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Grey seeking negative attention

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

Grey seeking negative attention

Postby 2Greys » Sat Nov 21, 2009 6:18 pm

Hi everyone!

We are having some trouble with our youngest grey (2 years old). He is a very kind bird (when he wants to), loves attention and want to be with us all the time.
The problem is that he bites and destroys our sofa, walls, pillows, computer, stairs and the worst of all: chews on electrical cords.
I suspect he does all of this to get our attention. And the best thing would probably be to leave the room, especially since he likes to follow us everywhere. The problem is that we also have a 4 months old baby, and if I'm in the living room nursing, I can't get up to leave every time he does something he's not supposed to do.
If I try to ignore it, he might bite my neck. So I'm getting afraid to have him out when I'm alone with the baby. But that means he will spend more time in the cage than I like.
He has never done anything to the baby, but if this keeps going I'm afraid he will just be getting worse. He can also be a pain to put back in the cage, if he's not hungry.

My oldest bird (age 14) has no problem like this. He will do anything for peanuts and is not very hard to train. But the younger one doesn't respond well to treats. He likes grapes, but those can be quite difficult to train with, since they are so big and messy.

I would also like to receive some great tips on potty training. For some reason, he doesn't want to go anywhere else than in the sofa.
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2Greys
Parakeet
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 3
Location: Norway
Number of Birds Owned: 2
Types of Birds Owned: Two African Grey at 14 and 2 years old.
Flight: Yes

Re: Grey seeking negative attention

Postby Michael » Sat Nov 21, 2009 11:38 pm

You really won't be able to discipline the bird so you're going to have to find more solid ways of preventing the bird from doing it or find ways to "care less." You can try couch covers, keeping the bird in a room with worthless stuff, letting the bird out only when you will give 100% attention, give it something better to play with like a climbing tree with toys. Really depends on your situation but I think your best bet is changing the environment rather than changing the bird here.
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Michael
Macaw
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is male
Posts: 6286
Location: New York
Number of Birds Owned: 3
Types of Birds Owned: Senegal Parrot, Cape Parrot, Green-Winged Macaw
Flight: Yes

Re: Grey seeking negative attention

Postby 2Greys » Sun Nov 22, 2009 8:40 am

The birds do have many toys, trees, playstand and climbing net. Most of the house is "bird-proofe". My mother in law is making sofa covers for us, but I don't know how to deal with the stairs and the electrical cords. I can't ignore something that is dangerous to him.

I have always thought it would be better for him to be out as much as possible. But I think you are right It's probably better for him to be let out of the cage when we can give him full attention.
User avatar
2Greys
Parakeet
 
Gender: This parrot forum member is female
Posts: 3
Location: Norway
Number of Birds Owned: 2
Types of Birds Owned: Two African Grey at 14 and 2 years old.
Flight: Yes


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