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Don't react to BITING?

Discuss the methods and techniques of clicker training, target training and bonding. These are usually the first steps in training a young parrot.

Don't react to BITING?

Postby DanaandPod » Sat Jan 10, 2015 10:18 pm

First, a bit of history. As some of you know...I am over emotionally attached to my pet of one year, a rehomed Jardine's parrot. I have been attacked/bit on a very regular daily basis throughout the year not knowing entirely how normal it was or wasn't. In the parrot wizard book, i remember, though i need to refer back again, that jealousy aggression needs to be dealt with by planning such as if my parrot attacks me or my phone for paying attention to the phone instead of him...then make sure to leave the room before calling. (well, this still frazzles me when behind the door he is whistling and calling and yelling and then literally knocking loudly on the door with his beak...then sometimes he will give me a swift harsh nip to make sure that i understand i'm not to leave him out of anything that i do) He also bites for fun at my ankles and tops of my feet when walking by or if im on the floor doing somehting... he will zoom out from under a chair and nip me... all the while saying "woo!" "Woo!" and trust me... it is not funny to me. Yes, when i remember to... i will wear shoes. But, how the heck does one curb any reaction. NOt to even flinch at all ? To me it is like being chased consistently by a pair of large heavy sharp scissors, lol. I am more used to it then most anyone can imagine...and have been told by friends that they would have tossed my bird out the door from the beginning. But, i feel for him knowing that he is without choice a captive wild animal. So? The game biting really isnt my concern. it can be easier to illeviate. No, its the fact that he has such severe seperation anxiety from day one that i have had him...(maybe because he was rehomed several times before me?) and that he has severe jealousy aggression. He will attack me or attack anything that i am touching or doing that keeps me from him/my phone/my computer/vacuming the carpet/anything whatsoever. NOt to mention that if i even get up and move he has to cherp the whole time till i am done and settled again. The other day he didnt want to shower with me for whatever the reason... he probablly thought he saw my phone somewhere which is why he flew out... but then he sat outside the bathroom cherping as if to say hurry up in there and come out all ready. Honestly, sometimes i have to wear ear plugs to get something done...or i will wait till he is in bed...which is six oclock now. i love bed time. :lol: Lately, I have been saying that maybe i should rehome him although my selection would be so near perfect that it would take just about God before i let him go. And, then I start to cry thinking of it. I have never loved any animal like this in my life. But, i need a life! I need to feel like i can go and come and not be afraid if i have to stop home for an hour before leaving again... out of fear that he will scream at me. And, then the guilt sets in. In a week, my schedule is going to change... so i have been frantically trying seeking searching and even bought and returned a bird not of his kind. Obsessed with wanting to get another bird so he has at least that interaction while im not home. Why is it soooooooo hard to find another adult Poi? The folks who mainly run this forum say parrots cannot ever be left alone... so i have been frantic at wanting to end any possibility of him being left alone afraid. i cannot get a baby sitter. What can i do? i know i have mentioned too many things thna planned in this post. But, i am at my wits end. Working toward a healthier over all food consuption. Solar lighting. I spend two hours every single morning with him. ONe half of that time is direct trick training. Fifteen to twenty minutes is just flying to get some exercise in. Then usually i am home etc. my schedule has varied for a number of reasons. But, now i will be spending a lot more time/days away after our two hour morning session. Maybe three hour....see how things pan out. And then he is basically left in his cage/with toys and music. light. Should i at least get a small cage with two budgies for him to look at while im gone? And, until i can find him a real companion that is a poi? And in this same thinking... if i get him a companion will the jealousy aggression end? will he stop lurking over and about ready to fly over and attack my key board... (which i hardly have any keys left) or try to get my attention by pushing every single cup off my kitchen counter? Or by getting my attention by pushing my books off the shelves? I mean, I take breaks, loads of breaks and give him attention. I roll a ball to him... i play a zylophone, i knock on a box hes crawled into waiting for his return responses... to the point that i feel like i am going nuts because he is zapping me of every thing i got. i really do need my own life. so i can return to my school/work/hobby goals.... He wont let me do anyting. And, so ...... the response is tons of praise and giving him attention at appropriate times yet not pay any response to him biting me while my frail skin is bruised and bleeding? NOOOOOOOOOO rewarding yelp whatsoever right? :shock:
Piccolo and Pod
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DanaandPod
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Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 359
Location: Connecticut
Number of Birds Owned: 3
Types of Birds Owned: male Jardines parrot, a female meyers parrot, and two budgies
Flight: Yes

Re: Don't react to BITING?

Postby liz » Sun Jan 11, 2015 9:26 am

If you had a toddler that you could not stop from kicking you in the shin to make you yell, you would put on shin guards until he tired of it. Wear long pants and a turtle necked long sleeve shirt. It will add protection until her tires of it.
Rambo used to flog and man who came in the house including my son. When Harold, my disabled veteran buddy came over Rambo would attack. Harold wore long pants and heavy arch support shoes and had no feeling in his legs. Rambo tired of his game and no longer attacks any man. My buddy Harold is gone but Ron with his cane visits and Rambo has claimed him and his wife as friends.
My kids are opposites. With the recent bite on the cheek, Myrtle has bit me three times and brought blood. The first two times were when she was in distress and grabbed my fingers too hard while using them to help get out of her situation. I don't know what caused this last bite but she had to have a reason. I did not react to these bites. She really did not intend to hurt me. I do tell her owe when she chews on me too hard or pulls my hair. She understands and responds to owe.
No one ever said being a Momma was easy.
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liz
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Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 7234
Location: Hernando FL
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Types of Birds Owned: DYH Amazon Rambo
BF Amazon Myrtle
Cockatiels: Shadow Tammy Flutter Phoenix Jackie
Andy Impy Louise Twila Leroy
Flight: Yes

Re: Don't react to BITING?

Postby Wolf » Sun Jan 11, 2015 9:55 am

Kiki, my Senegal is my most frequent source of painful bites as she always removes chunks of flesh when she bites. I do not hold with the no response theory as I tried it for over a year and it did not seem to help me any at all. When she bites me now, I purposefully let out a loud yelp and then frown and give her the evil eye, a pointedly hateful look, and tell her "NO Bite!" and set her down. This has helped to reduce the frequency of her biting. She loves to chase feet and even better if those feet have shoes on, She can destroy a new pair of deck shoes in less than an hour, total time, She will always go after shoes whether on or off and she is definitely attracted to the movement made by a foot.
Kookooloo, CAG, is the phone, remote and computer hater. She will bite me after I hang up if I was successful in using the phone without her being able to get to me to bite. I have to put the phone on speaker and put it down to avoid her biting me for talking on the phone. I am lucky in that she doesn't bite nearly as hard as Kiki does, She bites just hard enough to let me know that she is displeased but rarely breaks the skin.
Both of these birds react differently and bite for different reasons, but it appears to me that a single well vocalized "ouch" coupled to a serious look of displeasure and a couple of minutes of rejection has the best results in reducing the severity and frequency of their biting.
Perhaps this will help you. Maybe you need to try to teach him to be less dependant upon you for entertainment, although it appears that you are trying that as well. Try to see what it is that you are doing that is providing the reinforcement and eliminate that. Also try to anticipate his biting and move to avoid it, nothing teaches them to not bite like a record of not biting. Also, because I don't want my birds to depend on me for all of their entertainment, I don't always pick them up when they call for me, I always answer them when they call for me but I don't always come running and that may be the reinforcement that you are providing to Pod. Maybe others have some other suggestions that might help you.
Wolf
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Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 8679
Location: Lansing, NC
Number of Birds Owned: 6
Types of Birds Owned: Senegal
African Grey (CAG)
Yellow Naped Amazon
2Celestial Parrotlet
Budgie
Flight: Yes

Re: Don't react to BITING?

Postby liz » Sun Jan 11, 2015 10:04 am

Myrtle responds to my owe and sometimes says it for me. Each and every creature on this earth has a different personality. My belief goes beyond that in that I believe they also have souls.
Dana, you just need to learn the mechanics of your birds thinking.
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liz
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 7234
Location: Hernando FL
Number of Birds Owned: 12
Types of Birds Owned: DYH Amazon Rambo
BF Amazon Myrtle
Cockatiels: Shadow Tammy Flutter Phoenix Jackie
Andy Impy Louise Twila Leroy
Flight: Yes

Re: Don't react to BITING?

Postby DanaandPod » Sun Jan 11, 2015 10:07 pm

Thank you. Yes, a new pair of shoes that cover my whole foot. more attention and training and zero attention for the biting. I have allowed him the run of my apartment and out of bordeom and hormones and jealousy aggression etc. i have a poorly behaved bird and out of balance life that i was reminded after referring back to the parrotwizards book that i need to take some charge again. partly my problem... i was acting lazy and also avoiding and procrastinating and thereby pod was taking up those time laps with acting up. So, back to the drawing board. At least i have been consistent over the months every day with morning routine. i also need to block off all the little tiny play spots under chairs etc that he is searching for a nest and instead distract him with more one on one trick training. i also would like to make a tree. i am thinking of getting branches from a apple orchid. but can you please tell me again what tree bark is safe? also is there somehting that i have to do to treat it and dry it out?????? please. thank you.
Piccolo and Pod
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DanaandPod
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Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 359
Location: Connecticut
Number of Birds Owned: 3
Types of Birds Owned: male Jardines parrot, a female meyers parrot, and two budgies
Flight: Yes

Re: Don't react to BITING?

Postby Wolf » Sun Jan 11, 2015 10:58 pm

If they don't spray the apple trees then they should be safe as apple is a safe wood. 30 minutes in the oven at 300 degrees should kill any bus or fungus. This will not make the branches safe if they have sprayed the tree with chemicals. Here is the link to a list of safe and toxic items including wood, plants, household products and foods, the list begins on the second page.
viewtopic.php?f=8&t=12521
Wolf
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 8679
Location: Lansing, NC
Number of Birds Owned: 6
Types of Birds Owned: Senegal
African Grey (CAG)
Yellow Naped Amazon
2Celestial Parrotlet
Budgie
Flight: Yes

Re: Don't react to BITING?

Postby DanaandPod » Sat Jan 17, 2015 11:50 am

oh, they spray the trees.... thanks for the list...
Piccolo and Pod
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DanaandPod
Poicephalus
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 359
Location: Connecticut
Number of Birds Owned: 3
Types of Birds Owned: male Jardines parrot, a female meyers parrot, and two budgies
Flight: Yes

Re: Don't react to BITING?

Postby Wolf » Sat Jan 17, 2015 2:33 pm

Too bad that they spray the trees that you were looking at. I am glad that you like the list, I have 6 or more and that one is by far the best one so far.
Wolf
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 8679
Location: Lansing, NC
Number of Birds Owned: 6
Types of Birds Owned: Senegal
African Grey (CAG)
Yellow Naped Amazon
2Celestial Parrotlet
Budgie
Flight: Yes

Re: Don't react to BITING?

Postby liz » Sat Jan 17, 2015 2:40 pm

If you get a potted tree it will grow in the bird light and stay green. Mine love hibiscus.
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liz
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 7234
Location: Hernando FL
Number of Birds Owned: 12
Types of Birds Owned: DYH Amazon Rambo
BF Amazon Myrtle
Cockatiels: Shadow Tammy Flutter Phoenix Jackie
Andy Impy Louise Twila Leroy
Flight: Yes


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