Hi all, I'm new to this forum as my fiance and I just got a new 8 month old male Indian Ringneck Parakeet on Saturday. He was super sweet in his cage when we saw him so we had to get him. I've had a budgie in the past who was super gentle and trained so I thought I'd be ok with a bigger bird. His name is Remy.
Remy started to bite after he came home. He came home in a box, and when we let him out, he stepped up and was okay. Almost grateful we gently let him out onto my finger. I tried to spend a few minutes with him doing the ladder step up thing before putting him in his cage and he was fine but then got scared when I tried to put him down on the table and squealed at me a little and bit me to the point of a little blood. I flinched (I know i shouldnt have) and put him on a plant for a few minutes while we readied his cage, and when I asked him to step up he bit again. I eventually got him to step up after some effort and he was ok.. and we put him in the cage, sang him a little song and went to bed. That was day one.
The next day, yesterday, when we woke up he was eating well and also eating from my hand with my hand in his cage, through the bars, directly from my palm while in the cage, etc etc. But when I tried to get him to step up he started snapping and trying to bite me. I used a wooden perch to get him out, brought him to another neutral room and did the ladder thing again, every time he stepped up without biting, I'd praise him and give him a treat that he tasted but didnt eat. He was totally scared. We also let him out of the cage for a couple of hours and he was still biting, I had to handle him with a wooden perch. Later in the evening (maybe he was tired), I tried to put my hand in again to ask him to step up and his pupils started flashing and his beak was opening. I knew this sign to be him totally pissed off, so I backed off. After a while he ruffled his feathers, stuck a foot up and took a snooze.
Now on day three, its the first time we've left him alone all day long and I'm wondering what to do with his training when we get home. I want to take him out and get him used to training and being out in the evening.. but I dont want him to bite me. I'm thinking of using a wooden perch to get him out, then use leather utility gloves or oven mitts to handle him so when he bites I can just gently push back on his beak without him drawing blood. I want him to know biting doesnt work, but it hurts! I also think when he steps up, I should praise him and freeze... and then try again with my bare hand and then praise him and freeze, but if he bites, I dont know.
He's only 8 months, but I want to make sure he has learned before he gets any older. Help!
Remy started to bite after he came home. He came home in a box, and when we let him out, he stepped up and was okay. Almost grateful we gently let him out onto my finger. I tried to spend a few minutes with him doing the ladder step up thing before putting him in his cage and he was fine but then got scared when I tried to put him down on the table and squealed at me a little and bit me to the point of a little blood. I flinched (I know i shouldnt have) and put him on a plant for a few minutes while we readied his cage, and when I asked him to step up he bit again. I eventually got him to step up after some effort and he was ok.. and we put him in the cage, sang him a little song and went to bed. That was day one.
The next day, yesterday, when we woke up he was eating well and also eating from my hand with my hand in his cage, through the bars, directly from my palm while in the cage, etc etc. But when I tried to get him to step up he started snapping and trying to bite me. I used a wooden perch to get him out, brought him to another neutral room and did the ladder thing again, every time he stepped up without biting, I'd praise him and give him a treat that he tasted but didnt eat. He was totally scared. We also let him out of the cage for a couple of hours and he was still biting, I had to handle him with a wooden perch. Later in the evening (maybe he was tired), I tried to put my hand in again to ask him to step up and his pupils started flashing and his beak was opening. I knew this sign to be him totally pissed off, so I backed off. After a while he ruffled his feathers, stuck a foot up and took a snooze.
Now on day three, its the first time we've left him alone all day long and I'm wondering what to do with his training when we get home. I want to take him out and get him used to training and being out in the evening.. but I dont want him to bite me. I'm thinking of using a wooden perch to get him out, then use leather utility gloves or oven mitts to handle him so when he bites I can just gently push back on his beak without him drawing blood. I want him to know biting doesnt work, but it hurts! I also think when he steps up, I should praise him and freeze... and then try again with my bare hand and then praise him and freeze, but if he bites, I dont know.
He's only 8 months, but I want to make sure he has learned before he gets any older. Help!
