The puppy is a weimaraner. We have had the bird for 5 years. Our bird flies around, lands on people, and tweets all day. He is a happy parakeet! We just need suggestions on how to train the dog to welcome the bird without wanting to eat it!
2006-07-11 16:24:25 · 5 answers · asked by Lyn 2 in Pets ➔ Birds
The best idea is to keep the two separate most of the time, especially if you can't baby sit the two's every action. So the bird and dog both get time to roam the house (when you can't baby sit their every action), keep the pup contained in one room while the bird flies free and then switch so the dog is allowed to bounce around. Keep the bird to a single room with a solid door that can be closed.
Training the pup to welcome the parakeet should be more of a minor annoyance than hard work. Keep sessions short - maybe 5 -15 minutes per session. Don't go longer than 15 minutes a day. In your case, I would do the following:
1) Have the pup penned or kenneled for the first while. If you can keep close tabs on the two pets, I would let the dog stay penned for a good hour. Have the pup get used to the parakeet flying around. Bring the parakeet down to dog level and let the penned pup sniff it through the pen bars. Don't allow licking for both their sakes. Birds can't handle the bacteria in most mammals systems and one lick from the pup could kill the budgie in 24 hours.
2) Keep those treats handy! When the penned pup reacts positively around the bird (No jumping, whining, and other signs of general excitement), reward him! Pets, treats and lots of 'Good puppy' should be used. If the dog lunges, gently say no and take the bird away. If the pup is polite and wants to get close, I'd say 'no touch' with a gentle tap on the nose.
3) When the penned pup starts acting polite around the budgie, take the pup out of the pen and keep him/her on a leash. Do the same thing you did while the dog was in the pen. Reward when there's no reaction. If the pup gets too close, give the pup a firm shove back followed with a gentle nose tap and the 'No Touch' command.
4) When the leashed pup doesn't react to the budgie, I'd cautiously do the unleashed dog. Keep an extra handler near at all times! I'd want to make sure the pup has a near perfect 'no touch' response on leash before letting the pup go off leash. Budgies are small little guys and puppies can be very tempted to taste them ^.^ .
From what I understand, weimaraners are a soft mouthed breed bred to flush and pick up shot birds. Please forgive me if I'm wrong. My specialty are sight hounds ^.^ . Any dog can attack and kill a bird, but I feel flushing and retrieving breeds provide less a threat than most sight hounds, terriers and other breeds bred to hunt and **kill** prey. It's a good thing weimaraners are an intelligent breed that respond well to training :-) .
I hope I've helped! If you have any problems, I'd phone a dog training service and speak to an experienced handler. They would probably have additional ideas that I lack at this time :-) .
2006-07-11 19:48:15 · answer #1 · answered by white_ravens_white_crows 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Pen your puppy and don't allow him too much freedom yet. Only let him out when you can supervise him. Later you might want to slowly introduce him to the bird by putting the bird in the cage next to the puppies pen and let them get used to each other. Take it a day at a time before you allow them to freely interact with each other.
I had a cat that loved our parakeet. The bird would fly down to the floor and walk around the cat then hop up onto his back. Your dog and parakeet might be great friends someday. Good Luck.
2006-07-11 16:41:21 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The puppy is behaving in accordance with its instinct as a predator. You must keep one of them contained: either the dog is physically barred from the bird room (closed doors, barracades...), or you invest in a large aviary cage for the bird and lock him up - perhaps forever. It you leave the situation as is, they bird will probably be killed at some point.
2006-07-11 17:19:39 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
a squirt bottle for the puppy and very close supervisor until he learns he needs to leave the parakeet alone.
2006-07-11 19:48:09 · answer #4 · answered by beckyg_98 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Good luck....trying to fight nature here.
Dogs naturally want to catch, kill and eat birds if they can. Most think it is just a cat thing.
If you want to keep the bird I would start locking it up or one day that dog is gonna hiccup a feather out.
2006-07-11 16:28:32 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋