Cocky little parrot

[KotaDVM]

Recently my FI and I got a 3 month old green cheek conure named 'Flappy'. He/She is a wonderful little bird and very affectionate towards us and warms up to strangers quickly. Flappy can usually be found sitting on our shoulders as we walk around the house and do chores or watch tv. We really do not have any complaints about the bird, but I would like to nip a situation in the butt now while the bird is still young. In our little family we also have a well-mannered 70 lb golden retriever that really could care less about the Flappy, however the bird likes to walk up to my dog and try to nip him on the nose. Usually the dog gets up and moves to another side of the room before Flappy actually succeeds in nipping him. What I have been doing is picking the bird up (when he is obviously in biting mode), giving him a firm no, and putting him in his cage for a few minutes. I was hoping someone with more parrot experience could give us some more advice on what we can do so the bird will be more respectful of the dog. Thanks!

 

[Imp]

When I used to have indoor birds I woulds blow hard into their face, to get them to back off.
I knew someone who worked with large parrots and she would rap them on the beak. I don't know if parrots learn well with punishment.
Maybe a reward if it stays away from the dog.

Imp

 

[verthandi]

Quote:
I try not to do is make a big scene or a loud correction. I give them the "evil eye" and the "shame on you" kind of talk, pick them up and return them to their cage. I'm sure you already know riding on your shoulder can cause him to think he/she is top of the flock. The higher up the tree (human in this case) they can go, the more important the bird is within its family. I bet Flappy thinks his/she is a pretty important bird to be riding on the head of the households shoulder. That puts your Golden at the bottom of the heap. I am very careful with my parrots and dogs in the same room. The parrots have a tree stand/play gym and they stay on that, unless they are on the back of the couch with me, where the dogs can not reach them. But, I know some people that have had no problems with them together on the floor.

 

[babalubird]

Mmmmm, I'd be awfully careful and rethink letting the two have free time together. We have a cat and now a rambunctious pup along with our cockatoo, cockatiel and ringneck.

For the birds to have free time, we lock the cat in a spare room for a while and the dog either goes outside or in his crate. It only takes one wrong move on the part of a cat or dog and you have a dead bird. One of these days, that dog may react to being bitten on the nose and bite back or twirl toward the bird stepping on him. I just think it's a bad idea to put predator and prey in that vulnerable a position.

Our dog and cat can freely see and visit the birds under our supervision in the living room only when the birds are safely in their cages.

Connie

 

[Nava]

 

[Nava]

this is Bruce. I cant seem to get him to stop being mean. He bites and very loud.

 

[Nava]

I bought him at an auction. love him dearly don't want to give him up. but I also want him to be happy.

 

[Nava]

did not mean to interrupt, sorry.