Amazon Rescue Update!!!

[Chubby The Amazon]

I got Chubby as a rescue. He was very aggressive when I first got him.
One day (4 months) after getting him I decided to try to train him.
I used a clicker & a target stick.
He showed some progress in ONE day.
Second day, I used the clicker & my arm.
We did it!
Now, 2 weeks later he is climbing on me, playing, eating from my hands, preening me. Hasn’t bit me once.
My ex husband & sister in-law came to grab some of their stuff from my home. He seriously but the sister in law while he was in my arm & chased her around the house, arguing with her & cussing.
The ex husband was here & Chubby was on my arm & once he saw the ex, he bit me pretty dang hard to even break skin.
He proceeded to chase my ex around the house too.
After each person left, Chubby calmed down & hang out with me on the couch.

Can someone explain this to me?
Was he being protective of me?
Is it because he is a one person bird?
Does he need to be trained with each individual I come across?
Can he sense a “bad” person?
If the latter is the case, I get my ex husband because he is a cruel, mean person.
The ex-sister in law isn’t entirely horrible.

What if I meet another guy?! lol

I guess Chubby took me seriously when I told him it’s me & him for life. Lmfao

Thanks guys for any insight.

Check out Chubbys Instagram to see how awesome he is. How far on the journey (with me) he has come, from biting me & lunging at me to even playing & following me around the house!

 

[PrimorandMoxi]

Great for you and Chubby. Much continued success.

My Amazon is really well behaved but I wouldn't trust him with "strangers" in the house. Any situation that I am unsure about then he is not on my shoulder but perched on my finger where I can somewhat control him.
If he is really feisty then he is in his cage; it's also for his own protection.

It's not advisable to ever meet anyone ever again as you are now a bird lady. But if you do you just have to take it super slow, back to square one. Yes, I imagine retrain with every individual.

 

[Chubby The Amazon]

Great for you and Chubby. Much continued success.

My Amazon is really well behaved but I wouldn't trust him with "strangers" in the house. Any situation that I am unsure about then he is not on my shoulder but perched on my finger where I can somewhat control him.
If he is really feisty then he is in his cage; it's also for his own protection.

It's not advisable to ever meet anyone ever again as you are now a bird lady. But if you do you just have to take it super slow, back to square one. Yes, I imagine retrain with every individual.

Thank you so much for your response!
He is good now with me in any situation even when he is on his cage.
It’s just the last 2 days I realized having these people around is not a good idea.
He is a guard bird I guess.
I definitely learned my lesson after the latest experience.
I guess I am a bird lady but also a bit of a romantic too, so IF I ever let anyone in my life again it will have to be a calm & understanding person.
I will be sure to make it a slow transition.

Thank you!

 

[Cottonoid]

Congratulations on all your work building a relationship paying off!

I haven't lived with an Amazon, but the few I know at a rescue have definite preferences for certain people. One of them really liked me until his BFF liked me and now he hates me Another one will bite to tell you to get away from another bird he doesn't like, but otherwise is super sweet.

Chubby might be aggressive toward people he doesn't know for a number of reasons. If you have a friend that you like, you could have Chubby in his cage and have the friend drop lots of treats into his bowl (without sticking fingers in) and then see how he reacts. If he seems relaxed and happy, you could *slowly* build from there and just see how he goes.

I'm so happy for you that he's such a great buddy already!

 

[wrench13]

Amazons frequently need to be 'exposed' to each new person unless they have been 'socialized' well ie trained to accept multiple people. And they have definite ideas of who is good and bad. My youngest son who helped wean Salty now hates him with a passion - no idea why and no amount of socializing is helping.

In the wild, one parrot with sometime bite thier friend or mate in order to get them AWAY from something bad, that may be why you got bit.

 

[Chubby The Amazon]

Amazons frequently need to be 'exposed' to each new person unless they have been 'socialized' well ie trained to accept multiple people. And they have definite ideas of who is good and bad. My youngest son who helped wean Salty now hates him with a passion - no idea why and no amount of socializing is helping.

In the wild, one parrot with sometime bite thier friend or mate in order to get them AWAY from something bad, that may be why you got bit.

Perfect! Thank you very much for the response.
People have been telling me it’s possible he sensed they weren’t nice people, then again, they are not experienced with birds.
They also like to say he sensed they are “bad” I think because they are my friends who didn’t like what my ex has done to me.

I do think it’s possible that that’s the reason he bit me, he wanted to distance himself between me & the ex.

Over time & introducing people through training will be the key.
Thanks again!

 

[Chubby The Amazon]

Congratulations on all your work building a relationship paying off!

I haven't lived with an Amazon, but the few I know at a rescue have definite preferences for certain people. One of them really liked me until his BFF liked me and now he hates me Another one will bite to tell you to get away from another bird he doesn't like, but otherwise is super sweet.

Chubby might be aggressive toward people he doesn't know for a number of reasons. If you have a friend that you like, you could have Chubby in his cage and have the friend drop lots of treats into his bowl (without sticking fingers in) and then see how he reacts. If he seems relaxed and happy, you could *slowly* build from there and just see how he goes.

I'm so happy for you that he's such a great buddy already!

Thank you! I think that’s what I’m going to do if I find someone one day.
I’m in no rush. lol
I so thrilled that Chubby has bonded with me & now he can hang out with me & play.
I never thought the day would come.
I would cry before because I felt so bad for him how he never had experienced love from a human. I would be sad because I knew if he only would understand I can give him so much more his life would improve.
Now, that has all changed & he sees I’m his momma.
He regurgitated multiple times & when I’m eating he wants me to give him my chewed food. lol
Thank you!

 

[Cottonoid]

I do think it’s possible that that’s the reason he bit me, he wanted to distance himself between me & the ex.

Parrots can read us very very well - I can see how he could easily have been able to tell how you were feeling about the ex and took action to protect you.

 

[DonnaBudgie]

I got Chubby as a rescue. He was very aggressive when I first got him.
One day (4 months) after getting him I decided to try to train him.
I used a clicker & a target stick.
He showed some progress in ONE day.
Second day, I used the clicker & my arm.
We did it!
Now, 2 weeks later he is climbing on me, playing, eating from my hands, preening me. Hasn’t bit me once.
My ex husband & sister in-law came to grab some of their stuff from my home. He seriously but the sister in law while he was in my arm & chased her around the house, arguing with her & cussing.
The ex husband was here & Chubby was on my arm & once he saw the ex, he bit me pretty dang hard to even break skin.
He proceeded to chase my ex around the house too.
After each person left, Chubby calmed down & hang out with me on the couch.

Can someone explain this to me?
Was he being protective of me?
Is it because he is a one person bird?
Does he need to be trained with each individual I come across?
Can he sense a “bad” person?
If the latter is the case, I get my ex husband because he is a cruel, mean person.
The ex-sister in law isn’t entirely horrible.

What if I meet another guy?! lol

I guess Chubby took me seriouslr to good people. Some forum members, have lots of experience with Amazons and probably have good advice for you about socializing Chubby.

 

[Terry57]

Parrots can read us very very well - I can see how he could easily have been able to tell how you were feeling about the ex and took action to protect you.

This is what I was thinking as well. They are so sensitive to our moods and he may have reacted to your stress level and tension in the room.

Whatever his reasons, that's wonderful that he wanted to protect you. As Al mentioned, parrots will often nip other members of their flock to scare them away from perceived danger, and that may be why he bit you when he saw your ex.
Chubby is a wonderful protector