Obsessive dog... sometimes?

[Newbie1000]

Hi everyone! I have a lovebird who is still fairly new to the house (about a week and a half) and 2 dogs that have lived here their whole lives. Mango, my lovebird, is a few years old and thus we’re still earning trust.

Here’s my issue: Oreo, my chihuahua mixed dog that’s about 17lbs, is OBSESSED with Mango, but oddly not 24/7. If no one is in the living room (everyone’s at work and I’m busy doing something in my room) Oreo can be found laying on the couch relaxing, paying almost no mind to the bird; only occasionally looking up when he chirps loudly. HOWEVER, when everyone is home sitting in the living room Oreo is obsessed with Mango. He walks around the cage incessantly whining and occasionally barking. The behavior is even worse when anyone tries talking to the bird and giving him attention.

I get really nervous with the thought of Oreo grabbing Mango and hurting or killing him. Once obsessed it’s almost impossible to get his attention off the bird. Sometimes Mango will walk all the way down to the bottom of his cage and Oreo will get really close and try to lick him/the cage and Mango will respond by trying to bite him which scares/slightly angers Oreo. Mango has been let outside his cage a few times but the two are NEVER left unsupervised, however I’m debating on taking my dog out of the room completely when Mango is out of his cage. I just don’t want to run the risk of either of them getting hurt (when Mango bites he doesn’t let go, he holds on to you and almost starts nibbling aggressively).

When Mango’s out of his cage you can find Oreo as physically close as we let him before telling him to back up and give Mango space. Otherwise, Oreo will sit practically right under wherever Mango is and stare at him so hard it’s a bit scary. When Mango decides to take off flying to a different spot, sometimes Oreo flinches or even jumps a little and it looks like pure instinct, the only thing stopping him is one of us telling him no. I’m not sure if this is his predator-prey instincts kicking in, jealousy, or both (he’s a super jealous dog, but never aggressively usually just jumps in front of whoever’s getting the attention to take the limelight away).

If you guys have any tips or advice I’d really appreciate it; I only want what’s best for all of my pets and although I don’t want to lock my dog away from the living room for lengthy periods of time, I do want Mango to get some flying and exploring in throughout the day without running the risk or getting hurt. My other dog, Casper, is a tea-cup Maltese and he wants literally nothing to do with Mango. Sometimes when Mango’s flying around the living room Casper will just say “nope, no thanks” and walk out to the safety of my bedroom haha.

Sorry for the long post & thanks in advance for any advice/tips!

 

[Leih]

You really need to do out of cage time with everyone separate. I have 3 cats and as much as they are not interested in the birds, they are still predators and that can't be trained out of them. Your dog is obviously super jealous, and being barked at is likely stressful for Mango. Can you keep his cage in your room for awhile? My birds come out for fly time when they are in the bird room with the door closed. I would love to have them out all day, but since I have cats, I have to err on the side of extreme caution. I also sprat bottle the cats if they get too interested. My bird room is pretty small, but even in a small room you can set up a nice area for a bird to fly. There are rooms in my apartment the birds have never seen just because it's not safe for them.

 

[TikiMyn]

I agree about not letting Them be free in the same room, that is too much of a Risk. I would put the dogs in a different room, putting Them in a crate might create jealousy because he Will be able to are you interact with Mango.
However, you can definitely train Oreo to not pay to much attention to Mango while he is caged. It sounds a little bit as of hé has been (unknowingly) reinforced for paying attention to Mango.
What happens when you ignore his behavior completely? It could get worse for a few minutes, but if after that hé calms down you have a solution for your problem.
If hé does not, you can train him to do something else. Call him to you and ask him to sit or perform another task and reward with something hé really values. Letting him sit next to the bird cage and rewards, if he doesn't listen and prefers 'chasing' mango, turn your back or even leave the room untill hé calms down again.
The point I would try to make if hé were mg dog, is that behaving and performing trucks nearby Mango Will earn him amazing treats and attention, and bad behavior Will earn him ignorance. I hope that Will work
Good luck!!

 

[Newbie1000]

I agree about not letting Them be free in the same room, that is too much of a Risk. I would put the dogs in a different room, putting Them in a crate might create jealousy because he Will be able to are you interact with Mango.
However, you can definitely train Oreo to not pay to much attention to Mango while he is caged. It sounds a little bit as of hé has been (unknowingly) reinforced for paying attention to Mango.
What happens when you ignore his behavior completely? It could get worse for a few minutes, but if after that hé calms down you have a solution for your problem.
If hé does not, you can train him to do something else. Call him to you and ask him to sit or perform another task and reward with something hé really values. Letting him sit next to the bird cage and rewards, if he doesn't listen and prefers 'chasing' mango, turn your back or even leave the room untill hé calms down again.
The point I would try to make if hé were mg dog, is that behaving and performing trucks nearby Mango Will earn him amazing treats and attention, and bad behavior Will earn him ignorance. I hope that Will work
Good luck!!

Thank you for the advice!! His whining annoys my parents a lot and they eventually scold him but I think you’re right, it’s reinforcing the behavior in a way. We’ll have to all change our mindsets in order for him to stop whining around the cage so much

 

[Yoshi&Raphi]

I wouldn’t ever let them be in the same room. We have a cat and even though I strongly doubt she would ever go for Yoshi I’m not absolutely certain and that’s enough to make sure she never even sees Yoshi.

It’s just not worth the risk.

 

[Zara]

I’m debating on taking my dog out of the room completely when Mango is out of his cage. I just don’t want to run the risk of either of them getting hurt

This is what you need to do.
Especially with Mango being a plucker, he really needs security and to feel safe.
Then work on stopping Oreo barking and obsessing over Mango around the cage.

 

[macawpower58]

You're dog's behavior is a huge red flag to me.
Some dog's have a drive/obsession that can't be successfully controlled.
I'd not allow them out at the same time, ever.
I'd also make sure the dog can't reach the cage. I've seen tails, and heard of feet grabbed by dogs.

 

[Mockinbirdiva]

It only takes a split second to have regrets for years should Oreo grab Mango and kill him. I wouldn't take the risk even if you are holding Mango or if he's on your shoulder. Birds spook easily and if he ever took flight you may not be able to control Oreo as well as you think you may be able to. Don't take a chance. Your other dog may not show any interest but I still wouldn't allow them out in the same room under any circumstance. And, since you are living at home it would be wise to tell everyone else in the house when the dogs are put up because the bird is out. Mango depends on you for his safety.

 

[Monica]

I agree with the others, do not allow Mango out with the dogs. Either somebody is in a cage/room closed up or other measures are taken to keep them separate.


You might want to consider putting a leash on Oreo and then having him on the opposite side of the room from Mango. Get Oreo to do some training and keep his focus on you. If his attention goes towards Mango, move away. As long as his attention remains on you, you can slowly inch towards Mango and keep up the training. You may also want to "station train" Oreo (Mango could potentially enjoy training, too! ) to lay down away from the cage and remain calm. It will take repetitions and rewarding desired behavior a lot!

 

[Laurul Feather Cat]

Chihuahuas come from hard core hunting TERRIER stock and were responsible for controlling (killing) any small animals which came into the Aztec homes. Terriers do not give up on getting at whatever it is they want and will wait and wait to get at their target. I adore terriers, but I also have to say they are totally unsafe around other small pets, mammal, bird or reptile! I even had one Schipperke who would try and get the fish out of the aquarium! She loved catching minnows when we hiked near a stream and she was really got good at catching them for a little snack.

Do not allow the chihuahua in the room when your bird is out for exercise.

 

[Newbie1000]

I totally forgot about this thread but thank you all for the advice!! A quick update: Oreo and Mango are not let out in the same room together, especially while I’m home. Trying to explain that Oreo could be dangerous to my parents is hard because they really think he won’t do anything just because they’re in the room... I’m still working on them but they’re coming around. While mango is in his cage however, I told my parents to just ignore Oreo’s whining like and it actually worked. He’s very calm around the cage and we only give him attention when he’s away from the cage and not being obsessive. So far so good on the progress and I won’t be trying to even attempt putting them in the same room together, it’s too much risk even with training honestly

 

[Monica]

Thank you for keeping Mango's safety at the top of the list!


I had a cat and a dog that I'm sure I could have trusted around my birds supervised as well as unsupervised (cat managed that on *several* occasions before I put an end to that...), but I'd always rather err on the side of caution and not take the risk. Even if that cat or dog never harmed the bird, their saliva (and ours) can still be harmful to birds... so if the cat or dog simply licked the bird, they could potentially get sick from ingesting the saliva.


You're awesome! Keep working on your pup and with your family!

 

[annoellyn]

My dog got a good bite on his nose from my bird. Lucky for me and jupiter, my dog got freaked out and ran off. Jupiter has also bitten one of my cats tail. Has recently taken to dive bombing the cats. So we have to take precautions. So far all my pets don't pay any attention to my bird anymore with a lot of training but for our one youngest cat. She just goes into a different room when I let Jupiter out. Sounds like you have a good plan!

 

[annoellyn]

I forgot a funny story. My aunt used to have a blind Pidgeon that free roamed the house. She had a cat to. The cat just seemed to understand that the bird wasn't food and never bothered it. Still a huge unnecessary risk though

 

[Bowie]

I've got similar problems, and it's always best to keep them separate, as much as an inconvenience as it is. I've got a German Shepherd that lets my lovebird sit on her head and preen her ears for hours but my Yorkie is a total hunter and gets unhealthily obsessive whenever he hears a little chirp. I always find it best to let my lovie out to fly around when the Yorkie is outside or closed in another room with someone. I've tried to let them be in the same room to get accommodated to each other, but my birdie has been in the house for almost six years now and my yorkie still yaps and paces around her. It's amazing to have dogs and birds that get along as well as my shep does with my lovebird, but it's not always the case. Good luck with your new friend! Hope all goes well.

 

[Fergus Mom]

I'm so glad you are wise in keeping Oreo away from Mango for the most part, and I believe that as Zara said, the dog would be terribly stressing the bird, when barking and whimpering to get at him. Birds are so smart, and even smarter about prey, I believe. You don't want to be writing here about the one second it took for Oreo to go behind someone's back and get your beloved bird.

 

[T. gillii]

I have a dog right now, and I have to keep him completely out of the room where the birds are. unless he is on his leash, and the birds cages are closed and covered.
If he needs to sleep in my room I’ll tie his leash to the bed, with a comfortable distance so that he can, you know function, but he cannot get to the birds in anyway shape or form.
He would absolutely hunt my birds. I have nightmares about it, but I love my dog, and I love my birds, so I take certain precautions.

 

[Newbie1000]

A lot of times Mango seems to enjoy messing with Oreo honestly. He purposefully splashed him with water and will climb the cage low enough to taunt Oreo but far enough away that he can’t reach! I still make sure to keep Oreo away from the cage when Mango decides he wants to hop down the bottom (which is rare he usually stays in the middle to top area of the cage) but he’s doing much better leaving Mango alone while he’s in the cage. He’s currently in my mom’s room with my other dog eating dinner while Mango and I relax in the living room

 

[Leih]

A lot of times Mango seems to enjoy messing with Oreo honestly. He purposefully splashed him with water and will climb the cage low enough to taunt Oreo but far enough away that he can’t reach! I still make sure to keep Oreo away from the cage when Mango decides he wants to hop down the bottom (which is rare he usually stays in the middle to top area of the cage) but he’s doing much better leaving Mango alone while he’s in the cage. He’s currently in my mom’s room with my other dog eating dinner while Mango and I relax in the living room

I believe it! Aoife taunts my cats, she will get down to the bottom of her cage if one is next to her cage. I keep the door closed when she's flying now but she'd deliberately do her acrobatic flying if a cat came in, just to antagonize them. Lovebirds truly are fearless, it's terrifying to be their human sometimes! She actually is a total bully to my two linnies, too, although she seems to be kind of in love with the one she hates most. She's doing pretty well with my conure, though.

 

[Laurul Feather Cat]

Back in the 80s and early 90s, my wife and I had three dogs, 24-28 cats (depended on new litters) and about ten birds (parakeets and lovebirds). The birds were in their own room and the cats were in their own room. But when I left the dogs in with the birds the lovebirds would tease the dogs, biting their ears and tails, until the dogs started snapping at them. So no dogs in with the birds, but got along with the cats great.

After my wife left me and returned to Florida with her kids, I got a new roomie who had an African Grey Parrot (Emmie). I had lovies, budgies and cockatiels and I had stopped the birds from teasing the dogs. All but Emmie who lured the dogs over to her cage with food and then bit them. I had broken tails and bitten noses and even broken toes when they jumped up and put their paws on his cage to beg food. This is why I started a birdroom again; to decrease the vet bills from the bird from injuring the dogs!