What about the birds ??

[tsjoe007]

Is there anyone who has some experience with the combination Bpup and small birds. I have 4 Agapornis birds flying free during daytime, a female Ficheri, a male Personatus and their 2 "kids".

We hope to welcome our little friend somewhere between Christmas and the end of January. Counting the days !!:)

[LeeL]

Not sure about indoor birds, but my three killed and ate a blue jay in the back yard one day. They also freak out when they see any bird and want to chase it. I would suggest keeping the B totally seperate from them.

[MacPack]

There is a woman on B-pix, has 2 basenjis and 2 parrots, the birds run around on the floor with the dogs, the dogs respect them.

Many years ago we had 3 basenjis and adopted a neglected peach-face lovebird from a neighbor. It was just a "cage bird" and we got it a big tall, round cage that the basenjis could sniff and see. At first they wanted the bird really bad, but they got used to it and after a few months we opened the cage door and let the bird run around outside the cage. The dogs tolerated the bird, then would let the bird bathe in their water bowl. The 3 basenjis and 1 lovebird would all be around a big bowl eating oatmeal, it was very cool. We were so relaxed about "Green puppy" that we didn't think to lock him in his cage when another basenji came over to play…and that was the sudden end of Greenpuppy. I couldn't be too mad, it was a quick natural reaction for a dog, but we cried and buried him in the yard. I still have one of his feathers in a baggie in my freezer, and that was about 20 years ago, sniff, sniff.

So to make a short answer long, some basenjis can learn to love a bird or two, but you have to be very patient. And other birds have too strong a prey drive for them ever to co-exist free together.

Anne in Tampa, with 3 basenjis and no birds

[basenji3]

We have 2 basenji's, a elkhound and three big birds, macaw,cockatoo and lorikeet and three small birds, lovebird, quaker and cockatiel. The dogs used to be very interested in cages but now they only are interested when the food bowls come out. Since our birds get a daily diet of "people food" besides their regular seed there seems to be more interest in what the birds have to eat than the birds themselves. Our birds have picked their favorite dog and call them all the time, they also reprimand them. They are quite fun to watch the interaction between them. Having birdies is not a reason to not get a basenji. We had both b's since they were puppies so birdy training started early. We do have one that is out all the time with the dogs but he never leaves his play stand. Other than him I am not brave enough to have everyone out together Its the flight that seems to get the dogs not the birds themselves. So for us seperate time outs works great. Once you get your pup and find its temperment you should be able to work out something that makes all happy.

[SenjiShowgirl]

I have three birds, all of them game birds, an indian runner duck and two button quail (pets for me though) and while very cautious when they are around the dogs I have never (yet) had a problem with Zumi (my being too rough or killing them. I think he realizes these birds are MINE and are not to be touched unless I let him. he does like to chase the birds outside though, like robins, finches. oh and hte chickadees, they are a favorite as they play back!. he respects their space, my duck gave him a nice peck on the tail and he stays away now. my birds do not fly, per se, I have clipped the flight feathers on my quail and my duck is a ground duck, it cannot fly, its a baby yet anyways. Zumi dislikes the quail as they do a sort of odd "squee!" sound that he hates if he gets too close. I let all the birds out for a few hours everyday, and the dog I am worried about most is my chow chow, who is very prey-driven, Zumi has never touched my birds yet, but i would never let them loose in the house with the dogs without me right there. Zumi also gets along great with my rat for some reason, they slept together even, odd little dogs B's.

~Charlene