I am out of my element here.

[JLcribber]

#1 Everything and everyone is still new so everything except you is a potential threat. Give it some time Rebecca.

Something of note. I am betting your daughter looks a lot like you. That is something I have noticed really confuses my birds. My wife, her sister and her mom all look very similar and they just don't know what to make of it.

#2 Always calm and positive. No reaction to stuff by you is the best approach. If he sees something alarming and you have no reaction to it or pay attention to it he will realize it can't be that scary. Again over time he will realize this.

 

[cntrymeadow]

Thanks John.
Like I said I feel so out of my element here!!
As long as I know Im not doing anything bad/wrong I can hang in there.

 

[Billie Faye]

That is the "ALERT" could be danger....CALMNESS on your part, talking softless saying It's OK...is a good way also......having her talk to him/calling his name as she comes through also lets him know she is part of the "flock" of the house....having her telling him what she is doing gets him use to her voice, her body actions, etc....having you CALM also helps this...

 

[Bokkapooh]

Thank you Mercedez..
I was hoping you would chime in here!!!!

Im still trying to learn to read his body language and I was uncertain from the beginning what that flapping/shreik meant.
Since he never ever tried to bite before I just assumed it was part of the too behaviour.

Um....now I can see it is his maleness dance and I wont allow it while on me.

Females will do a female type of hormonal cockatoo ance as well. The rescue I go to has a spunky hen, who displays, screams, bounces,etc, just like a male.

If he does it while on his cage top or tree stand what should I do?
Ignore it?
Turn away and ignore it?

I always praise my male's manliness.. but thats just me. But it is recommend not to. And I also agree you shouldnt praise and encourage it. Encourage good screams(which CAN and very much may turn into manly male cockatoo'ness, but if it hits that point, you need to take a step back and give room to breath and a break before continuing a screaming fest).

I assume this is not something I want to encourage.

Also...he is wary of my husband and we assume its because the prev. owners father was scared of the bird and who knows what he might have done to him.
My husband is a large (6', 250 lbs) macho/he-man however he is very gentle with all things.
Even if hubs displays gentleness can a bird sense his macho-ness/dominance underneath and will this make it harder for hubs to work with him?

He may just respect your husbands territory right now and keep his distance from him. So will be a bit skittish/wary around him. But believe me, once he settles down all the way, he'll compete for that territory.

 

[Bokkapooh]

Tonights update:

We have two English Bull Terriers (look em up, everything you read about them is true) hence my faithful watching of the Dog Whisperer. I remembered how he said to be with dogs: calm and assertive and to not do anything with them until they are relaxed.

Tonight was Lemons first clicker/target training and it went...
Smashingly!

I was calm and assertive!

Started out with the clicker/cheerio.
Added the target stick/clicker/cheerio.

Took him out of his cage and immediately put him on his 5' tree perch (we just got it and its only his second time on it. The first time he was not impressed).

While he was on the tree perch we practiced the target stick/clicker/cheerio.
Then I let him play with his toys.

2 Questions:

#1 Our 25 yr old daughter lives with us. While he was on his tree perch she needed to leave to go somewhere. I told her to come out slowly so he was not startled.

Very good. Slow, less aggressive/threatening approaches and movement will keep a situation calm. Good job!

Once he saw her he did the male open wing/crest raised/shreik thing. Im assuming he was warning her away from me? He kept doing it as she went all the way to the door. He looked like he was going to fly onto me so I back way away and told him no.

After she left he calmed down and was fine.

Will he be this way with everyone?
How can I teach him to not do this?

Unfortunately, you really cannot change how he is. However once he settles down, you can absolutely ENCOURAGE and reinforcemetn CALM behavior he shows to people. If one day (which will happen, just be vigilant) you daughter walks in the room and he remains calm, Reward him, talk in an excited but calm voice, and praise praise PRAISE him, and love him and tell him how brave he was for behavior,etc,etc,etc. This is the only way to teach him to not do this. It may/may not work. My 'toos LOVES drama and attention, they usually do not do their manly strutting around people, usually. But when they do, its very hard to stop or distract them. Its best to let them run their energy out, sort of speaking.

#2 While on his tree perch he had an imagined threat and this was the first time I have actually seen/heard him hiss. Mouth open and tongue out. I stayed back until he determined there really was no threat and he stopped, then we resumed training/playing.

Im not sure what this was. Was he looking in the air, hissing, and swaying ,etc?

Im assuming this was the thing to do?

Oh...
I sang twinkle twinkle and jingle bells and he opened up his wings and started bouncing! We was singing and dancing. My only hope is that he doesnt want me to sing to him when hubs is home.
I really cant sing!

Well sometimes it helps a bird who feel threaten, to do something for them that may make us look stupid/bad. I sing all the time, and my birds love it..unfortunately my roomies and family have to put up with it.. it makes my birds happy and get them all confortable,etc.

 

[Bokkapooh]

I replied to you in BOLD in your quotes.

 

[cntrymeadow]

LOL.....slowly but surely Im learning.
Somedays I feel at a loss and somedays are just great!!!
I feel bad for hubs.
We got this bird sort of as a joint christmas present and so far hubs cant do anything with him except talk to him..which I know is a great start.
Except trying to teach him "daddy daddy the fish are thirsty' is probably not the simpliest thing to do (hehe)