Help with Aggressive Galah

[mypinklove]

Yikes have you read all of the cockatoo tutorials here on the forum as well as all of the biting ones birdman has posted? Birds DEFINITELY can have dominance issues.

All of them, nope!! Am I reading them, Yes!!

Maybe I understood it all wrong but I'm definitely reading.

I'm being receptive to everything new that I hear because I want to learn - and I happen to have heard that birds see you as their equal and do not have flock dominance hierarchy like other animals. Don't "Yikes" me please, like I'm completely shut off and not reading or trying to learn at all.

 

[Jayyj]

Its worth baring in mind dominance and aggression can exhibit itself beyond competition for a place in a group hierachy. Crows, magpies and kestrels will furiously mob any large predator that enters their airspace - this is my territory, I can see you, you're not wanted here. Sea eagles will harass other fishing birds such as gulls and ospreys to get them to drop their catch and save the eagle having to fish for itself. If you watch flocks of scavenging birds such as gulls, vultures or pigeons you'll see them constantly bicker at each other over a food source. So whilst formal, hierachy might not be such a big deal for birds, throwing their weight around is common behaviour.

A parrot isn't really designed to interact with humans, therefore pet birds have to figure out for themselves how to get the best out of their situation and that generally means asserting themselves to see how they fit in. If agressive behaviour means they get their own way, that's what they're going to do.

I wanted to add with galahs, you're going to need to know about pressure bite training as well. Galahs are usually obsessed with putting everything in their mouths - mine is constantly grabbing my finger in her beak and it used to really hurt, but now she knows the difference between biting and holding and it doesn't bother me. But that's another thing to factor into reading your bird's body language: is this an aggressive 'Back off, you're in my space' message or a 'Hey, that looks fun! Mine!' message?

 

[plumsmum2005]

plumsmum: Oh wow I didn't realize that they had a dominance type dealio at all. I was told that birds see you as their equal, and there isn't a pack mentality at all... Well then! Learn something new every day.
I suppose that could be what he's doing, since he is so outgoing and confident in himself. Maybe it's a mix of that AND hormones, which is what is making the aggression so unpredictable?
How did you establish yourself as the "flock leader" and not to be bitten so much then? I'm trying to be firm and redirect him or distract him with a little earthquake or by saying no pretty loud and then showing him the mirror and dancing him around (which he loves.) So far that seems to work more than just saying owe and waiting for him to stop. I also praise him lots when he lets me touch him even for a moment, without biting. Is this an okay long term solution until he figures it out, or should I be doing more?
Great suggestions on handling as well, I really appreciate it thank you!!

pinkybirdy: lol yeah honeymoon is over I guess but I love him with all my heart and I'm committed to making this relationship work. Also I wouldn't say it's a broken relationship or anything - I was able to take him out and about the house with me while I cleaned, and just now when I showered, and he did bite a few times but not nearly as aggressive as before... He seems to forget about it when it happens? lol.

I havent had any hormonal issues/sexual behaviour with Plum and he's 11. I swear if if he met a female he wouldn't know what to do. If you give him an inch to be flock leader he'll take it. Don't get me wrong he is a right mummy's boy but you need to be firm and prove you are flock leader. If not you have one out of control 'too heading for re-homing. Time outs worked. Do this quietly - do not reward or endorse this behaviour. As this is new any misdemeanor and its back to cage, and leave the room. This is why Plum says 'go bubbyes' straight after being naughty, he knows. They love head skritches so use this as a reward. Firm tone "No" or "enough" from me is now all I need mostly but it doesn't need to be shouted as this introduces drama. Sit and think things through and work to be consistent but most of all don't reward bad behaviour.

 

[Doublete]

Yikes have you read all of the cockatoo tutorials here on the forum as well as all of the biting ones birdman has posted? Birds DEFINITELY can have dominance issues.

All of them, nope!! Am I reading them, Yes!!

Maybe I understood it all wrong but I'm definitely reading.

I'm being receptive to everything new that I hear because I want to learn - and I happen to have heard that birds see you as their equal and do not have flock dominance hierarchy like other animals. Don't "Yikes" me please, like I'm completely shut off and not reading or trying to learn at all.

Hey now yikes was for your situation not for how you took it. Don't get defensive when there's nothing to be defensive about.

And maybe that's true but right now your bird does NOT see you as his equal. You haven't earned that right yet. You have to prove to your bird that you are willing to respect his body language, his communication, and that you are worthy. While you are proving this and building that bond and trust with your bird you also need to make sure he doesn't establish himself as the boss.

So yes, birdman is the best reference you can have. Don't rush with your bird and if that means you just open his cage, let him hang out while you read up, and are completely hands off for days, that might be wise. You can start target training him to get him back into his cage. Using words like "cage" "home" or some other key and using a food incentive so you never have to touch him and he goes back to his house willingly.

My yikes is because things can go south quick with a cockatoo. Your situation. Cockatoos are definitely tough birds, and why I don't have one. too high maintenance for me.

 

[Doublete]

Also remember that while wild birds don't have hierarchy and such, we have altered pet birds by hand feeding them and most don't get raised by parents with siblings so don't have the same social skills.

 

[plumsmum2005]

Yikes have you read all of the cockatoo tutorials here on the forum as well as all of the biting ones birdman has posted? Birds DEFINITELY can have dominance issues.

All of them, nope!! Am I reading them, Yes!!

Maybe I understood it all wrong but I'm definitely reading.

I'm being receptive to everything new that I hear because I want to learn - and I happen to have heard that birds see you as their equal and do not have flock dominance hierarchy like other animals. Don't "Yikes" me please, like I'm completely shut off and not reading or trying to learn at all.

Hey now yikes was for your situation not for how you took it. Don't get defensive when there's nothing to be defensive about.

And maybe that's true but right now your bird does NOT see you as his equal. You haven't earned that right yet. You have to prove to your bird that you are willing to respect his body language, his communication, and that you are worthy. While you are proving this and building that bond and trust with your bird you also need to make sure he doesn't establish himself as the boss.

So yes, birdman is the best reference you can have. Don't rush with your bird and if that means you just open his cage, let him hang out while you read up, and are completely hands off for days, that might be wise. You can start target training him to get him back into his cage. Using words like "cage" "home" or some other key and using a food incentive so you never have to touch him and he goes back to his house willingly.

My yikes is because things can go south quick with a cockatoo. Your situation. Cockatoos are definitely tough birds, and why I don't have one. too high maintenance for me.

You are not wrong they keep you on your toes.

 

[mypinklove]

Yikes have you read all of the cockatoo tutorials here on the forum as well as all of the biting ones birdman has posted? Birds DEFINITELY can have dominance issues.

All of them, nope!! Am I reading them, Yes!!



Maybe I understood it all wrong but I'm definitely reading.



I'm being receptive to everything new that I hear because I want to learn - and I happen to have heard that birds see you as their equal and do not have flock dominance hierarchy like other animals. Don't "Yikes" me please, like I'm completely shut off and not reading or trying to learn at all.

Hey now yikes was for your situation not for how you took it. Don't get defensive when there's nothing to be defensive about.



And maybe that's true but right now your bird does NOT see you as his equal. You haven't earned that right yet. You have to prove to your bird that you are willing to respect his body language, his communication, and that you are worthy. While you are proving this and building that bond and trust with your bird you also need to make sure he doesn't establish himself as the boss.



So yes, birdman is the best reference you can have. Don't rush with your bird and if that means you just open his cage, let him hang out while you read up, and are completely hands off for days, that might be wise. You can start target training him to get him back into his cage. Using words like "cage" "home" or some other key and using a food incentive so you never have to touch him and he goes back to his house willingly.



My yikes is because things can go south quick with a cockatoo. Your situation. Cockatoos are definitely tough birds, and why I don't have one. too high maintenance for me.

Thanks for the advice. Good thing pink 'toos are way less high maintenance than the white ones.

I went on the forums after a few beers so that's probably why I took it wrong.

I'll continue reading the articles available and using the advice here to build a good relationship.

 

[witchbaby]

Is he actually biting or is it nipping/chewing? My galah is very beaky and when I first got him he loved to put my fingers in his mouth and chomp down. It was never aggressive though. Bite pressure training has been the way to go, plus introducing him to more acceptable things to chew on.

 

[mypinklove]

Sometimes he bites angrily and sometimes he's seriously just being super beaky but it still hurts. I've been hearing lots on bite pressure training. If there's a short way to explain how to teach that or are there special articles somewhere that I've got to read about it? sounds like it works for a lot of people. Thanks for sharing your experience with your galah.


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[Doublete]

Sometimes he bites angrily and sometimes he's seriously just being super beaky but it still hurts. I've been hearing lots on bite pressure training. If there's a short way to explain how to teach that or are there special articles somewhere that I've got to read about it? sounds like it works for a lot of people. Thanks for sharing your experience with your galah.


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Hate to sound like a broken record. Birdman wrote a thread on bite pressure training. I'll try to find it I guess.

 

[Doublete]

http://www.parrotforums.com/macaws/56432-bite-pressure-training.html

This links to a few threads about it

 

[mypinklove]

http://www.parrotforums.com/macaws/56432-bite-pressure-training.html

This links to a few threads about it

I couldn't find them. I tried looking. Thank you for providing a link this time!

 

[mypinklove]

http://www.parrotforums.com/macaws/56432-bite-pressure-training.html

This links to a few threads about it

I thought that when I read your post the first time you had said he wrote some articles about stuff. I looked in the cockatoo section and then on his page because I didnt think articles meant they were threads, or at least I thought it might be a sticky or something.

Also didn't think the same methods for a macaw would apply for a galah and I thought it might be nice owners of the Galahs responding were going to give some tips so I'm still open to that if there's anything different there. thanks.

 

[Jayyj]

I just muddled through with my galah and trying to figure out pressure training so I only know this works on one bird, but this was my approach:

When she grabbed a finger in her beak, I'd make a warning noise (a kind of 'Ap' noise) and eyeball her. If she then increased pressure I'd get my thumb onto the top of her beak so that I had purchase between my thumb and the digit in her mouth, grip it gently and say firmly 'No bite!'. Since she hated me griping her beak, she'd immediately loosen her own pressure and try to wiggle free, at which point I'd take my thumb off. I'd keep my hand where it was so she could return to the finger if she wanted as long as she was gentle. After doing that a dozen or so times, it was usually enough just to say 'No bite!' or to touch the ball of my thumb against her beak any time she squeezed a bit hard. She's not perfect with it but she generally only nips hard now if she gets over stimulated playing a game and she always backs off when told to.

Galahs are a good choice to learn pressure training with because, although they can give a painful nip, they can't crush your knuckle like a hazelnut in a nut cracker the way a large macaw can! They do seem to be one of the worst species for beaking everything though so it's a good one to get going with.

 

[mypinklove]

I just muddled through with my galah and trying to figure out pressure training so I only know this works on one bird, but this was my approach:

When she grabbed a finger in her beak, I'd make a warning noise (a kind of 'Ap' noise) and eyeball her. If she then increased pressure I'd get my thumb onto the top of her beak so that I had purchase between my thumb and the digit in her mouth, grip it gently and say firmly 'No bite!'. Since she hated me griping her beak, she'd immediately loosen her own pressure and try to wiggle free, at which point I'd take my thumb off. I'd keep my hand where it was so she could return to the finger if she wanted as long as she was gentle. After doing that a dozen or so times, it was usually enough just to say 'No bite!' or to touch the ball of my thumb against her beak any time she squeezed a bit hard. She's not perfect with it but she generally only nips hard now if she gets over stimulated playing a game and she always backs off when told to.

Galahs are a good choice to learn pressure training with because, although they can give a painful nip, they can't crush your knuckle like a hazelnut in a nut cracker the way a large macaw can! They do seem to be one of the worst species for beaking everything though so it's a good one to get going with.

Hey thanks so much for sharing what worked for your Galah. It makes me excited to know that I'm "allowed to" train specifically to the needs or behavior of your specific bird. I kind of felt guilty swaying from the blanket statement ways of training him sometimes but I feel like when I just let myself respond appropriate to the situation and how HE needs, we tend to get on the same page. There's already been more harmony between us after doing some more reading on cockatoo behavior and letting myself just Be what I need to be around him.

I'm super excited to read the bite training thread now, too. Thanks so much for all of your help. It's very helpful to read stuff specific to my type of bird. I hope we can make as much progress as you guys have!!