How to reprimand negative behavior

[joeparrilla5790]

Hey Guys,

So when my baby does something good, praising him is simple. A treat and a good boy with a big smile seems to do the trick. My issue is with dealing with negative behaviors. Sometimes when he doesnt get his way he will screech and nip, but I dont know how to deal with it. I will sometimes put him on the floor, turn off the light and leave the room, but I cant tell if that bothers him enough to make him stop. Any advice on "punishments", if you would call them that?

 

[Jessxoxo]

Very good question? I'd like to know as well!!

 

[triordan]

I think ignoring them, a firm "No", a little time out...one of these should work???

 

[JasmineGCC]

After she has ignored a firm 'no' and accompanying wobble, I turn my back and ignore Jasmine, won't make eye contact. Sometimes I physically go sit on another chair.
Also I observe her body language and if her head makes snakey movements and she backs away from my hand she doesn't want to be handled. 2 minutes later she's back to being a cuddle bunny. If she's being nippy I give her something to chew like balsa wood or a Popsicle stick and she sits on my shoulder making splinters.

 

[MonicaMc]

If you can, try not to put your bird in a situation where he will perform "bad" behaviors. If using a "punishment" technique, it should not last for more than 15-60 seconds. Birds will do a behavior, then forget about it shortly thereafter.

Don't completely ignore the behavior, and try not to do something that will reward the behavior. If you can, try and teach him behaviors that you do find acceptable, so that he can learn to perform these behaviors over bad ones.

If a bird is biting then try not to put them in a position to bite. If a bird is nibbling/exploring with their beak, teach them to play with toys instead or touch a target with his beak. If a bird is screaming, teach them to contact call, say a word/phrase, or sing instead.

In other words, if they are performing a bad behavior that you don't like, teach them an incompatible behavior to what they are doing.

 

[ConureLady]

I gave my conure the cold shoulder a few times when he tried to bite me when I tried helping him down from his shower perch....
parrots hate it when you turn around and ignore them.
when i came back into the room he was more than gracious and stepped up instead of biting.
i dont think voicing your opinion to a parrot works that well, they love our voice. i think that any communication is a reward, even scolding.
so i reprimand with my body language.
i step back and make an over exaggerated crying sad face (remember that birds are very empathetic/sympathetic creatures) , i cross my arms with a mad face, huff and puff with my lungs, and turn away. then i leave the room.. i come back in about 20 seconds later smiley, happy, and asking "why were you mean to me?" in a questioning voice.. i never come back angry. i always come back showing affection.

 

[lene1949]

I agree with Monica... Set your birds up for success, not failure...

My eclectus, Paulie, is in the bluffing stage at the moment, but I don't give him a chance to bite me. He's allowed to mouth me gently, and while he's doing that, I give him heaps of praise for being gentle, which he seems to understand... I did the same with Max, my alexandrine, and he's never bitten me...

My little pineapple conure is now 6 weeks old, and I don't remember, when they get nippy, but her parents, even though they are not tame, has never bitten me... (not for lack of trying, when in their cage, though).. They'll fly around the house, land on my head or shoulders - should I try to get them to step up on my hand, they'd bite, so I don't...

I have 2 mature cockatoos in a walk-in aviary outside (a corella and a galah) - they love me coming in and fly to my shoulders... These birds I have taken in from different people, who said they bite! They have never bitten me!

All these birds of mine are treated differently because of their individual personalities.. I do expect that I will one day get bitten and I'm sure, when that happens it'll be my fault.