Dominant Behavior

[cthulhus_minion]

My male cockatoo has started trying to be dominant instead of scared. Any time I have seen him show any kind of behavior such as spreading his wings out and displaying his crest I always immediately make him step up to show I'm not afraid of him. He was getting better about the scared part now he is trying to be dominant and I am using the same method so he knows he's not dominant and I am not scared of him. What else could I do to stop this behavior before it gets to be an actual problem. Also he started stomping his feet some today and according to what I found that is defiantly a sign of a bird trying to be dominate.

 

[Pinkbirdy]

I think you just have a long road ahead [and that's how you should look at it ] . Building your relationship with him ,and figuring out what works. Sounds like things are going in the right direction [ Im sure you will both find your way ]

 

[MonicaMc]

First, you need to understand that your cockatoo is not trying to dominate you. Dominance in parrots does not exist.

https://www.facebook.com/chris.harris.790256?fref=ts


https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lara...aining-and-enrichment/165220980213318?fref=ts


Taking the ?Command? out of the Positive Reinforcement Vocabulary | Lara Joseph



A Quick Example of How Positive Reinforcement Can Help in Preventing an Undesired Behavior | Lara Joseph


Natural Encounters, Inc.

Study Reports






Please, do yourself and your birds a favor and take the word "dominance" out of your vocabulary. Stop trying to dominate him and start learning to work *with* him. This is what positive reinforcement is about. It is learning to communicate with our animals in a positive manner and to teach them acceptable behaviors. It is often under the guise of clicker training.



My questions are... why is he displaying? Is he still afraid? Is he having fun and showing off?


If he's still afraid, him spreading wings and crest open may be his way of saying to 'back off' because so far you have ignored everything he's told you by saying he's afraid and you have pushed him to try some new behavior to get you to back off.

If he's just showing off, well, allow him to! Don't get him too riled up, but do allow him to have some fun!



Let him show you what he is comfortable with. If he's afraid of something, teach him in a positive manner that it's ok. Encourage him to be the bird you want him to be, don't force him to be the bird you don't want him to be. Communication is a two way lane, try to "listen" to him.

 

[Betrisher]

It's a long time since I've had a captive cocky, but I thought I'd just add that the wild ones do this all the time when they're in a great good humour. I've also seen them doing it in public parks when they get the chance to bathe under a sprinkler. Please don't be too quick to punish your cocky for being happy!

I have to agree with Monica about dominance. I've been a birdwatcher all my life and I've never seen parrots exhibit dominance/submission behaviours in the ways that other species do.

 

[U2gal]

How new to birds are you? Have you done much research on behavior? If not, I recommend researching behavior. Barbara Heidenreich's Parrot Problem Solver is a GREAT book on parrot behavior.

I like to put my face up against my birds when they get all HAPPY and excited and start to open their wings with their crest up. Theyre happy. And it makes me happy.

A cockatoo who will bite is a cockatoo who's feathers around their face and entire body are very sleek and they will look at You with their beak open and almond eyes.