• Welcome to Avian Avenue! To view our forum with less advertisments please register with us.
    Memberships are free and it will just take a moment. Click here

A puppy..

Elysian

Jogging around the block
Celebirdy of the Month
Joined
7/27/20
Messages
911
Location
Kansas City, Missouri
Oookay. So I haven't posted much in the past week(plus), because of this:

pup.PNG

What happened (long version):
My dog (my baby) who I raised from a pup was 7 years old when I met and moved in with my S/O. They became best buds, maybe even closer to each other than to me - but he was still always my baby.
He died last year, at 14. I've always had dogs in my life and assumed I always would - but after Fagan, I just didn't really want to do it again. I couldn't even imagine another dog in the house.

When I started grieving less and the house started feeling too quiet, I got my budgies as my intro to the bird world. And the more I fell in love with them the more I wanted a big parrot. I've posted about that a lot :) I adore everything about my birds and I no longer actually consider myself a "dog person".

Well.. when I was at the pet shop looking at the poor bare-eye cockatoo who bit me, my boyfriend was off petting puppies. He came over to me and despite all of my warnings about the craziness and noise of cockatoos, he was completely supportive of me taking home that bird. He has been behind me from the beginning, both saying and demonstrating that he would be okay with whatever I wanted - whatever I decided - even if it was going to be something that disrupted his routines as much as mine.
But I also saw his face when he was petting those puppies. And while I was taking my time to seriously consider the ramifications of bringing home a cockatoo, I also became more aware of all his interactions with our friend's dogs. And I realized that I was being really really selfish.

After my experience with the shizzty bird store, I decided to put my search for a big parrot on hold until I could find a *reputable* breeder or find one at the rescue when they open up to visitors.. but I also realized that if I'm not getting a big bird right now, and I'm home all day right now, I'm actually in a really prime spot to make this work for my boyfriend.. to make HIM happy instead of me.

So we brought home this little guy, Argus.
He is supposed to be a Pyrenees mix, but he is really small so we're doing a dna test next week.

So far he is incredibly chill. He sleeps under my chair most of the day.
He has been exposed to the budgies and barely acknowledges them. They don't really acknowledge him either. I have nervously allowed them to fly loose around the same room he was in and they weren't scared and he wasn't showing any signs of wanting to chase..

My fingers are crossed.
I'm actually terrified. I love my boyfriend, and the excitement he has for having a dog makes me so glad I went with it, but I also love my birds so much. I don't know what I would do if something happened.

I hope I can find the right balance to let them keep their freedom and quality of life, but still be safe.

I don't really "love" him yet because I'm nervous (and he makes me miss MY dog) and I miss just relaxing with my birds every day, but he is pretty darn cute. And he's not half bad at target training either.

He is also the first thing besides our house that is really truly both of ours, so we're definitely a family now.

Cypress and Citrine still seem happy. They got too many seeds out of me from guilt, and I think they got a bit fat - weight was up a whole 4-5 grams each this week. When I had them out in the living room they actually came down from their playstand and landed on my head.
I'm determined to spend more time with them this week and have more posts about their silly lives.
 
Last edited:

Kiwi & Co.

Rollerblading along the road
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Joined
6/4/19
Messages
3,637
Location
New England
Congrats!!!
He's adorable!!
:starshower1:

He has been exposed to the budgies and barely acknowledges them. They don't really acknowledge him either. I have nervously allowed them to fly loose around the same room he was in and they weren't scared and he wasn't showing any signs of wanting to chase..
I would recommend not letting them share space while out because you never know when the dog could change their mind and go after them.
 

Elysian

Jogging around the block
Celebirdy of the Month
Joined
7/27/20
Messages
911
Location
Kansas City, Missouri
Congrats!!!
He's adorable!!
:starshower1:


I would recommend not letting them share space while out because you never know when the dog could change their mind and go after them.

Very true, I'm only doing it now because he is fat and tiny and cannot even jump on the couch. I figured we want them to at least get used to each other?
I don't think I could stomach risking it if he was any bigger though. They were flying a little low for my heart to handle.

Long term I'm mostly worried that they will get the short end of the stick in a world where they have to be kept out of certain rooms. :( But at least the dog could be put outside.

I realized I sound SUPER negative because I'm just so scared when I think of the budgie's future (I need to take my anxiety meds lol). But as for the puppy himself he is definitely sweet and adorable :)
 
Last edited:

Elysian

Jogging around the block
Celebirdy of the Month
Joined
7/27/20
Messages
911
Location
Kansas City, Missouri
He is soooo cute!!!!

I agree with @Kiwi's Mom that you shouldn’t be let them in the same room together.

Yeah :(
I wanted to condition him early, and use the time when he is easily controllable to make sure he knew they were there and are part of the family - hopefully if he is a pyrenees mix he will consider them part of his flock to protect and not something to eat or guard against. But it was definitely a limited experience.
All I really hope for is that he will be calm if he is around their cage, and not try to knock it over.

I miss them watching tv with me sooo much. I need to put a couch or something in their room so I can just chill in there more.
 

fluffypoptarts

Biking along the boulevard
Avenue Veteran
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
11/15/12
Messages
6,883
Location
Florida
I miss them watching tv with me sooo much. I need to put a couch or something in their room so I can just chill in there more.
Yes, this! That’s how we do it here - basically multiple “living rooms“. Even when our iggy was a puppy, we didn’t trust him around the birds.
 

Zara

♥❀Livin´ in Lovebird Land❀☼
Super Moderator
Avenue Veteran
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Avenue Concierge
Joined
1/8/18
Messages
31,366
Location
Reino de España
Ahhhh Argus is soooo cute! :swoon:
 

Kassiani

Biking along the boulevard
Celebirdy of the Month
Mayor of the Avenue
Avenue Spotlight Award
Joined
9/12/20
Messages
6,832
Location
Southeastern U.S.
What a sweet face! Congratulations!
 

Elysian

Jogging around the block
Celebirdy of the Month
Joined
7/27/20
Messages
911
Location
Kansas City, Missouri
And of course today someone right in my own city just sent me a message asking if I would be interested in taking their tame umbrella cockatoo, cage and all.
Dratted bad timing.

Not that I'm technically ready for an umbrella o_O
 
Top