About birds and dogs...

[Luckygurl78]

Hello everyone...it's been a while since I've last posted, but my DSL modem went kapoot!

Anyhoo, I'm up and running again and I have ANOTHER question. My boyfriend and I just finished adopting a 2 yr old black lab from the Animal Welfare League.

Now here's the question...I am the proud mommy of my triton 2, Lucky, whose experience with dogs (if he has ANY) is unknown to me. Currently, my baby is at my mother's recouping from his short tenure at my new home. (The changes scared him a bit and he started plucking and screaming A LOT!).

I know there are parents here on the board who have cared for both birds and dogs at the same time.

My question is HOW CAN I BEST INTRODUCE THEM? I mean, Lucky's new cage is still here at the new home, so I guess it's good for our lab to use that to get aquainted with Lucky's scent. But how can I ease the transition for my baby? How do bird/dog relationships usually pan out?

I mean, I fully intend that they NEVER be left alone together unsupervised, and I adamantly insist that my boyfriend and I get some sort of gate to "close off" access to Lucky. That way, Lucky won't get bothered while we're not around and I'll know that Lucky won't bite the dog's toes off either!



Anyway, please tell me the best roads to take as to insure that BOTH animals recieve fair treatment!

Thanks a lot to all of you!

[bgmacaw]

Good luck! Seriously, we have a 9 yr old Choc mix and a 3 yr old yellow lab. Last year we added the 2 macaws about 4 months apart. Emma was 2 at the time. She wanted to check them out but has since pretty much ignored them except for the "treats" that they provide for her. We do not leave them together unattended. The other thing that presents a hazard is the dog's tail. Lab tails wag constantly which provides a very interesting toy for a macaw to catch. Luckily Emma has avoided that mishap but not from lack of effort from the birds. Emma is also more interested in their toys than the birds themselves. Lot's of close supervision and equal attention/play time. It is nice for us to be sitting in a chair with a bird or two on our arms or chest getting rubs and having a dog getting a rub from your feet. Love 'em all to death and wouldn't get rid of anyone.

[Luckygurl78]

well I found out today that Lucky HAS been around dogs before! Good news for me!!! Even though that doesn't mean that Lucky still won't be afraid, but I'm sure the previous exposure helps him out in dealing with a new "sibling". In fact, from what my mother told me, Lucky was kept in the back utility room with another parrot and the previous owner's dogs. So, as my mother says, he 'bossed" around the pooches. Which is good I guess. But what I want to know is how can I best introduce them?

Thanks a lot for your input!

Misty