# Cockatiel and Dog Bonding Help



## mlj722 (Feb 19, 2017)

Hello!

I have my 4 month old 'tiel Enzo at home along with my Lhasa Apso Poodle mixed dog Scrappy who has recently went into his early teen years. Despite Enzo having been at my home for almost three months now, the relationship between him and my dog is a negative one and I'm unsure of how to fix it.

Now, before I begin, nothing bad has happened between either of them to make them hate one another. My dog is the sweetest dog that I have ever met (he's never growled once in his entire life) and he has not pounced towards, barked, nor growled at the bird in any way. Enzo, however, has done things towards Scrappy. Enzo constantly hisses whenever the dog grows near on the couch, or when the dog is lying on my lap wanting attention. Enzo has leapt towards Scrappy and has even bitten on his ear. (Scrappy did not whine when this occurred, so I assume it didn't hurt him). Enzo will also open and shake his beak at the dog as well when he is lying on me sometimes.

Could it be that jealously is what is causing this aggression? I ask this because the first week that my bird came home, the dog and Enzo both showed obvious signs of trying to show the other who was dominate over me since for the first week, they wouldn't allow one of them to be on me without the other being so. If Enzo was on my shoulder, my dog had to be lying on my lap and would whine to get my attention. This has stopped over time, although my dog will try and follow me wherever I go with the bird to try and be in the same room with us.

I've tried to help them bond by trying to allow Scrappy to smell Enzo (since that's what he's always trying to do) but Enzo will always freak out when he gets too close and will flap his wings and try to fly up to my shoulder which in turn scares the dog. 

Is there anything I can do to help build their bond?


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## thewandererw (Aug 22, 2011)

I don't know if you will ever get them to bond to each other for birds are pray animals to dog and cat. It is in there nature to go after pray. Now some dogs have a higher pray drive then others terriers have a very high pray drive. And like my Pomeranian has no pray drive at all. For the safety of every one keep the dog and the bird apart. when the bird is out of his cage put the dog outside or in another room. Accident do happen.and i would hate to see this happen to you.loss is to heartbreaking as it is. I have three birds and two dogs and they are kept apart.

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## CaliTiels (Oct 18, 2012)

No, there isn't. The bird and the dog really shouldn't be out together at all if you want my opinion. They are both animals with instincts; dogs are predators and birds are prey. While it seems like your dog is pretty kicked back, it's still not a good idea to have them out with close proximity to each other. I have a similar situation. Jaid is pretty fiesty, and lunges at my cat through his cage bars. If she comes too close to his cage, his hisses and snaps at her.

I don't want to see him get hurt in any way. Enzo sounds like a sweet bird and I like to hear all about his progress. Accidents do happen, so it's better to be safe and prevent a tragedy before it happens


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## thewandererw (Aug 22, 2011)

thewandererw said:


> I don't know if you will ever get them to bond to each other for birds are pray animals to dog and cat. It is in there nature to go after pray. Now some dogs have a higher pray drive then others terriers have a very high pray drive. And like my Pomeranian has no pray drive at all. For the safety of every one keep the dog and the bird apart. when the bird is out of his cage put the dog outside or in another room. Accident do happen.and i would hate to see this happen to you.loss is to heartbreaking as it is. I have three birds and two dogs and they are kept apart.
> 
> Sent from my SM-S766C using Tapatalk


They may learn to tolerate each other but will never bond.here are my dogs and birds
1. Elbie ( Chihuahua)
2 april ( Pomeranian)
3 upside-down
4. Shadow
5 b.j.









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## Haimovfids (Sep 19, 2012)

I did not read the thread, but I read the title and that was enough.

Cockatiels are dogs are an absolute no no! Unless you want your tiel severely injured, infected, or even killed, keep them separate!


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## mlj722 (Feb 19, 2017)

From a majority of the posters here, I can see that people are worried about the safety of Enzo. 

However, (not meaning to sound rude here) but I know my dog. The two are never alone together, and I know Scrappy would never go after Enzo. 

I will, however, stop trying to bond them and allow them to simply tolerate one another as one poster said above.


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## rivx (Mar 3, 2017)

I know its been said, but I've heard that before. 
I've seen far too many people say 'I know my dog' and end up losing a bird because of it -- it happened to me once with a pet chicken of mine. My dog is six years old, laid back and never went after anything.
Until she did. 
Its your decision of course, but please be very cautious.


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## Vickitiel (Oct 10, 2012)

A situation like this rarely ever ends well. You can't train instinct out of a predator. Keeping them separate from each other, especially during your 'tiels out-of-cage time, is the best thing for him.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

> However, (not meaning to sound rude here) but I know my dog. The two are never alone together, and I know Scrappy would never go after Enzo.


Everyone thinks they know their dog until that prey drive kicks in. Case in point...my husky. Most laid back dog you'd ever meet, everyone always wants their dogs to play with her. When I kept my brother in law's 'keets for him, my husband was cleaning their room one day and she wandered in (he forgot to close the door). She didn't get aggressive, she just picked up one of the birds and brought it to my hubby. Bird died in her mouth of a heart attack.

Another example....my sister's pitbull. Used to be chained up outside during the day, until the day she broke the chain. Then, for three weeks, they didn't bother to chain her up because she stayed on their porch and was so calm. Until the day she ran across the road in 55mph traffic and got hit by a car.

Extreme, yes. But I just want to make sure I get my point across. Mixing prey and predators does not work, you can not overcome that instinct in them. No matter how laid back and sweet your dog is, all it takes is one time for them to get a hold of your bird and that's the end of it. Better to keep them apart and only have the bird out when the dog is locked up, and vice versa.


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## jizzjim (May 12, 2017)

I think it could work if you was to leave the cage where you keep the dogs and obviously high up and in a safe place so they wouldn't be able to get to it whilst you was at work etc then they would build a mutual understanding and get to know each other. The key would be for you not to be present whilst they are together. I completely understand what people are saying that they are predators and birds are prey but this is a domestic dog not a wild wolf. I have a dog and hes the softest dog ever and i know 100% i could trust him. I cant speak for your dogs and tell you the truth i dont trust little dogs, don't ask me why haha. Im just trying to help, so i you really feel the need to have them together that's the best way to start :yes:. oh and one more thing the dogs will start to see the bird as company and a friend rather than a bird.


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## Nimra (Aug 4, 2014)

I agree that the bird and dog should be kept away from each other, but in general, a bird is not actually a prey to a dog. Some dogs might behave strangely and sometimes kill a bird, like a cat might sometimes eat leaves or grass. But in general, a bird is only a prey to cat. Some people even keep dogs at their houses and farms to protect their birds from cats.


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## shaenne (Apr 19, 2014)

Birds are prey animals, and they are prey to anything that is considered a predator. Dogs are predatory animals, and predators will eat anything they can catch, birds included, making birds prey to dogs.


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## roxy culver (May 27, 2010)

> I agree that the bird and dog should be kept away from each other, but in general, a bird is not actually a prey to a dog. Some dogs might behave strangely and sometimes kill a bird, like a cat might sometimes eat leaves or grass. But in general, a bird is only a prey to cat. Some people even keep dogs at their houses and farms to protect their birds from cats.


Wrong. Birds are prey to dogs. Come watch my husky jump into a tree to pull a bird out of it. Labradors are trained to retrieve ducks during hunting. There's no such thing as an animal only being the prey of a certain other animal. If it moves like prey, it's prey. Dogs are equal opportunity and will eat anything they can get a hold of. You can't know for sure what will kick their prey drive in.


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