Introducing Parrot to Dog (Puppy)

Question
Hello,

I have a Congo African Grey parrot who is about 5 1/2 years old. He only gets along with me and my father and is very likely to bite anybody else that tries to touch him.

With that said, I am thinking about getting a puppy dog (something of a small breed), but we are hesitant because we are unsure of how the interaction will be between a parrot and a dog. If you happen to know any information about this, I would really appreciate your help. Thank you so much!

Regards,
Andrew Sklyar

Answer
Hi, Andrew.  Thanks for posting!

I have lots of parrots and 3 dogs.  Two of my dogs could care less about the parrots.  They've both been biten on the nose and stay far away from the birds!  However, my 3d dog, who has also been biten, wants revenge and would love to get his paws on any of them!  He would kill any he could get hold  of.  

A puppy can be trained to live with your grey.  However, the grey, because of his/her age, might not be so tolerant.  They are natural enemies.  So, it just depends on both the bird and the puppy and how they react to each other and how they are trained.  NEVER leave the puppy and bird alone together for any length of time, even if you think at some point they are both compatible.  On the other hand, they might end up being best of buds.  I've seen some parrots ride on the backs of dogs and others playing with one another.  But it just depends on the individual personalities of both of the animals.

Chrys