My galah bites my family. How do I get her to be a loving family pet?

It may be a simple preference. Some pets, birds included, have their favorites. You can try to gain her trust gradually, but be prepared for rejection. Start by simply sitting by the cage for ever increasing periods of time. Progress to placing you hand in the cage for ever increasing periods of time. Make no attempt to touch or hold her. End each session with a small reward or treat. Be patient and be consistent. If it makes you feel better, I have a parrot close to 30 years old that I have cared for since she was a chick. She will bite me any chance she gets. It's not just you.

Hi! Since you and Blu-ray have an established positive relationship, you can help encourage positive interactions with other people in the house by having those other people take on certain roles in Blu-rays care. For example, other people in the family can be the ones to feed Blu-ray or spitz her with water if that’s something she enjoys. Additionally, if she has any favorite food items, then those items should be exclusively given to her by other family members. That way, she only ever received her favorite treats from the people you are hoping she will bond more with. I hope this was helpful. If you would like to discuss this in more detail, don’t hesitate to request a consult. Good luck!

Thanks for reaching out about Sky. Despite what many people may think, birds are not supposed to bite readily. They come to learn to bite when the other forms of their body language are not seen/listened to by others, including owners (and veterinarians!). I would recommend looking at Sky's body language and your actions in situations - both before she tries to bite and when she is trying to bite. You may see that Sky tries to move away, or leans away, prior to trying to bite. It may be that Sky has not had any good or non-frightening experiences with humans yet so she doesn't know how friendly you are trying to be. I would recommend moving very slowly, and using food items that Sky likes to eat to help start to form a bond with her. When you start to move towards Sky, and there are no signs of avoidance (see above), then she gets a treat that she really likes. If she shows any signs of avoidance, then you just move away - you leaving may be her reward, and that is okay because you haven't pushed her so much that she feels like she needs to be desperate enough to bite. For training, you may want to start by asking her to step up using a stick or wooden dowel instead of your finger. This will be more safe for you, and may be more comfortable for Sky initially as well. There are videos online that give training tips as well - I would recommend searching for positive reinforcement videos as these tend to be very successful for birds. I hope this gives you a place to start, and good luck with Sky!

I’m sorry this is happening. I know it can be pretty frustrating for you. The best this to do is work with him very slowly and have lots of patience. It will take time for him to begin to trust you. The best way to gain his trust is by working with him slowly and using small pieces of his favorite treat as a reward for interacting with you. First start by giving him a treat when you approach him/open the cage door, then, once he is comfortable with this, try to pet him with one finger, then continue increasing your interactions with him along these lines. It will take him time but with persistence he will get more used to you. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

Biting can happen if Bright is feeling stressed or scared, or just isn't tame enough yet to be handled. If she lives with other birds, it could be she is more bonded to them so may not bond with you as closely. A good start is to offer her favorite treat every time you approach the cage, by tossing it inside. Once she is more used to you coming by, you can then start to offer it from your hand, and then continue working on taming her from there. If at any time she becomes stressed out or bites, taking a break to let her relax and trying again later can help. It can take time for a bird to get used to their owner, so patience is key. Making sure Bright isn't too stressed out from her cagemates, and that she has plenty of fresh food, water, and toys to play with can help as well.

It will take time. Allow him to keep eating from your hand. Use treats to coax him onto your hand and when you pet him, do not come in from above. This can be a threatening motion for birds. Approach at or below eye level and move slowly. The female will require a bit more work in getting acclimated to your hand. You can do the same though. Use treats and rewards. Keep your hand near her, but don't try to touch her, for ever increasing periods of time. Provide additional food and water bowls to prevent resource protection.

Hand-feeding treats is actually the major way you can help to tame her. You /do/ want her to expect treats from you every time, because this teaches her that you are a positive thing to be around, instead of scary by chasing her with your hand or finger. So I highly recommend starting to hand-treat her or tossing a favorite treat every time you come by to visit. This can certainly help with bonding and positive experiences. In some cases, a bird may not bond very well with its owners, or may bond in other ways (singing, talking to you, dancing for you, etc). Even if she never decides to sit on your hand or cuddle, you can spend other ways bonding by playing with a toy, talking to her, offering treats, etc to let her know you enjoy being together.