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Conure Attacks Fingers but Love Socializing

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

Conure Attacks Fingers but Love Socializing

Postby swagdaddymooney » Sun Jan 27, 2019 3:20 pm

Hi guys,

I have a conure that hate hands. He charges at them, agressively squeaks and continues to bite them. I try and bring my hand to him as slow as possible and sometimes he can let me pet him, but for the most part he either runs away or charges at my fingers. He loves to socialize and snuggle up against my neck, and he also has no issues with stepping up, but got he hates hands. Does anyone have any training tips that I can use to help him get more aquainted with my hands???

Thanks!
swagdaddymooney
Parakeet
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 1
Number of Birds Owned: 1
Types of Birds Owned: Yellow-sided conure with red factors
Flight: No

Re: Conure Attacks Fingers but Love Socializing

Postby Pajarita » Mon Jan 28, 2019 10:38 am

Welcome to the forum. A question first, by a 'conure yellow sided with red factor' you mean a yellow sided GCC, right?

Hating hands is common to little ones. Breeders are not the most affectionate or gentle when handling the babies and they grow up being afraid of the harsh handling and the tools used for it, namely, human hands. But they all learn not to attack them as long as you are VERY patient, never use your hands for anything but pleasurable things for them (and this means never ever ever grabbing them). The trick is never to give them a chance to bite the hands. And I know this sounds terribly disingenuos as far as advice goes but it works. First thing you need to do is stop putting your hand in front of his face or anywhere near his body. Ask him to step up with a stick and allow him to come out of his cage on its own and fly to your shoulder (he is fully flighted, right? because, if he isn't, that is another reason why he bites your hands).

By not putting your 'offensive and scary' hands near him you are not only preventing him from biting them, you are also doing two more and very important things: 1) you are telling him you will never do anything to scare, hurt or upset him and 2) you are breaking the habit. Birds, like any other animal including humans, are creatures of habit so you need to break the bad habit and, after a while, he will no longer do it. But the 'while' will take quite a while (forgive the pun :D ) so don't get impatient and do not scold him or do anything more than show your pain when he 'gets you' (the 'don't show any reaction to his bites' doesn't work).
Pajarita
Norwegian Blue
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 18701
Location: NW Pa
Number of Birds Owned: 30
Types of Birds Owned: RoseBreasted too, CAG, DoubleYellowHead Amazon, BlueFront Amazon, YellowNape Amazon, Senegal, African Redbelly, Quaker, Sun Conure, Nanday, BlackCap Caique, WhiteBelly Caique, PeachFace lovebird, budgies,
Flight: Yes


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