Help my CAG is attacking our other pets!

[Chenliu85]

We have an african grey congo that we've had since it was 5weeks old. Right now she is about 8 months old and she hates our pug, who is blind in one eye. We did not clip her wings until we saw her attacking our large Pyrenees so we decided that it was best for her to get clipped. My main concern is our pug who is blind and my CAG launches herself at her face. This is very bazaar. I figured the problem would be he larger animal not the smaller. She is dog aggressive although she grew up with them and should be used to them by now. On a side note, she does not hate our cats. I think it is because our cats are really calm and never run around the house. The cats can be an inch from her and she would not attack them but she seems to hate the dogs. She especially hates our pug the most because she is the most rambunctious.

[danmcq]

The only solution to this problem, is you are going to need to ensure your grey and pug are no longer allowed to get with inn striking range of each other. The grey sooner or later will ultimately end up maimed or dead when the pug decides enough is enough. I have dobermans and must ensure safe distance is always maintained. It is a pain sometimes, but you learn to adjust to this fairly quickly.

[Greywings]

Not a safe occupation for her, this is one of those times an altitude adjustment might be the best idea. Or dogs outside or restricted to another room if she is loose. It only takes one snap from a frightened or irritated Pug to kill a Grey a dear friend lost her Grey to a Chihuahua this year, a dog who had never shown any aggression.

[Luvparrots]

Greys and other animals are a little tough. My pug is 11 1/2 years old with bad eyes but has a great instinct for self-preservation and leaves the room if my parrots are out. My Ana Grey is a stalker and if she sees another animal dog, cat whatever she stalks it. Ana Grey is fearless. I recently kittysat my grandson's juvenile cat and had to keep the parrots in their bird room with the door closed or up high on their perches/boings or there was dive bombing, stalking and pouncing going on and on. It was five days of exhaustion for me. I was delighted that Issac, the kitty, finally went home. Finding the "perfect" solution between animals/grey is always interesting and you have to be diligent and on guard to survive it. Good Luck!

[Sarasota]

The only real solution to this problem is management and consistent supervision. Early on, my CAG nipped one of the dogs on the tail, so the dog keeps his distance. BUT, in the last week (odd timing!!) my CAG has flown at him. Not acceptable. On either side. The baby gate went up immediately to keep the dogs out the bird room. If necessary, I will put the dogs outside or in their crates when the birds are flying.

 

Here's another warning. If you have a doggie door and there are stray cats in the neighborhood, be careful. A few years ago I heard screaming, and ran into the living room just as a feral cat was carrying my toucan out the doogie door. I've never run so fast. He had one puncture wound but had to be treated for potential bacterial infection. Bad stuff!!!

[CLB]

Yikes! The doggie door scares me a bit. We had to reinvent our dog door situation when the cats decided it could be a cat door too. Would this not be a potential problem for our fids as well? I had not even considered the risk of feral cats coming in!

[chelseaB]

Like the others, I too have dogs & they are never loose in the same room as Biscotti when he is out of his cage. It is just too easy to have a heartbreaking disaster real quick. When he is in his cage everyone "gets along" ie. the dogs don't worry or bother Biscotti but he does take great joy in ordering them around! Lol.

Please keep your babies safe.

[Chenliu85]

Thank you for the advice. I consulted a bird specialist and he told me to condition them to get used to each other ex, have them together under supervision and give them treats. I don't think it is a good idea. What do you guys think?

[Greywings]

No that would not overcome the prey drive if it was triggered. They might play nicely after conditioning but it only takes one aggressive move to kill a bird in an instant if something sets off that drive in the dog.

[Sarasota]

Thank you for the advice. I consulted a bird specialist and he told me to condition them to get used to each other ex, have them together under supervision and give them treats. I don't think it is a good idea. What do you guys think?

 

It would be a fine idea...if the bird was not already attacking. Right now, you have to just keep them apart. Depending on how things go, keeping them apart may become permanent. With my previous dogs (Pekingese), I had no issues with the toucans. These dogs are much more exuberant. When the let the toucans fly in the house, the dogs must be outside or crated. No exceptions. It's just too risky. That even goes for when I walk the toucans from their daytime aviary to the night roost.

 

Things may change as the bird matures and the other animals get more used to its presence.

[kins2321@yahoo.com]

I believe in conditioning. Birds learned to love the dogs, but they were " pups!" My pups were trained to love the birds, by an 18 year old Lhasa Apso. Ollie and zoey, LOVE our birds, especially Sophie. They are kept apart, but when they are together, they support each other. When I came home one night, Ollie and Zoey were going crazy. Normally, I would have taken them out, but they were insistent I open the bird room. Opened the door, Kiki was stuck under gate, on her last breath. Did CPR, brought her back. Dogs and other birds were standing by. They knew, Kiki was in trouble. We saved her together, as a team. Kiki slept in bed with me that nite, dogs made room. Since then, there is no problems with the dogs, they all get along. Nancy