Pets cannot share when it comes to owners; they want all the attention for themselves, and considering bringing in a new pet can be pretty tough. It’s hard to train even one of the best family dogs to adjust to other pets especially with pet birds. Bringing in a new bird when you already have a dog pet at home, or vice versa, training is always required for the safety of both the animals.
It might even seem impossible for the dog parents to bring in a pet bird because of the predatory responses of the dogs; however, training with patience is the rocket science to bring in a new pet to your home. Once you have trained your pets, it is so big a relief that you can easily leave your pets all by themselves without worrying about one harming the other.
This blog will discuss the steps that you can follow to train your dog to be around your pet birds;
Introduce them slowly
Dogs are natural predators; even though you have trained your dog well, the natural instinct to hunt down a bird never leaves them. Therefore, you should be extra careful when introducing your pet bird to your dog.
Make sure to be patient and slow when introducing both of your pets to each other. Bring them in interaction for a few minutes and then make the next meeting after at least a week. Once you feel that your dog doesn’t react in an unusual way, you can increase their interaction time.
Pet parents should be cautious when introducing their pet birds to dogs, the interaction should be monitored, and any behavioral changes in your dog must not be overlooked. Doing this can prevent traumatic and upsetting things from happening from happening with any of your pets.
Don’t Bring the Bird into Dogs’ Territory
We don’t realize it, but our pets have marked their territories, and dog parents are well aware of these territories. Make sure that the first meeting of your pets is in a neutral area that your dog hasn’t marked as his territory. This can reduce the aggressive behavior of either of your pets, as once they are out of their zone; they are more welcoming to change.
Give Rewards for Good Behavior
Dogs can easily be distracted by treats and food, and so are birds, so you have quite a chance of making them do what you want as far as you’re giving them food. Treating them with delicious food as a reward for their best behavior in the introductory meeting is an excellent way of teaching them to show the same behavior each time they meet.
Having treats for your pets with you while you bring them together is a great tactic for training both of your pets to be welcoming towards the other.
Supervision is Important!
No matter how well your dog behaved in the introductory session, you cannot leave your pets unsupervised, especially if your bird is not in the cage or your dog is not on a leash. Don’t even leave them in the same room after the first meeting, and make the process slow.
Your dog might be the best canine out there, but you cannot just take out his instinct from him. So, supervision is very important. Monitor your dog’s behavior towards the bird; see if it harasses it or gets angry on seeing it; even if it is a good boy around you, you should not just leave it with your bird alone.
This is the only way of reducing stressful situations for both of your pets. As a pet parent, you might not want any traumatic experience for any of your pets, so it’s better to keep the bird in the cage and put the cage where your dog cannot reach.
Problems and Proofing Behaviors
The problems you will face in training greatly depend on the breed and age of your dog. Puppies need more time to get accustomed to training, and you will require more patience and persistence with puppies. On the contrary, if you have a hunting dog, say, for instance, a shaved german shepherd, the overall process of introducing your pet to the bird becomes complicated because hunting dogs have a sharp hunting instinct, and you cannot just mask it on the first meeting.
Your dog’s behavior has a huge impact on how the training will go and how long it will take for your pets to socialize finally. Therefore, the breed and age of your dog, the instinctive behaviors your dog is accustomed to, and how he reacts to other pets must be considered before introducing your dog to your bird pet.
Protect Your Bird
Make sure that you have the right-sized cage for your bird. You must always protect your bird in your dog’s presence. You need to keep in mind that your doggo cannot adapt to your pet in just a few months. Don’t be tricked by the good-boy behavior of your dog, and keep your bird in a cage at all times.
Do not take your bird out of its cage when your dog is around; no matter how close your bird might be sitting to you, your dog can still attack it. Protection of the bird is necessary to avoid accidents.
Mistakes to Avoid
- Make sure neither of your pet is on the loose in the introductory meeting; the bird should be caged and the dog on the leash.
- Consider a strong and right-sized cage for your bird and have it placed out of the reach of your dog at all times.
- None of the pets should be set loose when not under supervision.
In a Nut Shell!
Training your dog to be around your bird pets might be difficult but not impossible. With time, consistency, and patience, you can make anything possible. Just make sure to avoid the mistakes for the safety of both your pets. Dogs have hunting instincts, but they are also very loving and caring creatures; training them might be a bit tough, but it’s nothing that you cannot achieve with time and delicious dog treats!