how do you introduce a young lovebird to a dog?

[its me]

the puppy is a 1 yearand 8 month old shih-poo (shi tzu and poodle mix)..she barks whenever someone rings our doorbell, but doesnt bite at all..shes very friendly and enjoys licking people if she likes them-she loves alot of attention.
The lovebird is a peachface. it'll be a couple of weeks old i believe.

whats a proper way to introduce the bird to the dog, so i can play with them at the same time- and possibly they play with each other, supervised of course. any help would be appreciated,thanks!

 

[Jennifer]

Start by keeping the bird in the cage. Once the dog looses interest you can allow the bird on the floor while holding the dog, and go from there.

 

[my own pavement]

I would not in a million years trust a small dog with anything fragile like a lovebird. They cannot "play" together because they do not communicate using the same languages. When a dog is actually playing, it's bouncing around left and right, and considering the fact that a parrot will get spooked by all the sudden movement, playing will not work between the two.

You can aim to have them out simultaneously though, without contact. Such as leaving the lovebird on your shoulder while the dog is in the room.

This will take time, so give it a few weeks. First start off by introducing the scent of each animal to the other one. Let your dog smell something of the bird's and vice versa. Praise the dog when it is calm around the smell. Do this daily for a few days. Next step is to bring the dog into the room with the bird's cage, and get him to stay/sit calmly (or get someone to help), while you take the bird out. Now they can see each other, but at distance. Obviously, you will need the bird to feel comfortable with you before you can introduce them. Continue this for another few days. Reward the dog when he is calm and quiet, but if he acts like a predator, take him out of the room immediately. Same with the bird, reward when it is calm, but place back in cage when nervous. Eventually they will get used to one another.

 

[rachel90d]

I would just keed the bird away from the dogs. One bite and thats it for the bird. I had my bird around my 2 dogs fro 5 years and it only took one dog to bark and one bird to fly and freak and it all starts.