Can you train your birds to stop chewing wires?

[Malibu_The_Cockatoo]

Okay, so I've never had much of a problem with my Goffin chewing wires until recently and, with the profession I have, it's hard to keep wires out of the way. I'm an open cage believer, which means my cages are always open; open door, open top all day long - as long as it's not bedtime or I'm going out for a period of time.

To keep things short, I need a method to avoid any more chewing disasters. I was considering plastic/rudder wire sleeves, but it only delays the inevitable unless I check them all the time. And that only reinforces their chewing behavior, not solve it.

I had an idea in mind. I wanted opinions.

I trained my Goffin to stop biting almost entirely (or at least only give very very light bites) at a very young age. Basically, if he nipped at ANY strength, I yelled in pain very very loudly, put him down right where he was, and left the room for about 30 seconds. He learned very quickly that my skin was soft and squishy and by biting me, he hurt me and playtime was over. He associates "OOOOOUCH!" as a clear "Oh no, I messed up." moment. I also clicker train him, so he knows the clicker means he did something right and earns a reward. I noticed if I say "hey!!" when he bites the wires, he will pause for a moment before he continues.

Do you think a similar method could work when he chomps down on the wires? If I sit down with him to train, yell out like I got hurt as soon as he chomps down on the wires, wait for the pause when he looks up, click the clicker when he's paused, and then reward him... could this work to train him that what he is doing is wrong? Or are there better methods to stopping wire chewing? I don't want to test this before I have second opinions, because this is a complicated process that could end up training him to have the wrong impression about biting wires or about biting me.

 

[SailBoat]

Okay, so I've never had much of a problem with my Goffin chewing wires until recently and, with the profession I have, it's hard to keep wires out of the way. I'm an open cage believer, which means my cages are always open; open door, open top all day long - as long as it's not bedtime or I'm going out for a period of time.

To keep things short, I need a method to avoid any more chewing disasters. I was considering plastic/rudder wire sleeves, but it only delays the inevitable unless I check them all the time. And that only reinforces their chewing behavior, not solve it.

I had an idea in mind. I wanted opinions.

I trained my Goffin to stop biting almost entirely (or at least only give very very light bites) at a very young age. Basically, if he nipped at ANY strength, I yelled in pain very very loudly, put him down right where he was, and left the room for about 30 seconds. He learned very quickly that my skin was soft and squishy and by biting me, he hurt me and playtime was over. He associates "OOOOOUCH!" as a clear "Oh no, I messed up." moment. I also clicker train him, so he knows the clicker means he did something right and earns a reward. I noticed if I say "hey!!" when he bites the wires, he will pause for a moment before he continues.

Do you think a similar method could work when he chomps down on the wires? If I sit down with him to train, yell out like I got hurt as soon as he chomps down on the wires, wait for the pause when he looks up, click the clicker when he's paused, and then reward him... could this work to train him that what he is doing is wrong? Or are there better methods to stopping wire chewing? I don't want to test this before I have second opinions, because this is a complicated process that could end up training him to have the wrong impression about biting wires or about biting me.

First a couple of other things.
- Take a long look at what toys your Too has available and where. It is possible that they may be on the harder surface style and not as chewable. With wood toys move to a thinner /softer type of wood. Look at paper toys (thin cardboard, etc.) that with easy can be make quickly into small pieces. Use this guide to evaluate what is currently available and what needs to be changed
- The volume of Toys! As you approach the point that your Parrot has more than you do. You are almost there. Distraction is a key to reducing chew on dangerous or costly surfaces
- Shielding is a requirement. Whether hard surfaced plastic piping or the recent more flexible interior water piping. In North America, 120 VAC either 15 or 20 amp outlet will kill your Parrot, by cross-cutting both hot and ground and it will cause a fire. Shielding is a requirement for free roaming Parrots.
- The watchful parent! Life with a forever two-year old requires that the Human changes their life style. The on-going searching around is part of that responsibility. Its just part of a Parrot Owners Life and is evermore important with a free roaming Parrot.

Any additional training will help greatly in safe-guarding your Parrot and your home.

 

[eliholtman]

There are wire covers you can get in multiple sizes that are basically a square cardboard tube. If surge protectors or something like that you could put it in a shoebox and if need be you can run the wires out of the holes. May not look the best but will definitely block the wires
Hope this helps[emoji2]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Kentuckienne]

It's worth trying to train him. But do you think yelling when he's chewing will be more of an entertaining reward? Maybe before the yelling got his attention, but putting him on the floor was the deterrent. If you just yell, that might be interesting enough to actually encourage chewing.

The channel covers are a good idea...there are small metal chases, plastic ones, bigger bendy tubes, all sorts of child proof type wire protectors. Even the best trained parrot can forget, or not recognize that an unfamiliar thing is one of those not-supposed-to-chew items.

 

[Malibu_The_Cockatoo]

I'll get covers then. I kept seeing the same flimsy clear covers that even a puppy could chew through, which is why I was wary. I assumed they would be useless or costly over time. If anyone can link online stores with good, sturdy covers I would appreciate it.

As for toys... trust me, the house is a jungle gym. There's hard toys, soft toys, paper toys, chewey, not chewey, the house looks like a toddler destroyed it, there's so many toys and foragers both out AND waiting to be used. I think the 'too hasn't resorted to wires until now because of that, and he's eager to go for something really bizarre now. It's very hard to be ever vigilant because I work from home, I have to work WHILE I watch and it's hard to be mobile when the PC weighs 14 pounds and has enough cords to choke a horse.

I will definitely not try the training concept until I get some clarity on how a clicker training like this would work.

 

[Kiwibird]

I use this type of stuff and actually stitch it closed with fishing line to help advert accidents with my free roaming BFA- https://www.amazon.com/Chewsafe-Cor...id=1515333246&sr=8-3&keywords=chew+safe+cable
You can get similar tubing (you have to cut in half yourself) at Home Depot down the PVC piping isle for really cheap. I wrap cords out of an abundance of caution in case he ever did decide to "explore" one day, but my bird sticks to his own areas and doesn't venture into "human territory" of his own accord. I can't honestly say it's completely "chew proof" as my bird doesn't ever go on the floor where cords are and has been trained for a long time not to chew things outside his designated areas. I think if nothing else it would certainly take A LONG time for even a voracious chewer to get through. I know I've seen perches for smaller birds, like conures, made out of this clear stuff with little beads and whatnot inside that apparently smaller sized birds can't chew through this material.

As for sockets, these lock and key style boxes serve to protect outlets from curious beaks pulling sockets from walls or worse...
https://www.amazon.com/LectraLock-S...-catcorr&keywords=baby+outlet+protectors&th=1

Personally though, I don't think a typical goffin (or any cockatoo really) has the right personality and demeanor to have free run of a whole house. I grew up with a G2 and they are as smart as they are naughty. For his size, that bird is like a little atomic bomb. From what I gather from other owners that's typical of all cockatoos. They don't seem to have adapted well as a species to domestic life as pets in human homes and seem to find it hard to behave to our standards. It would be more ideal if you could dedicate a bird-proofed room for your goffin to be free in when you aren't home to supervise and only let into the main part of the home when someone is there to keep an eye on them. I think the forums resident goffins expert has a special room for his goffins, which seems like a fair and safe solution for mischief prone birds

 

[Malibu_The_Cockatoo]

I would like to mention as well, all my birds are very well behaved and absolute joys to be around. The only one who bites is Butch my cockatiel and that's just because he's been through 4 neglectful, abusive homes in 32 years and never knew a forever home like he does now. Everyone else is a peach who all love snuggles and play time but also understand independence and never have bitten beyond their young years. It's only ONLY been the wires. This is the only thing that's been beyond my control because not a lot of stuff online is giving me advice I could really use.

 

[Malibu_The_Cockatoo]

@Kiwibird thanks for the links and advice, that's something I didn't really consider. I never thought to designate a 'too play room. Maybe I'll do some redecorating tonight.

 

[GaleriaGila]

My three cents...
I envy folks with well-behaved birds.
*sighhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh*
I don't care how much the Rb 'behaves' himself while I'm looking. I don't trust him as far as I could throw him, and he only weighs 9 ounces!!!!!!!!!!!!
When he's on the loose, I don't take my eyes off him!
He has more than proven himself beyond any trust. At least I know exactly where I stand, right?

 

[bill_e]

How about putting more toys on the floor...I mean a lot of toys to possibly keep him interested in something else???

 

[Kiwibird]

@Kiwibird thanks for the links and advice, that's something I didn't really consider. I never thought to designate a 'too play room. Maybe I'll do some redecorating tonight.

If you have the space, it's a great idea! In a single room, it is much easier to eliminate potential hazards you may not want to/be able to eliminate throughout an entire home and create a safe place for a bird to be "free" unsupervised. It also means if your bird is flighted there is less risk of them getting outside when you open the door in the main part of the house. We are one of the very lucky few to have a bird who can be trusted not to get into trouble being out all day long. For most birds though, it's safer to either cage them when unsupervised or just create a bird room.

 

[Scott]

I believe your OP theory is worth trying, especially since you've clicker-trained him early. However, Goffins are smart enough to know when you are not in their presence, there will be no clicking or repercussions to bad behavior! IMO they live in two worlds; one in your sphere, the other in their own.

Three of my Goffins live in a dedicated 13' x 14' room totally devoid of wires or furniture. They are never caged and have already made minor modifications to the wooden trim. They are totally trustworthy but have little to damage save for slat-type window coverings. An assortment of dollar-store plastic spiders and lizards strategically hung keep them away! I would not trust them alone with wiring unless protected by industrial-strength covering.

Goffins are voracious chewers and love safe wooden toys. Another older Goffin kept separately has macaw-sized planks of wood and delights in shredding.

 

[Kentuckienne]

What kind of wires? You mean like computer, printer, power cables? TV and related setup? Is it a two inch thick bundle of wires or just three or four? Size matters, before I send you a bunch of pictures of stuff that won't work.

 

[ToMang07]

I think the bottom line is there is NO way to 100% train any parrot.

 

[Malibu_The_Cockatoo]

What kind of wires? You mean like computer, printer, power cables? TV and related setup? Is it a two inch thick bundle of wires or just three or four? Size matters, before I send you a bunch of pictures of stuff that won't work.

Computer chords mostly, as well as a heater chord, lamp chords, TV set, and thick power strip chords. They're not bundled together more than two wires each.

 

[Kentuckienne]

What kind of wires? You mean like computer, printer, power cables? TV and related setup? Is it a two inch thick bundle of wires or just three or four? Size matters, before I send you a bunch of pictures of stuff that won't work.

Computer chords mostly, as well as a heater chord, lamp chords, TV set, and thick power strip chords. They're not bundled together more than two wires each.

Got it. Too late to respond tonight but will send you links.

 

[wrench13]

I would go with PVC piping like the kind used for indoor plumbing. Not sure how many wires you need to snake thru the pipe but a sufficiently large diameter , too large for a cocka too to get a good beak hold on will probably make him loose interest. The good thing - its cheap stuff and by using elbows, tees etc one could shield everything right from the wall socket to what ever needs the juice. Disguise it by painting it the wall color ( with non toxic paint of course). Its a tough problem for a lotof free roaming parrots; dangerous for you and your 'too. Someday some smart person will invent a taste that is repugnant to parrots but not toxic, and will make a fortune, but that person is not me. Good luck!

 

[wrench13]

Or BX cable, which has a spiraled metal cover. Take the wires ( whuch are usually heavy gauge) out and snake your computer etc wires thru. it just one little white bird - you can out smart him ( I hope).

 

[Kentuckienne]

What kind of wires? You mean like computer, printer, power cables? TV and related setup? Is it a two inch thick bundle of wires or just three or four? Size matters, before I send you a bunch of pictures of stuff that won't work.

Computer chords mostly, as well as a heater chord, lamp chords, TV set, and thick power strip chords. They're not bundled together more than two wires each.

OK, some options. For cords on the floor, there are flat covers like this mostly to protect cords from being stepped on/tripped over:
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Mono-Systems-Inc-1-Piece-2-5-in-x-60-in-Overfloor-Cord-Protector-Silver-Cord-Cover/1061053

I don't know about using it with a space heater, you might be able to check the specs on whatever you look at. And I might not bundle a heater cord with any other wire.

This wide flat cover is made for wall mount TVs so it has more space inside: https://www.lowes.com/pd/Wiremold-1-Piece-3-5-in-x-48-in-Flat-Screen-TV-Kit-White-Cord-Cover/1148201

There's also a kit that works great if you don't have too many cords. Comes with some corners and two-sided tape. It's a lot cheaper than PVC pipe:
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Wiremold-7...-Organization-Kit-Ivory-Cord-Cover/1000282087

This here stuff is cheap, and I don't think it would stand up to any serious chewing, but maybe it doesn't look like something fun to chew. I use jobbies like this to keep cords together so they look nicer. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Gardner-Bender-60-in-Nylon-Heavy-Duty-S/50040882

The PVC recommendations are solid. It's not cheap, but not terribly expensive, and there are all kinds of fittings and connectors, but you might need to augment it with some other stuff. I've used metal wire-mold to replace outlets in a wall with lath and plaster instead of tying in to the knob and tube stuff. But maybe it's all plastic now.

I put Lowe's links because I like them better then the other BigBox brand but maybe you have a local hardware store that would b even better. Ton of options, have fun!