Conure screams at dog

[dirtwatermud]

We just adopted a nanday conure...this will be his third home. He's getting along well with our sun conure. He doesn't mind the cats. But he screams as loud as he can when he sees the dog. The dog's a 12lb terrier...not hyper, never barks, doesn't go near the cage... Any suggestions on how to help his doggy-fear???

[Jwhear]

Give him time.

[NotEnoughTime]

If the bird finds the dog an "adversive" thing in its life, then by removing the dog when the bird is screaming you are "rewarding" the scream at the dog. That is, from the bird's point of view, if I see a dog I don't like, and I scream, the dog goes away... Very rewarding for the screaming behaviour.

One can try an "extinction" process - that is simply leave the dog in the room until the bird stops screaming. It will happen that the bird will stop screaming - after all it is hard to scream and eat at the same time (although parrots seem to manage it sometimes), but it may take a long time and get worse before it gets better. If this is not a comfortable approach for you (and I don't really like it because it involves leaving something adversive - ie. the bird doesn't like it - in the room) then I would try to find a way to reward tolerance.

I would approach this in stages. How close does the dog have to be to your nanday before the nanday screams? I would move the dog to the position where the bird can see the dog but does not scream. Then reward tolarance. He should be "looking" at the dog if the dog is adversive - so a sunflower seed and "good boy" - when not screaming.

Then move the dog closer. And again "reward tolerance."

I'm certain others may have some suggestions - and I am looking forward to reading them.