My partner’s dog, a Golden Retriever, barks aggressively at other dogs when we’re in the car, but acts submissively when on walks. My late parakeet did something similar, screeching at predators only when a human was present. Is this just the pet equivalent of ‘talking shit’?
This sounds like barrier aggression. Dogs often act out aggressively when separated by a barrier but can be friendly when meeting face-to-face. Your parakeet’s behavior is different; it’s about delayed fear. When the threat is gone, it expresses frustration.
Thanks for the insight on barrier aggression. But why did my parakeet only act assertive after the threat was gone? What was the point?
It’s not a show of force; it’s delayed fear. The parakeet froze because it couldn’t flee. Once the predator was gone, it expressed frustration about being trapped and unable to escape.
With rats, barrier aggression creates a lot of anxiety. When they see each other, they might fight instead.