 

[Vampiric_Conure]

Cute birds and dog 😊. I always try to get at the root cause: is the dog getting enough exercise and mental stimulation? About 80 percent of behavioral problems stem from lack of physical and mental exercise. Is the dog’s diet good? If she’s going after the poop or spilled seeds/ pellets that can sometimes indicate an attempt to fill in a dietary inadequacy. Does she have enough chew toys? Some dogs just like to chew and the best way to make sure they’re chewing appropriate objects is by having LOTS of bones, stuffed toys, rubber toys etc. readily available.

If all of these boxes are checked, then consistently blocking the dog from engaging in the behavior ( like using saxguy64’s suggestion, or placing a gate in front of the cages) should eventually break the habit. Italian Greyhounds can be cat-like sneaky so I’m dubious that punishing her would work; it might stop
her from engaging in the behavior in front of you but she’ll do it as soon as your back is turned 😅.

Now that you mention it - It could be the lack of mental exercise. She really started causing problems when her snuffle mat was stolen out of the dryer in my apartment building. She's got more toys than I do, and plays with them frequently. And yes, she is super Cat-like sneaky! LOL! As soon as I'm out of the room, she's causing havoc with the papers in the cage. The good news is that some tape has thwarted most of her attempts .

Thank you everyone for your suggestions and help! .