What Kind of Dogs Are Good With Parrots?

Birds and dogs don't seem like natural enemies the way birds and cats do; however, there can be some serious problems if the owners do not take their interaction seriously. The dogs must be trained not to touch parrots and to stay away from them. Even after training, they should be watched closely when the birds are free.

  1. Birding Dogs Should be Avoided

    • The American Kennel Club, or AKC, splits dog breeds into different groupings; one of the groups recognized by the AKC is the sporting group. The sporting group includes dogs like the retrievers, spaniels, setters and pointers. These dogs were bred to be hunting dogs, specialized to hunt birds. When keeping birds and dogs in the same house, birding dogs should be avoided, especially setters and pointers, since they were bred to find and then collect birds for their hunter.

    Terriers Should Also be Avoided

    • Another group recognized by the AKC is the terrier group, which should also be avoided when thinking about a dog to get that will get along with your parrot. Terriers were bred to chase and kill vermin of all sorts, and that included birds. Terriers are not a good combination with birds, since they might try to catch the birds. It is good to remember that dogs are predators and will try to catch things that move quickly, like birds, so the two should be monitored whenever they are together.

    Train and Supervise Dogs

    • Dogs that belong to groups other than the sporting and terrier groups can be more suitable to keep with parrots if they are trained to avoid the birds. In order to keep the birds safe, however, you must supervise the dogs while the birds are free from their cages. It is important to train your dogs not to touch the birds and to avoid the bird cage and the room the birds are in whenever the birds are not caged. The training can be difficult, as it goes against instinctive reactions.

    Ways to Keep Your Dogs Away From Your Birds

    • One way to keep your pet birds and pet dogs separate is to keep the birds in their own room with the door shut. This is especially important when you let the birds out and allow them to roam freely. Make sure you are present at all times when the birds are free.

      Another good way to make sure your dogs do not try to hurt your birds is to get a SCAT pad, which delivers a light electrical shock to your dog when stepped on. You can put these pads in the doorway to the room where your birds are kept or even wrap it around the base of a bird's cage. This will discourage your canine friend from trying to get close to your bird.