Black Capped Conure bitting

[Imzadi96]

Hey guys! So I have adopted a two year old black capped conure. He is extremely sweet and loving but he has a little problem with bitting. My fiance tried petting him and he bit his finger and broke skin, with me I tried scratching my arm and he bit my finger also breaking skin. Is there a way that I can help control his bitting or teach him not to bite? I work for Petco and I was taught to gently hold the beak of the conure and shake it gently and say no, should I do the same? Or try a different method?

 

[YUMgrinder]

That's what I do, I hold their beak and tell them that's naughty. It seems to work for me. They do bite my gf from time to time though haha.

 

[clark_conure]

If the bird is bonded to you, when he bites put him on the floor like 10 feet away make him walk back to you. Birds in the wild don't put up with a nipper and they shun that behavior. You need to do the same thing. Say NO out loud walk away put him on the floor and make him walk back. By the time he arrive he will be super sweet and realise he did a bad thing. Just be consistent. The earthquake and beak holding method only add to the excitement and attention....The best way to stop a conure is to devoid him of any attention and make him come back to you for it.

 

[LordTriggs]

I know it works for YUMgrinder but I don't like that method, personal preference really. How long have you had him? If only a few days slow right down and let him learn to trust you, get him taking treats and what-not. His previous owner may have had him tame but you're new and untrustworthy right now along with him being very scared. Talk to him when he's in the cage and go at his pace. Any bites should be met with a firm "no" no shouting though, then I prefer to place on the floor, I know a lot of places don't teach that in case of other pets which is valid, but essentially a few minutes of shunning him and he will learn. Saying that small conures are beaky little birds and do push it when things come to their beaks

 

[Notdumasilook]

I do not grab the beaks when they bite. Beaks are sensitive and when Ive got a beak tween thumb and forfinger its either to rub em (they like it) or clean dried up fresh foods off their beak. Below is how I teach them not to bite.

Did a similar method and the problem went away pretty quick. When he grabbed my ear I reached back and restrained him for a moment, shook a finger at him and said a firm NO... and put him on back of couch. Again he flew to my shoulder... same thing happened. Took a few more times and bingo... he got it!! Now he doesn't chew my ears/fingers and he knows what NO means. Now if hes up to something he shouldn't be all I have to do is shake a finger at him and say the same firm NO. That fingerwag is as important as the NO..... the brief restraint just used first times so as to get his undivided attention. )

Know this thou regarding bites. Some bites you get come from their instinctive reaction to something you do that triggers that instinct... say.. protect food/toys/territory etc. Its my feeling that those bites I deserve.. and I make no attempt to change those instinctive behaviors. Rather I act like I have good birdie manners and don't trigger the bite too begin with.

 

[SassiBird]

If the bird is bonded to you, when he bites put him on the floor like 10 feet away make him walk back to you. Birds in the wild don't put up with a nipper and they shun that behavior. You need to do the same thing. Say NO out loud walk away put him on the floor and make him walk back. By the time he arrive he will be super sweet and realise he did a bad thing. Just be consistent. The earthquake and beak holding method only add to the excitement and attention....The best way to stop a conure is to devoid him of any attention and make him come back to you for it.

This has been working the best for me. I have noticed fast, especially twisting motions seem to draw aggression. Sassi is my only conure, so I don't know if it is an individual thing or a species thing.

 

[copycat]

]If the bird is bonded to you[/COLOR], when he bites put him on the floor like 10 feet away make him walk back to you. Birds in the wild don't put up with a nipper and they shun that behavior. You need to do the same thing. Say NO out loud walk away put him on the floor and make him walk back. By the time he arrive he will be super sweet and realise he did a bad thing. Just be consistent. The earthquake and beak holding method only add to the excitement and attention....The best way to stop a conure is to devoid him of any attention and make him come back to you for it.

What if you and your conure are getting to know each other? My Sun and I are just starting to get acquainted. I am happy to say that since joining the forum we have made much progress. Skittles now takes millet balls from my hand and I have been granted permission to an occasional head scratch. Stepping up however has been a painful exercise thus far. Skittles will put one foot on my finger followed by a very hard bite. Any suggestions?

 

[Imzadi96]

His bitting is getting worse, he just bit my lip and its extremely bruised now. I will try the ten feer thing, i am also searching for videos on you tube.

 

[clark_conure]

Trust us, just stick with it, time out method, put him on the floor (not his cage) someplace he doesn't like, because it's down low but he can come back to you from .....conures Are VERY SOCIAL very family...if you "shun" his behavior he will figure it out. Bite equals not being on the shoulder, not being in the group, not being a good boy. Every time in the beginning I did it he came backs sweet as can be...he had relapses....but then those disappeared.