Today I added a Budgie (a little bird) to the family, his name is Percy. He's in his cage in the lounge room so he can be interactive with the rest of the family. The cage has sat empty for a few days where I intended him to stay. Freya was fine with the cage, nad I was hoping that since she had seen it there and wasnt at all curious about it, she'd be fine with a bird in it.

She was walking around the loungeroom and noticed Percy move. Well that was it, she had to watch his every move, she sat and stared at him eyes never moving from him. As much as I tried to disctract her, she cept coming back to him.

After about 2 minutes I managed to get her into the kitchen where a door devides the 2 rooms. She wined at the door to get to Percy again, which she has never done before.

I was getting the bath ready for my boys when my son accidentally let Freya into the loungeroom. I ran iinto the room to Freya about to jump up at the cage. In the heat of the moment I screamed at her to get down, I think I really scared her, she submitted and slinked back into the kitchen area immediatelly. If she had of put her weight on the cage it would have falled off it's stand and I'd have dead baby bird.

I tried again about 10-15 minutes later and although she was looking and watching the bird she wasnt as determined and focused on him as she was the previous times. I reinforced the good behaviour with pats and cuddles and she didnt even get close to the cage.

I'm hoping this means she's learned her lesson that if she goes too close to the cage then Mumma turns into the Incredible Hulk.
I feel really bad that I scared her, but it was abviously effective.

She's never behaved like that with any other animals, she plays with the cats, mouthing them occasionally, but they give as well as they get. Poor Percy has zero defence.

If she does it again what should I do?

We have an African Grey Parrot that all the dogs (and even my cats) have showed interest in at one point in time. For the safety of their noses, I told them "OFF" every time they showed interest I wasn't comfortable with. I found it important they watch the bird and know that the bird is part of the pack and to leave her alone. They don't mess with her, but they do venture at the bottom of her cage to eat up the broken seed shells (I off them for this when I see it).

However, when we go to pet stores my guys are all over the bird section. They jump up and go crazy at any and all birds, but pay not mind to the one at home.

I think once Freya realizes the bird is here to stay she will view her as one of the pack and will learn to ignore her. Now I would never let the bird out of the cage with the dog out! The only time my parrot comes out is if the dogs are put away!

My cat is that way with my sun conure. I'm sure when I get the puppy it'll be similar but I will of course try my hardest to not allow him to fixate on the parrot (though the parrot will most likely be in his own room). It will be a learning experience for me as well as when I bring the little one home in March. Like Kelly said though, I'm sure Freya will eventually lose interest in the budgie. At least we can hope.

Sunny will be the one to instigate something though. He hates pretty much anything and anyone that isn't me. He will even attack the house phone because he doesn't like the flashing indicator light on it. -_-; The cat has already been bit, which I thought would stop him from wanting to eat the parrot but that didn't work.

Thanks guys, I've been telling her to 'leave it' when she shows too much interest/looks at him for too long and that seems to be working.

You could always try feeding her near the bird's cage. Maybe try practice training by the cage too, such as sit, down, etc. that way she knows to be calm near the cage.

When I've been going up to the cage to talk to him nad get him used to our voices etc (he seems a little nervous still, poor little tacker, but it hasnt even been 24 hours yet, so it'll come) Freya comes up with me to do her watching thing, I get her to sit and laydown while I'm at the cage nad she seems to be getting used to that.

This morning however I woke to this continuous barking and was really curious as to why it sounded like it was cpming from inside.
I got up to find that my boys had woken before me, let Freya through to the loungeroom and she was barking at poor Percy.

She hasnt attempted to jump up at the cage again, even the boys noticed that she was starting to behave a little better around him and praised her for it.